Name: _________________________________________ Period: ______

Rise of

Hitler

Nationalism

Militarism

Appeasement American

Isolationism/

Neutrality

Economic

Depression

Japanese

Expansionism

Rise of

Fascism in

Italy

Treaty of

Versailles

Major causes

of WWII

World War 2 Notes

Major Causes of WWII

1. Treaty of Versailles Ended WWI 1919 a. Germany punished; was forced to

i. Accept all the blame for the war

ii. Pay millions in reparations to Britain and France

iii. Territory divided

iv. Felt bitter, resentful and loss of National pride

b. Italy was disappointed that it was denied additional territory

c. Map Changes: New countries are created out of the old

2. Hitler and Nazi Germany

a. Rise to power result of weakness and ineffectiveness of German government

(Weimer Republic)

b. Charismatic speaker

i. preached German nationalism

ii. denounced Versailles Treaty

iii. Blamed Jews and communists for Germany’s problems

1. Played on the people’s fears

c. Promised return of German pride

d. January 1933: Hitler is appointed Chancellor of Germany by Weimer President

Hindenburg

e. After an attack, blamed on Communists, on the Legislature (Reichstag):

i. Hitler convinces Government to pass the Reichstag Fire Decree,

suspending Civil Rights “to protect the people” (Feb 1933)

f. Hitler soon ordered the rearming of Germany

i. Direct Violation of Versailles Treaty

ii. Increased Jobs

3. The Road to World War II: Hitler’s Aggression

a. March 1936: German troops marched into the Rhineland

i. The Rhineland was a region of Germany that was ‘demilitarised’ after

WWI.

ii. Germany was not allowed to have troops in the region.

iii. Hitler’s actions showed how he was willing to challenge the treaty.

b. March 1938: Nazi Germany annexed Austria

i. Went against the terms of the Treaty of Versailles

1. Banned Germany from uniting with Austria.

ii. Arrival of German troops was met with great enthusiasm by many Austrian

people.

1. Austria was in a desperate economic and political situation.

a. So desperate that the people as a whole lacked will and confidence

b. Welcomed anybody who promised change.

c. Austrian people thought that things could not become worse, only

better.

c. March 1938-39: Germany invaded Czechoslovakia

i. Hitler claimed the large population of Germans living in area

1. made annexation reasonable and legal

ii. Hitler ordered the occupation of a part of Czechoslovakia known as the

Sudetenland (in early 1938).

iii. The Munich Conference in Sep 1938, France, Britain, Italy and Germany

signed an agreement allowing Germany to take Czechoslovakia

1. Many hoped that that this would be the last conquest of the Nazis.

iv. Czechoslovakia did not welcome Hitler’s troops and were forcibly annexed

4. The Rise of Fascism in Italy

a. Fascism is a totalitarian form of government i. Glorifies the state

ii. Intense Nationalism

iii. Has one leader and one party

1. Benito Mussolini

a. Comes into power 1922

iv. All aspects of society are controlled by the government

v. No opposition or protests are tolerated

vi. Propaganda and censorship are widely practiced

5. Worldwide Economic Depression

a. After WWI many European economies were unstable.

i. The boom in the U.S. in the 1920s helped sustain worldwide trade

b. The 1929 stock market crash in the U.S. and the Great Depression spread

throughout the world.

i. U.S. restrictive tariff policies worsened the depression.

c. Economies plummeted and unemployment rose

i. People turned to powerful leaders and governments who promised success

through military buildup and the conquest of territory.

6. Japanese Expansionism

a. In 1931 Japan invaded Manchuria for raw materials.

i. Japan did not have many natural resources

b. Japan attacked China, with full-scale war in 1937 in the Sino-Japanese War.

i. US issued Embargo and sanctions, refusing to trade with Japan

c. Hideki Tojo

i. Japan’s Prime Minister and Commanding General

ii. Sought total control of Pacific resources

7. Appeasement

a. Appeasement i. The act of giving in to enemy’s demands hoping to avoid further conflict.

b. In 1938, Hitler demanded Czechoslovakia cede the Sudetenland to Germany.

i. He claimed the German population there was being mistreated.

c. The British & French prime ministers agreed without consulting

Czechoslovakian leaders, hoping this would avoid war in Europe.

d. Munich Conference (1938):

i. Chamberlain (Britain) and Daladier (France) allow Hitler to do take

territories (appeasement)

ii. Chamberlain declared: “Peace in our time” is assured

e. British rearmament

i. After WWI nations wound down its military capability.

ii. In 1932-33 a massive program of re-arming the nation was undertaken.

