Morning Star Textbook Solutions: The Second World War | History and Civics Class 10 ICSE PDF Download

Very Short Questions

Q2: What is the name of the book written by Adolf Hitler?
Ans: The title of the book written by Adolf Hitler is “Mein Kampf”. 

Q3: What does the abbreviation Nazi stands for?
Ans: The abbreviation Nazi stands for ‘National Socialist German Workers’.

Q4: Why did Adolf Hitler preach extreme hatred against the German Jews?
Ans: Adolf Hitler expressed intense hatred towards the German Jewish community.

• He blamed them for the loss of Germany in World War I.
• Hitler also held the Jews responsible for many of Germany's problems.

Q5: When and by whom was the Munich Pact signed?
Ans: The Munich Pact was agreed upon in Munich, Germany in September 1938.

• This agreement was made between Hitler and Mussolini on one side.
• On the other side, the Prime Ministers of France and Britain signed the pact.

Q6: When did the Second World War begin?
Ans: The Second World War began on 3rd September 1939.

Q7: When did Japan quit the League of Nations?
Ans: Japan withdrew from League of Nations in the year 1933.

Q8: What was the purpose of ‘New Deal’?
Ans: The purpose of ‘New Deal’ was to save America from the economic depression of 1929-33.

Q9: What was the main principle for which the Second World War was fought?
Ans: The main principle for which the Second World War was fought was to make the world safe for democracy.

Q10: Why did the Nationalist Movement started in China?
Ans: The Nationalist Movement started in China to remove foreign control.

• Its goal was to unite the country by ending the power of warlords.
• People sought to achieve independence and create a strong national identity.
• The movement aimed to gather different groups within China to work towards a shared goal.
• By opposing foreign influence, the movement intended to bring back pride and sovereignty to the Chinese people.

Q11: What is communism?
Ans: A type of government under which means of production are controlled by the State or government, for example USSAR.

Q12: What is capitalism?
Ans: A type of government under which means production are controlled by private individual.

Q13: What is meant by the term appeasement? Who adopted it towards whom?
Ans: The policy of appeasement refers to a strategy of making concessions to an aggressivenation, often at the expense of a weaker country.

• This approach was adopted by several countries, including Britain, America, and France.
• The idea behind appeasement is to maintain peace by satisfying the demands of a more powerful state.
• However, this often leads to ignoring the rights and needs of weaker nations.
• By following the policy of appeasement, these nations hoped to avoid conflict and maintain stability.
• Historically, this policy has been criticized for allowing aggressors to become more powerful and bold.

Q14: Name the countries that formed the Allied Powers.
Ans: Allied Powers: Britain, France and the USA formed the Allied Powers.

Q15: What is meant by the term ‘Cold War’?
Ans: The struggle for power and influence between the two super powers, the U.S.A. and the U.S.S.R., is termed as ‘Cold War’.

Q16: What is meant by the term ‘Truman Doctrine’?
Ans: Offering aid to all types of nations under direct or indirect communal threat is Truman Doctrine.

Q17: Why did Britain and France become second rate powers after the Second World War?
Ans: Britain and France although won the War but became second rate powers as they were under stress and strain after the War.

Q18: To what do you attribute the rise of the USA as a super power after the Second World War?
Ans: The use of atom bombs to crush Japan helped the USA to emerge as a super military and economic power after the Second World War.

Q19: Name the two power blocks that emerged after the Second World War.
Ans: The two power blocs that emerged after the Second World War were-the American Block and the Soviet Bloc.

Q20: Name five nations that earned their independence after the Second World War.
Ans:

• India became independent after the Second World War.
• Burma also gained its freedom following the conflict.
• Sri Lanka achieved independence as well.
• Malaya was another nation that earned its freedom.
• Indonesia completed its journey to independence during this time.

