12th Standard History — Outbreak of World War II and its Impact in Colonies Online Test

About Outbreak of World War II and its Impact in Colonies

Medium ~60 min study

Outbreak of World War II and its Impact in Colonies is the fourteenth unit of the Tamil Nadu State Board Class 12 History book. It begins with the collapse of the post-1918 order based on collective security and explains why the war of 1939-45 was much more of a world war than that of 1914-18.

The first part examines the causes of the war, its stages in Europe, Asia and the Pacific, the peace settlements and the results. The second part tells the story of China from the Taiping Rebellion to the People's Republic of 1949. The last part studies two colonies, the Dutch East Indies and the American-ruled Philippines, as case studies of decolonisation.

This page gives the twenty one mark questions of the book exercise with answers checked against the lesson, plus additional questions on treaties, battles, conferences, leaders and movements, each with a short explanation.

What you'll learn

• Explain how the Treaty of Versailles and the failure of the League of Nations led to the Second World War.
• Trace Hitler's steps from the Saar plebiscite to the invasion of Poland.
• Describe the main battles and turning points of the war in Europe, Asia and the Pacific.
• Outline the peace settlements and the results of the war.
• Narrate the course of the Chinese Revolution from the Taiping Rebellion to 1949.
• Compare the liberation struggles of Indonesia and the Philippines.

Before you start

• The First World War and the Treaty of Versailles from the earlier units.
• The rise of Fascism in Italy and Nazism in Germany.
• A world map showing Europe, East Asia and Southeast Asia.

Outbreak of World War II and its Impact in Colonies explained

What this lesson covers

Causes of the Second World War

The unjust Treaty of Versailles, the failure of the League of Nations despite Locarno (1925) and the Kellogg-Briand Pact (1928), the Great Depression, the aims of German big business, Mussolini's attack on Ethiopia and Japan's imperial policy prepared the ground. Hitler then took the Saar, the Rhineland, Austria and the Sudetenland, and after the Munich Agreement and the Nazi-Soviet Pact he invaded Poland on 1 September 1939.

Course of the war

Germany's blitzkrieg, the Dunkirk evacuation, the Battle of Britain, the invasion of the Soviet Union, Pearl Harbour, Midway, Guadalcanal, Stalingrad, El Alamein, the fall of Mussolini, the Normandy landings, the bombing of Dresden and the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Peace making and results

The Atlantic Charter, the Potsdam, Cairo and Yalta meetings, the Paris Peace Conference of 1946, the division of Germany, the rise of the USA and the USSR, the welfare state in Britain and the end of the Age of Empire.

Chinese Revolution, 1949

The Opium Wars, the Taiping and Boxer rebellions, Sun Yat-sen and the Kuomintang, the fall of the Manchus in 1912, Chiang Kai-shek, Mao's Long March and the founding of the People's Republic of China.

Indonesia and the Philippines

Boedi Oetomo, Sarekat Islam, Sukarno and Indonesian independence in December 1949; the Cavite uprising, the Spanish-American War, Aguinaldo, Quezon, the Huk rebellion and Philippine independence on 4 July 1946.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Calling Stalingrad the place of Germany's first reverses. The book says German forces first suffered reverses at El Alamein in north Africa.
• Placing the Trieste settlement among the Potsdam declarations. Trieste belonged to the Italian peace treaty and was divided only in 1954.
• Dating the end of the Manchu dynasty to 1911. The revolution began in October 1911, but the Edict of Abdication came on 12 February 1912.
• Linking Philippine independence to SEATO. Independence came on 4 July 1946; SEATO membership came in 1954.
• Writing that the Long March covered 600 miles. The marchers crossed nearly 6000 miles.

Test yourself on these with the practice test, then check the worked reasoning in the solved MCQs.

Frequently asked questions

Why is the Treaty of Versailles seen as a cause of the Second World War?

Germany lost its colonies, its army was cut down, Alsace and Lorraine went to France, much of Silesia went to Poland and it had to pay 6600 million pounds as reparation. These terms created a strong feeling of injustice in Germany that helped the Nazis rise to power.

What was the Munich Agreement?

Following the policy of appeasement, the British, French, German and Italian premiers met at Munich and agreed that the German army should occupy the Sudetenland on 1 October, and that parts of Czechoslovakia should go to Poland and Hungary. Hitler soon occupied the rest of the country.

What was the importance of the attack on Pearl Harbour?

On 7 December 1941 Japanese aircraft attacked the US Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbour. Instead of crushing American morale, it brought the USA into the war, making it an absolute world war, and American resources greatly expanded the strength of the Allies.

Why is Stalingrad called a turning point?

Hitler wanted Stalingrad as an industrial city, a step towards the Caucasus oil fields and a prize bearing Stalin's name. He refused a strategic withdrawal, and the Soviet counter-offensive of 1942 turned the tide. Many historians argue the fate of the war was decided there.

What were the principles of the Atlantic Charter?

Issued by Roosevelt and Churchill, it called for no territorial changes without the consent of the people, the right of people to choose their government, equal access to trade and raw materials, freedom of the seas and disarmament of nations that threaten aggression.

What was the Long March?

Encircled by Chiang Kai-shek's fortified posts, Mao's Communist army left in 1934. Harassed by Kuomintang forces, warlords and tribesmen, only 20,000 of the 100,000 marchers reached northern Shensi late in 1935 after crossing nearly 6000 miles. It laid the base for the Communist conquest of China.

How did Indonesia become independent?

After Japan's defeat, British forces landed and the Dutch reoccupied most islands but refused to recognise Sukarno's republic in Java and Sumatra. World opinion led by Nehru and the UN Security Council forced a settlement; a round table conference at The Hague adopted a constitution, and Indonesia became independent in December 1949.