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10.8 Students analyze the causes and consequences of World War II.
4. Describe the political, diplomatic, and military leaders during the war (e.g., Winston Churchill, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Emperor Hirohito, Adolf
Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Joseph Stalin, Douglas MacArthur, Dwight Eisenhower).
Winston Churchill: The British Bulldog
 Never say die: "We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the
beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we
shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender."
 Politician for 61 years: MP
 Churchill was one of the political and military engineers of the disastrous Gallipoli landings on the
Dardanelles during World War I, which led to his description as "the butcher of Gallipoli".
 Churchill served as both British Secretary of State for War and Secretary of State for Air.
 Churchill suggested chemical weapons be used "against recalcitrant Arabs as an experiment".
 "I do not understand this squeamishness about the use of gas. I am strongly in favor of using poison gas against
uncivilized tribes. The moral effects should be good, and it would spread a lively terror."
 Churchill was a staunch advocate of foreign intervention in the Russian Civil War, declaring that Bolshevism
must be "strangled in its cradle."
 During the General Strike of 1926, Churchill suggested that machine guns should be used on the striking
miners.
 Churchill believed that the Fascism of Mussolini to be a fortification against the perceived threat of Communist
revolution.
 Churchill was opposed to granting independence to India.
 For a time Churchill was a lone voice calling on Britain to re-arm itself and counter the belligerence of Germany,
and Hitler.
 Churchill was a fierce critic of Neville Chamberlain's appeasement of Hitler.
 At the outbreak WWII, Churchill was appointed First Lord of the Admiralty.
 On Chamberlain's resignation in May, 1940, Churchill was appointed Prime Minister of Britain.
 Churchill’s speeches were a great inspiration to the embattled United Kingdom.
 Churchill’s famous "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat" speech was his first as Prime
Minister.
 Churchill’s good relationship with U.S. president Franklin Roosevelt secured the United Kingdom vital supplies
via the North Atlantic Ocean shipping routes.
 Churchill was responsible for the Great Bengal Famine of 1943 and the bombing of civilian Dresden.
 Churchill was instrumental in drawing up the new boundaries for Post War countries, often without asking the
people or their governments.
 Churchill advocated moving people into their new countries as the best and most lasting method to be used
when redrawing boarders.
 At home, Churchill expressed contempt for ideas such as public health care and for better education for the
majority of the population, particularly those who had fought in the war.
 Churchill was an early supporter of the pan-Europism that eventually lead to the formation of the European
Common market and later the European Union.
 Churchill was instrumental in giving France a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council because
Churchill wanted to have another European power to counter-balance the Soviet Union's permanent seat.
Adolph Hitler: Fuhrer
 Hitler was an active anti-Semite that ruled his life and was the key to all his subsequent actions.
 Hitler believed in the superiority of the "Aryan race" which formed the basis of his political views.
 Hitler came to believe that the Jews were the natural enemies of the "Aryans," and were also in some way
responsible for his poverty and his failure to achieve the success Hitler believed he deserved.
 In 1913 Hitler moved to Munich to avoid military service in the Austro-Hungarian army.
 Hitler hated the multiethnic Austro-Hungarian Empire.
 Hitler liked Germany because it was more racially pure.
 As soon as the German Empire entered World War I, Hitler enlisted in the German Army.
 Hitler attained the rank of corporal, was wounded, and gassed.
 Hitler won the Iron Cross for bravery.
 Hitler was fiercely nationalistic…for Germany
 Hitler hated the Socialists, Liberals, Jews, Capitalists, and Communists.
 Hitler joined the nationalists party.
 Hitler had two remarkable talents—public oratory and inspiring personal loyalty
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Hitler was put on trial for high treason for attempting to overthrow the Bavarian government.
Hitler was popular because of offended national pride caused by the Treaty of Versailles
Hitler blamed all of Germany’s problems on the Jews.
Using mass media, Hitler persuaded most Germans that Hitler was their savior.
For those not persuaded Hitler was their savior, the SA, the SS, and the Gestapo (Secret State Police) were
given a free hand, and thousands disappeared into concentration camps.
 For the next three years, Hitler enjoyed unparalleled military success: Poland Denmark Norway, Netherlands,
Belgium, Luxembourg and France, Yugoslavia and Greece were invaded.
 Hitler screamed across North Africa towards Egypt.
 Hitler’s only setback was the failure of his attempt to bomb Britain into submission, which was thwarted during
the Battle of Britain.
 Hitler was the architect of The Holocaust: The Nazis' systematic extermination of "undesirables" in concentration
camps.
 Jews were his primary targets.
 Many others died in his camps: Communists, homosexuals, gypsies, the physically handicapped, the mentally
retarded, Soviet prisoners of war, the Polish intelligentsia, Jehovah's Witnesses, Catholic and Protestant clergy,
trade unionists, psychiatric patients, and common criminals.
