The Coming of WWII. Dictators & War

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1 The Coming of WWII Dictators & War A Bitter Peace Unravels Many countries were facing difficult times and were willing to accept change. People accepted new leaders and new forms of government. Totalitarianism A theory of government in which a single party or leader controls the economic, social, and cultural lives of its people. Repression in the Soviet Union & Italy Stalin replaced Lenin as the head of the Communist Party. A combination of fear and massive propaganda kept Stalin in power. Stalin s efforts to transform the Soviet Union into an industrial power resulted in the deaths of 10 million people. Stalin purged the Communist Party of real or suspected traitors, which resulted in 1 million deaths or imprisonments. Benito Mussolini became the head of the fascist party. Mussolini outlawed political parties, took over the press, created a secret police, and organized youth groups to indoctrinate the young. Fascism Believe in a strong sense of nationalism and the idea of making Italy great once again. Aggressive Leader in Germany Adolf Hitler was the son of an Austrian civil servant, a failed artist, a wounded & decorated WWI soldier, and a person who teetered on the brink of madness. Hitler joined the Nazi Party after WWI and quickly gained control over it. A failed attempt to overthrow the government resulted in Hitler being imprisoned, where he wrote Mein Kampf. Mein Kampf (My Struggle) became the Nazi bible and a German best seller. The book gives Hitler s ideology of extreme nationalism, racism, and anti-semitism. Hitler believed that Jews were inferior and that Germans belonged to a superior master race of Aryans, or light-skinned northern Europeans. Hitler was aided by a secret police that crushed all opposition. He had a state-controlled press that praised his accomplishments. The Nazis created the Hitler Youth to indoctrinate children with their ideology. The Hitler Youth also made German children physically fit and trained them for war.

2 Hitler assumed a God-like aura. Dictators Turn to Aggression Japan was having economic troubles and believed that expansion would solve problems. In 1931, Japan attacks Manchuria and the U.N. did not respond, which gave dictators around the world confidence that there would be no repercussions for their actions. With a stronger military, in 1936 Hitler ordered troops to occupy the demilitarized Rhineland, a region the Treaty of Versailles forbade German troops from entering. Yet again, the League of Nations took no action. Italy had dreams of an empire. Mussolini used his modern military to conquer Ethiopia in Ethiopia appealed to the League of Nations for help, but the league merely responded with sanctions, or economic penalties, against Italy. The sanctions were never enforced, and by 1936 Mussolini fully controlled Ethiopia. Aggression Goes Unchecked Hitler challenged Britain and France and won. Although they denounced Hitler s moves with words, the western powers took no action, adopting a policy of appeasement. Appeasement Giving in to an aggressor s demands in hopes of keeping the peace. Appeasement convinced Hitler that Britain and France were weak, which encouraged him to continue to break the Treaty of Versailles. Fearing war, Britain and France appeased Hitler at the Munich Conference and convinced Czechoslovakia to give him the Sudetenland. With the Sudetenland now part of the Third Reich, Hitler promised he would never again ask for more land The Coming of WWII From Isolation to Involvement Roosevelt Opposes Aggression Americans were still favoring a policy of isolation during this time period, but FDR warned that no part of the world was truly isolated from the rest of the world in his Quarantine speech. FDR was widely criticized for his views on isolation

3 and backed away from his stance on intervention in Europe. War Erupts in Europe March 12, 1938 Germany takes the rest of Czechoslovakia. o The US and world do nothing. Germany wants to invade Poland o Britain and France vow not to let Germany take any more countries. o Hitler was concerned more with the Soviet Union than Britain or France. Signs a Non-Aggression Pact with Soviets. In 1939 Germany and the USSR conquered and divided Poland. Britain and France declared war on Germany but defensively waited for Hitler to attack. Hitler conquered Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Belgium. o For protection France relied on the Ardennes forest and a string of defenses called the Maginot Line. The French thought the Germans would avoid these defenses and invade through Belgium, as they did in WWI. Hitler surprised the French by cutting through the Ardennes with his panzers, pinning the Allies to the sea, and pushing them off mainland Europe. o In less than a month the French were defeated. Hitler then plan to invade Britain, but first he needed to control the skies. o Hitler conducted days of continuous bombing, but the British held on. o Hitler decided to postpone the invasion of Britain. o First loss suffered by Hitler and his war machine. Americans Debate Involvement Congress passed the Neutrality Acts of 1935, 1936, and 1937; which were developed to ensure that the US did not become entangled in European affairs. FDR slowly getting his way because in 1939 the US adopts a Cash & Carry policy. This policy enabled the US to sell goods to other nations as long as they carried them on their ships. Policy does not work, so FDR just sends the goods directly to the Allies. Tripartite Pact Germany, Italy, Japan signed & became allies. Many Americans are convinced that they at least need to be ready to defend themselves. The U.S. had the first peacetime draft. America Takes Steps Toward War Britain ran out of money to continue with Cash and Carry, so Congress approved the Lend - Lease Act. FDR was now authorized to lend and lease defense articles to those necessary in the interest of the defense of the U.S.

