Download Origins of World War 1

Origins of World War II
Treaty of Versailles
 Germany punished, this left bitter feelings
 Germany was forced to
o Accept all the blame for the war
o Pay millions in reparations to Britain and France
o Territory divided
 Italy was disappointed that it was denied territory
Hitler and Nazi Germany
 Rise to power result of weakness of previous government
 Charismatic speaker, preached German nationalism, denounced Versailles Treaty
 Blamed Jews and communists for Germany’s problems
 Promised return of German pride
Rise of Hitler
 January 1933: Hitler becomes Chancellor
 Hitler rearms Germany, violating the treaty
 March 1936: Marches into the Rhineland challenging the treaty
 March 1938: Nazi Germany annexed Austria
 March 1939: Hitler invades Czechoslovakia
Rise of Fascism in Italy
 Benito Mussolini comes to power in 1922 – wanted to create another Roman Empire
 Fascism: Totalitarian form of government that glorifies the state, has one leader and one party. All
aspects of society are controlled by the government
 No opposition or protests are tolerated, propaganda and censorship are widely practiced
World Wide Economic Depression
 After WWI many European economies were unstable.
 The 1929 stock market crash in the U.S. and the resulting Great Depression spread throughout the
world. U.S. restrictive tariff policies worsened the depression.
 As economies plummeted and unemployment rose, many people turned to powerful leaders and
governments who promised success through military buildup and the conquest of territory.
Japan Expansionism
 In 1931 Japan invaded Manchuria for raw materials.
 The same year, Japan began to attack China, with full-scale war breaking out in 1937 in the SinoJapanese War.
 Sought total control of Pacific resources
 Militarism – Hideki Tojo
Anti-Communism
 Under communism, all means of production are controlled by the government, as are property, the
media, and all other aspects of society.
 The 1930s saw the rise of many totalitarian regimes; but most people chose fascism over
communism.
 Hitler exploited people’s fear of a communist takeover in Germany to rise to power
Appeasement
 Appeasement is the act of giving in to an enemy’s demands in hopes of avoiding further conflict.
 In 1938, Hitler demanded that Czechoslovakia cede the Sudetenland to Germany. He claimed that
the German population living there was being mistreated.
 The British and French prime ministers agreed to Hitler’s demands without consulting
Czechoslovakian leaders, in the hopes that this would avoid a war in Europe.
 1938- Hitler invades Austria, Sudetenland on Czech border
 Munich Conference (1938): Chamberlain and Daladier allow Hitler to do this (appeasement)
Militarism
 The glorification of war, in which a nation strengthens its military and stockpiles weapons in
preparation for war.
 An important aspect of militarism is that the glorification of war is incorporated into all levels of
society, including education of the nation’s youth.
 Militaristic societies have existed throughout human history.
Nationalism
 Nationalism is the belief in the superiority of one’s own nation over all others.
 In the extreme, it can lead to major conflicts between nations.
 Hitler, Mussolini, and Japan’s Tojo each touted their nation’s ability to dominate all others in the
years leading up to WWII.
American Isolationism
 Domestic: U.S. in midst of Great Depression, public intent on remaining neutral
 1935: First Neutrality Act (no sale of arms to belligerent nations)
 1937: Arm sales only on “cash and carry” basis
 FDR warns of impending problems
 Conflict in Europe seemed distant, and the U.S. tried to remain neutral. This policy weakened the
European democracies. Economic, military reasons for neutrality. Tried to prevent mistakes that
led to WWI involvement
War Erupts
• March 1939- Hitler breaks Munich agreement, invades rest of Czechoslovakia
• August 1939- Hitler signs nonaggression pact with rival USSR, turns attention west
• September 1, 1939- “blitzkrieg” invasion of Poland; Britain and France declare war on Germany
World War II Begins
War Erupts
• March 1939- Hitler breaks Munich agreement, invades rest of Czechoslovakia
• August 1939- Hitler signs non-aggression pact with rival USSR
• September 1, 1939- “blitzkrieg” invasion of Poland; Britain and France declare war on Germany
(Blitzkrieg = lighting, aka lightning war)
Hitler Moves in Europe
• Hitler seizes Norway, Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg
• Hitler controls France, turns attention to Britain
– Pupper Government known as Vichy France
• Fall 1940- Battle of Britain
– London heavily bombed but Churchill remains defiant
– Winston Churchill – Prime Minister of Britain
U.S. and Britain
• 1939- Roosevelt revises Neutrality Act, allows for arms trade, public opinion divided
• Election of 1940- FDR wins 3rd term
• Destroyers for Bases
• called for 50 American destroyers to be exchanged for the use of 8 British naval bases along
the North Atlantic coast
• Lend Lease Act:
• made it possible to lend or lease supplies to any country whose interests were vital (GB)$50 billion
United States and Japan
• Japan wanted to extend influence in Far East
• July 1940: U.S. embargo of raw materials to Japan
• 1941: Lend-Lease aid to China
• Anticipating attack in the Philippines
• December 7, 1941: Japan attacks Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
America Enters War
• Pearl Harbor attack devastates nation
• FDR: “ A day that will live in infamy”
• December 8, 1941- FDR receives war declaration from Congress against Japan
• Germany, Italy declare war on United States
Japanese Internment Camps
• February, 1942: FDR issues Executive Order 9066
– Over 100,000 Japanese-Americans on West Coast moved to the interior
– Japanese farms/businesses bought for far less value
Effects on Americans Racial Tensions of World War II
Effects on Americans
 Rationing - a system for limiting the distribution of food, gasoline, and other goods—so the
military could have the weapons, equipment, and supplies it needed. As a result, life in the United
States would change dramatically.
