Download World War II and The Holocaust

Unit 4 Part 2: World War II and
The Holocaust
7-4.5 Summarize the causes and course of World War II,
including drives for empire, appeasement and isolationism,
the invasion of Poland, the Battle of Britain, the invasion of the
Soviet Union, the “Final Solution,” the Lend-Lease program,
Pearl Harbor, Stalingrad, the campaigns in North Africa and the
Mediterranean, the D-Day invasion, the island-hopping
campaigns, and the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
7-4.6 Analyze the Holocaust and its impact on European
society and Jewish culture, including Nazi policies to eliminate
the Jews and other minorities, the Nuremberg trials, the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the rise of nationalism
in Southwest Asia (Middle East), the creation of the state of
Israel, and the resultant conflicts in the region.
Causes of World War II

There were 3 main causes to World War
II:
1. Military aggression displayed by Germany,
Italy, and Japan
2. Anger over the Treaty of Versailles
3. The Great Depression
The Treaty of Versailles and The
Great Depression
Germany, Italy, and Japan all wanted to
establish empires and no one did anything
to stop them.
 Italy was angry with the Treaty of
Versailles because they were not awarded
with a large amount of land.
 Germany was devastated by WWI and
very angry over the War Guilt Clause in
the Treaty of Versailles.


The high cost of reparations, the loss of
territory, and the aftermath of war led to
the Great Depression, which led to
people’s anger over the government—
This led to the rise of Adolf Hitler.
Military Aggression
In 1935, Mussolini attacked Ethiopia in
Africa.
 The League of Nations protested the
attack but did nothing to stop them.
 The League of Nations also failed to stop
Hitler from building up his military and
then occupying the Rhineland.
 In 1936, Germany, Italy, and Japan formed
the Axis Alliance.

Germany and Italy also sent troops and
weapons to Spain to assist Francisco
Franco in winning the Spanish Civil War in
1936. This set up a Fascist government in
Spain.
 While this was going on in the 1930s, the
US declared a policy of isolationism by
passing Neutrality Acts that would not
allow the US to loan money or sell
weapons to countries at war.

German Empire
Appeasement Fails
Great Britain and France believed a policy
of appeasement would prevent a war.
 Appeasement-meeting another
country’s demands in order to avoid war
 Hitler began taking over land to unite all
German-speaking people.
 He started with Austria (his home
country).

Hitler demanded the Sudetenland (a
part of Czechoslovakia that had mostly
German-speaking people).
 In 1938, Adolf Hitler met with the
leaders of Britain and France at the
Munich Conference.
 He told them if they would let him have
the Sudetenland, he would not take over
any more land—They agreed.

Hitler went ahead and invaded
Czechoslovakia and then Italy invaded
Albania in Europe.
 On September 1, 1939, Hitler invaded
Poland.
 Britain and France declared war on
Germany.

Japanese Aggression
Japan was engaging in military aggression
in Asia as it was trying to build a large
empire.
 Japanese leaders felt they needed a large
empire to get raw materials at a cheap
price.
 Japan had attacked Manchuria and later
attacked China.

European Theater
Pacific Theater
Blitzkrieg-Lightning War
--Poland (1939)
Important Battles in Europe
World War II had 2 theaters (fronts) of
fighting: European and Pacific (Asia).
 The Germans carried out a blitzkrieg, or
lightning war, against Poland.
 A blitzkrieg means that Germany was
carrying out attacks in every direction,
using planes and attacks on land.

In 1939, Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin
shocked the world when they both signed
the Non-Aggression Pact (They agreed
to not attack each other and to split
Poland once it was conquered).
 Germany later attacked Denmark and
Norway.
 France surrendered to the Germans in
1940.

