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WORLD WAR IERA BETWEEN THE WARS
WORLD WAR II
Causes of World War I
The four main causes of World War I can be memorized by recalling the word “MAIN”. Militarism
the glorification of military power rose in many nations of Europe.
This development led to fear and suspicion as nations became more willing to use military force to attain their national goals.
There was an arms race, in which nations would compete with each other to expand their armies and navies.
One of the fiercest rivalries was between Britain and Germany.
Causes of World War I
Alliance System This increase suspicion due to militarism
caused nations to from alliances (partnerships with other countries).
Countries that formed alliances agreed to defend each other in case of attack.
By 1914, there were several alliances; including the Triple Alliance and the Triple Entente.
Triple Alliance- Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy
Triple Entente- Britain, Russia, and France
Alliance System
TRIPLE ALLIANCE TRIPLE ENTENTE
Germany
Austria-Hungary
Italy
Britain
France Russia
Causes of World War I
Imperialism Imperialism is when a stronger nation takes over a
weaker nation. Usually the weaker nation has something the
stronger nation needs; raw materials, foreign markets, strategic geographic location
Britain, France, Germany, competed for colonies and economic power.
France and Germany competed especially for colonies in Africa
Britain and Germany competed industrially The British felt threatened due to Germany rapidly
industrializing.
Causes of World War I
Nationalism Nationalism can be used to bring people together, but it also
can be a source of conflict. In the early 1900’s, aggressive nationalism was a source of
conflict. Germany and France- Nationalism was strong in both
Germany and France. Germany was now unified and proud of its military and industrial strength. Meanwhile, France wanted to regain its position as a leading European power. They were constantly in competition with one another.
Pan-Slavism- form of nationalism in Eastern Europe that encouraged the bringing together of all Slavic peoples.
The empire of Austria-Hungary opposed this Slavic nationalism.
http://www.google.com/#q=causes+of+wwi&tbm=vid&surl=1&safe=active
The War Begins
Powder Keg of Europe The Ottoman Empire’s
control over the Balkans weakened over time.
Serbia declared its independence, and wanted to control Bosnia-Herzegovina
Bosnia-Herzegovina was ruled by Austria-Hungary
Serbian nationalists believed that Bosnia belonged to Serbia, not Austria-Hungary.
The Balkan Crisis
Not surprisingly, World War I began in the Balkans.
Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the heir to the Austrian throne.
On June 28, 1914, the duke and his wife were traveling through Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia.
Many Serbian nationalists lived in Bosnia at this time (do not like Austria)
Gavrilo Princip, a member of a radical slavic nationalist group that opposed Austrian rule, shot and killed the archduke and his wife.
A Chain Reaction
After the assassination, the major nations of Europe responded.1. Austria Hungary blamed Serbia for the assassination of the
Archduke and his wife and made harsh demands in Serbia2. Serbia refuses to comply with any of the demands3. Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia4. Russia, who is a friend of Serbia, mobilizes for war5. Germany, an ally of Russia, declares war on Russia (for
being friends with Serbia)6. Germany declares war on France, an ally of Russia7. Germany invades Belgium (to get to France)8. Britain declares war on Germany
http://www.history.com/videos/causes-of-world-war-i#causes-of-world-war-i
Who is Involved?
CENTRAL POWERS ALLIED POWERS
Germany Austria Ottoman Empire
Britain France Russia Italy- Neutral at first
then joined allies*
An Industrialized War
World War I was a war fought between major industrial powers.
New technology made this war an enormously destructive one.
Dynamite was invented originally for construction purposes, but was used as a weapon during the war
Other recent inventions of the time including the combustion engine, airplanes, and communication devices were also put to military use.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OofSP8NXQXI
Trench Warfare
Heavy fighting took place along the Western Front, a 600-mile stretch of land from the English channel to Switzerland.
The Germans hoped to win an early battle, but French and British troops stopped them.
For four years, neither side could make any significant gains.
Trench warfare began, troops dug trenches along the Western Front.
