Download The Second World War WHAP/Napp “Germany had lost the First

The Second World War
WHAP/Napp
“Germany had lost the First World War after coming very close to winning. The
hyperinflation of 1923 wiped out the savings of middle-class families. Less than ten years
later the Depression caused more unemployment and misery than in any other country.
Millions of Germans blamed Socialists, Jews, and foreigners for their troubles. Few
foresaw that they were about to get a dictatorship dedicated to war and mass murder.
Adolf Hitler joined the German army in 1914 and was wounded at the front. After the war
he used his gifts as an orator to lead a political splinter group called the National Socialist
German Workers’ Party – Nazis for short. While serving a brief jail sentence he wrote
Mein Kampf (My Struggle), in which he outlined his goals and beliefs. When it was
published in 1925 Mein Kampf attracted little notice. Its ideas seemed so insane that almost
no one took it, or its author, seriously. Hitler’s ideas went far beyond ordinary nationalism.
He believed that Germany should incorporate all German-speaking areas, even those in
neighboring countries. He distinguished among a ‘master race’ of Aryans (he meant
Germans, Scandinavians, and Britons), a degenerate ‘Alpine’ race of French and Italians,
and an inferior race of Russian and eastern European Slavs, fit only to be slaves of the
master race. He reserved his most intense hatred for Jews, on whom he blamed every
disaster that had befallen Germany, especially the defeat of 1918. He glorified violence and
looked forward to a future war in which the ‘master race’ would defeat and subjugate all
others. Hitler’s first goal was to repeal the humiliation and military restrictions of the
Treaty of Versailles. Then he planned to annex all German-speaking territories to a greater
Germany, then conquer Lebensraum (room to live) at the expense of Poland and the USSR.
Finally, he planned to eliminate all Jews from Europe.
From 1924 to 1930 Hitler’s followers remained a tiny minority, for most Germans found
his ideas too extreme. But when the Depression hit, the Nazis gained supporters among the
unemployed, who believed their promises of jobs for all, and among property owners
frightened by the growing popularity of Communists. In March 1933 President
Hindenburg called on Hitler to become chancellor of Germany. Once in office Hitler
quickly assumed dictatorial power. He put Nazis in charge of all government agencies,
educational institutions, and professional organizations. He banned all other political
parties and threw their leaders into concentration camps. The Nazis deprived Jews of their
citizenship and civil rights, prohibited them from marrying ‘Aryans,’ ousted them from the
professions, and confiscated their property. In August 1934 Hitler proclaimed himself
Führer (‘leader’) and called Germany the ‘Third Reich’ (empire) – the third after the Holy
Roman Empire of medieval times and the German Empire of 1871 to 1918. Hitler’s goal
was not prosperity or popularity, but conquest. As soon as he came to office, he began to
build up the armed forces.” ~ The Earth and Its Peoples
1. The author of Mein Kampf was
2. All of the following were goals Hitler
(A) Benito Mussolini.
identified for the Nazi state except
(B) Arthur de Gobineau.
(A) Immediate elimination of the Jews.
(C) Joseph Stalin.
(B) Lebensraum or living space.
(D) Otto von Bismarck.
(C) Economic recovery.
(E) Adolf Hitler.
(D) Rearmament.
(E) German domination of central and
eastern Europe.