Short Questions – I

• These groups aimed to get rid of democracy and socialism while creating a dictatorship.
• Fascism is marked by a strong, centralized government that often censors and oppresses those who oppose it.
• It stresses loyalty to the state and often encourages a sense of national pride.
• Fascist groups usually come about during times of social unrest or economic trouble.
• They aim to control many areas of life, such as politics, culture, and the economy.
• Fascism can lead to a form of government where individual freedoms are limited.

Q2: State two underlying principles of Fascism.
Ans: (i) Fascism was the supporter of one party and one leader.
(ii) The leader was above law. None could challenge his authority.

Q3: How was the Treaty of Versailles responsible for the Second World War?
Ans: (i) The terms and conditions of the Treaty were very harsh and humiliating.
(ii) Germany was burdened with huge warindeminity. The huge war indemnity brought political instiability which gave birth no Nazism.

Q4: Give two reasons that prompted the armament race before the Second World War broke out.
Ans: (i) Inorder to achieve territorial aims, Germany, Italy and Japan began producing fire arms, guns, war-ships, aricrats and other weapons.
(ii) The Disarmament Conferences and the League of Natioons were unable to stop the armament race.

Q5: When and why was the United Nations Organisation established?
Ans: The United Nations Organsations was established on October 24, 1945 with Headquarters at New York (USA) to save the coming generation from the scourage of war.

Q6: Name the incident which brought the USA in the Second World War.
Ans: On December 7, 1941, the US Fleet located at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii was attacked by Japan. 

•  As a result of this attack, America declared war on Japan, Germany, and Italy. 

Q7: What happened to Germany after her defeat in the War?
Ans: After the defeat in the Second World War:
(i) Germany stood dismembered, humiliated and devastated.
(ii) Germany was divided into two parties i.e. the East Germany and the West Germany.

Q8: What do you know about the Munich Pact of 1939? Which were the five countries involved in this Pact?
Ans: Hitler claimed a part of Czechoslovakia called Sudetenland which was very important because of her industry. Instead of meeting the threat posed by Germany, the Prime Ministers of Britain and France met Hitler and Mussolini at Munich in Germany on 29th and 30th September, 1938, and agreed to Germany’s terms without the consent of Czechoslovakia.

Question 9: State two reasons why Britain and France followed a policy of appeasement towards Germany in the 1930s.
Ans: (i) Britain and France thought if genuine grievances of Germany and Italy were removed, they would be satisfied and would not do anything to disturb the peace of the world.
(ii) The policy of appeasement greatly emboldened Germany. Italy and Japan, to plunged the World into another destructive war.

Q10: What was the issue between Germany and Polland that was a cause of World War Second.
Ans: Hitler wanted the Danzig corridor from Poland because it had a large population of Germans. 

•  Seeing the threat from Germany, Britain and France promised to help Poland if Germany attacked. 
•  Germany claimed that Poland was mistreating Germans living in the region, which added to the tensions. 
•  These issues led to the start of World War II. 

Q11: What is meant by the term ‘Axis Powers’?
Ans: During the Second World War Germany, Italy and Japan came to be know as the Axis powers. These were far off countries, but still, they got united to pursue policy of aggression in Europe, Asia and Africa.

Q12: Why did America drop the atom bomb on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
Ans: The USA dropped atom bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki because:
(i) to take the revenge of the humiliation of the attack on the Pearl Harbour by Japan on December 7, 1941, and
(ii) to liberate the Islands of South West Pacific China, Manchuria and other places from Japanese control and to end the fighting.

Q13: Why was the Soviet Union described as a Super Power after the Second World War?
Ans: The Soviet Union was described as a Super Power after the Second World War as its empire was greatly expanded. It included half of Poland, Estonia, Latavia, Lithuania Finland and many parts of Germany. It also became a dominant power in world politics and occupied the position of a leader of the Communist Bloc.

Q14: What is meant by calling the World as Bipolar after the Second World War?
Ans: The world was known as Bi-polar because it was divided into two main groups.

