Download Unit 2 Study Guide with answers

Unit 2 Europe Study Guide
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1. Which war was a result of militarism and nationalism in the late nineteenth and early
twentieth centuries? World War I (The Great War)
2. Which group of nations formed the Central Powers? Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the
Ottoman Empire
3. What was the cause of the Russian Revolution? Extreme nationalism led rebels to
assassinate Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary. Alliances brought many other
countries into the fighting.
4. How did nationalism play a part in Europe’s competition to colonize Africa and Asia?
Each country thought that the more territory it gained the greater of a nation it would be
5. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914 set events in motion that led to
World War I. However, no major war is ever caused by a single event. What other factors
contributed to the outbreak of World War I? (MAIN): Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, and
Nationalism. Countries built up huge militaries so that it could protect itself from other
Empires; smaller countries formed alliances with larger countries so that the larger countries
would protect them in case of attack; imperialism fostered a sense of competition as empires
competed for larger territories; a strong sense of nationalism led individuals to protect their
homelands and to seek unification with cultural areas with the same background (heritage,
religion, values, etc.)
6. How did the Allies hope to keep Germany from becoming too powerful again after WWI?
(which part of “BRAT” would prevent Germany from becoming too powerful?)
They restricted the size of Germany’s military
7. Which part of the Treaty of Versailles was the most damaging to the German economy?
having to pay war reparations to the other countries for the damages incurred during wartime
8. The harsh conditions imposed by the Treaty of Versailles after World War I helped lay the
foundation for the rise of what political party? The NAZIS
9. The international organization created to preserve the peace after World War I was?
League of Nations
10. Why did business come to a halt after the stock market crash of 1929? Many had lost their
life’s savings when banks failed. Other people were scared to spend their money because they
didn’t know what would happen next.
11. What was an effect of the world-wide depression? High unemployment rates (loss of jobs)
12. List the reasons that Adolf Hitler came to power in Germany. People were not happy with
the Treaty of Versailles and their current government which they perceived as weak. They
wanted a ruler that would change things for the better. Hitler and the NAZI party preached
Nationalism and German superiority, promising to make Germany a great nation once more
13. Dates the following occurred:
Hitler was named chancellor of Germany 1933
Germany invaded Poland 1939
France and Great Britain declared war on Germany 1939
14. What did the Nuremburg Laws require? Jews had to give up their German citizenship.
They had to wear arm bands and carry ID’s, their businesses were closed, and they could not
attend German schools and universities.
15. What is the term used to describe the genocide of the Jews in Germany? Holocaust
16. What was Hitler’s “Final Solution” for Jews in Germany, Poland, and other German
occupied territories? Taking Jews to concentration camps and killing them
17. Which country was the leader of the Warsaw Pact? The Soviet Union
18. What are the two terms used to describe the dividing line between eastern and western,
communist and noncommunist areas? The Iron Curtain, and the Berlin Wall
19. What actions did the United Nations take as result of the Holocaust? Created a Jewish
state in the Middle East called Israel, and made genocide and illegal crime.
20. Which condition is required to be considered a superpower? Influence over world affairs
(politics and economy)
21. When was the Cold War? After World War II (1945-1989)
22. What was one of the areas of disagreement between the Soviet Union and the United
States during the Cold War? Economic System (capitalism vs. communism)
23. During the Cold War Era, the United States and the Soviet Union were reluctant to become
involved in direct military conflict mainly because? they feared all out nuclear war
24. During the 1980’s in the Soviet Union, a major element of the new policy of Perestroika
was? Restructuring the government to give people more freedoms
25. Why did Gorbachev reduce government control of the Soviet economy? Because of
excessive spending in order to build a strong Soviet military, the economy was in very bad
shape. The government could no longer provide total control in a world where capitalist
countries were progressing much faster.
26. The destruction of the Berlin Wall in 1989 is symbolic of what? The end of the cold war