Battle of Britain





Hitler then focused on attacking Great
Britain.
During the Battle of Britain (1940-1941),
the German Air Force repeatedly bombed
Britain.
The British used radar to prepare for attacks
and had technology that allowed them to
decode German messages.
Winston Churchill, Britain’s Prime
Minister, vowed to “never surrender” to the
Germans.
Hitler was forced to focus attacks on other
nations.
Fighting took place in North Africa and in
the Balkan region of Europe.
 Germany wanted to control the Suez
Canal in Egypt to have quick access to the
oil-rich Middle East.
 The Axis Powers defeated Yugoslavia and
Greece in 1941.
 Adolf Hitler broke his pact with Joseph
Stalin and invaded the Soviet Union in
1941.

Germany was unsuccessful in the Soviet
Union.
 In the invasion alone, Germany lost
500,000 men when they tried to take
over the cities of Leningrad and Moscow.

USA Tries to Remain Neutral
The US Congress passed Neutrality Acts
in both 1935 and 1937.
 Franklin D. Roosevelt realized the US
needed to be involved in the war in order
to prevent a Nazi takeover of Europe.
 In 1939, Congress changed the neutrality
policy by allowing the US to sell weapons
to the Allies that were paid for with cash
and transported by Allied ships (Cash
and Carry Policy).

The Cash and Carry Policy didn’t help the
Allies enough, so Congress passed the
Lend-Lease Act.
 The Lend-Lease Act allowed Roosevelt
to lend or lease (allow others to borrow
money from the US to pay for supplies)
weapons and other supplies to countries
that were important to the US.

The Pacific Theater in Asia
Japan invaded French Indochina in 1941 and
as a result the US placed an oil embargo on
Japan. (The US would not let Japan buy oil.)
 Japan was angry over the embargo, so on
December 7, 1941, Japan attacked Pearl
Harbor, a US Naval Base in Hawaii.
 Congress declared war on Japan the next
day.
 The Allied Powers included: Britain, France,
the Soviet Union, the US, and China.

The Japanese moved quickly throughout
the islands in the Pacific by taking over
Guam, Wake Island, Hong Kong, the
Philippines, the Dutch East Indies, and
Burma.
 The tide begin to turn in favor of the
United States in 1942.
 The US defeated Japan in the Battle of
the Coral Sea, which saved Australia
from a Japanese invasion.

Next, the US defeated Japan in the Battle
of Midway by damaging hundreds of
Japanese planes and all aircraft carriers
(big ships that carry planes).
 After this battle, the US began islandhopping (taking over islands and making
their way closer to the main islands of
Japan).
 Island-hopping saved many American lives.

At the Battle of Guadalcanal, the US
launched their first offensive against Japan
(US attacked Japan).
 This battle was a land, air, and sea attack.

The European Theater
By the end of 1942, the tide was turning
in favor of the Allies in the Mediterranean
and along the Eastern Front (Soviet
Union).
 The Allied forces were led by American
General Dwight Eisenhower, who
defeated German General Erwin
Rommel’s forces in North Africa.

The Germans were also defeated by the
Soviet Union in the Battle of
Stalingrad in February 1943.
 The Soviet army was pushing the
Germans from the east while the British
and American forces were conquering
Sicily, Italy in 1943.
 The Allies entered Rome, Italy in 1944.
 Mussolini was killed by his own men in
1945.

D-Day
The Allies decided to free France and
make their way toward Berlin, Germany.
 On June 6, 1944, the Allied forces invaded
Normandy, France (This was called DDay).
 The purpose of D-Day was to liberate
(free) German-controlled France and
northern Europe.
 France was liberated by September.

Hitler’s final attempt to achieve victory
against the Allies was known as the Battle
of the Bulge.
 Germans broke through American defenses,
but the Germans were later pushed back
and forced to retreat (move backwards).
 Allied forces from the east and west moved
into Germany.
 Hitler committed suicide in 1945 and
Germany surrendered a week later on May
7, 1945.
 This was called V-E Day, or Victory in
Europe Day.

War in the Pacific Theater Wins
The US defeated Japan at the Battle of
Iwo Jima and Battle of Okinawa.
 President Franklin D. Roosevelt dies in
April 1945.
 Harry Truman becomes President and is
forced to decide how to end the war
quickly in the Pacific Theater.
 It was believed that an invasion of Japan
would result in many American lives lost.

