Troubled World after WW1
-Failure of the Treaty of Versailles. The Treaty created anger and resentment in Germany because of the War Guilt Clause. It stripped Germany of overseas colonies and border territories. They had to pay huge reparations that destroyed the economy.
-Weimar republic (German democratic system) was overwhelmed and lacked infrastructure
-political and economic instability in Europe like the debt and lack of experience with democracies.
-weakness of the League of Nations because the United States was not a part of it, it was not liked, and it didn't have a military
Causes of WW2
Militarism: Axis nations built huge military org., new weapons and proclaimed death for Fatherland highest nations
Imperialism: Axis nations took over land because they "needed" it and the resources
Nationalism: Axis powers considered themselves superior and would control lesser people
Totalitarianism: Axis nations hated democratic ideals and promised to destroy them (or anything communism)
Fascism takes over Europe
Fascism: military political movement
-extreme nationalism= loyalty to the state
-believed a nation must struggle
-pledged loyalty to dictator (promised to rebuild country/ improve lives, this way they won't be killed, some don't know any better
-wore uniforms, had special salutes and held rallies
-denied individual rights
-believed social classes served purpose to the state
Italy
-Benito Mussolini ( II Duce "the leader") capitalizes on economic and nationalistic despair
-Fascism created- stressed nationalism and state interests over individual
-he marched on Rome with supporters (black shirts) and Italian king appointed him head of government
-public marveled that he made "trains run on time" ( done by totalitarian means crushing all opponents)
Soviet Union
-totalitarianism: Stalin
-government controls all aspects of society
-state planning of the economy
-state-owned collective farms
-forced private farmers to work on cooperative farms
-placed people who resisted in labor camps
-secret police rounded up and killed opponents
Germany
- Adolf Hitler: joined National Socialist German Workers' Party (Nazi Party) after WW1
-Germany hit hard by US depression when loans and investments were pulled
-Powerful speaker, promised to end German strife and restore their pride (Der Fuher "the leader")
-Nazism belief's (Mein Kampf): extreme nationalism and uniting ALL of the German people
-Wanted lebensraum (living space), for Aryan people ( master race)and racial purification
-Removed Germany from the League of Nations
Japan
-Hideki Tojo and Emperor Hirohito lead Japanese quest for expansion
-shared German belief of lebensraum: living space and needed natural resources (island nation)
-militarists took control of government and invaded Manchuria (2x Texas) in 1931
-League of Nations condemned Japan and Japan simply withdrew
American Isolationism
-in early 30's info claimed US taken to WW1 by greedy banks and arm dealers, Congress investigates claims
-FDR changes foreign policy b/c of public cry for isolationism
-FDR signs Neutrality Acts which outlaws arms sales and loans to all warring nations
-called on peaceful nations to "quarantine" aggressor nations to stop war
Hitler's Demands
-Hitler plays on the hopes and fears of followers. Especially the German population.
-Hitler grabs the territories of the Rhineland, Austria, and Czechoslavakia. Overall, Hitler wants the Polish corridor because it was taken in the Treaty of Versailles and it would reunite Germany.
Germany Sparks a New War in Europe
-Stalin and Hitler agreed to a non-aggression pact
-Hitler and Stalin agree to divide pact
-Sept 1, 1939 was significant because Germany invaded Poland, then France and Britain declared war first
-Blitzkrieg: "lightning war" a quick and surprising war tactic that shocks and overwhelms the invaded country
The Phony War
-Britain and France mobilize their troops along the Maginot Line
-Became a sitting war as Britain and France waited for a German attack
-On April 9, 1940 surprisingly attacked Denmark and Norway and were quickly victorious
France Falls
-Germany attacks from northern coast of France
-French troops were along the coastline near Dunkirk
-338,000 troops are rescued from France's northern coast by British assistance
-France falls by June 14th, 1940. France is ran by a puppet government under the leadership of Charles de Gaulle while he is Britain
Battle of Britain
-Britain stands alone against Hitler under the leadership of Winston Churchill
-Hitler's plan was to attack Great Britain while focusing first on the Great Britain Air Force
-Not only attacked military, but attacked cities to break morale
-This is significant because the radar and enigma helped Great Britain to fight back against Germany and not surrender.
Hitler Changes Plans
-Hitler decides to turn his attention to the Balkans, the Mediterranean, and the Soviet Union.
-Mussolini continues to fight alongside Hitler by leading attacks across Northern Africa
-The "Desert Fox" (Erwin Rommel) assists the Italians and defeats the Allies in Northern Africa
-Hitler wanted Mediterranean lands and Balkan lands to build bases to attack the Soviet Union.
