Download Lecture Notes

When one burns books, one will, in the end, burn people.”
-German poet Heinrich Heine
One century before Hitler
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out -Because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out -Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out -Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me -- and there was no one left to speak out for me.
-Martin Niemoller (German Protestant minister)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
World War II lasted from September 1, 1939 to September 2, 1945. It was the most devastating
war in human history - 55 million people killed (military and civilians). The world would never
be the same.
WWII left a new world order dominated by United States and Soviet Union = “Cold War”
Adolph Hitler’s philosophy of Aryan superiority led to World War II in Europe and also was the
source of the Holocaust
Two separate and opposing alliances, the Allies and the Axis, waged a worldwide war.
World War II left lasting impressions on civilian populations and irrevocably changed human
society.
By the end of World War II, the balance of power had shifted away from Europe.
Nuclear weapons pose a threat to all nations
Post-war conditions created the Cold War, which in many respects is the single factor most
responsible for the state of the world today (US= only major superpower/rise of radical
Islam/troubles in Eastern Europe & Balkans etc.)
Hitler & Nazi Party rise to power:
– Desire to avenge the Treaty of Versailles
– Dream of creating a master race (Aryan) empire (Third Reich)
– Need to attain more living space (lebensraum)
– Great Depression
These factors all but assured world wide war
In 1935, Hitler created a new air force (Luftwaffe) and began military draft (conscription), which
violated Treaty of Versailles
Hitler believed European nations would not use force to stop him because of Great Depression
(appeasement)
In 1936, Hitler sent troops into demilitarized zone, the Rhineland, again European nations did
nothing to stop him
Hitler allied with Italy’s fascist dictator, Benito Mussolini who invaded Ethiopia in 1935 with the
help of German troops.
Hitler also signed the Anti-Comintern Pact (1936) with Japan forming an alliance against
communism
In 1938, Hitler annexed Austria and demanded the Sudetenland be given to Germany – once again
Britain & France gave in to Hitler’s demands at the Munich Conference (Soviet Union not invited)
In 1939, Hitler invaded Czechoslovakia
"...the settlement of the Czechoslovakian problem, which has now been achieved is, in my view, only the
prelude to a larger settlement in which all Europe may find peace. This morning I had another talk with the
German Chancellor, Herr Hitler, and here is the paper which bears his name upon it as well as mine
(waves paper to the crowd - receiving loud cheers and "Hear Hears"). Some of you, perhaps, have already
heard what it contains but I would just like to read it to you ...".
-Neville Chamberlain
Later that day he stood outside Number 10 Downing Street and again read from the document and
concluded: '"My good friends, for the second time in our history, a British Prime Minister has returned
from Germany bringing peace with honour. I believe it is peace for our time.“
•
•
•
Britain & France prepared to contain Hitler by attempting to ally with Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin
Hitler, fearing Soviet intervention, signed a Nonaggression Pact with Stalin
Hitler now clear to invade Poland on September 1, 1939 – WWII begins
“….Munich turned out to be surrender on an installment plan. It was like giving a cannibal a finger in the
hope of saving an arm.”
-Historians Thomas Bailey and David Kennedy
“I saw my enemies at Munich, and they are worms.”
