AP Modern World History Flashcards: Conducting World War II
Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026
Review key ideas with interactive flashcards. This set includes 10 cards to help you master important concepts.
Identify two new military technologies or tactics used in WWII that increased casualties.
The atomic bomb and fire-bombing were new military technologies and tactics that, along with the concept of "total war," led to increased levels of wartime casualties.
Card 1 of 10
All Flashcards (10)
Identify two new military technologies or tactics used in WWII that increased casualties.
The atomic bomb and fire-bombing were new military technologies and tactics that, along with the concept of "total war," led to increased levels of wartime casualties.
What is "total war" as it relates to World War II?
Total war was a strategy where governments mobilized all of a state's resources, including entire populations and economies, for the purpose of waging war.
A WWII government creates posters showing the enemy as monstrous and evil, while celebrating its own soldiers as national heroes. What strategy is this an example of?
This is an example of using political propaganda and intensified nationalism to mobilize a population for the purpose of waging war.
How did ideologies like fascism and communism contribute to the war effort in certain states?
Governments used ideologies like fascism and communism to mobilize all of their state’s resources for war and, in totalitarian states, to justify the repression of basic freedoms.
Who, besides the populations in home countries, did governments attempt to mobilize for the war effort?
Governments also used strategies like propaganda and nationalism to mobilize the populations in their colonies or former colonies for the purpose of waging war.
Besides mobilizing resources, how did totalitarian states control their populations during the war?
In addition to mobilizing resources, totalitarian states repressed basic freedoms and dominated many aspects of daily life to ensure complete control for the war effort.
What was the relationship between "total war" and civilian casualties during World War II?
The waging of "total war" blurred the lines between combatants and non-combatants, which, combined with new technologies like fire-bombing, led to unprecedented levels of civilian casualties.
If a totalitarian state during WWII seized control of all factories for military production and censored all news, what was the justification for these actions?
Ideologies such as fascism or communism were used to justify mobilizing all of a state's resources and repressing basic freedoms to dominate daily life for the war effort.
Define "mobilization" in the context of World War II.
Mobilization was the process by which governments organized all of a state's resources, including its population, media, and economy, for the purpose of waging war.
What methods did governments use to mobilize their populations for World War II?
Governments used political propaganda, art, media, and intensified forms of nationalism to mobilize both home and colonial populations for the war effort.