1. After the Munich Conference, additional resources were dedicated to

rearmament

8. Militarism

a. The glorification of war i. A nation strengthens its military and stockpiles weapons in preparation for

war.

b. The glorification of war is incorporated into all levels of society

i. Including education of the nation’s youth through intense indoctrination.

9. Nationalism a. The belief in the superiority of one’s own nation over all others.

i. In the extreme, it can lead to major conflicts between nations.

b. Hitler, Mussolini, and Japan’s Tojo:

i. Highlighted their nation’s ability to dominate all others in the years leading

up to WWII.

1. Worked together with ideas of Militarism

10. American Isolationism

a. Economic and military reasons for neutrality

i. Great Depression was still going

ii. Money for Defense and size of military small

b. Neutral, but still was involved with Global Politics

i. Tried to prevent mistakes that led to WWI involvement

1. Did not want to be pulled into war by aiding either side.

c. FDR: “Let no one imagine that we will escape…that this western hemisphere will

not be attacked”

i. FDR outraged many isolationists

1. Believed neutrality would eventually be impossible

11. World War II

a. Hitler’s Wild Ride in Europe While the U.S. Watches: War Erupts!!!

i. August 1939- Hitler signs nonaggression pact with rival Soviet Union

1. Soviet Union gets parts of Poland if they let Germany take the other

part

ii. September 1, 1939- German invasion of Poland

1. Blitzkrieg: Intense military campaign intended to bring about a swift

victory.

iii. Britain and France declare war on Germany

12. Hitler Moves in Europe

a. Hitler seizes Norway, Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg

b. Hitler invades and controls France

i. Installs a puppet Government

ii. Vichy France: “free-zone” government

iii. French Resistance movement begins to undermine German control and

military in France

c. Fall 1940- Battle of Britain

i. London heavily bombed but Churchill remains defiant and will not

surrender

13. The United States and Britain

a. Neutrality Acts help US stay neutral

b. Cash and Carry:

i. Selling weapons/supplies when countries have money up-front

c. Public opinion divided

i. Do not want another WWI

d. Election of 1940- FDR wins 3rd term

i. Support for FDR’s policies increased as the war continued

e. Destroyers for Bases:

i. Called for 50 American destroyers to be exchanged for the use of 8 British

naval bases along the North Atlantic coast

f. Lend-Lease Act:

i. Aid to countries whose security was vital to the US.

ii. Gave weapons on the promise the payment would be made after the war was

over

1. Lend or lease supplies to any country whose interests were vital (Great

Britain: $50 billion)

14. United States and Japan

a. Japan wanted to extend its influence in Far East

b. July 1940: U.S. embargo of raw materials to Japan

i. Japan relied on our Iron, Coal and Oil for production

c. 1941: US Lend-Lease aid to China angered Japan

i. US was anticipating a Japanese attack in the Philippines

1. December 7, 1941: Japan attacks Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

15. Pearl Harbor

a. A date which will live in infamy

16. Pearl Harbor: American Response

a. Pearl Harbor attack devastates nation

i. FDR addresses Congress: “A date which will live in infamy”

b. December 8, 1941-

i. FDR receives war declaration from Congress against Japan

c. Germany and Italy declare war on United States

17. Allied Military Strategy (1941-1945)

a. Axis vs. Allies

Allies

• Great Britain

• France

• Soviet Union (after June

1941)

• U.S. (after Dec 1941)

• + smaller nations

Axis Powers

• Germany

• Italy

• Japan

• Argentina and Chile

• +smaller nations

Name: _________________________________________ Period: ______

Name: _________________________________________ Period: ______

18. Allied Plan for Liberation of Europe

a. “Europe First” Strategy

i. Subdue Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy

1. Turn all efforts to Japan when Europe was safe

ii. Allies push Axis out of North Africa

1. Cut off Germany’s oil supply

2. Chase German General Rommel through Egypt

b. Eastern Theater: Stalingrad, Russia

i. Germans violated nonaggression pact with Soviet Union and attacked

1. Hitler hoped to capture Soviet oil fields and resources

ii. Stalingrad was the key to moving into Baku (the Soviet Oil Fields)

1. Germans nearly won (controlled 9/10 of the city)

c. Winter of 1943 hit

i. Hitler forced Germans to stay put in Russia without enough resources

ii. Germany lost over 150,000 men fighting the Soviets at Stalingrad

iii. Soviets lost over 1 million soldiers and civilians in this battle

d. Russia used the cold weather to their advantage

i. Soviets eventually stopped Germany’s advance into their country.

