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Unit 3: World at War Study Guide

1. Fascism is a political ideology that became popular in certain countries following World
War I and was a response to fear of…?

2. What was the purpose of the Marshall Plan?

3. During the Russian Revolution, the Bolsheviks took control of the Russian government.
What was one of the results of the Bolsheviks’ rise to power?

4. Which of the following best explains the significance of the Nazi-Soviet Non-aggression
Pact of 1939?
a. Because of the pact, Stalin agreed to help the Germans conquer all of Europe.
b. Because of the pact, Hitler felt he had secured Germany’s border with the Soviet
Union.
c. Because of the pact, Germany agreed to only invade areas of Western Europe.
d. Because of the pact, the Soviets agreed that they would take no part in World War
II or any war thereafter.

5. World War I was the first war to use many new technologies. What was true of the use of
chemical warfare?

6. In 1928, Joseph Stalin introduced the first Five Year Plan in the Soviet Union. Under the
Five Year Plans, the government set specific goals for industrial and agricultural
production. Why did Stalin implement these programs?

7. Why did the Allies need to issue the Potsdam Declaration during their meeting at
Potsdam in the summer of 1945?

8. What effect did the Great Depression have on fascism, communism, and other similar
movements in Europe and Asia?

9. During the Spanish Civil War, Republicans fought to support a democratic government
for Spain while Nationalists fought to support a Spanish dictatorship. What effect did the
Name________________________________________________ Period____

Unit 3: World at War Study Guide

Spanish Civil War have on the buildup to World War II?

10. Vladimir Lenin was one of the leaders of the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917. After the
revolution, he became the leader of Russia and transformed it into a communist state.
Lenin’s political beliefs were most influenced by which person?

11. What did Joseph Stalin hope to accomplish during the Great Purge of the 1930s?

12. Germany violated the terms of the Treaty of Versailles on March 7, 1936 by sending the
German Army into an area which was supposed to remain a demilitarized zone. This area
was called…?

13. The rise of fascist regimes in countries like Italy and Germany in the early 20th century
came about in part because of fear of what political ideology?

14. Why did Japan’s attack on the Chinese city of Nanjing receive significant attention from
the rest of the world?

15. What were the four main causes of World War I?

16. What were the new weapons used during the Great War?