Very little ground was gained by either side this way, and many soldiers were killed.
http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-i/videos#trench-warfare
Civilian Life and Total War
The war was fought at home as well as on the battlefield. A war fought this way is known as a total war.
In a total war, all of a nation’s resources go into the war effort. Governments drafted men to fight in the war Governments borrowed money and raised taxes to pay
for war Government rationed, or limited the supply of, goods at
home so that the military could be provided for. Government used the press to print propaganda, which is
the spreading of ideas to promote a cause or damage an opposing cause.
Women at home took jobs that soldiers had left behind.
=_https://www.google.com/search?q=wwi+draft+cards&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=g_R7UvbOCO7G4APz0YCYDw&ved=0CD4QsAQ&biw=1280&bih=930#q=wwi+propaganda+posters&tbm=isch&imgdii
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Propaganda and Role of Women in WWI
Major Turning Points of the War
Several events are considered turning points in the World War I.
The two most important turning points of World War I were; Entry of the United States
Although the United States had allowed American ships to carry supplies to the Allies, the US had tried to remain neutral.
In 1917, Germany engaged in what is known as unrestricted submarine warfare.
This means that the Germans would fire on any ships located on the Atlantic, including ships that carried Americans.
This policy of the Germans led the United States to join the war effort along side of the Allies.
Russian Withdrawal Low morale contributed to a revolution in Russia, causing Russia
to sign a treaty with Germany in order to exit the war.
Effects of the War
On November 11, 1918, an armistice was declared, which ended WWI.
The costs of WWI were enormous. Human Casualties-
8.5 Million dead 17 million wounded Famine threatened many regions Disease was widespread in many regions
Economic Causes Factories, farms, and homes had been destroyed Nations had huge war debts to repay The Allies, bitter at the destruction, insisted
that the Central Powers make reparations, or payments for the war damage they had caused.
Revolution in Russia
We discussed in class on Friday that a major turning point of World War I was the withdrawal of Russia from the war.
Russia removed themselves from the war because they were experiencing many problems at home, ultimately leading to a revolution.
A revolution occurs when the citizens of a country are unhappy with the political, social, and/or economic system that they are currently living in.
Revolution brings about a major change
What Caused It?
Czarist Rule Prior to World War I Russia was governed by a
Czar, who had complete control of the government and the people.
The citizens of Russia became dissatisfied with the harsh ruling of the Czar and the inability of the Russian government to bring reform to Russia.
Russian Czars used a secret police to suppress any radical ideas that may cause the Russian citizens to rebel against the Czarist rule.
What Caused It?
Peasant Unrest A rigid class system still existed in Russia at the
beginning of World War I. There was a widening gap between the rich and the poor. Landowning nobles, priests, and an autocratic czar
dominated society. A very small middle class was prevented from gaining
any power. At the bottom were the peasants who faced the most
difficulties. Most peasants were too poor to buy the land they worked on, and even those who could afford to buy the land could not afford to feed their families.
Peasants were forced to move from the country to the cities to get factory jobs.
Peasants worked long hours in dangerous working conditions for very little pay.
Revolution of 1905
On Sunday January 22, 1905, a march occurred in St. Petersburg.
The peaceful march, made up of mostly peasants and middle class citizens hoped to influence the czar to make reforms to improve Russian society.
Nicholas II, fearing an uprising, called soldiers to police the march.
The soldiers shot and killed many marchers on what was known as “Bloody Sunday”.
This event destroyed the people’s faith and trust in the Czar.
After “Bloody Sunday”, strikes and revolts exploded all over Russia.
World War I and End of Czarist Rule
As we know, Russia was one of the Allied Powers in World War I.
With little industry however, Russia was not ready to fight a modern war.
Russian soldiers lacked proper weapons and supplies, and Russia experienced many losses in the beginning of WWI.
Food became scarce in Russia, which caused many soldiers to lose confidence in their military leadership.
Another Revolution
Due to the low morale caused by a lack of food and military losses, another revolt occurred in St. Petersburg.
Peasants took the streets and rioted in the streets for bread, fuel, and housing.