1. Soviet-Jewish Pilots fought off the Luftwaffe Blitzkrieg

e. Turning point of the war in Europe in favor of Allies

i. Moral and tactical win

19. Operation Overlord

a. D-Day: June 6th, 1944

i. Invasion of Normandy

ii. Push into Europe to push back Germany

iii. Led by General Eisenhower

1. British supplies, aircraft, ships and soldiers were used to support US

iv. Allies landed on the shores of Normandy, France to retake France from

German control

1. 60 mile stretch of beach

2. 156,000 troops

3. 4,000 landing craft

4. 600 warships

5. 11,000 planes

v. Largest land-sea-air operation in history 1. Omaha beach known as one of the most brutal areas

20. Germany’s Last Offensive Effort

a. December 16 1944: Battle of the Bulge

i. Hitler was caught between Allied troops coming from the West and Stalin’s

forces coming from the East.

1. German tanks broke through American lines (80 mile front)

ii. Fought in Belgium

1. Germany was trying to capture Antwerp (Port City)

2. Very brutal

a. one of the most expensive (in lives) of U.S. military

b. 610,000 GIs fought, 89,000 killed, wounded and/or missing

iii. Germans were winning in the beginning but lost the battle

1. Ran out of fuel and was unable to fight effectively

2. 120,000 Germans died

3. Lost 600 tanks and guns and 1,600 planes

a. Leading to defeat

iv. Allies won the battle, just barely

21. Battle of Berlin

a. Began with bombing April 16 and ended May 2

i. April 25, 1945: Russian and Allied Forces meet at the Elbe River and

move into Berlin

1. Most of Berlin was taken April 29, 1945

ii. May 8, 1945: Germany surrenders (V-E DAY)

22. Victory in Europe (V-E Day) and Consequences of War

a. Germany’s official Story:

i. Hitler had closed himself in his bunker in Berlin

1. April 30th, 1945

2. German officers report Hitler’s suicide and gives Soviet Union a burned

and unrecognizable body

ii. German officers surrender on May 8th, 1945

b. Americans rejoice for a brief period

i. Focus on ending the war in the Pacific against the Japanese

c. The Genocide of Europe’s Jews under the Nazis became real with every

concentration camp uncovered during Allied liberation of Nazi territory

i. Total of at least 23 main camps and 900 “sub-camps” found in the first few

weeks

23. War in the Pacific

a. By 1942, Japan had controlled almost the entirety of the Pacific

i. Allies were able to hold onto only Hawaii and Samoa

b. Major Battles in Pacific:

i. Battle of the Coral Sea (May,1942)

ii. Battle of Midway (June, 1942)

iii. Battle of Guadalcanal (Aug. 1942-Feb. 1943)

c. Allied Strategy: Island Hopping (Leapfrogging)

i. Did not engage Japan on the islands where they held the greatest advantage

1. Japan had too strong a hold to fight them on many of the Islands

ii. The U.S. used each battle to move closer to the main islands of Japan

iii. Japan’s Military Code of Honor and Kamikazes

1. Dying in war was a glorious death

2. Japanese pilots would crash planes into U.S. ships in suicide missions

d. After V-E Day

i. American Government feared the loss of life that a homeland invasion of

Japan would bring

ii. Looked to the Advanced Warfare (Atomic Bomb) as an answer

e. Island Hopping

i. General Douglas McArthur was the commander of the U.S. Forces in the

Pacific

1. Had been forced to surrender the Philippines to Japan, but had promised

“I will return”

ii. McArthur and Admiral Chester Nimitz began a campaign called ‘island

hopping’

1. Meant to retake lands the Japanese had captured in the Pacific.

2. Get U.S. troops closer to Japan

iii. American forces took back the Philippines, Guam, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa.