 The key to the system was the ration book, which contained coupons that allowed consumers to
buy rationed items, such as canned goods, sugar, coffee, and dairy products.
 War Productions Board (WPB) - manage the conversion of industries to military production
 Many young Americans left the comforts of home to join the military. While they were in the
service, the government provided all of their food and supplies. Those items were often labeled
“government issue,” or GI Soldiers had GI soap, GI socks, a GI helmet, and a GI rifle. For that reason,
they began referring to themselves as GI soldiers, or simply GIs. The name stuck, and fighting men
in all the armed forces used it proudly.
Women
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Many men had left to serve in the military over seas.
To fill the void of absent male workers, women took many industrial jobs.
o They worked in shipyards and other heavy industries.
o Women often faced hostility on the job, even though the were doing their part to help
America win the war. and homes after their work shift ended.
US leaders realized that women could serve in many of the roles of male soldiers.
o Congress created an military unit of female clerks, nurses, and pilots known as the
Women’s Army Corps or “WACs.”
o This unit was the first of its kind.
For the first time in US history, females were officially admitted into the military
Women still received less pay than men did for the same work.
Most women had to care for children as well
Japanese Americans
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When the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor occurred, many Americans were afraid that the
Japanese would soon invade America.
President Roosevelt quickly signed a proclamation declaring all people of Japanese descent to be
“enemy aliens.”
The US government began to relocate Japanese descendants to internment camps in the central
states of America.
Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066 which declared large areas of the US as military zones offlimits to Japanese Americans.
These individuals were then evacuated from such zones, and forced into internment camps.
However, these Japanese Americans were US citizens and this relocation violated their
constitutional rights.
All of these “enemy aliens” had to register with the US government and carry special IDs.
One Japanese American citizen was arrested because he refused to leave his home.
o Fred Korematsu appealed his arrest charges to the Supreme Court.
Korematsu vs United States
o Mr. Korematsu sued the government for violating his rights as a US citizen.
The Supreme Court upheld his conviction on the grounds that one’s civil rights can be set aside in
a time of war.
African Americans
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The US was fighting in Europe in the name of democracy against Nazi Germany.
o The Nazis were guilty of practicing racism against European Jews.
However, African Americans in the US were still feeling the racism of white Americans.
o Black leaders called for an American war against racism on two fronts.
The Double V Campaign was an effort to win a victory for democracy in Europe and in America.
o Racism still had a strong foothold in the US military.
Early in WW2, the military refused to accept any African Americans.
Black leaders pressed the US government to end military discrimination and in time began to
allow blacks the opportunity to serve and become officers.
The Tuskegee Airmen were the first all black combat pilots in the US military.
o They trained in Tuskegee Alabama.
o They flew fighter planes that escorted and protected Allied bombers.
o Their unit has the distinction of never losing a bomber during WW2.
Jewish Americans
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Many European Jews escaped Nazi occupied Europe and attempted to reach the safety of Allied
shores.
o The ship St. Louis carried many of these refugees to Cuba and then to America.
o They were refused entry at both counties.
The ship had no choice but to return to Europe, where most of the refugees were re-captured and
soon died at the hands of Nazis.
Jewish Americans often heard the tragic tales of Nazi oppression of their Jewish relatives.
o They soon pressured the US government to act.
Although Hitler was exterminating Jews in a systematic way, it wasn’t until 1944 that Roosevelt
acted.
o He issued an executive order creating the War Refugee Board.
The War Refugee Board was an agency that relocated escaped Jews to centers in Italy, North
Africa, and former Army camps in the US.
Mexican Americans
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Just like other Americans, Mexican Americans did their part in fighting WW2.
o However, many Hispanic civilians remained victims of racial tensions at home.
Many Mexican Americans of that time wore “Zoot Suits.”
The common notion was that any Hispanic wearing a “Zoot Suit” was a gang member.
This notion led to violent acts of racism against many Mexican Americans.
In eastern California, Hispanics often lived in “barrios” close to Naval Stations.
Relations between Mexican Americans and servicemen from these stations was hostile.