The Atomic Bombs
Harry Truman ordered the dropping of
an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan
(August 6, 1945 ).
 Another bomb was dropped on Nagasaki,
Japan 3 days later.
 Japan surrendered officially on September
2, 1945 (V-J Day, or Victory against Japan
Day)

Copy this pie graph into your
notes…
Introduction

As part of their vision for Europe, the Nazis proposed a
new racial order.
◦ They proclaimed that the Germanic peoples, or Aryans, were a
“master race.” (a misuse of the term Aryan, which actually refers
to the Indo-European peoples who began to migrate into the
Indian subcontinent around 1500 B.C.)
◦ The Nazis claimed that all non-Aryan peoples, particularly Jewish
people, were inferior.

This racist message would eventually lead to the
Holocaust, the systematic mass slaughter of Jews and
other groups judged inferior by the Nazis.
The Holocaust
The Holocaust, a plan to eliminate the
Jews and “undesirables”.
 Anti-Semitism-hatred of the Jewish
people

Why did Hitler hate the Jews?
Religious differences
 Cultural differences
 Suspicion and envy
 Jews more involved in Europe than
previously
 Jews more intellectual and successful.
 Jews less nationalistic.

Anti-Semitism
used to get people to believe the way he
did about Jews
 blamed Jews for the Great Depression
and promised upon elimination Germany
would be great again.
 Nazis believed Germans were master
race - “Aryan”


eliminate all non Aryans - cause
Germany’s problems.
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
Jews
Polish
Russians
Communists
Gypsies (people of Eastern Europe)
mentally or physically handicapped
Homosexuals
socialists
Nuremberg Laws

The Nuremberg Laws were passed
against Jews in 1935. They stated:
◦ Jews were denied German citizenship.
◦ Jews could not marry non-Jews.
◦ Jews had to wear a yellow Star of David to be
recognized in public.
◦ Jews could not produce artwork.
◦ Jews could not teach in a non-Jewish school.
“Night of Broken Glass”
On November 7, 1938, Herschel
Grynszpan (pictured) a Jewish youth
from Germany, shot a German
diplomat living in Paris to avenge his
father’s deportation to Poland.
 November 9, 1938: In retaliation Nazi
leaders in Germany launched a violent
attack on the Jewish community. This
attack was carried out by the SA
(storm troopers) and SS, who attacked
Jewish homes, businesses, and
synagogues, killing around 100 Jews.
This night was called Kristallnacht.

Burning Synagogue on Kristallnacht
Did you know?
This picture is typical of
the smashed windows of
Jewish businesses on
Kristallnacht.

Kristallnacht was not
just staged without
planning, but served a
specific purpose in Nazi
policy toward the Jews.
The SA was under strict
orders to confiscate any
firearms owned by
Jews when ransacking
Jewish homes and
businesses. This would
prevent any significant
armed resistance to Nazi
policies in the future.
A Flood of Refugees
By the end of 1939, a number of German Jews
had fled to other countries.
 At first, Hitler favored emigration as a solution
to what he called “the Jewish problem.”
 After admitting tens of thousands of Jewish
refugees, France, Britain, and the United States
abruptly closed their doors to further
immigration.

Isolating the Jews


Hitler then ordered Jews
in all countries under his
control to be moved to
designated cities called
ghettos.
After 1941, all Jews in
German controlled areas
had to wear a yellow Star
of David patch (pictured).
The Final Solution
The “Final Solution”
Hitler’s plan called the “Final Solution” was a
genocide plan to systematically kill an entire
people.
 Hitler wanted to purify the “Aryan” race.
 He tried to eliminate other groups he viewed as
“subhuman.”

◦
◦
◦
◦
Roma (gypsies), Poles, Russians
the insane
the disabled
the incurably ill
The Killings Begin
As the Nazis moved across Europe the SS killing
squads rounded up men, women, children, and
even babies and shot them in pits where they
were buried.
 Other Jews were rounded up and herded into
concentration camps where they were slave
labor.
 Inmates would work seven days a week for the
SS or for German businesses. Food consisted of
thin soup, scraps of bread, and potato peelings.
Most inmates lost 50 lbs quickly.

