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The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, signed in August 1939, was a public treaty aimed at fostering economic cooperation between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact was publicly presented as a non-aggression treaty, but its primary significance stemmed from a secret protocol that delineated spheres of influence in Eastern Europe, rather than fostering economic cooperation.
The secret protocol of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact initially placed Lithuania within the Soviet sphere of influence, but this was later changed.
Answer: False
Explanation: Initially, the secret protocol assigned Lithuania to the German sphere of influence. However, a subsequent amendment in September 1939 reassigned the majority of Lithuania to the Soviet sphere.
The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact's secret protocol divided Poland along the Oder and Neisse rivers.
Answer: False
Explanation: The secret protocol of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact divided Poland along the Narev, Vistula, and San Rivers, not the Oder and Neisse rivers, which became the post-war German-Polish border.
Finland, Estonia, and Latvia were assigned to the German sphere of influence according to the secret protocol of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.
Answer: False
Explanation: According to the secret protocol of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, Finland, Estonia, and Latvia were designated for the Soviet sphere of influence, not the German sphere.
What was the primary purpose of the secret protocol within the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact signed in August 1939?
Answer: To divide Northern and Eastern European countries into German and Soviet spheres of influence.
Explanation: The primary purpose of the secret protocol was to delineate spheres of influence for Germany and the Soviet Union across Northern and Eastern European nations.
Which countries were assigned to the Soviet sphere of influence according to the original secret protocol of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact?
Answer: Finland, Estonia, and Latvia
Explanation: According to the original secret protocol of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, Finland, Estonia, and Latvia were assigned to the Soviet sphere of influence.
How did the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact plan to partition Poland?
Answer: Poland would be partitioned along the Narev, Vistula, and San Rivers, with territories east designated for the USSR.
Explanation: The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact planned for Poland to be partitioned along the Narev, Vistula, and San Rivers, with territories east of this line designated for the Soviet Union.
What happened to the majority of Lithuania according to a subsequent secret protocol of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact in September 1939?
Answer: It was reassigned to the USSR.
Explanation: According to a subsequent secret protocol of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact in September 1939, the majority of Lithuania was reassigned to the USSR.
Following the German invasion of Poland in 1939, the Soviet Union invaded Poland seventeen days later, annexing territories that became part of the Lithuanian, Byelorussian, and Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republics.
Answer: True
Explanation: The Soviet Union initiated its invasion of Poland on September 17, 1939, seventeen days after Germany's initial incursion. The territories subsequently occupied by the Soviets were incorporated into the Lithuanian, Byelorussian, and Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republics.
Ethnic Poles constituted the majority population in the territories annexed by the Soviet Union in 1939.
Answer: False
Explanation: The territories annexed by the Soviet Union in 1939 were predominantly inhabited by Belarusian and Ukrainian populations, with ethnic Poles forming a significant minority, not a majority.
The Soviet Union invaded eastern Poland approximately two weeks after the German invasion, coordinating its actions with German forces.
Answer: True
Explanation: The Soviet Union invaded eastern Poland approximately two weeks after the German invasion, on September 17, 1939, coordinating its actions with German forces as per the pact's understanding.
The Soviet Union justified its invasion of Eastern Poland in 1939 by claiming a need to annex territory for Soviet industrial development.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Soviet Union justified its invasion of Eastern Poland in 1939 by citing the need to protect the Ukrainian and Belarusian populations residing in those regions, not for industrial development.
The total area annexed by the Soviet Union, including the initial portion assigned to Lithuania, was approximately 77,612 square miles.
Answer: True
Explanation: The total area annexed by the Soviet Union, including the territories later assigned to Lithuania, encompassed approximately 201,015 square kilometers, which equates to 77,612 square miles.
Between 230,000 and 450,000 Poles were taken prisoner by the Soviet Union during the initial invasion of Poland, with some subsequently executed.
Answer: True
Explanation: During the initial Soviet invasion of Poland in 1939, an estimated 230,000 to 450,000 Polish individuals were taken prisoner, and a portion of these were subsequently executed.
How much territory did the Soviet Union annex from Poland in 1939?
Answer: Roughly 201,015 square kilometers.
Explanation: The Soviet Union annexed approximately 201,015 square kilometers (77,612 square miles) of Polish territory in 1939.
Which of the following ethnic groups constituted a majority in the territories annexed by the Soviet Union in 1939?
Answer: Belarusians and Ukrainians
Explanation: The territories annexed by the Soviet Union in 1939 were predominantly inhabited by Belarusians and Ukrainians, who together formed the majority population.
What justification did the Soviet Union provide for its invasion of Eastern Poland in September 1939?
Answer: To protect the Ukrainian and Belarusian populations in the region.
Explanation: The Soviet Union justified its invasion of Eastern Poland in September 1939 by claiming a necessity to protect the Ukrainian and Belarusian populations residing in those territories.
How did the Nazis administer western Belarus after conquering it in 1941?
Answer: Incorporated into Reichskommissariat Ostland.
Explanation: Following their conquest in 1941, the Nazis administered western Belarus by incorporating it into the Reichskommissariat Ostland.