24. Navajo Code Talkers a. The U.S. Marines recruited 29 Navajos to become code talkers.

i. They used a code that replaced military terms with Navajo words.

b. They played a key role in the Pacific campaign

i. The code word for submarine was besh-lo, or “iron fish” in Navajo, while

the word for dive-bomber was gini, or “chicken hawk.”

1. Japan was never able to break the Navajo code.

25. Major Turning Points in the Pacific War

a. The Battle of Coral Sea

i. Military used broken Japanese code to find location

ii. The U.S. destroyed several vital Japanese Aircraft/personal carriers

iii. Admiral Chester Nimitz led the attack to protect our ally, Australia

b. The Battle of Midway

i. Involved planes trying to sink the other’s battleships; an Allied victory

1. Japan was now on the defensive!

2. As the U.S. got closer to the main island of Japan, fighting got more

brutal

c. Iwo Jima & Okinawa

i. Allies needed to destroy the perimeter defenses around Japan by taking

Okinawa and Iwo Jima

ii. Iwo Jima:

1. A month-long battle, among the bloodiest of the war.

2. 22,000 Japanese troops and 6,800 American troops died.

iii. Okinawa:

1. Amphibious attack (sea to land)

2. 100,000 Japanese soldiers and about 12,000 American soldiers died.

26. Philippines and the Bataan Death March

a. April 9, 1942:

i. U.S. surrendered the Bataan Peninsula on the main Philippine island to the

Japanese

1. There were approximately 75,000 Filipino and American troops on

Bataan left when American forces departed

b. Bataan March:

i. They were forced to make an arduous 65-mile march to prisoner of war

(POW) camps

1. 5,000 to 18,000 Filipino deaths and 500 to 650 American deaths during

the march.

2. Japan inflicted severe physical abuse and wanton killings

ii. Later judged by an Allied military commission to be a Japanese war crime.

c. The Philippines

i. The recapture of the Philippines was the last main step towards Japan (Oct.

1944-March 1945)

1. Amphibious landings on the eastern Philippine islands

ii. United States and Philippine Commonwealth military forces fought

together

1. Japanese forces in the Philippines were ordered to surrender after the

dropping of the atomic bombs in Japan

27. Tokyo Fire Bombings

a. “You’re going to deliver the biggest firecracker the Japanese have ever seen,” said

U.S. Gen. Curtis Lemay.

b. March 9 1945

i. Dropped 2,000 tons of incendiary bombs over 48 hours.

ii. Almost 16 square miles in and around the Japanese capital were incinerated

iii. Between 80,000 and 130,000 Japanese civilians were killed

iv. Worst single firestorm in recorded history.

1. The raid lasted slightly longer than three hours.

c. “In the black Sumida River, countless bodies were floating, clothed bodies, naked

bodies, all black as charcoal. It was unreal,” recorded one doctor at the scene.

d. Only 243 American airmen were lost (considered acceptable losses).

28. The Manhattan Project

a. In 1942, Pres. FDR sent a group of scientists to the New Mexico desert to develop

the world’s first atomic bomb.

i. The Manhattan Project was led by Robert Oppenheimer

1. Albert Einstein was an advisor in the beginning of the project.

ii. By 1945 the Atomic weapons had been tested and was ready to use.

1. Controversy surrounded the use of the bomb

2. Should such a weapon be used against mankind?

3. The government felt it could save GI lives by shortening the war with

Japan.

29. Deciding to Drop the Atomic Bomb

a. On April 12, 1945 Pres. FDR died just before Germany surrendered.

i. Vice-Pres. Harry Truman replaced him as President.

b. In 1945, Pres. Truman asked for the unconditional surrender of the Japanese.

i. The Japanese believed they could fight as long as Russia stayed out of the

Pacific War

ii. Japan refused to surrender because it would be humiliating to their Emperor

and way of life (belief system).

c. Pres. Truman chose to drop the bomb on Japan.

i. Believed he was preserving American lives

1. Predictions of millions of lives lost if Island of Japan was invaded

ii. Did not want Russia to gain more territory during fighting

iii. Wanted to showcase U.S. new Atomic power to the world

30. Dropping the Atomic Bomb

a. On August 6, 1945 the airplane, Enola Gay, was loaded with the world’s first

atomic weapon.

i. The cities of Hiroshima & Nagasaki were selected to be bombed.

