The Outbreak of War Flashcards

All 9 cards in this deck

When did German troops occupy the rest of Czechoslovakia, and why was it a turning point?

March 1939; it made Chamberlain accept that appeasement had failed, as Hitler had broken the Munich Agreement.

What was agreed in the Nazi–Soviet Pact (August 1939)?

Hitler and Stalin agreed not to attack each other, and secretly agreed to divide Poland between them.

When did Germany invade Poland, and when did Britain and France declare war?

Germany invaded on 1 September 1939; Britain and France declared war on 3 September 1939.

Give one way Stalin contributed to the outbreak of war in 1939.

By signing the Nazi–Soviet Pact, which allowed Hitler to invade Poland without fearing a war on two fronts.

True or false? Hitler expected Britain and France to declare war when he invaded Poland.

False. He misjudged their commitment to Poland, assuming they would give in as they had at Munich.

What promise did Britain and France make to Poland in spring 1939?

To support Poland if Germany attacked it (announced by Chamberlain on 31 March 1939); it is often seen as the end of appeasement.

What was the Pact of Steel (May 1939)?

A military alliance in which Germany and Italy agreed to support each other in war.

Give one reason Stalin signed the Nazi-Soviet Pact.

He distrusted Britain and France, who had left the USSR out of the Munich talks.

Give one way Chamberlain could be blamed for the outbreak of war in 1939.

He failed to win an alliance with the USSR: Britain's slow, half-hearted talks with Moscow in 1939 helped push Stalin into the Nazi-Soviet Pact.