Download Spielvogel – Chapter 27 – “the Deepening of the European Crisis

Spielvogel – Chapter 27 – “the Deepening of the European Crisis: World War II”
Focus Questions:
What were Hitler’s foreign policy goals, and what steps did he take to achieve them between
1933-39?
What were the main events of WWII in Europe and in Asia, and why were the Allies ultimately
victorious?
What was the Holocaust, and what role did it play in Nazi policy?
What were conditions like on the home front for the major Western nations involved in WWII?
How did the Allies’ visions of postwar Europe differ, and how did these differences contribute to
the emergence of the Cold War?
What was the relationship between WWI and WWII, and what were the differences in the way the
wars were fought?
Outline:
I.
Prelude to War (1933-39)
A.
Hitler looked for his lebensraum in the east
B.
Nazi policy went beyond previous German goals of expansion
C.
Germany was not completely weak; it had some advantages
D.
Hitler realized he could break the Versailles Treaty without serious opposition
E.
Adding new allies completed Hitler’s “diplomatic revolution”
F.
By November 1937, Hitler reveals plans to military leaders
G.
The anschluss (annexation) of Austria gave a strategic position in central Europe
H.
Appeasement and the Munich Conference did not stop take over of Czech.
II. The Course of WWII
A. Blitzkrieg led to Poland’s surrender in 4 weeks
B. After the phony war, the rest of western Europe was attacked
C. Churchill came to power and the Luftwaffe began hits against Britain
D. The war spread to North Africa
E. In June of 1941 Hitler attacks the USSR
F. War in Asia began over Japanese expansionism
G. Attacks on American bases, Dec. 7, 1941 brought the US into war
H. The Grand Alliance had to overcome mutual suspicions to succeed
I. 1942 saw a turn in the tide to favor the Allies by the end of the year
J. After victory in N. Africa, the Allies invaded a surrendered Italy (ftg. Ger)
K. With D Day, June 6, 1944, the Allies slowly advanced toward Germany
L. The Soviets were advancing from the east by 1943
M. Last hard fought battles and the atomic bomb end the war
III. The Nazi New Order and the Holocaust
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
Different races were given different considerations in the Nazi empire
The Nazi New Order would economically exploit Europe’s resources
Conquered nations had resistance groups
Anti-semitism was a reoccurring theme in Nazism before the war
Himmler and the SS were given the responsibility of the Final Solution
Eventually specially built death camps were used
Millions were killed in labor and death camps
IV. The Home Front
A. Great Britain was the most efficient at mobilizing their people
B. Total mobilization led to a costly victory for the Soviets (20 mill dead)
C. The US became the arsenal of the allies, though slow to mobilize
D. Germany never fully mobilized
E. London morale was boosted when their cities were bombed
F. Germany suffered greatly from Allied bombing raids
G. The development of the first atomic bombs were dropped on Japan
V. The Aftermath of the War: The mergence of the Cold War
A. The Big Three first met in Tehran November 1943
B. Churchill and Stalin had their own secret agreement
C. February 1945, at Yalta Conference major decisions were made for post war
D. By Potsdam July 1945, relations with Soviets on downturn
VI. Summary