1. They had not been destroyed in the fire bombings and would show the

effects of the new weapon

2. Both cities were destroyed with 230,000 people killed instantly, more

would die from radiation poisoning

b. Atomic Bombs

i. August 6, 1945, 8:15 AM

1. Little Boy explodes 2000 feet over Hiroshima

2. Most buildings within 1.5 miles of the detonation site destroyed

ii. August 9, 11:02 AM

1. Fat Man hits Nagasaki

2. Bomb more powerful, but less damage because of geography

a. Mountains, water

31. The Japanese soon surrendered

a. Russia was fighting Japanese in China and Manchuria

i. Japan knew they would soon be overwhelmed by Allied forces

ii. The bombs were the final end to the Japanese war-machine

b. The condition of surrender:

i. Full military and governmental surrender

ii. The Emperor would remain on the throne.

1. Keep his title but not his power

a. Social importance (to their belief structure)

c. WWII comes to an End

i. The Pacific war is over

ii. Japan Surrenders

1. V-J Day a. Victory in Japan

b. August 14, 1945

32. Effects on Americans

a. Life in the United States changed dramatically.

i. The Great Depression ended because of increased war-time production

b. Rationing:

i. System for limiting the distribution of food, gasoline, and other goods

1. The military had to have the weapons, equipment, and supplies it

needed.

ii. The key to the system was the ration book

1. Contained coupons that allowed consumers to buy rationed items, such

as canned goods, sugar, coffee, and dairy products.

c. WPB

i. War Productions Board (WPB)

1. manage the conversion of industries to military production

33. Your Number Was Called!

a. GIs: Young Americans left home to join the military.

i. The government provided all of their food and supplies.

1. Those items were often labeled “government issue,” or GI.

ii. Soldiers had GI soap, GI socks, a GI helmet, and a GI rifle.

1. For that reason, they began referring to themselves as GI soldiers, or

simply GIs.

34. American Women

a. Many men had left to serve in the military.

i. To fill the void of absent male workers, women took many industrial jobs.

1. They worked in shipyards and other heavy industries.

ii. The famous “Rosie the Riveter” became the symbol of women in the

workforce

iii. Women faced hostility on the job, even though they were doing their part to

help America win the war.

1. Women received less pay than men did for the same work.

2. Most women had to care for children and homes after their work shift

ended.

b. US leaders realized that women could serve in the military.

i. Congress created a female military unit to be clerks, nurses, pilots etc.

1. Known as the Women’s Army Corps or “WACs.”

a. This unit was the first of its kind.

ii. For the first time in US history, females were officially admitted into the

military.

35. Japanese Americans

a. Internment Camps i. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, many Americans were afraid that

the Japanese would soon invade America.

ii. President Roosevelt signed a proclamation declaring all people of Japanese

descent to be “enemy aliens.”

b. February, 1942: FDR issued Executive Order 9066

i. Also targeted those of German and Italian descent

ii. All of these “enemy aliens” had to register with the US government and

carry special IDs.

c. Executive Order 9066

i. Declared large areas of the US as military zones off-limits to Japanese

Americans.

ii. The US government relocated Japanese descendants to internment camps

1. Over 100,000 Japanese-Americans on the West Coast moved to the

interior states

iii. Japanese farms/businesses were bought for far less value

iv. However, most of the Japanese were US citizens and this relocation violated

their Constitutional rights.

d. One Japanese American citizen was arrested because he refused to leave his home.

i. Fred Korematsu appealed his arrest charges to the Supreme Court.

e. Korematsu v United States i. Mr. Korematsu sued the government for violating his rights as a US citizen.

ii. The Supreme Court upheld his conviction on the grounds that one’s civil

rights can be set aside in a time of war.

36. African Americans

a. The US was fighting in Europe in the name of Democracy against Nazi Germany.

i. The Nazis were guilty of practicing racism against European Jews.

b. African Americans in the US were still dealing with racism.

i. Black leaders called for an American war against racism on two fronts.

c. The Double V Campaign was an effort to win a victory for democracy in Europe

and in America.

37. Segregated Units a. Racism still had a strong foothold in the US military.

i. Early in WW2, the military refused to accept any African Americans.

ii. Black leaders pressed the US government to end military discrimination

1. Began to allow blacks the opportunity to serve and become officers.

b. The Tuskegee Airmen were the first all black combat pilot unit in the US

military.

i. They trained in Tuskegee Alabama.

ii. They flew fighter planes that escorted and protected Allied bombers.

iii. Their unit has the distinction of never losing a bomber during WW2.

