Download Social Impact of World War II

Social Impact of
World War II
Mr. Meester
AP European History
The Cost of the War
 It is estimated that about 40 million people
died during World War II.
 Much of Europe and parts of Asia were
devastated by the war.
 During the war, Britain and the U.S. had a
fragile peace with the Soviet Union and
following the end it would quickly unravel.
Racism and Hitler
 Untermenschen, which means sub-human
is the term Hitler used to describe the
Slavic people.
 In areas controlled by the Nazis, such as
Poland, people were jailed, deported, or
killed.
 During the Russian campaign, Hitler spoke of a
war of extermination.
 It was planned to send in special SS units to go
in and kill 30 million Russians.
The Holocaust
 Hitler had special plans for the Jews (The
“Judenrein”).
 Wanted to completely free Europe of a Jewish presence
 Originally, he considered exiling all the Jew of Europe to
Madagascar.
 His “Final Solution” was the complete extermination
of the Jewish population in Europe.
 The Holocaust is estimated to have killed 6 million Jews,
primarily in eastern Europe and Russia.
 Only about 1 million Jews remained in Europe at the end
of the war.
Polish Jews
 In Poland, where anti-Semitism had been
common for years, Jews living there had
often lived in segregated neighborhoods.
 They were easily identifiable because of
their dress and language.
 The common everyday language was
“Yiddish.”
 Most of the Jews lived in urban centers.
 They owned small businesses, craftsmen, or
worked in factories.
Nazis in Poland
 Soon after their invasion of Poland, the Nazis
began to move against the Jews.
 In early 1940, the Jews of Poland were forced to move
into ghettoes.
 Jews from all over Poland were forced into these
ghettoes.
 The ghettoes were overcrowded and poor sanitation facilities
and food supplies.
 In 1941, 20% of the population in the ghettoes died of
disease and malnutrition.
 Beginning in 1941, the Germans began the
extermination of the Jews of Europe.
 By 1945, 90% of the Polish Jews had been
exterminated.
Explanations of the
Holocaust
 The Holocaust is one of many genocides during
the 20th century.
 Armenian genocide, Purges of Stalin, and Mao.
 The difference between the holocaust and these
other genocides was that it involved the
extinction of a group based upon culture rather
than political affiliation.
 Another question is how such an event could
occur at all.
 The long term Anti-Semitism throughout Europe.
 German culture teaches to obey authority even though
you may disapproved of what was happening
 Trained to follow orders.
The Domestic Front
 World War II saw the greatest use of
human and natural resources used by the
belligerent countries in history.
 Civilians in these warring countries were
also mobilized as never seen before.
 The war impacted people in the various
countries differently but all were influenced
by various shortages, propaganda, and
new political developments.
Germany:
From Victory to Defeat
 Early on most Germans were not influenced
much by the war.
 Food was plentiful and spending continued on
domestic projects.
 1942, Germany’s economy shifted due to the
continued fighting.
 Albert Speer directed Germany’s economy during this
period.
 From 1942 and 1944, Germany’s military output tripled.
 More men were drafted into the army, hindering
production.
 Food and consumer product shortages worsened
as the war continued forcing rationing to occur.
Nazi Propaganda
 Propaganda during the war was
headed by Josef Goebbels.
 Nazi used radio and film to promote
their cause.
 Used the propaganda to blame
Britain and France for the war.
 Later on as the war turned against
the Germans, radio broadcasts gave
false reports of German victories
against the Allies.
 1944, German officers attempted
to assassinate Hitler but it failed.
 Erwin Rommel was one of the men
involved in the coup.
France:
Defeat & Collaboration
 France surrendered in 1940
Germany occupied over half
of their country.
 To prevent French
resistance in N. Africa &
seeding their fleet to the
British they:
 Setup a new government
under the leadership of
Marshal Petain in Southern
France.
 Known as the “Vichy”
government.
 Some Frenchmen supported
the new government.
France:
Resistance & Liberation
 Most however, did not support the Germans but were
demoralized by their defeat.
 The Vichy government followed many of the same policies
of the German government.
 Anti-Semitism flourished.
 60,000 Jews were sent from France to the extermination camps.
 Under the leadership of General Charles de Gaulle the
French National Committee of Liberation was formed
(Free French).
 Promoted underground resistance within France.
 Eventually, France was freed from German control and on
October 21, 1945, and a new constitution was formed
creating the Fourth Republic.
Great Britain:
Organization for Victory
 Under the leadership of its new Prime Minister
Winston Churchill, the British war cabinet moved to
mobilize the country.
 Scrap metal drives brought in needed resources for
armaments.
 By 1941, British war production outpaced German
production.
 Achieved by increasing work hours and bringing women into the
workforce.
 The British had their own propaganda inside the
BBC.
 Broadcast information to the continent supporting those
opposed to the Germans.
 Unlike most countries the standard of living
improved in Britain.
Russia:
The Great Patriotic War
 The Russians were not totally surprised when
Germany invaded in 1941.
 The Soviet Union was the hardest hit of all of the
countries during the war.
 Approximately 16 million dead.
 As the Germans marched east across Russia,
Stalin called upon the Russian people to fight the
“Great Patriotic War.”
 Propaganda was used to instill greater patriotism
against the Germans.
 As the war progressed, the German army was
defeated and pushed back west.