The czar’s soldiers sympathized with the rioters, refusing to fire upon them.
With no control over his troops and with the country nearing anarchy, Czar Nicholas II gave up his rule.
Now Who’s in Power?
After the removal of Czar Nicholas, a provisional government was set up, however proved to be ineffective.
The provisional government continued to fund the war, which was unpopular among the Russian people, and failed to make any reforms to improve life for the Russian peasants.
The provisional government was eventually overthrown by a socialist group known as the Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin.
Vladimir Lenin
Lenin gained the support of many people promising, “Peace, Land, and Bread.”
The Bolsheviks also promised that they would end Russia’s involvement in the war.
In November of 1917, the Bolsheviks led soldiers, sailors, and factory workers in an uprising that overthrew the government.
The Bolsheviks, now called Communists, distributed land to the peasants and gave workers control of the factories and mines.
Lenin Rules Russia
Withdrawal from World War I Lenin moved quickly to remove Russia from WWI Russia signed a treaty with Germany, known as the Treaty
of Brest-Litovsk. The agreement was costly for Russia however, in that
they were forced to give up a large territory to Germany.
Russia’s Civil War A civil war broke out in Russia between the
Communist followers of Lenin (Reds), and the loyal citizens to the Czar (Whites)
Both sides used brutal tactics in order to win the war Britain, France, and the United States were eventually
asked to help the Whites, however Russian nationalism enabled the Reds to defeat their enemies by 1917.
Communist Party
Lenin’s government had a constitution and an elected legislature.
However, the Communist Party, not the people themselves, had the real power.
The Communist Party was the only legal party, and only its members could run for office.
The Communist Party enforced its will through the military and the secret police force.
Under the New Economic Policy, the government controlled banks, large industry, and foreign trade (Command Economy).
Stalin and Communist Dictatorship
Lenin died in 1924, ending the reign of Russia’s first Communist leader
A new Communist leader emerged to lead the Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin.
Stalin ruled through terror and brutality. Stalin was known for the Great Purge This is when he accused thousands of people of
crimes against the government Those who were accused were executed, exiled, or
sent to prison. For the next 20 years, Stalin continued his ruthless
policies that created a totalitarian state in the Soviet Union.
Totalitarian Rule
Stalin turned the Soviet Union into a totalitarian state.
In this form of government, a one-party dictatorship attempts to regulate every aspect of the lives of the citizens.
Main Idea: In a totalitarian government, the dictator has total control over the citizens.
To strengthen its control, a command economy, where government officials made all economic decisions, was put in place by the Communist Party.
Industrialization Under Stalin
If you remember from yesterday, we learned that the Soviet Union was not an industrialized nation, meaning they did not have a lot of factories.
Stalin’s main goal was to turn the Soviet Union into a modern industrial power.
Stalin launched the first of a series of five-year plans to build industry and increase farm output.
Emphasis was placed on heavy industry, and production of oil, coal, steel, mining, and military goods increased.
Despite this progress, many Russians remained poor and endured a low standard of living
Collectivization
Stalin forced peasants to give up their small farms and live on state-owned farms called collectives.
These collectives were large farms owned and operated by peasants as a group.
It was thought that the more peasants working on the collective, the more productive the farm would be.
The government controlled prices and farm supplies and set production quotas.
Stalin thought that the collectives would grow enough grain for the workers in the cities and to produce surplus grain to sell abroad.
Collectivization
Many peasants resisted collectivization. They killed farm animals, destroyed tools,
and burned crops. Stalin responded with a ruthless policy
aimed at crushing all who opposed him. The government seized the land of those
who resisted and sent the farmers to prison labor camps.
There, many died from overwork or were executed.