• One group consisted of Capitalist nations, also referred to as the Democratic Block, which was led by the USA.
• The other group included Socialist nations, known as the Communist Bloc, which was headed by the USSR.

Q15: Mention two consequences of the Second World War.
Ans: (i) The Axis powers Germany, Italy and Japan were defeated at the end of the Second World War.
(ii) The Soviet Union and the USA emerged as the Super Powers.

Q16: Give two similarities in the foreign policies of Mussolini and Hitler.
Ans: Two similarities in the foreign policies of Mussolini and Hitler were:
(i) Both used diplomacy and force as well as aggression to get what they wanted.
(ii) To increase the prestige and glory of their country in international spheres.

Short Questions – II

• Denial of democracy and support for either a single party or a single leader. Both Fascists and Nazis prohibited the existence of any other political party. 
•  Both the Nazis and Fascists practiced strong nationalism and imperialistic policies. They celebrated their nations and adopted a forceful approach in foreign affairs. For instance, in 1936, Italy took control of Abyssinia, and Hitler occupied Austria, referring to it as the A Anschluss or the unification with Austria. 

Q2: Explain how the ideologies of Fascism and Nazism led to the Second World War.
Ans: The ideologies of Fascism and Nazism were based on one party system and one man rule. The Naxis and the Fascists believed in Totalitarian Government, Aggressive Nationalism (Jingoism), Militarism and Anti-Communism. As such, both Hitler and Mussolini did not allow any other party to operate. The State was supreme and the common people’s interests came next to the state. The Fascists and Nazis aimed to gain control of other territories in different degrees to accelerate their economy.

Q3: How the fear of communism led to the Second World War?
Ans: Fear of communism in the West: All those countries who had weak Governments and were facing various economic problems turned towards communism. There was a fear in the mind of the governments of Western Capitalist Countries (Britain, France and USA) that Communism would spread in their territories. Germany, Italy and Japan took full advantages of this fear and claimed that they were fighting communism. These western powers adopted policy of appeasement which strengthened the Fascist Powers and resulted in the Second World War.

Q4: What was the immediate cause of the Second World War?
Ans: The Invasion of Poland (Immediate cause): On 1st September, 1939 German Armies marched into Poland. On 3rd September Britain and France declared war on Germany. Thus the invasion of Poland marked the beginning of the Second World War. The German Armies completed the conquest of Poland in less than three weeks as no aid reached Poland. Inspite of the declaration of war however, there was little actual fighting for many months.

Q5: Explain how the Treaty of Versailles was responsible for the outbreak of the Second World War.
Ans: The Peace Settlement at Paris was made in a spirit of revenge. The Germans felt that too much injustice had been done to them. The victorious powers had deprived Germany of huge tracts of its territory. She was burdened with an immense War Indemnity. It was impossible for a proud German race to forget the consequences of the War, which they had lost so humiliatingly. This fuelled the rise of Nazism in Germany and entered upon a career of aggression.

Q6: Give an account of acts of Aggression and Policy of Appeasement on which the Second World War broke out.
Ans: 

• When the acts of aggression started, countries that were attacked, like the Soviet Union and various world leaders, called for a united effort to stop the aggressors.
• Instead of opposing these aggressions, the Western Governments chose to follow a policy of appeasement towards the aggressive nations.
• Appeasement means trying to make peace with a hostile country by allowing them to have their way, often at the cost of another country.
• If it weren't for the policy of appeasement by Western nations, fascism would not have lasted as long as it did.
• This policy also played a significant role in enabling the outbreak of the Second World War.

Q7: What was the effect of Japan’s Policy of Expansion on the Second World War?
Ans: Japan’s Policy of Expansion: After the First World War, Japan increased her resources of army because of industrialization and modern technology. She captured Manchuria in 1931 and invaded China in 1937. She joined the Berlin-Rome-Tokyo Axis and prepared for the Second World War to satisfy her hunger for more territories. In brief, Japan’s policy of expansion also created war like situation in 1930s.