- Adolf Hitler
• In 1931, Japan invaded Manchuria, which League of Nations condemned so Japan withdrew from
the League
• In 1937, Japan seized Chinese capital city of Nanjing
• Japan planned to seize Soviet Siberia for its abundant natural resources, however, Hitler’s NonAggression Pact with Stalin forced Japan to seek its raw materials in Southeast Asia
• In 1940, Japan demanded right to attain natural resources in French Indochina
• United States threatened Japan with economic sanctions, which could severely harm Japan’s
imperialist war plans
• Japan, led by its militant leaders, decided to launch a surprise attack on the United States to protect
its interests in the South Pacific
• Germany’s 1939 invasion of Poland took just four weeks – the speed & power of Germany’s army
“stunned the world”
• Strategy known as blitzkrieg (lightning warfare)
• On Sept. 18, 1939 Germany & Soviet Union divided Poland
• In 1940, Hitler invaded Denmark, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, and France
• Britain narrowly escapes defeat at Dunkirk
• On June 22, France was forced to sign an armistice with Germany who occupied 3/5 of France
• A French regime, under German control, named Vichy France was established in the southern part
of France
• Germany now controlled nearly all of Europe, only Britain remained undefeated
• Britain pleaded for U.S. assistance, however, a series of neutrality acts passed in the 1930’s
prevented U.S. involvement
• U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt wanted to repeal the neutrality acts & enter the war, however,
U.S. public opinion was strongly against it
• Hitler believed the key to defeating Britain was to crush its will to fight
• In 1940, the German air force (Luftwaffe) began bombing British military targets, later the attacks
shifted to civilian populated cities
• The bombing raids caused devastating damage but only strengthened Britain’s resolve
On 15 October 1940, the BBC is bombed during a news bulletin. Seven people died, thousands of records
are destroyed and studios are badly damaged. But the unflappable Bruce Belfrage - after a short pause continues to read the news as if nothing has happened.
•
•
•
Hitler was convinced Britain would be forced to surrender if Soviet Union was defeated
Hitler planned to invade Soviet Union in spring of 1941, however, his plans were delayed (6
weeks) in Balkans by seizing Greece & Yugoslavia, which Mussolini had failed to capture
The Eastern Front will become the largest theater of war in human history.
“We have only to kick in the door and the whole rotten structure will come crashing down”—Adolf Hitler
on the invasion of the Soviet Union
“Russia is never as strong as she looks. Russia is never as weak as she looks.”-proverb (attributed to many,
including Talleyrand, Metternich, and Churchill)
•
In June (1941), Hitler invaded the Soviet Union (Operation Barbarossa) and captured 2 million
Russian soldiers by November – troops came within 25 miles of Moscow
• “Barbarossa” remains the largest military operation in terms of manpower, area traversed, and
casualties in human history.
• Winter came early in 1941:
• German troops had inadequate clothing
• supplies slow to arrive from 1,800 miles away
• Russian troops put up strong resistance
• This marked first time Hitler’s army had been stopped and in December, the Soviet army
counterattacked
Eastern Front estimates:
War went on for 4 years
Soviet military deaths= app. 7 million
Soviet civilian= app. 20 million
German military deaths= app. 4 million
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked the U.S. Pacific fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
The attack caught U.S. off guard but luckily U.S. aircraft carriers were not in port
Japan hoped defeat of U.S. naval fleet would force the U.S. to accept Japanese domination in the
Pacific, however, it had the opposite effect
December 8, 1941 – The U.S. declared war on Japan & entered WWII, 4 days later, Hitler
declared war on the United States
Grand Alliance (Great Britain, Soviet Union, and United States) all agree to fight until Axis
Powers (Germany, Japan, & Italy) surrender unconditionally
Decision made at Tehran Conference (November, 1943) – The Big Three
By fall, 1942 War turns against Germany
Britain pushes back Germany in North Africa forcing German troops to retreat
• Defeat of General Erwin Rommel (The Desert Fox)
In May, 1943 – Germans surrender at Stalingrad after failed attack
Low point was U.S. surrender in the Philippines, April, 1942 (Bataan Death March)
General Douglas MacArthur's famous line “I shall return.”
By May, 1942 the battles in the Pacific turned in Allies favor:
• Coral Sea
• Midway Island
• Guadalcanal
• Okinawa
• Iwo Jima
By fall 1942, Allied forces implement two plans against Japan:
• First – led by Douglas MacArthur, move into South China from Burma through Indonesia
• Second – move across Pacific capturing islands ending with land invasion of Japan
(Island Hopping)
By early 1943, Axis forces surrendered in Tunisia & later Allied forces invaded Italy, which
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill called the “soft underbelly” of Europe
After Allies captured Sicily, Benito Mussolini was removed from office – Hitler rescued him
(Operation Oak) and set him up as dictator of a puppet German state in northern Italy (Italian
Social Republic
Allies planned to invade France from Great Britain across the English Channel
June 6, 1944 (Operation Overlord) – Allies storm the beaches at Normandy, France – led by U.S.