38. Jewish Americans

a. Many Jewish Americans served in the military during WWII

b. Many European Jews escaped Nazi occupied Europe and attempted to reach the

safety of Allied shores.

i. On May 13, 1939 the ship St. Louis carried 937 refugees to Cuba and

eventually was supposed to sail on to America.

1. The majority of the Jewish passengers had previously applied for US

visas

ii. They were refused entry at both counties.

1. The ship had no choice but to return to Europe

iii. Most of the refugees were eventually re-captured and soon died at the hands

of Nazis.

c. Jewish Americans heard the tragic tales of Nazi oppression of their Jewish

relatives.

i. Much of what was happening was unverified/unknown

ii. Jewish-Americans and Organizations pressured the US government to act.

1. Corroboration of stories did not come until late 1943

iii. Although Hitler was exterminating Jews in a systematic way, it wasn’t until

1944 that Roosevelt acted.

1. He issued an executive order creating the War Refugee Board.

d. The War Refugee Board was an agency that relocated escaped Jews to centers in

Italy, North Africa, and former Army camps

39. Mexican Americans

a. Mexican American men and women served in WW2.

i. Pilots, Infantry, Nurses, Clerks, Priests

b. In U.S., many Hispanic civilians remained victims of racial tensions at home.

i. Many Mexican American youths at the time wore “Zoot Suits.”

1. It was believed that Hispanics wearing a “Zoot Suit” were anti-

American.

2. In some cities, Zoot Suits were “linked” to gangs

ii. Cloth was rationed, but Zoot Suits used a lot of cloth.

1. It was considered un-American to use cloth unwisely

iii. These ideas led to violent acts of racism against many Mexican Americans.

c. In California, Hispanics often lived close to Naval Stations.

i. Many worked for the Government

ii. Relations between Mexican American civilians and Naval servicemen from

these stations was hostile.

iii. In the summer of 1943, the “Zoot Suit Riot” erupted between Hispanics and

US servicemen

1. Believed to be because of the clothing worn by the Mexican Americans.

iv. The local police broke up the riots after several nights

1. The only people arrested were Hispanic rioters.

40. A Plan for a Post-War World: The Big 3

a. Tehran: Nov-Dec 1943

i. Stalin, Churchill, Roosevelt

1. Coordinated military strategy against Germany and Japan

2. Soviet Union focus on Eastern front, US and Britain focus Western

Front

3. Soviet Union wants a communist-friendly govt in Poland after war

b. Yalta: Feb 1945

i. Stalin mistrusts Allies and 3 cannot decide what to do with Germany after

victory

ii. Roosevelt wants Stalin to help fight Japan

iii. Big 3 agree to support the new organization: United Nations

c. Potsdam: In Defeated Germany, July 1945

i. Stalin, Churchill and Pres. Truman 1. Truman did not like other leaders and made demands going against

FDR’s previous agreements.

2. Stalin refused Truman’s demands

41. YALTA CONFERENCE (February 1945)

a. Plans for German surrender

b. Stalin agrees to hold free elections in freed-territories and help with Japan

i. USSR’s position in Eastern Europe strengthened

c. Set up United Nations

d. Beginnings of Cold War contentions (gets worse at Potsdam)

i. Revealed mutual feelings of mistrust between US and Soviet Union

42. Important Technology in WWII

a. Many believe that the Allies were victorious because of its technological

advantages.

b. The Atomic Bomb.

c. Radar i. Gave ability to detect a moving object’s altitude and direction.

d. Sonar i. Allowed for detection of subs.

e. Cryptic code breaking

i. Gave us secret information.

f. Advanced Antibiotics

i. Saved thousands of lives.

43. The Legacy of WWII

a. World War II was a global disaster of unprecedented proportions.

i. U.S. troop deaths - 400,000

ii. U.S. troops wounded – 672,000

iii. Deaths Worldwide – 70 million

1. 23 million of those killed/wounded were civilians, making this one

of the deadliest conflicts in history. b. 2 Superpowers emerge:

i. United States vs. Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

1. New fears arise after the war

2. Fight to contain Communism

ii. THE COLD WAR ERA begins!!

