Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for History

Key Events of WW2

1939 September → Invasion of Poland (Trigger event)

1940 June → Germany invades France and defeats her in six weeks

1941 June - December → OPERATION BARBAROSSA

- Germany invades Russia. It is the largest military operation in history

1941 December → PEARL HARBOR

- Japan attacks on Pearl Harbor

1942 June → Battle of Midway

- The US Navy defeats the Japanese Navy.

1943 February → Stalingrad

- The German army surrenders at Stalingrad. One of the bloodiest battles, Hitler suffers a major defeat.

1944 June → Operation Overlord

- The Allies launch the largest assault in history on Normandy

1945 August → Hiroshima and Nagasaki

- The USA drops atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. 200.000 killing. Japan announces its surrenders....

WW1:

1. Causes: Militarism: Build-up of armed forces to prepare for war. Alliance: Agreement between countries to defend or fight together. Imperialism: Belief of a country in building up an empire and controlling less powerful countries. Nationalism: Pride in a country with people wanting to govern themselves or defend themselves.

2. Main Events:

-1914 28 June → Archduke’s Assassination (TRIGGER EVENT)

-1914 29 July → Russia mobilizes its troops to defend Serbia

-Germany declares war on Russia (1st August)

-France declares war on Germany to help Russia (2nd August)

-Germany declares war on France (3rd August)

19th January 1915: Germany begins an aerial campaign against Britain

15th September 1916: The first use of tanks. Used by the British.

6th

Understanding Feudalism: Essential Terms

Vassalage (Vasallaje)

The position of subordination or submission within the feudal system, where a vassal holds land from a lord in exchange for allegiance and service.

Fiefdom (Feudo)

An area of land possessed by a nobleman in exchange for feudal service to a lord.

Serfdom (Servidumbre)

The state of being a serf or feudal laborer, bound to the land and subject to the will of the lord.

Homage (Homenaje)

Special honor or respect shown publicly, often as a formal pledge of allegiance from a vassal to a lord.

Investiture (Investidura)

The formal action of investing a person with honors or rank, particularly in the context of granting a fief or office.

Feudal Lord (Señor Feudal)

The superior figure in feudal Europe,...

1. What were the economic and demographic consequences of the war?

The First World War caused the deaths of around ten million soldiers and a large number of civilian casualties due to malnutrition and disease.
The conflict left the warring nations impoverished. European industry and agriculture reduced in size, and all European countries were in debt, especially to the United States.

2. Why was the League of Nations created? Why did it fall?

US President Wilson suggested the creation of a League of Nations (LN) to guarantee peace and cooperation between states. However, the defeated countries were excluded from the LN, and finally, neither the USSR nor the US joined it. With so many excluded countries, the LN ended up by having no influence on...

The Age of Revolution

• 1776-1871
• The American Revolution
• Thirteen British colonies in Eastern North America
• Economy based on agriculture and trade
• Black slaves worked in agriculture
• Britain had the monopoly of trade
• Political tensions: Settlers payed taxes but did not have political representation. Rejection to buy British products. Boston Tea Party: attack against a ship with tea [ outbreak of the Revolutionary War
• The conflict brought political changes: Jefferson wrote the Virginia declaration of Rights. 1776 Declaration of Independence
• The American Revolutionary War: Colonies were supported by France and Spain. Washington victories Britain recognised independence. Treaty of Versailles 1783. 1787 United States Constitution. 1789 Washington first American

World War I: The Great War

Causes and Outbreak

World War I, known as the Great War in Britain, erupted in 1914 as a result of pre-existing alliances. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary in Sarajevo triggered a chain of events. Austria-Hungary invaded Serbia, prompting Russia to mobilize in Serbia's defense. Germany, in turn, declared war on Russia and France. Britain, bound by treaty to France, joined the conflict.

First Phase (June 1914)

Despite declaring war on Germany, France and Britain initially refrained from attacking. Germany seized the initiative, executing the Schlieffen Plan. They invaded Belgium, intending to bypass French defenses and capture Paris.

Second Phase (Early 1916 - End 1917)

The war entered a phase...

Features in Modern English: Orthography and Phonology

Orthography

Fixing and Reducing Spelling Variation

• Spelling Reform Debate: Spelling reform in accordance with pronunciation was proposed but not successful due to its radical nature (e.g., John Hart's 'An Orthographie').
• Regularization of Spelling: Regularization based on traditional and etymological grounds proved successful.
• Standardization by 1700: By 1700, English largely became standardized, making texts from that period onward relatively easy for modern readers.
• Reflection of Late 15th-Century Pronunciation: Modern orthography reflects the pronunciation of the late 15th century.
• Changes in Orthographic Conventions: Distinction of graphemes u/v and i/j emerged.
• Etymological Respellings: Scholars

Fascism vs. Nazism

Fascism and Nazism are often considered to be the same or at least refer to the same ideologies. However, the two are entirely dissimilar from each other. This is despite the fact that they are both totalitarian ideologies, are closely related in design, and both sprung up after the First World War in Europe.

What is Fascism?

Fascism is defined as a form of radical authoritarian, strict, and controlling ultra-nationalism that is usually characterized by forcibly suppressing an opposition front, assuming dictatorial powers, and strongly regimenting the society and its economy.

Fascism sprung to popularity around the early 20th century during the time of Benito Mussolini. Benito was the Italian leader by the time the ideology was...

Theme: Progress

Text analysis: Persuasion

Technique:

• Logical appeal: this technique uses reason and evidence to support a position.
• Emotional appeal: This technique creates strong feelings, such as fear and anger, to influence readers' opinions.
• Ethical appeal: This technique refers to values and principles which the reader is likely to believe in strongly.

Reading skill: Recognize ideas

Victorian writers use complex sentences filled with phrases, clauses, and modifiers.

Strategies:

• Clarify meaning by identifying the main subject and verb of a sentence.
• Watch for patterns in the text, such as repeated sentence structures, that the author uses to organize thoughts.
• Once you identify the idea of a passage, reread it. Consider the details you initially skipped