Q8: How did the Japanese invasion of China create conditions for the outbreak of the War?
Ans: In 1931, Japan took over Manchuria, a region of China rich in natural resources. The League of Natons criticized Japan but the attack on Manchuria was a challenge to it. The Japanese ignored their protests and withdrew from the League of Nations in 1933. The Japanese started occupying British and American colonies in China. Britain and France saw this as an opportunity and followed the policy of Appeasement using Japan to weaken China. The same policy was adopted against Germany which led to the outbreak of the second World War.

Q9: How the U. S. loofness became a major cause of the Second World War?
Ans: America’s aloofness from World politics: After the First World War, USA followed the policy of isolation and remaining away from the politics of world. She did not join the League of Nations. American aloofness helped the military rulers of Japan and Fascist Governments of Germany and Italy to adopt violent and aggressive attitude and they ignored the League of Nations easily.

Q10: What was the Rome Berlin-Tokyo Axis? Why did Hitler demand the Danzig Corridor from Poland?
Or
Why did Hitler attack Poland that became a cause for World War.
Ans: Rome, Berlin and Tokyo are the capital cities of Italy, Germany and Japan respectively. Thus, the military alliance among these countries during the Second World War is known as the Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis. These three countries together were called the Axis Powers. Hitler demanded Danzig for two reasons:
(i) The city of Danzig was inhabited mainly by the Germans.
(ii) By occupying the Danzig Corridor, he could connect East Prussia with Germany.
Hitler accused Poland for committing atrocities against Germans living there and attacked Poland on 1st September 1939.

Q11: Discuss in brief about the division of Germany caused by Second World War.
Ans: Division of Germany:
(i) The Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) commonly known as West Germany was administered by U.K., France and U.S.A. with Bonn as the capital.
(ii) The German Democratic Republic (GDR) known as East Germany was administered by the Soviet Union, with East Berlin as the capital.

Q12: Explain the consequences of the War with reference to the formation of the United Nations.
Ans: Important leaders prioritized internal cooperation over war and sought to end the war. They were also determined to prevent another such war taking place in future. When Second World War was still going on, political leaders of twenty six countries including Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill signed a declaration that discouraged entry into any alliances and that once the war ceased a formal peace keeping organization would be established. This organization that would be called United Nations, will take measures to prevent hostilities between member countries.

Q13: With the surrender of Japan, the Second World War was finally over. The war had far-reaching consequences. Against this background, write short notes on effect of World War Second on Japan.
Ans: Effect of World War Second on Japan:
(i) Unlike Germany, it was not divided into zones to be governed by conquering forces.
(ii) The American Army was to administer Japan until 1952, by that time the Japanese would resume sole control over their affairs.
(iii) Emperor Hirohito was left on the throne as a Constitutional monarch and the Japanese parliament retained some of its law making powers.

Q14: With reference to the consequences of the Second World War, discuss the division of the World into two Power Blocks.
Ans: Division of the World into two Power Blocs:
England and France:

• Though England was one of the victors, her status in the International field was lowered.
• Germany’s occupation of France, left her financially ruined, agriculturally and industrially weakened.

United States:

• The production of necessary goods made by US to win the war, brought the US out of the great depression.
• The US experienced tremendous industrial expansion during war and while Europe was being bombed, no bombs fell on US territory.

Rebuilding Europe:

• Within five years of World War II, much of Europe was rebuild.
• Massive foreign aid in the from of grants to individual nations helped rebuild towns and cities.

USSR:

• World War II united the people of the Soviet Union. Its territory had expanded to include most of Eastern Europe.
• USSR captured half of Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland and many parts of Germany.

