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World War II (1939-1945)
The rise of the fascist Adolf Hitler and the formation of German
totalitarianism is directly related to the Treaty of Versailles.
Hitler blamed the treaty for Germany's economic trouble and
made a call for German nationalism. The Nazi Party quickly
came to power in the early 1930's and used terror to achieve its
goal of a strong German nation. The most obvious example of
this is anti-Semitism, the blaming of the Jewish people for
many German problems. Benito Mussolini, the fascist leader of Italy, had a similar rise and
utilized the same policies. Without the negative influence of the Versailles Treaty, Germans and
Italians may not have supported the oppressive regimes of Hitler and Mussolini.
Causes of World War II
World War II was fought for many of the same reasons as
the First World War. The Axis Powers, Germany, Italy,
and Japan, were hungry for territory and resources.
Institutions like the League of Nations, and peace treaties
such as the Kellogg-Briand Pact, were weak and
ineffectual. The immediate cause of WWII was the policy
of appeasement adopted by the Allied Powers of
Europe, and eventually the United States. Germany, as it
had previous to WWI, was using nationalism and
militarism to imperialize surrounding areas. Austria and
portions of Czechoslovakia were taken by Germany in direct violation of the dictations of the
Versailles Treaty. Likewise, Italy had taken Ethiopia, and Japan had imperialized much of
China.
Under the leadership of Neville Chamberlain, British Prime Minister, a conference was called
in Munich in 1938. Appeasement became the official policy when Hitler was allowed to keep
what was already taken if he promised to stop taking territory from that point forward. The futile
hopes of appeasement were quickly dashed when Hitler annexed the remainder of
Czechoslovakia. The worst fears were realized when Hitler invaded Poland in 1939 using the
blitzkrieg tactic. Blitzkrieg, or Lightening Warfare used all available military resources to
attack the target simultaneously. The invasion of Poland marks the beginning of World War II.
Aspects of World War II
WWII is divided into two areas, the European Theater and the Pacific Theater. In Europe,
Germany had quickly taken over large amounts of territory. France fell after French and British
troops were pushed off of the European mainland at Dunkirk. Then,
Germany failed to win the Battle of Britain in the skies over
England. Italian and German troops gained control of the
Mediterranean and the North coast of Africa.
Germany also attacked the Soviet Union, despite the secret
agreement between Hitler and Josef Stalin, which stated neither
would attack the other. This proved Germany's undoing as it had in
World War I, as a two-front war is nearly impossible to win. The
Battle of Stalingrad was the turning point of the war in Europe.
After this Soviet victory, Allied troops retook Africa and then move
on to take the Italian peninsula. Mussolini's Italy was considered the
weak point of Europe. After the daring D-Day invasion of
Normandy, and Germany's last-ditch effort in the Battle of the Bulge,
it was only a matter of time before Berlin fell.
Hitler committed suicide as Soviet troops took the city in the spring of 1945. The surviving
Nazis that were captured were held accountable for their war crimes in the Nuremburg Trials.
The atrocities of the Holocaust would come to light, resulting in the execution of Nazi Party
officials and ending the darkest segment of human history. The Pacific Front of WWII ended
with the dropping of two atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Holocaust
One of Adolf Hitler's main goals once taking control of Germany was the
extermination of all European Jews. The Jewish population of Europe had
often been persecuted due to their religious difference from the majority
Christian population. However, the Holocaust would mark a turning point in
that persecution. The Holocaust was the systematic murder of over 6 million
Jews. Another 9 to 12 million Gypsies, homosexuals, African-European,
and mentally ill people were also murdered.
Hitler began his program by first limiting the rights of Jews. Jews were
restricted to a separate part of town, called a Ghetto, could no longer run businesses, nor could
they marry outside of their race. As World War II progressed, Hitler began forcing them into
concentration camps, where they were either immediately murdered, usually by poison gas,
or used as slave labor until they died. Their bodies were disposed of through cremation in the
concentration camp ovens. The Nazis also used Jews in horrific pseudo medical experiments.
The surviving Nazis that were captured were held accountable for their war crimes in the
Nuremburg Trials. The atrocities of the Holocaust would come to light, resulting in the
execution of Nazi Party officials and ending the darkest segment of human history. The
treatment of the Jews by the Nazis in World War II was a motivating factor of the United
Nations in writing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Vocabulary
Anti-Semitism: The hatred of people of Jewish descent.
Appeasement: The policy of pacifying an aggressive nation in the hopes of avoiding further
conflict.
Blitzkrieg: German word meaning lightning war. It was a German army tactic during World
War II which called for quick moving, hard hitting drives into enemy territory.
Chamberlain, Neville: (1869-1940) Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1937 to 1940. He is
responsible for the policy of appeasement with Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany.
Churchill, Sir Winston: (1874-1965) British politician and Prime Minster of Great Britain from
1940 to 1945, and 1951 to 1955. He is regarded as the finest British leader of the 20th century
and was instrumental in leading Britain to victory during World War II.
Concentration camp: A prison camp used to hold Jews during World War II and the Holocaust.
Discrimination: To treat unfairly due to a persons ethnic background, gender, religion, or age
Extermination: The complete destruction of a group of people.
Genocide: The killing of all the people from an ethnic group, religious group, or people from a
specific nation.
Hiroshima: Japanese city devastated during World War II when the United States dropped the
first atomic bomb on Aug 6th, 1945.
Hitler, Adolf: (1889-1945) Austrian-born leader of Germany. He co-founded the Nazi Party in
Germany, and gained control of the country as chancellor in 1933. Hitler started World War II
with the invasion of Poland. He was responsible for the Holocaust.
Holocaust : The attempted genocide of European Jews, Gypsies, mentally retarded,
homosexuals, and others by Nazi Germany during the Second World War.
Human rights: The rights that are considered by most societies to belong automatically to all
people, including the rights to justice, freedom, and equality.
Kristallnacht: On November 9th, 1938, Nazis in German looted, and burned Jewish stores and
Synagogues, often beating Jews in the street. Over 90 Jews were killed during Kristallnacht; also
called Night of Broken Glass.
Nagasaki: Japanese city devastated during World War II when the United States dropped the
second atomic bomb on Aug 8th, 1945.
Nazi: Name of German National Socialist Party, which gained control of Germany in 1933 under
the leadership of Adolf Hitler.
Nuremburg Trials : War crime trials held in Nuremburg after World War II to try the surviving
Nazis concerning the Holocaust, aggressive war making, mistreatment of prisoners among other
things.
Totalitarianism: A system of government where all social, economic, and political powers are
centered in the government completely.
United Nations: An international body composed of many countries that seeks to promote
peace, prosperity, and cooperation around the world. It was formed in 1945 at the end of World
War II.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights: A document published by the United Nations in 1948
stating that all people had certain basic rights including life, liberty, equality, justice and self
determination. Source Document: Universal Declaration of Human Rights