4 Atlantic Charter FDR and Winston Churchill met on a battleship to agree on certain principles for building a lasting peace and establishing free governments in the world. Germany fired on US ships transporting goods to Britain. FDR orders the navy to attack German U-boats on sight. In June 1941, Germany had gone to war against the Soviet Union The Coming of WWII America Enters the War Japan Attacks the U.S. The U.S. was not happy with Japan taking over China. To halt Japanese aggression in Asia the US applied economic sanctions. Because the US stood in their way, on Dec. 7th, 1941 the Japanese launched a sneak attack upon the American naval base at Pearl Harbor. Nov the U.S. intercepts the Hull Notes saying Japan will attack. FDR having Peace? talks until December 7, On Dec. 7th, 1941: Japan attacks Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. U.S. fleet caught unprepared. 2,400 sailors died, 1,200 wounded, 18 ships sunk, 160 aircraft damaged, 200 destroyed. Only the aircraft carriers and seven heavy cruiser survived because they were out to sea at the time of the attack. On Dec. 8th 1941 the U.S. declares war on Japan. In return, Germany and Italy declare war on the U.S. because of the Tripartite Pact. With the Japanese attack on the U.S., WWII became a global war. Mobilizing for War Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, a spirit of partriotism swept across the country. The idea of isolation was put on hold, while Americans looked for ways to contribute to the war effort. Army: 1.4 million to 3 million Navy: 300,000 to 600,000 Marines: 54,000 to 150,000 Women replaced men in factories and served in different capacities in the US Army. George Marshall formed the Women s Army Corps (WAC) to provide clerical workers, truck drivers, instructors, & lab technicians for

5 the U.S. Army. Women also became nurses in the Army Nurse Corps. Japan believed that America was a 3rd rate nation and we were trembling in our shoes. But over 5 million people volunteered and 10 million were drafted. The following groups all volunteered: 2.5 million African Americans 33,000 Japanese Americans 300,000 Mexican Americans 25,000 Native American 13,000 Chinese Americans Fierce Fighting in the Pacific Gen. Douglas MacArthur commanded the U.S. Army in Asia. American troops in Asia struggled to hold positions early on and at one point 75,000 allied soldiers surrendered and became POWs (Prisoners of War). These POWs were forced to march 63 miles and 7,000 men American and Filipino troops died on what is known as the BATAAN DEATH MARCH The Allies Turn the Tide Allies Plan Strategy The Allies believed that Germany posed the greatest long-term threat. The U.S. was confronted with a two front war, but agreed with the Allies on a Europe First strategy. Turning the Tide In Europe German U-boats patrolled the Atlantic sinking more than 3,500 merchant ships and killing tens of thousands men. We start to use the convoy system with a major improvement RADAR. With radar and under water depth charges, the allies begin sinking German ships faster than they can be produced. The battle of Stalingrad proved to be the turning point of the war between Russia and Germany. Russia s cold winter and superior numbers stalled the German advance & allowed them to surround and capture many of the invaders, who began their long retreat back to Germany. After their victory at Stalingrad, the Russians went on the offensive and slowly advanced over the next two years. Lacking men and supplies, Germany was finally driven out of Africa by the Allies. General Dwight Eisenhower led the Allies in North Africa and then put George Patton in charge. The Allies captured the remaining Axis forces and then moved across the Mediterranean into Italy.