 After the battle of Stalingrad, the turning point of WWII, his military decisions became increasingly erratic, and
Germany's military and economic position deteriorated.
 The German military realized they could not defeat the combined efforts of the largest empire (the British), the
world's greatest industrial and financial power (the USA), and the world's largest nation, the Soviet Union, and
plotted to kill him.
 Failing to assassinate him, savage reprisals followed and the resistance movement was crushed.
 Convinced that if Germany couldn't win the war that it should not exist, Hitler, on March 19, 1945, ordered that
all industries, military installations, shops, transportation facilities and communications facilities in Germany be
destroyed.
 Hitler committed suicide, and the Third Reich was dead.
Benito Mussolini: “iL Duce”
 Mussolini coined the term fascism from the fasces carried before Roman magistrates.
 Mussolini wanted the return of the glory that was once the Roman Empire.
 Mussolini also wanted a collapse of society that would bring him to power.
 While allied with Germany and Austria-Hungary, Italy betrayed them and joined with Britain
and France in WWI, as Mussolini wished.
 His Fascist Party formed armed squads of war veterans to terrorize socialists and
communists.
 His brand of fascism evolved into new political and economic system that combined corporatism, totalitarianism,
nationalism, and anti-communism in a state designed to bind all classes together under a capitalist system, but
a new capitalist system in which the state seized control of the organization of vital industries.
 Mussolini introduced strict censorship and altered the methods of election so that Mussolini was able to assume
dictatorial powers and dissolve all other political parties.
 With absolute control over the press, Mussolini gradually built up the legend of Il duce, a man who never slept,
was always right, and could solve all the problems of politics and economics.
 Mussolini made Italy a police state.
 His skill in propaganda was such that Mussolini had surprisingly little opposition to suppress.
 Press, radio, education, films — all were carefully supervised to manufacture the illusion that fascism was the
doctrine of the 20th century, replacing liberalism and democracy
 Mussolini armed the Fascist militia to terrorize and maintain power.
 Mussolini was considered a passionate public speaker in the Mediterranean region.
 Mussolini was an extreme nationalist when in came to his country.
 Mussolini wanted a return to mare nostrum ("our sea" in Latin), and conquered Albania, Libya, and Ethiopia to
get it.
 Mussolini made the "Pact of Steel" with Hitler, that made him the subordinate partner.
 Mussolini followed the Nazis in adopting a racial policy that led to persecution of the Jews.
 Jews used to be high members of the party, and were not deported to concentration camps until Germany
occupied Italy.
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Mussolini announced his intention of annexing Malta, Corsica, and Tunis. Mussolini spoke of creating a "New
Roman Empire" which would stretch from Libya to Palestine; and from Egypt to Kenya
"We have buried the putrid corpse of liberty."
Franklin Delano Roosevelt: F.D.R.
 Roosevelt was elected to an unprecedented four terms of office - the only U.S. president
elected more than twice, and part of the reason the United States Constitution was amended to
prevent Presidents from being elected after having served two terms.
 Roosevelt was Assistant Secretary of the Navy; Governor of New York.
 Roosevelt committed himself to battling the Great Depression, his platform was "Three R's Relief, Recovery and Reform."
 Roosevelt coined the term "New Deal" when Roosevelt stated: "I pledge you, I pledge myself, to a new deal for
the American people."
 "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself"
 Roosevelt started the "Fireside Chats."
 Roosevelt instituted the Social Security system, a form of welfare that was meant to provide support for lowincome and elderly citizens.
 Roosevelt packed the Supreme Court with all nine members that were allied with his politics.
 Roosevelt said Roosevelt would not send American boys to fight in foreign wars. However, in 1941 the
conflicting interests of Japan and the United States in Asia and the Pacific, especially in China, resulted in a
breakdown of diplomatic relations to the point where war seemed inevitable.
 Roosevelt may have known about Pearl Harbor before it happened.
 Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 which resulted in the internment in concentration camps of 110,000
Japanese nationals and American citizens of Japanese descent.
 Roosevelt failed to do anything to stop the Holocaust despite having intelligence of the atrocity.
 Roosevelt is called the most loved and most hated, being ranked with Washington, and Lincoln.
Dwight D. Eisenhower: Ike
 Eisenhower enrolled at the United States Military Academy, West Point, New York.
 Eisenhower was a young Lieutenant during World War I.
 Eisenhower then served as chief military aide to General Douglas MacArthur.
 Eisenhower had great organizational and administrative abilities.
 In 1942, Eisenhower was designated Commanding General, European Theater.
 Eisenhower planned and implemented Operation Torch, the invasion of North Africa.
 Eisenhower was Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces in North Africa.
 Eisenhower was Appointed Supreme Commander, Allied Expeditionary Forces, and charged with planning and
carrying out the Allied invasion of France, Operation Overlord.