The population of ethnic Poles in the Kresy region increased significantly between 1939 and 1945 due to Soviet policies.
Answer: False
Explanation: Contrary to the statement, the population of ethnic Poles in the Kresy region decreased significantly between 1939 and 1945 due to conflict, displacement, and Soviet policies, not an increase.
Minority populations such as Ukrainians and Belarusians in Eastern Poland generally welcomed the arrival of Soviet troops in 1939.
Answer: True
Explanation: Indeed, many minority populations, including Ukrainians, Belarusians, and Jews in Eastern Poland, welcomed the arrival of Soviet troops in 1939, often viewing them as liberators from previous Polish policies.
Soviet authorities erased Polish history and culture by exchanging Polish currency for rubles and promoting Polish language in schools.
Answer: False
Explanation: Soviet authorities actively worked to erase Polish history and culture by withdrawing Polish currency without exchange, collectivizing agriculture, and nationalizing property. Promoting the Polish language in schools was not part of this policy; rather, the aim was sovietization.
The NKVD used the passportization process to identify and arrest individuals who asserted their Polish citizenship or rejected Ukrainian or Belarusian nationality.
Answer: True
Explanation: The NKVD utilized the passportization process to identify and select individuals for arrest or deportation, particularly those who did not receive Soviet citizenship or asserted their Polish nationality.
A deportation of approximately 75,000 to 80,000 people, predominantly Jews, began on June 29, 1940, from the Soviet-occupied region of Poland.
Answer: True
Explanation: On June 29, 1940, Soviet authorities commenced a large-scale deportation of approximately 75,000 to 80,000 individuals from the Soviet-occupied territories of Poland, with Jews constituting a significant majority of those deported.
Soviet authorities organized free and fair elections in the annexed territories to legitimize Soviet annexation.
Answer: False
Explanation: Soviet authorities organized staged elections in the annexed territories, which were not free or fair, to create a facade of legitimacy for the Soviet annexation.
Service to the pre-war Polish state was considered a "crime against revolution" by Soviet authorities in the annexed territories.
Answer: True
Explanation: Soviet authorities classified service to the pre-war Polish state as a "crime against revolution" and "counter-revolutionary activity," leading to the arrest and persecution of many Polish citizens.
Recent historical research suggests that the number of deaths among those deported by the Soviets between 1939 and 1945 is significantly lower than previously believed, estimated at around 350,000.
Answer: True
Explanation: Recent historical research, drawing on Soviet archives, suggests that the number of deaths among those deported by the Soviets between 1939 and 1945 is approximately 350,000, a figure lower than earlier estimates.
Which of the following minority groups were among those who welcomed Soviet troops in Eastern Poland in 1939?
Answer: Ukrainians, Belarusians, and Jews
Explanation: Minority groups such as Ukrainians, Belarusians, and Jews in Eastern Poland were among those who welcomed the arrival of Soviet troops in 1939.
What was the immediate policy implemented by Soviet authorities in the newly acquired Polish territories?
Answer: A campaign of "sovietization" including passportization.
Explanation: The immediate policy implemented by Soviet authorities in the newly acquired Polish territories was a campaign of "sovietization," which included measures such as passportization and residence registration.
How did the NKVD utilize the passportization process in the annexed territories?
Answer: To identify and select individuals for arrest or deportation based on their nationality claims.
Explanation: The NKVD utilized the passportization process to identify and select individuals for arrest or deportation, particularly those who did not receive Soviet citizenship or asserted their Polish nationality.
According to recent historical research, what is the estimated number of people deported from the annexed territories between 1939 and 1941, and what was their ethnic composition?
Answer: Over 1.5 million
Explanation: Between 1939 and 1941, the Soviet regime deported approximately 1.45 million inhabitants from the annexed territories. Of these deportees, 63.1% were Poles and 7.4% were Jews.
Which region was transferred to Lithuania after the Soviet annexation of Polish territories?
Answer: The Vilnius Region
Explanation: The Vilnius Region, including its historical capital, was transferred to Lithuania following the Soviet annexation of Polish territories as part of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact's adjustments.
What was the approximate population of the territories annexed by the USSR, based on the 1931 Polish census and 1939 estimates, excluding the part returned to Poland?
Answer: Approximately 10.6 million
Explanation: Based on the 1931 Polish census and 1939 estimates, the approximate population of the territories annexed by the USSR, excluding the portion later returned to Poland, was around 10.6 million.
What was the estimated number of Polish and Jewish inhabitants in the annexed regions in 1939, and how many perished during the war?
Answer: Total 6.7 million; 1.2 million perished.
Explanation: In 1939, the Polish and Jewish population in the annexed regions totaled approximately 6.7 million. During the war, an estimated 1.2 million perished, with the majority being Jewish.
Poland received territorial compensation for the loss of its eastern regions by gaining territories from Czechoslovakia after World War II.
Answer: False
Explanation: Following World War II, Poland's territorial compensation for the loss of its eastern regions came from territories formerly belonging to Germany, not Czechoslovakia.
The term "Recovered Territories" was used by the Polish People's Republic to refer to the lands lost to the Soviet Union.