Long Questions

• Discontentment after the Treaty of Versailles: Italy joined the Allies during the First World War with the hope of gaining territories from Turkey and Germany. However, the Treaty of Versailles only granted Italy Southern Tyrol, Trentino, and some coastal areas of Dalmatia. She was unable to acquire any parts of the German and Turkish colonies. 
• Political instability: In 1919, Italy introduced democracy for the first time. The elections did not result in a clear majority for any single party. Consequently, Italy was led by various coalition governments. Each political party had its own policies and agendas, leading to a lack of consistency in governance. This made it difficult for them to effectively handle issues such as unemployment, strikes, and riots during 1921-22. 
• Rise of charismatic men: Influential leaders like Mussolini emerged in Italy. His speeches celebrated the nation's past achievements, earning him the trust of many Italians. Mussolini was referred to as Duce, which means "the leader." 

Q2: What was common between the foreign policies of Italy, Germany and Japan?
Ans: The following were common between the foreign policies of Italy, Germany and Japan:
(i) All of them wanted to increase their empires at a rapid speed, so they soon started a series of aggressions in Europe, Asia and Africa.
(ii) In 1937, they formed the Anti-Communist Pact to fight against Communism.
(iii) Germany wanted to capture the vast resources and territories of Russia, Japan wanted to increase her influence in China; while Italy wanted to grab a large portion of other European countries.
(iv) They had intentions to become the first-rate powers of the world.

Q3: How was the First World War responsible for the rise of Fascism and Nazism in Italy and Germany respectively.
Ans: Rise of Hitler and Nazism in Germany: According to David Thomas, rise of Adolf Hitler and Nazi party in Germany was one of the major causes of the Second World War. Hitler was very ambitious. He glorified the use of force, brutality, war and violent nationalism. He ridiculed socialism, democracy and internationalism. The worst was that Hitler had set out the policy of militarization of Germany. Hitler denounced the Treaty of Versailles and took Germany out of the League of Nations.
Rise of Fascism and Mussolini in Italy: The period (1919—1939) also saw the rise of Fascism under Benito Mussolini in Italy. Fascism did not like democracy, socialism and international peace. They openly advocated war, colonialism and imperialism. Mussolini said ‘nations which do not expand cannot exist for long’. He prepared for war. The fascist Government gave training to the youth and infused new spirit in them. Mussolini’s policy of aggression gave severe blow to the League of Nations and made war inevitable.

Q4: State any four factors that led to the rise of dictatorships in Germany and Italy.
Ans: Dissatisfaction with Peace Treaties:

• Italy joined the First World War alongside the allies.
• Mussolini and many Italians were unhappy with the rewards given to Italy after the war.
• Similarly, Germans felt treated unfairly by the Treaty of Versailles.
• Many of their territories were taken away and given to other European countries.
• Military restrictions were placed on Germany, which Adolf Hitler blamed on the democratic government.

Economic Issues:

• Post-war conditions in Italy were very poor, with war debts and budget problems causing significant challenges.
• Employees, farmers, and factory workers faced hardships due to rising prices after the war.
• Germany also faced heavy penalties that made it hard for the economy to recover.
• This led to high inflation and unemployment, causing many young people to join the Nazis.

Ineffective and Corrupt Democratic Governments:

• The democratic governments after the war were weak and could not meet the people's needs.
• In Italy, short-lived coalition governments failed to deal with everyday problems.
• Germany's Weimar Republic also struggled to manage the economic crisis and the riots that followed.
• Growth of Totalitarian Ideology:
  • In Italy, there was a strong desire for a powerful leader who could bring peace and economic stability.
  • People feared a communist takeover, which made them more supportive of strong leadership.
  • Hitler successfully convinced many that only Nazism could provide a stable and economically sound alternative.

Q5: How were the foreign policy of Hitler were responsible for the outbreak of Second World War.
Ans: The Foreign Policy of Hitler were responsible for the out break of World War Second in the following ways:
(i) The main aim was to increase the prestige and glory of their country in international sphere so they followed an aggressive policy of imperialism.
(ii) Their opposition to Britain, France and the League of Nations.
(iii) Their help to General France to seize power in Spain.
(iv) After strengthening the armed forces. Hitler defiantly violated one after another the terms of the Treaty of Versailles.
(v) In 1938, he annexed Austria by force.
(vi) The Munich Pact signed between Germany, Britain and France.