 Eisenhower commanded all Allied forces in the Normandy invasion, which took place on D-Day.
 Eisenhower was promoted to General of the Army.
 By the end of 1944, Eisenhower was in overall command of armed forces comprising 4.5 million men and
women.
 Eisenhower demonstrated his great talents for leadership and diplomacy in his command of European forces.
 Although Eisenhower had never seen action himself, Eisenhower won the respect of front-line commanders
such as Omar Bradley and George Patton.
 Eisenhower dealt skillfully with difficult allies such as Winston Churchill, Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery and
General Charles de Gaulle.
 Eisenhower had fundamental disagreements with Churchill and Montgomery over questions of strategy, but
these rarely upset his relationships with them.
 President Roosevelt had such confidence in him that Eisenhower negotiated with Soviet commanders and
sometimes directly with Stalin.
 Eisenhower was appointed Military Governor of the U.S. Occupation Zone in Europe.
 Eisenhower was named Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army in November 1945.
 In December 1950 Eisenhower was named Supreme Commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
(N.A.T.O.), and given operational command of NATO forces in Europe.
 Eisenhower later became the 34th President of the United States.
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Emperor Hirohito: the Showa (Enlightened Peace) Emperor: Imperial Sovereign to Constitutional Monarch
 Hirohito was the 124th Emperor of Japan.
 His reign was the longest of all Japanese emperors, and arguably oversaw the greatest
changes to Japanese society.
 Hirohito attended the boys' department of Gakushuin Peer's School from 1908 to 1914 and
then at a special institute for the Crown Prince from 1914 to 1921.
 Hirohito took a six month tour of the United Kingdom and five other European countries, thus becoming the first
Japanese crown prince to travel abroad.
 The Japanese Imperial Army and Imperial Navy had held veto power and almost all political power in Japan,
and pursued policies that eventually led Japan to fight the second Sino-Japanese War and World War II.
 Many believed that Hirohito was an evil mastermind behind the war while others claimed that Hirohito was
simply a powerless figurehead.
 Billions of people in China, Taiwan, Korea and South-East Asia see him as Asia's Hitler of World War II, some of
which feel Hirohito should have been tried for war crimes.
 The militaristic government prepared for war against his wishes.
 The militarist’s "objectives": a free hand to continue with the conquest of China and South-east Asia, no increase
in US or British military forces in the region, and cooperation by the West "in the acquisition of goods needed by
our Empire".
 Hirohito was deeply concerned by the decision to place "war preparations first and diplomatic negotiations
second" and announced his intention to break with centuries-old protocol and, at the Imperial Conference on the
following day, directly question the chiefs of the Army and Navy general staffs.
 Hirohito made it plain that a peaceful settlement was to be pursued "up to the last".
 The militarists, while shocked that Hirohito was actually speaking to them, didn’t change their plans for war.
 With the nation now fully committed to the war, Hirohito put aside his doubts and acted as a devoted Japanese
patriot, doing all Hirohito could to boost morale.
 With Japan losing the war, Hirohito wanted a negotiated surrender.
 Peace was essential, but Hirohito believed the armed forces would have to engineer a conspicuous military
victory somewhere in order to provide a stronger bargaining position. It never happened.
 With Germany defeated and the Soviets not willing to renew their neutrality agreement, Hirohito privately
favored a peace settlement.
 The Americans demanded his, and his militarist government’s, unconditional surrender.
 Hirohito was not willing to unconditionally surrender, yet.
 After the Atomic attacks, Hirohito surrendered unconditionally.
 To avoid war crimes trial, Hirohito was forced to admit that Hirohito was not a god.
Douglas MacArthur: Mac
 MacArthur was a Five-star General of the Army who led a series of military victories in World War
II.
 MacArthur was the occupying ruler of Japan from 1945 to 1951.
 MacArthur entered the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1898 and graduated first
in his class
 During World War I, MacArthur served in France, first with the 42nd Division and, upon his
promotion to Brigadier General (the youngest ever in the United States Army), as commander of the 84th
Infantry Brigade.
 In 1941, MacArthur was the commander of US Army Forces - Far East.
 After the defeat of his forces in the Philippines, MacArthur became Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in
the Southwest Pacific.
 President Truman relieved him of duty when MacArthur wanted to extend the Korean conflict into China.
 MacArthur planned to drop many nuclear bombs on China (some sources put this number at 50).
 "Old soldiers never die, they just fade away."
 On his return from Korea, after his relief by Truman, MacArthur encountered massive public adulation, which
aroused expectations were that MacArthur would run for the US presidency.
 The people cooled once details of his removal were made public.
 Though an American, MacArthur had strong militarist opinions.
 MacArthur trusted battles more than diplomacy.
 MacArthur hated Communism and believed America was slowly turning into a Communist country.
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