STUDY GUIDE for European History test over SS6H7 to be taken on Wed 12/16
Test Review
Session in Wed.
Tutoring @ 7:45!
***Be sure that you can discuss (without notes) all of the following things in the standard below…
SS6H7 The student will explain conflict and change in Europe to the 21st century.
a. Describe major developments following World War I: the Russian Revolution, the Treaty of Versailles, worldwide
depression, and the rise of Nazism.
b. Explain the impact of WWII in terms of the Holocaust, the origins of the Cold War, and the rise of Superpowers.
c. Explain how the collapse of the Soviet Union led to the end of the Cold War and German reunification.
1.
The Russian Revolution:
a. What were the Czars like?
i. Mean. Not looking out for all of the citizen’s needs. Ignored them. Cared only about rich
b. What did the time period lead Russia’s government to become?
i. Communist. Lenin & Bolsheviks took over after overthrow making it communist.
ii. Communism = Command economy
c. Why were the Russian citizens angry?
i. The Czar was ignoring their needs. The poor peasants had no way to realistically survive.
Huge class differences (poor & rich only).
d. What was Russia like during this revolutionary time period?
i. Riots. Low pay. Bad farming conditions. Food shortages. WWI destruction. Distrust of
government & officials.
e. What did Russia have to do regarding its participation in WWI?
i. Had to pull out of participating in the war before it was over.
2. Treaty of Versailles:
a. What did it do to punish Germany? (France’s goals— G.A.R.G.Le)
i. Greatly limit their military (to 100,000 men). Humiliate them making them accept guilt of
war. Take away their colonies and natural resource riches.
b. How did it damage the German economy?
i. They were made to pay reparations to France and other countries to help them rebuild
after war
c. What are reparations?
i. Money $$$/ bills to be paid for war restoration
d. How did The Treaty of Versailles lead to the Nazi Party coming into popularity and control?
i. They promised to ignore/ eliminate the treaty and not make any more payments. $ stayed
in Germany and did not go to France…etc.
3. World-Wide Depression:
a. What are the characteristics of a place in this state of being?
i. Widespread unemployment. Decrease in world trade. Businesses and banks closed /
bankruptcy. People can’t care for their needs…etc. ***NOT “paying reparations”!
b. Why did it spread across Europe after WWI?
i. Cities & factories were destroyed and could not rebuild or help each other. There was no
desire to buy European goods (trade stopped). Few workers were needed =
unemployment.
c. How did The World Wide Depression lead to the Nazi Party coming into popularity and control?
i. People went back to work in new jobs rebuilding military, which helped the economy &
raised German nationalism.
4.
Rise of Nazism:
a. What were many reasons why Hitler and the Nazi Party became so popular among Germans?
i. End to unemployment, poverty, and Treaty of Versailles. Would bring Germany back to a
state of power
b. What did they do to create jobs?
5.
6.
i. Rebuilt the military by making weapons and creating factories. INCREASE in number of
jobs available (military, factories, road works projects…etc.)
c. What all did he promise?
i. Ignore/ abolish the Treaty of Versailles (no more reparations). Create jobs. Rebuild
Germany as a country and nationalism in hears of Germans.
Holocaust:
a. What actions did the United Nations take as a result?
i. Created the Jewish state of Israel and made Genocide a crime
b. Describe the progression or sequence of events or actions taken in the holocaust…
i. Nazis gained power; then anti Jewish laws implemented (numberg laws); then Jews
forced to live in Ghettos; then sent to concentration camps; and lastly death camps
c. What were the world wide effects (in Europe & in the USA…etc)?
i. Millions of people murdered; Jewish state created; Jews and others went into hiding
around world in all other countries for safety; people terrified of Nazi rule
Origins of the Cold War:
***immediately after WWII, the allies limited Germany’s power by dividing it into democratically
controlled areas.
a. What was the Cold War? (describe this period of history)
i. A period of threats and rising tensions between communist USSR & its allies, and
Capitalist/ democracy USA and its allies. The world choose sides.
b. What is the Iron Curtain? The protected border separating communism from democracy in
Europe. (Berlin Wall  same thing- just around democratic side of Berlin.)
c. What was the political party available to the citizens of the USSR?
i. Communism
d. Describe Joseph Stalin…
i. Leader of USSR. Under his power all jobs and industries became government controlled
and citizen’s hard work was required. He improved working conditions, provided jobs, &
got the USSR out of the depression.
e. What positive things did Stalin do in regards to jobs and working conditions?
i. His government tried to improve working conditions of its citizens and put many of them
to work for the government owned businesses.
7. Rise of the Superpowers
a. What is the meaning of “superpower” in the context of this unit of academic study?
i. Having the ability to greatly influence world events, trade, and power.
b. Who were the world’s 2 largest superpowers?
i. USA and USSR
c. What are the key things that made each (listed in b above) a superpower?
USA CIA spy network, NATO as a world alliance group, democracy
USSR KGB spy network, Warsaw pact as a world alliance group, communism
8. Collapse of the Soviet Union:
a. What condition was the USSR in that ultimately ended the cold war? Describe it.
i. The USSR was spending so much $ competing to be the best at industry and everything
that they could no longer care for maintaining their own country; so, the USSR’s
economy became unstable.
b. What did the collapse of the Soviet Union lead to?
i. Tearing down of the Berlin wall and reunification of Germany, as well as the Eastern bloc
countries becoming independent of communist rule.
9. Additional vocabulary Terms to know: the meaning and examples of:
a. Nationalism- Self interest. Wanting to be a part of everything and be a world power. Pride.
b. Militarism- building up of the military (training, more tools, more weapons, more factories…etc.)
c. Industrialization- rapid advances in technology and production. Changes a society/ culture/
country.
d. Imperialism- Owning multiple colonies and lands around the world. Growth of land ownership.
e. Anti-Semitism- Racism towards Jewish people. The holocaust was an act stemming from AntiSemitism beliefs.
10. Points to Ponder and be able to explain a good bit in your answer… THESE MAY BE ESSAYS!
a. How did the Treaty of Versailles and the Depression lead to Nazis coming into power?
b. Describe and explain the meaning of “Hitler Builds!” Nazi propaganda
c. Explain the reasons for, meaning of, and effects of the entire world being in an economic
depression.