Q6: Mention any two causes that led to the Second World War.
Ans: Unjust Treaty of Versailles: It was a dictated treaty and was forced on Germany and her allies. The representatives of Germany were humiliated and forced to sign it. Germany was forced to code a large part of her territory. Her military strength was reduced. A huge war-indemnity was imposed on her. The treaty ultimately gave rise to Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party in Germany and went on to become die major cause of the Second World War.
Disunity among Britain and France: The French, apart from a few exceptions, continued to support the treaty which was an object of high esteem for them. To them it was the only guarantee of security. Great Britain and other States did not agree with France which made her feel more and more insecure. France tried to enforce the terms and clauses df the Treaty of Versailles which led to terrible bitterness among the Germans.

Q7: Why did Hittler invade Poland? State two similarities between Fascism and Nazism.
Ans: The immediate cause was refusal of Hitler’s demand for annexation of the port of danzie to Germany, by Britain followed by France. While this was used as an excuse by Hitler to attack Poland. It was nearly a small initial step to avenge the defeat and unjust treaties which were imposed on Germany in the aftermath of the world war.
It was a prelude to the large territorial ambitions nurtured by Hitler, this was soon to unfold before the entire world. The main reasons, why Germany invaded Poland are listed as follows:
(i) To negate any military alliance between Poland and other European nations against Germany.
(ii) To gain a foothold in the territory surrounding Russia.
(iii) To make known to the world his aversion to the Treaty of Versailles.
(iv) Hitler despise chamberlain’s guarantee to support Poland in case of an attack by Germany. He attacked Poland to teach chamberlian a lesson.
(v) Hitler enter into a pact with Statin which included a secret clause to divide Poland between them. It was disagreement also which worked as a shield and prompted him to attack Poland.

Q8: Explain the disasters caused by the Second World War.
Ans: The Second World War was the most devastating conflict in history.

• One of the direst impacts was the targeting of Jews, with the Nazis exterminating six million individuals.
• Many people were taken to concentration camps where they faced death.
• Victims were often killed in gas chambers and subjected to mass shootings.
• Approximately fifty million people lost their lives during the war.
• About 1.5 million civilians were killed in air raids throughout the conflict.
• The two atomic bombs dropped by the United States resulted in the deaths of around 320,000 Japanese men, women, and children.
• In addition to loss of life, the economies and resources of many nations were severely harmed.
• Numerous ancient cities and towns suffered near-total destruction.
• The estimated financial cost of the Second World War is an astonishing $1.384 trillion.
• Many viewed the use of atomic bombs by the U.S. as a terrible act, not just due to the massive death toll but also because of the introduction of such destructive weapons.
• Scientists had warned that using atomic bombs would trigger a dangerous race to develop these weapons.
• Today, many nations are competing to create atomic bombs, often spending more on these weapons than on healthcare for their citizens.

Political Consequences:

• Germany was split into two countries: East Germany, controlled by Russia, and West Germany, under the influence of Britain, America, and France.
• Fascism ended in Italy, paving the way for democracy.
• Militarism was abolished, and African colonies were lost.
• Japan's military power was destroyed, leading to the establishment of a democratic government.
• Both America and the former U.S.S.R. emerged as major world powers.
• The world became divided into two blocks: capitalist and socialist.
• Within the socialist block, two significant groups formed:
  • Socialist Russia.
  • Communist China.

Picture Based Questions

(i) Identify the leader in the picture.
(ii) State any four factors that led to the rise of dictatorships in Germany and Italy.
Ans: (i) Adolf Hitler.
(ii) Factors that-led to the rise of dictatorships in Germany and Italy are:
(a) Dissatisfaction of the Peace Treaties.
(b) Economic factors.
(c) Ineffiecient and Corrupt Democratic Government.
(d) Rise of Totalitarian Ideology.