-The Nazi Party rose their flag by the Parthenon in Greece which killed their national pride. In ancient Greece, the Parthenon was the beginning of democracy which Hitler destroyed.
Hitler invades the Soviet Union
-June 22, 1941 Hitler attacks the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union is not prepared for the attack
-Germans push 500 miles into the Soviet Union
-Russians use the scorched-earth policy which was used previously when Napoleon invaded Russia.
-Leningrad was isolated. Habitants were forced to desperate measures. Hitler then turns to Moscow.
-No true gains from Moscow invasion. Loss of troops!
The US joins
-The US were isolationist: Neutrality acts: they stayed neutral and weren't going to give aid or supply to any warring nation
-Lend lease act: they are going to lend and/or lease supplies to countries that are favorable to the U.S.
-Roosevelt and Churchill establish the Atlantic Charter, which states that there should be free trade among nations and the right of people to choose their own government.
-Germany does not fully draw the US into the war. Japan does!
non-aggression pact
an agreement in which Stalin and Hitler agreed not to fight each other and Hitler agreed to give Stalin land/ divide Poland.
Blitzkrieg
the German invasion of Poland was the first test of Germany's newest military strategy, the "lightning war" in which quick transportation and surprise attacks are used.
Charles de Gaulle
a French general that set up a government in exile in London to recapture France
Winston Churchill
the new British Prime minister who declared that his nation would fight the axis powers
Battle of Britain
a series of battles between British and German air forces fought over Britain in 1940-1941. The Germans did not just attack the military, but also cities to break British morale. Winston Churchill led his country to success by using technology like Enigma and radar.
Erwin Rummel
a German general who was sent to Egypt with the Afrika Korps to reinforce the Italians
Atlantic Charter
Roosevelt and Churchill's secret joint declaration that upheld free trade among nations and the rights of people to choose their own government
What suggested that the West would not aid the Soviets?
Stalin wasn't invited to the Munich Conference which was among other great leaders
How did mechanization make the Blitzkrieg possible?
If the airplanes and tanks had not been developed to move fast, the Germans could not have invaded Poland and overwhelmed them as much.
How did the retreat at Dunkirk affect Britain's ability to fight Hitler?
It allowed them to fight better, and when they were more prepared.
Do you think that de Gaulle's speech applied to the British who had evacuated at Dunkirk?
Yes; I think de Gaulle's speech applied to the British who had evacuated at Dunkirk because it said not to give up the fight and was inspiring
What advantage did the Luftwaffe have over the RAF?
They had more people
How might the German attacks on Britain have strengthened Britain's resistance?
Their strong desire to win led them to create new technology like Enigma and Radar instead of give up.
How long had the German-Soviet pact existed when Hitler began planning to invade his ally?
1 year
Why was the Battle of Britain important to the Allies?
It stunned Hitler how well the British were resisting so he decided to focus on Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean. It gave way to new technologies and proved that Hitler could be blocked.
Compare the losses of the Germans and the Soviets at Leningrad and Moscow
German did not gain anything. Russian lost more people, but because their population is larger it didn't affect them as much. The Russians practiced the scorched earth policy.
The Atlantic Charter upheld the right of people to choose their own government. What wars occurred when people tried to do this?
-World War 1 because Serbia was fighting for their nationalism
-American Revolutionary War
-Civil Wars
Who were the victims of the Holocaust and the members of the "master race
-Non-Aryans, especially Jews (Poles, homosexuals, Russians, disabled, insane)
-Aryans (blond hair, blue eyes, tall, skinny, fair skinned)
What were the Nuremberg Laws?
Anti-Semitic laws passed against Jews that took away their citizenship, jobs, and property. They were forced to wear the yellow Star of David which set them apart from others.
What happened on the night of November 8, 1938?
Kristallnacht or "night of the broken glass". Germans attacked synagogues and Jewish houses/ businesses.
What was Hitler's final solution?
Hitler's genocide plan that involved the elimination of inferior Non-Aryan races so he could take on more land
Where did German Jews try to migrate to find safety from Nazi Terror?
France, Britain, US and other countries
Where were Jews forced to live in German-controlled cities?
In ghettos which were Jewish segregated areas
Where were the concentration camps?
Mainly in Germany and Poland
Why did Hitler believe that Jews and other "subhumans" had to be exterminated?
to protect the purity of the Aryan race
Why did the Germans build extermination camps?
So they could carry out mass murder of non- Aryans using gas chambers. They were not dying fast enough for Hitler
When did the final stage of the Final Solution begin?
Early 1942 because the war was starting to turn in favor of the Allied Powers.
How did non-Jewish people try to save Jews from the horrors of Nazism? How many Jews died in the Holocaust?
-By hiding Jews in their homes or helping them escape to other countries.