Forced Famine
The results of Stalin’s policies were devastating Some peasants continued to resist by growing just
enough grain to feed themselves. The government then seized all the grain from those
collectives, which resulted in mass starvation. In the Ukraine, where opposition to collectivization
was especially strong, more than five million died from starvation.
http://www.biography.com/people/joseph-stalin-9491723http://www.history.com/topics/joseph-stalin/videos#stalins-purges
Between the Wars
After WWI, global problems remained. In January 1919, the victorious Allies gathered at
the palace of Versailles, outside Paris. The purpose of this meeting was to come up with a
peace plan for the nations involved in WWI. The “Big Three” of the Paris Peace Conference led
the meeting; Woodrow Wilson- United States David Lloyd George- England Henry Clemenceau- France
These three men had different goals in mind; Wilson preached self-determination, while the leaders of Britain and France wanted to punish Germany.
Treaty of Versailles
In the end, Britain’s and France’s ideas guided the Treaty of Versailles.
The Treaty of Versailles severely punished Germany for the war. Territorial Losses
Land was taken away from Germany Some of the land was used to create the new
country of Poland The region of Alsace and Lorraine were returned
to France Germany also lost many of its overseas colonies
Treaty of Versailles
Military Restrictions Germany’s army and navy were limited Germany had to remove its troops from the
Rhineland, an industrial area along the French border.
War Guilt Germany had to accept full responsibility
for the war, and pay huge reparations, or large sums of money to help undue war damages.
Accepting the blame and paying the reparations caused extreme bitterness in Germany
League of Nations
The Treaty of Versailles also formed the League of Nations.
The League of Nations was a group of 40 countries that hoped to settle problems through negotiation, not war.
The League of Nations was the original idea of Woodrow Wilson
The countries of the League of Nations promised to take cooperative economic and military action against any aggressor state.
Although the League had been Woodrow Wilson’s concept, the United States never joined, which weakened the power of the League of Nations
Americans thought that participation in the League would drag the United States into future European wars
Collapse of Empires
If you remember, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire were apart of the Central Powers, who lost the war.
Those empires were then dissolved, and the creation of new nations were carved out of their former territories.
Austria and Hungary became independent nations instead of one nation, and Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia were also formed.
The Ottoman Empire was placed under the rule of the French and British, with the remainder of the Ottoman Empire became the country of Turkey.
http://www.history.com/topics/treaty-of-versailles/videos#treaty-of-versailles-end-world-war-i
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKzZ1OwPXgk
Worldwide Depression
After World War I, economic problems emerged in Europe Soldiers, returning from the war, needed jobs. Nations had war debts to pay and cities to rebuild. The United States, on the other hand, experienced an
economic boom after the war. The US became the world’s leading economic power and
made investments in Europe to promote recovery. This came to an end however, with the crash of the
American stock market in 1929. This event was known as the Great Depression, a time of
global economic collapse.http://www.google.com/search?q=causes+of+the+great+depression&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=snCOUrW5HcWzkAej7IGABg&sqi=2&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1280&bih=930&surl=1&safe=active#q=great+depression+photos&safe=active&tbm=isch&imgdii
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Causes of the Great Depression
Less Demand for Raw Materials The war had increased the demand for raw
materials from Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Demand lessened after the war, causing prices of
goods to fall. Farmers, miners, herders, and other suppliers of raw
materials suffered economic loss.
Overproduction of Goods Industrial workers had won high wages, which
increased the price of manufactured goods. However, farmers and those who suffered economically
could not afford to buy these expensive goods Factories kept producing these goods anyways.
Causes of the Great Depression
The Stock Market Crash Investors bought stocks on margin This means that they only bought part of the stock,
and borrowed money to pay for the rest. In 1929, brokers began to call the investors who
borrowed money to pay the remainder of the stock, to remind them they had to pay the money they borrowed back.
Many investors were not able to pay back the money that they borrowed to buy the remainder of the stock
When this happened, financial panic followed and stock prices crashed.
Impact of the Great Depression
During the Great Depression, banks and businesses closed, putting millions of people out of work and drastically decreasing production of goods.
Millions came to rely on soup kitchens as a main source of food.
Worldwide, countries raised import tariffs to protect their own markets, causing a decline in global trade.
Many people lost faith in democracy and capitalism (western way of life).
Communists celebrated what they saw as the failure of capitalism.
