World History Semester 2 Finals Study Guide
1. Which best explains why the major powers of Europe became involved in the conflict between Austria-Hungary and Serbia in 1914? – They were all bound by treaty to one side or the other.
2. The Balkans was known as the powder keg of Europe prior to WWI mainly because – the area had a long history of ethnic disputes and nationalism.
3. Prior to the First World War, which of the following was an important source of conflict between European nations? – Competition for colonies in Africa and Asia.
4. What three countries made up the Triple Entente in 1917? – Great Britain, France, Russia.
5. What was the purpose of propaganda during WWI? – To influence public opinion.
6. In the First World War, the central powers included – the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Kingdom of Bulgaria, and the Ottoman Empire.
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8. The U.S. decision to enter WWI was influenced most directly by the Germans’ – use of unrestricted submarine warfare.
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10. What was Russia’s main strength in WWI? – Large numbers of soldiers.
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12. Which best describes what took place after Vladimir I. Lenin assumed power in Russia? – The Russians ended involvement in WWI.
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14. During WWI, the Ottoman Empire was responsible for genocide mainly against – Armenians.
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16. In the Paris Peace Conference to end WWI, which of the following was a main goal of France? – To punish Germany.
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18. What is the main reason that Americans rejected the League of Nations? – They feared it could lead to future U.S. involvement in European wars.
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20. Which empire disappeared as a result of the peace treaties that ended WWI? – Austro-Hungarian Empire.
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22. After the First World War, many people felt disillusionment and despair mainly because of – they saw the war’s death and destruction as pointless.
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24. The phrase “lost generation” used by Gertrude Stein and Ernest Hemingway is most likely a reference to – the disillusioned American writers who moved to Europe after WWI.
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26. Quote from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s This Side of Paradise (1920): “Here was a new generation… grown up to find all Gods dead, all wars fought, all faith in man shaken.” This refers to – the generation that emerged from WWI with hopelessness.
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28. What was the name given to the system of corrective labor camps in the Soviet Union? – Gulag.
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30. What event was a direct result of the Russian Revolution? – Russia pulled out of WWI.
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32. What was the purpose of the Soviet State’s 5-Year Plans? – Economic development.
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34. Which of the following is NOT true of the Stalinist Russia and Nazi Germany in the 1930s? – Each nation had an economic system based on the ideas of Karl Marx.
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36. Which of the following does Fascism stress? – Nationalism.
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38. Which BEST explains Hitler’s main reason for entering into the Nazi-Soviet Pact of August 1939? – He wanted to attack Poland without Soviet interference.
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40. After Germany’s annexation of Austria, which best describes a consequence of the British policy of appeasement? – Hitler felt empowered to claim the Sudetenland for Germany.
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42. Which country was the main recipient of supplies from the U.S. under the Lend-Lease Act? – Great Britain.
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44. [map of German battle sites] The arrows on the map represent the planned movements of which army in 1941? – German.
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46. Which factor contributed most to the German defeat at Stalingrad in 1943? – The Russian winter.
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48. Which man was named Supreme Commander of the allied Forces in Europe in 1943? – Dwight Eisenhower.
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50. Which best defines the term Holocaust as it is used about events in WWII? – The systematic murder of Europe’s Jews in concentration camps.
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52. Adolf Hitler’s Final Solution is BEST described as which of the following? – A systematic genocide against Jews and other “non-Aryans”.
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54. Why were the Nuremburg Laws significant? – They