Key Words/ I. The Road to War
Questions
A. During 1930s, Japan launched an aggressive program of expansion
B. The Great Depression paved way for more authoritarianism
C. Huge industrial enterprises called zaibatsu dominated the economy
D. Axis Powers: dissatisfied states (Germany, Italy, Japan)
E. World War II began in Asia before it occurred in Europe
F. Japanese seized Manchuria in 1931; puppet state called Manchukuo
G. Action infuriated West but Japan withdrew from League of Nations
H. Then a full-scale Japanese attack on heartland of China in 1937
I. In 1940-1941, Japan extended its military operations
J. Japanese attack on U.S. at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii in December 1941
K. In response to American oil embargo imposed on Japan in July 1941
L. U.S. entered war; ended with atomic bombs; Hiroshima and Nagasaki
M. Germany, Italy, Japan (Axis) versus U.S., Britain, and USSR (Allies)
N. Germany: major rearmament program, then invaded Rhineland,
annexed Austria (Anschluss), British policy of appeasement failed
(Munich Conference), invaded Poland, starting World War II (1939)
O. Nazis quickly defeated French
P. 1941: Nazis invaded Soviet Union using German tactic of blitzkrieg or
“lightning war” but Soviet Union was vast and cold
Q. Soviets: 25 million casualties but defeat of Germany in 1945
II. Impact of War
A. Most destructive conflict in history, with total deaths around 60 million
B. Rape of Nanjing in 1937-1938, some 200,000 to 300,000 Chinese civilians
were killed and countless women were sexually assaulted
C. Dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
D. Most haunting outcomes of the war was the Holocaust
E. “Final Solution”: Auschwitz, Dachau, Bergen-Belsen, and other
concentration camps where six million Jews perished
F. Millions more whom the Nazis deemed inferior, undesirable, or
dangerous also perished in Germany’s efforts at racial purification
G. As the war ended, Europe was impoverished and its dominance finished
H. Colonies achieved independence after World War II
I. A further outcome of World War II was the extension of communism
J. Soviet Union installed communist governments across Eastern Europe
K. Even more significant was a communist takeover in China in 1949
L. United Nations (UN), established in 1945: successor to League of Nations
M. In late 1945: World Bank and International Monetary Fund, to regulate
global economy, prevent another depression, stimulate economic growth
N. U.S.A. emerged as the new Superpower and of course, start of Cold War
O. Marshall Plan funneled into $12 billion of USA aid to rebuild Europe
P. Military and political alliance known as the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO) in 1949
Q. American occupation, 1945 and 1952, of Japan - rebuilt, “economic
miracle” and democratic constitution
Reflections:
1. The term appeasement best applies to
which of the following episodes?
(A) The Soviet support of the Spanish
Republic against Franco’s revolt
in 1936
(B) Ethiopia’s resistance to Italy’s in
1935 invasion
(C) France’s and Great Britain’s
1938 agreement with Germany at
Munich, regarding the
Sudetenland
(D) France’s and Britain’s willingness
to defend Poland in the fall of
1939
(E) The Soviet takeover of Estonia,
Latvia, and Lithuania in 1939
and 1940
2. What was the Greater East Asian
Co-Prosperity Sphere?
(A) As association of British colonies
in Southeast Asia
(B) A Military alliance that resisted
the Japanese attack on Southeast
Asia
(C) A Free-trade zone whose
economic activity was disrupted
by Japanese invasion
(D) The name given by the Japanese
to the Asian empire they
conquered in the 1930s and
during World War II
(E) The formal name of the Dutch
colony of Indonesia
3. The failure of collective security
convinced Stalin to
(A) Resign all his political posts
(B) Sign a treaty of neutrality with
Nazi Germany
(C) Declare war on Nazi Germany
(D) Conclude an alliance with Poland
(E) Take over Czechoslovakia in an
effort to protest the Soviet border
4. What city experienced the worst
siege not just of World War II, but of
the entire modern era?
(A) Leningrad
(B) Krakow
(C) Stalingrad
(D) Dresden
(E) Nagasaki
5. If the Axis Powers had won World
War II, which of the following Allied
operations would they most likely
have punished as a war crime?
(A) British and U.S. strategic
bombing of German and
Japanese cities
(B) The D-Day landings in
northwestern France
(C) Soviet conduct during the battle
of Kiev
(D) The U.S. and British takeover of
Sicily
(E) The sinking of Japanese aircraft
carriers by U.S. pilots at Midway.
Thesis Practice: Comparative
Analyze similarities and differences in the causes and outcomes of the First World War and
the Second World War.
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1. World War II began in Europe when
(A) Germany invaded Poland.
(B) Germany invaded the U.S.S.R.
(C) Italy invaded Ethiopia.
(D) Germany invaded France.
(E) Japan invaded Manchuria.
2. Hitler came to power in Germany when
(A) He seized power in a putsch.
(B) The army placed him at the head of the government.
(C) The League of Nations approved his candidacy.
(D) He introduced fascism as a political movement.
(E) He was appointed by government officials.
3. When Germany demanded a portion of Czechoslovakia, European leaders responded by
(A) Demanding the withdrawal of its demands.
(B) Calling for a conference with Hitler to discuss his demands.
(C) Sending soldiers to defend Czechoslovakia.
(D) Asking for military action by the League of Nations.
(E) Doing nothing.
True or False:
 The end of World War I had little to do with the beginning of World War II.
 Germany’s “blitzkrieg” is a form of military attack that involves fast troop and
armor unit movements supported by air strikes.
 The policy held by the Western Allies concerning immigration of Jews was partially
responsible for the final total of deaths in the Holocaust.
Critical Thinking Questions:
 Compare the Germans’ policy toward Jews and the Japanese policy toward the
Chinese.
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 Was World War II inevitable? Why or why not?
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