Strong leaders began to support intense nationalism, militarism, and a return to authoritarian or dictator rule.
The Rise of Fascism
Widespread economic despair paved the way for the rise of dictators.
Strong leaders in Germany, Italy, and Russia promised solutions.
Fascism is the rule of a people by a dictatorial government (dictatorship) that is fueled by nationalism and imperialism.
Fascist governments are also anti-communist
Fascism emerged in both Germany and Italy after WWI.
Hitler In Germany
After World War I, the Kaiser stepped down and Germany was in complete chaos.
A democratic government was formed, called the Weimar Republic, which ultimately proved to be weak.
Inflation created major economic problems. The troubles of the time led to the Nazi rise to power. Adolf Hitler promised to provide jobs and rebuild
German pride. Hitler stated that Germans were a superior race who
were destined to build a new empire. In 1920, he headed the National Socialist German
Workers, or Nazis. In 1933, Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany.
Hitler as Dictator
Under Hitler, Germany was a totalitarian state. He built a one-party system, ended civil rights,
silenced his enemies with violence, and put business under government control.
Under Hitler, Germany’s standard of living rose.
Hitler also rearmed the German military, which was in direct violation of the Treaty of Versailles.
Hitler used the Jews as scapegoats for Germany’s problems.
Hitler as Dictator
Hitler instituted anti-Semitic policies. He used education and the arts as
propaganda tools to push these policies. Nazis organized boycotts of Jewish
businesses, but by 1938 they were seizing the property and businesses of Jews and selling them to non-Jews.
Citizenship was then taken away from Jews living in Germany.
Most Germans were pleased at the growth of German pride, and economic and military power.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsGdCkKoM5s
Fascism in Italy
Like Germany, Italy developed into a fascist state.
Italy was greatly troubled after WWI. Like Germany, land was taken away
from Italy Italian soldiers returning from the war
had trouble finding jobs Trade was slow and taxes were
extremely high Furthermore, workers began to go on
strike
Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini took advantage of the unrest. Unhappy war veterans and the unemployed
were the major followers of Mussolini. He called his group the Fascist party and
pledged to solve the nation’s problems and strengthen Italy.
Mussolini promised to end unemployment and gain more land for Italy.
He also vowed to outlaw rebellion among workers and stamp out all threats of communism.
Benito Mussolini
In 1922, the Fascists used force and terror to gain control of Italy.
They ended free elections, free speech, and free press.
They killed or jailed their enemies. Many Italians became desperate and put the
goals of the state above their individual rights.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEkpN6rF0Kc
http://www.smithsonianchannel.com/sc/web/series/817/mussolini-in-color
Militarism in Japan
Japan suffered greatly from the Great Depression.
Militarists, or leaders who wanted to build up the military, as well as extreme nationalists took control of Japan.
This period of time is known as Japanese Aggression.
What does it mean to be aggressive?
World War II
In the 1930’s Italy, Japan, and Germany aggressively sought to build new empires.
The League of Nations was very weak and ineffective in attempting to stop the efforts of these nations.
Western countries (Great Britain, France, United States) were recovering from the Great Depression and did not want war.
As a result, acts of aggression occurred and were allowed to go unchecked.
Causes of WWII
Japan invades China The militaristic leaders of Japan wanted to
build a Japanese empire. In 1931, Japan seized the Chinese territory of
Manchuria. The League of Nations attempted to stop the
Japanese from invading China, however the Japanese responded by withdrawing from the League of Nations
This incident strengthened militarism in Japan, and in 1937 Japan invaded the mainland of China.
In what was known as “the rape of Nanjing”, Japan destroyed and took over the Chinese city of Nanjing.
Causes of WWII
Italy attacks Ethiopia In 1935, the Italian army invaded the African
country of Ethiopia. The Ethiopians resisted the attack, but their
weapons were no match for the armored vehicles, aircrafts, and poison gas of the Italians.
The Ethiopian King appealed to the League of Nations, and the League agreed to stop the sale of weapons and other war materials to Italy.
However, the agreement was not honored by all nations.