In the summer of 1943, the “Zoot Suit Riot” erupted between Hispanics and US servicemen
because of the clothes worn by the Mexican Americans. The local police broke up the riots after
several nights, but the only people they arrested were Mexicans.
Allied Strategy of World War II Notes
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Allied Powers
1. Great Britain
2. France
3. Soviet Union
• Germans break Non-Aggression Pact
4. United States
• Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor
Axis Powers
– Germany
– Japan
– Italy
The Liberation of Europe
• “Europe First” Strategy
 Germany, then Japan
• Allies push Axis out of North Africa
 Cut off Germany’s oil and chase Erwin Rommel (“desert fox) through Egypt
Battle of Stalingrad
• Using the cold weather to their advantage, the Soviets managed to stop Germany’s advance into
their country.
• Turning point of the war in Europe
Operation Overlord
• D-Day: June 6, 1944
• Invasion of Normandy
• Led by General Eisenhower, the Allies landed on the shores of Normandy France to retake France
from German control
Germany’s Last Offensive
• Hitler was caught between Allied troops coming from the West and Stalin’s forces coming from the
East.
• December 1944: Battle of the Bulge
• April 25, 1945: Russia and Allied Forces meet at the Elbe River
• May 8, 1945: Germany surrenders (Victory in Europe)
Victory in Europe (V-E Day) and Consequences of War
• Hitler commits suicide on April 30th, 1945
• German officers surrender on May 8th, 1945
• Americans rejoice for a brief period, then focus on ending the war in the Pacific against the
Japanese
• The Holocaust of the Jews in Europe under the Nazis became more real with every concentration
camp uncovered during the Allied liberation of Nazi territory
War in the Pacific Notes
YALTA CONFERENCE (February 1945)
• Plans for German surrender
• Stalin agrees to hold free elections and help with Japan
• Broken promises, USSR’s position strengthened
• Initiated Cold War, set up United Nations
• Yalta – “The Big 3” : Churchill, Roosevelt, Stalin
Allied Military Strategy in the Pacific (1941-1945)
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By 1942, Japan had controlled almost the entire area of the Pacific, allies were able to hold on to
Hawaii and Samoa
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“Active defense” campaign:
-Battle of the Coral Sea (May,1942)
-Battle of Midway (June, 1942)
-Battle of Guadalcanal (Aug. 1942-Feb. 1943)
War in the Pacific
• Strategy: Island Hopping/Leap Frogging
– the U.S. moved closer to the main islands of Japan with every battle won
• Japan’s Military Code of Honor and Kamikazes
– dying in war was a glorious death, so Japanese pilots would crash planes into U.S. ships in
suicide missions
• After V-E Day
– Americans feared the loss of life that a homeland invasion of Japan would cause and looked
to the Atomic Bomb as an answer.
The Battle of Coral Sea
– Thanks to a broken code, the U.S. destroyed several vital Japanese carriers
– Admiral Chester Nimitz led the attack to protect our ally, Australia
Navajo Code Talkers
• The U.S. Marines recruited 29 Navajos to become code talkers. They used a code that replaced
military terms with Navajo words.
• They played a key role in the Pacific campaign
Major Turning Points in the Pacific War
• The Battle of Midway
– Involved planes trying to sink the other’s battleships; a victory and turning point for the
Allies; Japan was now on the defensive!
– Turning point for war in the Pacific
Pacific Theatre Continues
• The Allies took control of several islands in the Pacific under the leadership of General Douglas
MacArthur
-Iwo Jima (1945)
-Okinawa (1945)
• The recapture of the Philippines was the highlight (Oct. 1944-March 1945)
Iwo Jima & Okinawa
• We needed to destroy the perimeter around Japan by taking Okinawa and Iwo Jima
• Iwo Jima: A month long battle, among the bloodiest of the war. 22,000 Japanese troops and 6,800
American troops died.
• Okinawa: Amphibious attack, (sea to land) 100,000 Japanese soldiers and about 12,000 American
soldiers died here.
Manhattan Project
• Scientists with the Manhattan Project developed an atomic bomb and tested it in July 1945. A
month later, the United States dropped two bombs on Japanese cities, forcing Japan’s surreneder
and bringing an end to World War II.
• President Harry Truman made the decision to drop the bombs to save more lives in the long run.
Atomic Bombs
• August 6, 1945, 8:15 AM
– Little Boy explodes 2000 feet over Hiroshima
– 80,000 killed immediately
– Most buildings within 1.5 miles of the detonation site destroyed
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August 9, 11:02 AM
– Fat Man hits Nagasaki
– 40,000 killed
– Bomb more powerful, but less damage because of geography
“The War is Over”
• Japan surrenders to Allied Forces
• V-J Day
– “Victory in Japan:” August 14, 1945
THE COSTS OF THE WAR
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U.S. lost over 300,000
World suffered at least 60 million
Over 25 million Russians alone died
Over 10 million in death camps
New fears arise after the war– fight to contain Communism– THE COLD WAR ERA