44. ‘Denazification’ & Division of Germany

a. After the war, Germany was divided into 4 zones

i. Controlled by the U.S.A., Britain, France, and the U.S.S.R.

b. Berlin (German Capital) was Split between USSR and western Allies

i. Programs were introduced to show Germany the evils of Nazi beliefs.

c. The Occupation of Japan

i. General Douglas MacArthur was assigned the job of rebuilding and

reforming post-war Japan.

1. Important changes made Japan less aggressive and unable to build an

army.

2. Japan’s colonies were taken away.

3. Japan’s war leaders were put on trial for War Crimes

4. Japan renounced use of nuclear weapons and waging war.

45. The United Nations

a. The ‘League of Nations’, signed at the end of World War I, had failed.

i. FDR and Churchill decided on a new way to achieve international peace.

b. The United Nations (U.N.)

i. Established in 1945 to maintain world peace through diplomacy.

1. Members agreed to give up the use of force, except in self-defense.

ii. The Security Council is made up of 5 leading world powers.

iii. The General Assembly includes all member nations.

46. Post War Legislation

a. (GATT) General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade

i. International agreement that aimed to lower trade barriers (encouraged

world trade)

b. Geneva Convention i. International agreement governing the humane treatment of wounded

soldiers and prisoners of war

c. Universal Declaration of Human Rights

i. FDR and Eleanor Roosevelt defined the rights of the people

1. No slavery or torture, upholds freedom of speech and religion, everyone

has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-

being of himself.

d. GI Bill i. A law that provided federal funds to help returning soldiers make the

transition back to civilian life

47. The Holocaust

a. Hitler’s “Final Solution”

i. Hitler’s way of Permanently riding Germany of:

1. Jews, Soviets, Poles, Serbs, Disabled, Romans, Freemasons, Slavs,

Gypsies, Homosexuals, Jehovah Witnesses, & Spanish Republicans etc.

ii. Nazis systematically exterminate the Jews

1. Genocide: the deliberate killing of a large group of people, especially

those of a particular ethnic group or nation.

iii. Concentration camps built

1. Many camps were outside of Germany, in conquered territories, such as

Poland.

a. Over 20 camps used in Germany, 7 strictly used as extermination

camps still in operation at end of war (thousands built and closed

throughout war)

2. Moved in cramped and hot cattle/shipping train-cars to camps.

3. Mainly exterminated in Gas Chambers (though not always)

a. Pregnant women, young children, elderly, sick were often killed

upon arriving at camps

4. Able-bodied were kept alive to work as slaves in camps

48. Allies liberate Concentration Camps

a. Germans were being forced out of the Soviet Union into Poland by the Red Army

i. As the Soviet Union moved into Poland, Red Army discovered many

Concentration Camps

ii. As the Germans moved out of Poland

1. Tried to destroy evidence of camps (exterminate any prisoners left and

destroy buildings)

iii. Camp inhabitants described as “Living Skeletons”

iv. Auschwitz: largest camp in Poland

1. Over 1 million died

2. When Germans left Auschwitz, forced 60,000 to march to neighboring

camps for extermination

b. Holocaust: “sacrifice by fire”

49. April 29, 1945, the U.S. Seventh Army liberate Dachau

a. First concentration camp established by Germany’s Nazi regime

i. Established five weeks after Adolf Hitler took power as German chancellor

in 1933

ii. Held about 5,000 political prisoners, German communists, Social

Democrats, and other political opponents of the Nazi regime, Jehovah’s

Witnesses, Gypsies, homosexuals, and repeat criminals. Beginning in 1938,

Jews became major portion of camp internees

1. Prisoners at Dachau were used as forced laborers

2. Construction and expansion of the camp and later for German

armaments production.

3. The camp served as the training center for SS concentration camp

guards

4. Model for other Nazi concentration camps.

5. First Nazi camp to use prisoners as human guinea pigs in medical

experiments iii. American troops found more than 30 railroad cars filled with bodies in

various states of decomposition.

iv. Inside the camp there were more bodies and 30,000 survivors, most

severely emaciated

50. The Nuremberg Trials, 1945-1946

a. Liberation of the concentration camps in Europe revealed millions of dead and

half-starved survivors

i. Full extent of the Nazi brutality was brought to light.

b. The Nazi leaders were put on trial for “crimes against humanity” in Nuremberg,

Germany.

i. Many defended themselves saying they were just following orders.

1. The Nuremberg Trials demonstrated that individuals are responsible for

their actions, regardless of orders.