This was another example on how the League of Nations was ineffective and weak.
German Aggression in Europe
Hitler glorified war as a means of restoring German national pride. He believed in territorial expansion to restore power to Germany.
Hitler rebuilt German army, in violation of the Treaty of Versailles
In 1936, Hitler sent troops into the Rhineland, which was an area of land located on Germany’s border with France. This act was forbidden by the Treaty of Versailles.
Hitler also took land in Austria and an area of land in Czechoslovakia known as the Sudetenland.
Appeasement
Western countries adopted a policy of appeasement, which means that they gave in to the aggressive demands of Germany to maintain peace.
This was a very weak response by the western countries, and Hitler took advantage of this appeasement policy buy continuing his territorial aggression.
At the Munich Conference in 1938, western democracies agreed that Germany would seize control of the Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia.
Appeasement
Leaders of Britain, France, and the United States knew that their citizens were reluctant to get involved in another costly war. This factor and others kept them from responding immediately to the aggression of Germany, Italy, and Japan.
World War II Begins
In the face of this weakness Japan, Italy, and Germany formed an alliance.
It became clear that the appeasement policy of the western countries had failed.
Several key events marked the start of WWII: Hitler took over the rest of Czechoslovakia in
1939 Hitler made a pact with Joseph Stalin, which
stated that the two enemies would not fight each other
In September of 1939, Germany invaded Poland, finally causing Great Britain and France to declare war on Germany.
The Axis Powers Advance The war was fought between the Axis
Powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan) and the Allies (France and Great Britain).
The allies were later joined by the United States, Soviet Union, and China.
At first, Germany and its allies dominated.
Nazi forces conquered Poland in a swift, massive attack known as a blitzkrieg, or lightning warfare.
In 1940, Hitler overran Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Belgium.
Turning Points of the War
The Axis powers won quick victories in the first several years of the war.
Several events after 1940, turn the tide of the war in favor of the Allies.
United States Entry (1941)
Although the United States had declared their neutrality in the war, Franklin Roosevelt met with England’s prime minister Winston Churchill.
Both men agreed that they wanted to end Nazi tyranny. To end Japanese aggression, the US banned the sale of
war materials to Japan. This act angered the Japanese, resulting in the surprise
attack launched on December 7, 1941. On this date the Japanese attacked American military
bases at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii More than 2,400 people were killed, and many ships and
planes were destroyed. Franklin Roosevelt immediately asked Congress to
declare war on Japan. The United States now joined the side of the Allies
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sv1niwxQgoY
http://www.history.com/topics/pearl-harbor/videos#attack-pearl-harbor
http://www.google.com/search?q=pearl+harbor&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=nkmeUrP0KsfRkQffrICgBA&sqi=2&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1280&bih=930&surl=1&safe=active
Major Battles
Battle of Stalingrad (1942-1943) The Germans invaded the Soviet Union in 1941. After steadily advancing they became stalled
outside Moscow and Leningrad. Hitler turned south but the freezing winter and
Russian army caused the Germans to surrender in 1943.
Soviets drove the Germans out of Russia.
El Alamein (1942) The Germans won many battles in Africa, however
British and American forces were able to drive the Germans out of Africa in this famous battle.
Major Battles
Invasion of Italy (1943) The victory in Africa allowed the British and the
Americans to land in Italy. Hitler was in turn forced to send more troops to Italy,
weakening his forces in Western Europe.
Invasion of Normandy The allies invaded France (occupied by the Germans) on
June 6, 1944 (D-DAY). Allied troops were ferried across the English Channel,
landing on the beaches of Normandy. Allied forces broke through German defense to advance
toward Paris. Turning Point: No longer did the Germans have control
of France. Now Allies could make their way to Germany.
http://www.google.com/search?q=pearl+harbor&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=nkmeUrP0KsfRkQffrICgBA&sqi=2&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1280&bih=930&surl=1&safe=active#q=d-day&safe=active&tbm=isch
The War Ends
The war in Europe ended on May 7, 1945, with the Germans’ surrender.