Answer: True
Explanation: The Polish People's Republic employed the term "Recovered Territories" in its post-war discourse on territorial adjustments, which encompassed the lands that became part of Poland after World War II.
After World War II, Poland's territory was significantly larger than its pre-1939 borders, gaining substantial landmass from Germany.
Answer: False
Explanation: While Poland gained substantial territory from Germany after World War II, its overall landmass was slightly smaller than its pre-1939 borders due to the loss of its eastern territories to the Soviet Union.
At the Yalta Conference, the Allies were fully aware of the 1939 secret clause dividing Poland between Germany and the Soviet Union.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Allies at the Yalta Conference were reportedly not fully aware of the 1939 secret protocol that had divided Poland into German and Soviet spheres of influence.
The treaty formally ceding the annexed territories to the USSR was signed on August 16, 1945, by the Polish government-in-exile.
Answer: False
Explanation: The treaty formally ceding the annexed territories to the USSR was signed on August 16, 1945, not by the Polish government-in-exile, but by the Communist-dominated Provisional Government of National Unity.
After World War II, Poland's territory was compared to its pre-1939 borders:
Answer: Slightly smaller, losing territory primarily to the Soviet Union.
Explanation: After World War II, Poland's territory was slightly smaller than its pre-1939 borders, primarily due to the loss of its eastern territories to the Soviet Union, despite gaining territory from Germany.
What term did the Polish People's Republic use for the territories lost to the Soviet Union?
Answer: The Recovered Territories
Explanation: The Polish People's Republic utilized the term "Recovered Territories" in its post-war discourse on territorial adjustments, which encompassed the lands that became part of Poland after World War II.
What was the outcome of the Yalta Conference regarding the territories annexed by the Soviet Union?
Answer: The Soviets were confirmed to annex their Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact portion, with Poland receiving German territory.
Explanation: At the Yalta Conference, it was agreed that the Soviet Union would annex its portion of the former Polish territories as defined by the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, with Poland subsequently receiving territory from Germany as compensation.
Which entity signed the treaty on August 16, 1945, that formally ceded the annexed territories to the USSR?
Answer: The Provisional Government of National Unity, dominated by Communists.
Explanation: The treaty formally ceding the annexed territories to the USSR on August 16, 1945, was signed by the Provisional Government of National Unity, which was dominated by Communist elements.
When was the Soviet-Polish border realigned after World War II?
Answer: In June 1951
Explanation: The Soviet-Polish border underwent a realignment in June 1951, as part of the post-war territorial settlements between the two nations.
The Katyn massacre, involving the execution of approximately 22,000 Polish prisoners of war, was ordered by Adolf Hitler in March 1940.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Katyn massacre, which resulted in the execution of approximately 22,000 Polish prisoners of war, was ordered by Soviet authorities, specifically Lavrenty Beria and approved by the Politburo, not Adolf Hitler.
The Massacres of Poles in Volhynia between 1943 and 1944 resulted in an estimated 100,000 deaths and caused an exodus of ethnic Poles.
Answer: True
Explanation: The Massacres of Poles in Volhynia, occurring between 1943 and 1944, resulted in an estimated 100,000 deaths and precipitated a significant exodus of ethnic Poles from the region.
Władysław Mochocki documented Red Army soldiers committing acts of violence such as plundering and rape against civilians in the 'Recovered Territories' between 1945 and 1947.
Answer: True
Explanation: Historian Władysław Mochocki documented instances of Red Army soldiers committing acts of violence, including plundering and rape, against civilians in the post-war period within the territories referred to as the 'Recovered Territories'.
What event is associated with a March 5, 1940, order signed by Lavrenty Beria concerning Polish POWs?
Answer: The Katyn massacre, involving the execution of approximately 22,000 Polish officers.
Explanation: The order signed on March 5, 1940, by Lavrenty Beria, with the approval of the Soviet Politburo, authorized the execution of approximately 22,000 Polish prisoners of war and detainees, an event known as the Katyn massacre.
What major ethnic conflict occurred in Ukraine between 1943 and 1944, resulting in approximately 100,000 deaths?
Answer: The Massacres of Poles in Volhynia
Explanation: The major ethnic conflict that occurred in Ukraine between 1943 and 1944, resulting in approximately 100,000 deaths, was known as the Massacres of Poles in Volhynia.
What actions did Władysław Mochocki document regarding the Red Army's conduct in the 'Recovered Territories' between 1945 and 1947?
Answer: Committing attacks such as plundering, rape, and murder against the civilian population.
Explanation: Władysław Mochocki documented that Red Army soldiers committed acts of violence, including plundering, rape, and murder, against the civilian population in the 'Recovered Territories' between 1945 and 1947.
What was the impact of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army's (UIA) struggle against communists in the annexed territories from 1944 to 1952?
Answer: It resulted in the deportation of 600,000 people by the Soviets and the deaths of approximately 170,000 locals.
Explanation: The struggle of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UIA) against communist forces from 1944 to 1952 resulted in the deportation of 600,000 individuals by the Soviets and the deaths of approximately 170,000 members of the local population.