General Dwight D. Eisenhower
Germans offered stiff resistance, however, Allies broke through German lines
Paris liberated in August, 1944
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
July 1943, Soviets advanced westward, defeated troops at Battle of Kursk, occupied Ukraine,
Baltic states, and Warsaw, Poland
July 20, 1944 Assassination attempt on Hitler fails
January, 1945 – Hitler moved to underground bunker to continue commanding war
April 30, 1945 – Hitler commits suicide, two days earlier Mussolini was assassinated
May 7, 1945 – (VE Day) Germany surrenders
By 1945, Allies moved across Pacific and neared Japan, however, both Allied and Japanese troops
suffered heavy casualties
U.S. President Harry S. Truman feared invasion of Japan would result in thousands of needless
deaths
Manhattan Project –
• August 6, 1945 – U.S. dropped Atomic bomb on Hiroshima
• August 9, 1945 – U.S. dropped second bomb on Nagasaki
• Destruction
Japan surrendered on August 14, 1945 (VJ-Day)
By 1942, the Nazi’s controlled Europe from English Channel in west to near Moscow in east
Heinrich Himmler, SS leader, put in charge of German resettlement (lebensraum)
By 1944, 7 million Europeans enslaved in Germany, another 7 million enslaved in their own
countries
Hitler believed Jews were greatest threat to his Aryan Empire, Himmler in charge of Final
Solution (genocide)
..the first and only industrialized genocide. It stands without parallel as the wicked act in all history:
“Other regimes had perpetrated mass murder. ... Yet there was something qualitatively different about the
Nazis’ war against the Jews and the other unfortunate minorities they considered to be ‘unworthy of life.’ It
was the fact that it was carried out by such well-educated people ... perpetrated under the leadership of a
man who had come to power by primarily democratic means. The Nazi death machine worked
economically, scientifically and euphemistically. ... It was very, very modern.”
-British historian Niall Ferguson
•
•
•
•
Special unit of the SS called Einsatzgruppen carried out Final Solution
Death camps established to exterminate Jews, 6 in Poland, largest was Auschwitz
Nazi’s killed 5-6 million Jews and 9-10 million non-Jews
WWII was total war = mobilization resulting in economic & social change
•
•
•
•
Soviet Union – over 1 million died due to food shortages, in 1943 55% of national
income went to war materials
United States – industrial might provided Allies with military equipment to defeat Axis
powers, women entered workforce, African-Americans moved North & West to fill jobs,
Japanese-Americans placed in internment camps
Germany –Hitler did not cut production of consumer goods trying to keep public morale
high, later policy changed & Germany tripled military production after 1942 under
leadership of Albert Speer
Japan – citizens encouraged to sacrifice everything for nationalistic cause, kamikaze
(divine wind) pilots
February, 1945:
• Big Three met at Yalta (Russia)
• Roosevelt & Churchill realized Soviet army controlled much of Eastern & Central
Europe, therefore, they advocated policy of self-determination for postwar Europe
• Stalin did not trust the West & wanted buffer zone between Europe & Soviet Union
• Allies agreed to establish a United Nations – first met in 1945 (San Francisco) – later
established a Jewish state (Israel)
• Allies agreed Germany would be divided into 4 zones occupied & governed by Allied
Powers
•
•
•
Western leaders believed Stalin & Soviets wanted to spread communism around the world,
especially in Asia and Eastern Europe
In March, 1946 – Winston Churchill declared an “iron curtain” had “descended across the
continent” to which Stalin replied was a “call to war with the Soviet Union”
Cold War ensued & would dominate world politics for next 45 years