Fighting in the Pacific would continue until the Japanese surrendered in August 1945.
Yalta Conference In February 1945, Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin
met a Soviet resort called Yalta. These individuals knew that the war was close to
an end and needed to devise a plan for Germany. These three leaders decided to divide Germany
into zones. France, Great Britain, Russia, and the United
States would each be given a zone in Germany.
Victory in the Pacific
Japan was the only Axis country left, and were greatly weakened.
The United States took the offensive and began to recapture lands taken over by Japan, eventually moving in on Japan itself.
By 1944, the Americans had begun to bomb Japanese cities, however the Japanese refused to surrender.
With no war in Europe, the U.S. poured its resources into the Pacific.
Hiroshima and Nagasaki
On August 6, 1945, an American plane dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima.
The bomb flattened 4 square miles of the city and killed 70,000 people.
The U.S. later dropped another bomb on Nagasaki, killing 40,000 people.
The Japanese Emperor Hirohito forced his government to surrender, and a peace treaty was signed on September 2, 1945.
http://www.history.com/topics/bombing-of-hiroshima-and-nagasaki
http://www.history.com/topics/bombing-of-hiroshima-and-nagasaki
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t19kvUiHvAE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NF4LQaWJRDg
Civilian Life and Total War
Both the Allied and Axis powers engaged in total war.
Major cities become targets of bombings, causing the destruction of infrastructure and killing civilians.
Democratic governments increased their power during the war by ordering factories to produce war materials instead of civilian products.
Prices and wages were fixed, and consumer goods were rationed.
Civilian Life and Total War
Democratic governments sometimes limited the rights of certain individuals.
In the United States and Canada, some people of Japanese descent were forced into internment camps.
The British took similar action with those of German ancestry.
Just like in WWI, women played a huge role in WWII; women not only worked in the factories by producing planes, ships, and automobiles, but they also served in the military driving trucks and ambulances, decoding messages, and serving as nurses in field hospitals.
The Holocaust
One of Hitler’s goals was to create “living space” for Germans who he considered racially superior.
Hitler planned to destroy those who he found inferior.
Jews were the main target, but he also wanted to destroy Slavs, Gypsies, and the mentally or physically disabled.
The attempt to destroy an entire ethnic or religious group is called genocide.
The Holocaust
Hitler committed genocide against the Jews. He began by limiting the rights and
encouraging the violence against the Jews. Most notably, on November 8, 1938,
organized violence against the Jews occurred with the burning of Jewish synagogues, businesses, cemeteries, schools, and homes.
This night was known as Kristallnacht. The next day, 30,000 Jews were arrested for
being Jewish.Pictures
The Final Solution
On January 20, 1942 Nazi leaders met in Berlin to discuss the “final solution of the Jewish question”.
The Nazis made plans to round up Jews from the vast areas of Nazi controlled Europe and take them to detention centers known as concentration camps.
At these concentration camps, healthy individuals would work as slaves until they dropped dead of exhaustion, disease, or malnutrition.
Most others, including the elderly, sick, or young children would be sent to extermination camps.
It was in these extermination camps where these individuals were executed in large gas chambers.
Auschwitz
The Nazis constructed gas chambers (rooms that filled with poison gas to kill those inside) to increase killing efficiency and to make the process more impersonal for the perpetrators.
At the Auschwitz camp complex, the Birkenau killing center had four gas chambers. During the height of deportations to the camp, up to 6,000 Jews were gassed there each day.
Millions of people were imprisoned and abused in the various types of Nazi camps.
Under SS management, the Germans and their collaborators systematically murdered more than three million Jews in the killing centers alone.
Only a small fraction of those imprisoned in Nazi camps survived.
http://www.history.com/topics/the-holocaust/videos#concentration-camp-liberation
http://video.about.com/history1900s/Nazi-Concentration-Camps.htm
http://video.about.com/history1900s/Overview-of-the-Holocaust.htm
http://video.about.com/history1900s/Overview-of-Auschwitz.htm
http://auschwitzvirtualtour.com/Home.html