-Approximately 6 million
Who started the idea of island hopping?
MacArthur started the idea of island hopping, starting with lightly guarded islands
Fascism
a military political movement that is set apart from communism because of class
Weakness of the League of Nations
The League of Nations is not liked and the United States was not a part of it. Also, it does not have a military so there is no way to enforce any rules or punishment for Germany and Japan's acts of aggression.
Axis Aggression Timeline
-Japan invaded Manchuria in 1931 with no real reason
-Japan leaves the League of Nations because they try to economically sanction Japan
-Germany leaves the League of Nations because they are already mad about the Treaty of Versailles. This reveals the League's weaknesses
-Italy invades Ethiopia for the resources
-Germany rebuilds military which goes against the TOV.
-Germany claims the Rhineland
-Spanish Civil War gave leaders like Hitler and Mussolini a chance to practice military tactics
-Japan invades China Proper
-Hitler invades Austria because they were next to them and have many people who identify themselves as Germans
-Hitler claims Sudetenland and makes up propaganda stories that make Czechoslovakia look bad.
-Munich Conference, a meeting between the UK, Italy, German, and France that leads to Hitler's appeasement as an attempt for peace.
-Germany seizes Czechoslovakia
-Italy conquers Albania for it's strategic location in the Mediterranean
-On September 1, 1939 Hitler invades Poland which is the official start of WW2
-Britain and France declare war on Germany
US involvement after Pearl Harbor bombings
The US raided Japan in the Doolittle raids, in which 16 B25 bombers bombed Tokyo and other major Japanese cities. Though this did little damage, it showed that Japan was vulnerable and raised American morale. This led to the Battle of the Coral Sea where Allied Powers stopped Japan's southward advance by using airplanes from boats instead of boats for attack. Next, the US decoded a message that Japan was going to attack Midway island so planes swooped in and attacked the Japanese fleet, turning the tides of the war in the Pacific. On the island of Guadalcanal, the Allied powers defeated Japan, but Japan wouldn't stop there so Truman used two atomic bombs to end the war.
VE Day
victory in Europe day" announced the end of war in Europe in May of 1945. The Allied Forces pushed to the streets of Berlin and forced Germany to surrender.
Pearl Harbor Date
December 7, 1941
Official WW2 start Date
September 1, 1939
War end date
1945. May in Europe and September in the Pacific
Why were Jews the target of the Holocaust?
They were blamed with stabbing Germany in the back and causing them to lose WW1.
Fighting on the home front
propaganda: was used to inspire people to help in the war cause. However government propaganda led to the limiting of civil rights
rationing: when factories turned to production of war time goods, there were shortages from meat and sugar to gasoline so European and American governments limited the amount people could receive.
total war a country puts all of it's efforts into war. The Allied home fronts exemplified this by changing from the peace time factory productions to producing war goods.
limiting civil rights: after Pearl Harbor bombings, the combination of fear and government propaganda turned people against Japanese Americans. The military put them into camps far from the coasts.
D-Day
Allies began secretly building and invasion force in Great Britain so they could attack German held French land. Under General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the military planned to attack Normandy but deceived the Germans by setting up a dummy army to appear to attack the French Calais. It was known as "Operation Overlord". Despite heavy losses Patton and the United States Third Army punched a hole in the German army and liberated France, Belgium, and Luxembourg
Battle of the Bulge
Allied forces moved toward Germany from the west and the Soviet Union moved in from the east so Germany was forced to fight a two front war. However, Hitler planned to counterattack the west and broke through weak American defenses but the Allies eventually pushed Germany back into retreat.
VE day
After the Battle of the Bulge, the war was coming to a close and Allied troops formed a noose around Berlin. Hitler committed suicide and Eisenhower accepted Germany's unconditional surrender on May 7, 1945.
Cost of War
- 100 million people were killed and there were billions of dollars of property damage
-in Europe: cities were in ruins except Paris, Rome and Brussels. Homes were destroyed and the people had no water or electricity and little food. People were wandering because they didn't know where they were. Because few remained to plant the fields and destroyed transportation, food could not reach cities. Communism rose at first, until violence broke out.
-in Japan: two million lives were lost and major cities like Tokyo were destroyed by the atomic bomb blackened wastelands. MacArthur took control of the country and began the process of demilitarization and bringing war criminals to trial. He changed Japan into a constitutional monarchy. He did not revive the economy, but increased the worker participation. In the monarchy, the people elected a two house monarchy called the diet. There was a peace treaty wih Japan that made us allies.
Nuremburg Trials
The International Military Tribunal, representing 23 nations, put Nazi war criminals on trial in Nuremburg. 22 Nazi leaders were charged with acts of aggression and crimes against humanity.