The Final Stage
In 1942 the Germans built huge exterminations
camps equipped with gas chambers that could
kill as many as 6,000 people in a day.
 Committees of Nazi doctors separated the
strong (mostly men) from the weak (women,
children, and elderly). The weak went to their
deaths in the gas chambers usually that day.
 The victims were told to undress and head into
the gas chambers under the guise they were
taking showers. Cyanide gas from Zyklon B
granules came through the fake showerheads.

Zyklon B granules on display at
Auschwitz
Empty Zyklon B canisters found by the
Allies at Auschwitz at the end of World
War II
Auschwitz Death Camp, Poland
This wheeled table helped transport the bodies of the gassed
victims to the ovens for cremation.
This mechanism rotated the table upon which the
bodies of the gassed victims were transferred to the
ovens for cremation.
There was once a building standing here, but this is the area
where the Nazis themselves burned this building down to
attempt to destroy evidence of the death camps.
inmate barracks
These are burned down barracks where the
Nazis again tried to destroy evidence of
atrocities in the Auschwitz camp.
Jews Killed Under Nazi Rule*
Original Jewish
Population
Poland
Jews Killed
Percent
Surviving
3,300,000 2,800,000
15%
Soviet Union (area 2,100,000 1,500,000
29%
occupied by Germans)
Hungary
404,000
200,000
49%
Romania
850,000
425,000
50%
Germany/Austria
270,000
210,000
22%
*Estimates
Source: Hannah Vogt, The Burden of Guilt
The Survivors
About six million European Jews were killed
during the Holocaust.
 Less than four million European Jews survived.
 Some Jews were helped by non-Jews who risked
there lives, hid Jews in their homes, and helped
them escape to neutral countries. One such
family was the Ten Boom family of Harlem in
the Netherlands. The book and film The Hiding
Place tells this story.

When the Allies arrived at the
camps, this is what they saw…
The Nuremberg Trials
The Nuremberg Trials
22 Nazi leaders were tried at Nuremberg
Trials (1945-1946).
 “crimes against humanity” - this behavior
was unacceptable no matter the
circumstances.
 The International Military Tribunal,
representing 23 countries, conducted the
trials.
 10 Nazi leaders were hanged and their
bodies were burned in a concentration
camp.

Universal Declaration of Human
Rights
In 1948, the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights was passed by several
nations as a result of the Holocaust.
 It set human rights standards for all
nations and listed specific rights all
humans should have.
 World organizations have worked to
make the world aware of human rights
violations.

However, human rights issues are difficult
to enforce because it’s hard to interfere in
other nations affairs because it could
possibly result in a war.
 Many countries are unsure of what role
they can take to stop human rights
violations.
 Genocide has continued to take place in
areas around the world, even after the
Holocaust.

The Zionist Movement
The Zionist Movement (support for a
Jewish homeland) - 1880s/early 1900s.
 Jews returned to Palestine - called for a
Jewish state to be created.
 In 1917, the British issued the Balfour
Declaration - guaranteed Jews a
homeland if the rights of Palestinians
were protected.

Palestine
Ottoman Empire defeated in WWI Palestine under British control
 After Holocaust more people calling for a
Jewish homeland.
 Palestine was divided into a Jewish state
and a Palestinian state.
 Jerusalem, a major city, was called an
international city.

The Middle East
Israel
The Creation of Israel
Palestinians, who were Muslim, made up
the majority of the population.
 In 1948, Israel was founded as a
homeland for the Jews.
 Jews considered Israel to be their
homeland, even though the area had
become populated by Muslims over
hundreds of years.





The creation of Israel led to nationalism
(desire for self-rule) from the Palestinians
and caused many conflicts that have still not
been resolved.
Israel was immediately attacked by
Palestinians and brief wars were fought over
this territory in 1956, 1967, and 1973.
Israel won the first war and gained half of
the land inhabited by Palestinians.
Egypt gained control of the Gaza Strip and
Jordan gained control of the West Bank.
(Both supported the Palestinians.)
The First Arab-Israeli War (1948)



In late August 1948,
during a United Nationssanctioned truce, Israeli
soldiers conducting what
Operation Cleaning
encountered Palestinian
refugees just north of
the Egyptian lines who
had returned for their
livestock & crops.
The Israelis saw them as
a threat.


Killed them
Burned their homes
The First Arab-Israeli War (1948)
The Israelis are
victorious and gain
half of the land
inhabited by the
Palestinians.
 Egypt acquired the
Gaza Strip
 Jordan took over the
West Bank.

Israel
The Suez Crisis (1956)
Egyptian President
Gamal Nasser sends
in troops to take the
Suez Canal
 Upset that the
British “use” Egyptian
labor to build the
Aswan Dam with
little to no financial
support.

The Suez Crisis (1956)

Great Britain retakes
the Suez Canal
◦ Israel to send troops
◦ France to provide air
support

United States & the
Soviets convince
these countries to
give back the land
that they had
captured
The Suez Crisis (1956)



US and the Soviet
Union support Nasser.
President Dwight D.
Eisenhower feared that
Israeli and European
allies may force the
Suez Canal in the
hands of the Soviets.
All about protecting
US interest regarding
oil
Pan-Arabism
Nasser is seen as a
hero following the
war
 Pan-Arabism-Arab
unity
 Believed Oil-rich
nations were more
powerful together

Conflicts over Israel
In 1964, the Palestinian Liberation
Organization (PLO) was formed to
promote the creation of a Palestinian
state and help support Palestinian
refugees.
 Their leader was Yasir Arafat.
 The PLO wanted to use military force to
create a Palestinian State.

The Six-Day War



In 1967, Nasser closes
the Gulf of Aqaba
(connected Israel to the
Red Sea)
Israel made the first
move and bombed Egypt,
Jordan, Syria, and Iran.
Israel won this war (Six
Day War) and gained
control of the Sinai
Peninsula, the West Bank,
Golan Heights, and
Jerusalem.
The Six-Day War



Israel tripled its
territory.
Another Million
Palestinians now live in
Israeli lands.
The UN asks:
◦ Israel to withdraw from
the territories
◦ Arab nations to
recognize Israel as an
independent nation.

Both Refuse!!!
The Yom Kippur War (1973)



Golda Meir (1st female
prime minister)
supported settlement
of the new lands.
Anwar el-Sadat
(Egyptian Leader)
launches air strikes
with the help of Syria.
Completely surprise
the Israelis on Yom
Kippur (Jewish
Holiday)
Camp David Accords



A cease-fire was
signed weeks later.
The Camp David
Accords, a peace
agreement, was signed
by Egypt and Israel in
1979.
This agreement stated
that Egypt would
recognize Israel as a
country and Israel
would give the Sinai
Peninsula to Egypt.
The Fight Continues
Many Arabs were upset
with this agreement and a
group of Muslims
assassinated Egyptian
President Anwar Sadat.
 In 1987, Palestinians
launched an intifada, or
demonstrations and
attacks, against Israeli
troops.
 In 1993, the Oslo Peace
Accords were signed.
 Israel agreed to give
Palestinians self-rule in the
West Bank and Gaza Strip.

The Fight Continues
Jews were angry with
this agreement and a
Jewish man
assassinated Israeli
Prime Minister
Yitzhak Rabin.
 Fighting over the
creation of Israel still
exists today.

Universal Declaration of Human
Rights
In 1948, the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights was passed by several
nations as a result of the Holocaust.
 It set human rights standards for all
nations and listed specific rights all
humans should have.
 World organizations have worked to
make the world aware of human rights
violations.

However, human rights issues are difficult
to enforce because it’s hard to interfere in
other nations affairs because it could
possibly result in a war.
 Many countries are unsure of what role
they can take to stop human rights
violations.
 Genocide has continued to take place in
areas around the world, even after the
Holocaust.