6 Increasing the Pressure on Germany The African American fighter squadron known as the Tuskegee Airmen played an important role in overtaking Italy. Rome was liberated in 1944 and the Italians switched sides against the Nazis. Fleeing for his life, Mussolini was caught and killed by Italians partisans Victory in Europe and the Pacific D-Day Invasion of Normandy The US, Great Britain, & the Soviet Union were the main Allied forces and formed the Grand Alliance. All three nations agreed to fight until Germany and Japan surrendered unconditionally. The Allied liberation of Europe began with the invasion of Normandy on June 6th D-Day was the greatest amphibious landing in history, and forced Hitler to fight a two front war. This invasion was nicknamed OPERATION OVERLORD Liberation in Europe Shortly after D-Day the Americans liberated Paris, which had suffered four years of Nazi oppression. After freeing France, the Allies encountered fierce Nazi resistance on the way to Berlin. Germany tries a counterattack, known as the Battle of the Bulge. Hitler makes one big move on Dec 16th to split the Allies in half, but this last ditch effort failed. After this battle, Germany would never be able to go on the offensive again. The US air force bombed German cities by day while the British bombed them by night. The constant bombing crippled German war production, and broke the Germans will to fight.

7 After their victory at Stalingrad, the Russians went on the offensive and slowly advanced over the next two years. In the spring of 1945 Soviet troops reached Berlin from the east as American troops arrived from the west. Hitler and his wife committed suicide in their Berlin bunker as the Allies closed in. On May 8, 1945, Germany surrendered, and the European war was over. V-E Day on May 8, Advancing In The Pacific After the battle of Midway the US took the offensive against Japan. US forces waged an Island Hopping campaign with the goal of recapturing Japanese-held islands that would serve as stepping stones to the Japanese mainland. Air bases were built on captured islands from which US bombers could hit Japan. Territory was gained after bloody battles such as Coral Sea, Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. Kamikaze Pilots that deliberately crashed their planes into American ships. The Atomic Bomb Ends the War The program to develop the Atomic Bomb was code-named the Manhattan Project, which cost several billion dollars. J. Robert Oppenheimer was the physicist that ran the scientific aspect of the project in New Mexico. FDR had been elected to a fourth term but he died in office, so Harry Truman finishes out WWII. Truman had to make the difficult decision of whether or not to drop the atomic bomb. To end the war, the US dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Japan surrendered soon after and WWII was over. resulted in a total death toll of approximately 60 million, the most deaths in the history of warfare. DEATH TOLL 26 mil 11 mil 8 mil 7 mil USSR China Germany Poland Axis Total: 11 million 2.5 mil Japan 800,000 France Greece 400,000 Italy Allied Total: 46 million 400,000 Britain 300,000 US

8 The Home Front A Challenge to Civil Liberties The attack on Pearl Harbor spread fear across America. There was a belief that Japanese Americans were disloyal citizens. The War Department issued a policy of internment, or temporary imprisonment of a specific group. Japanese Americans went to court to seek their rights. Korematsu v. U.S. The Supreme Court upheld the government s wartime internment policy The U.S. offered an apology and offered apology to surviving internees. Supporting the War Effort Rationing goods that our soldiers will need for the war effort. Recruiting women to take the place of men in the workforce. Rosie the Riveter The Holocaust Roots of the Holocaust Nuremberg Laws were put into place by the Nazis to Nuremberg Laws Denied German citizenship to Jews, banned marriage between Jews and non-jews, and segregated Jews at every level in society. Jews rights. What do we have in the U.S. that is a lot like this? JIM CROW LAWS Violence against Jews was common. The most serious attack was known as Kristallnacht. (Night of Broken Glass) Jews try to flee Germay, but The problem is that most countries don t want them either. Cuba only took 21 of the 973 refugees and so the St. Louis set sail for the U.S. The U.S. officials refused to accept any of the refugees. The ship returned to Germany and 600 of the Jews aboard the Louis later died in Nazi concentration camps. St.

9 Nazi s Adopt the Final Solution Nazis adopted a policy called The Final Solution which was the systematic extermination of inferiors (Jews, Jehovah Witnesses, Mentally and Physically Disabled, Homosexuals, Gypsies Effects of the War Allies Set Post War Goals At the Yalta Conference, The Big Three met and agreed that Poland, Bulgaria, and Romania would hold free elections. Roosevelt and Churchill were not in a position to push Stalin too hard on issues. (U.S. wanted Soviet support in the war against Japan). The Allies got together for a second time (Truman, Atlee, Stalin) and establish four zones of occupation that Germany would be divided into. A New World Takes Shape By the end of WWII, it was clear that that the Age of Decline of Imperialism was in the twilight of its existence. Imperialism The U.S. and the U.S.S.R. emerged as the world s two superpowers. U.S. was wealthy, militarily powerful, and confident. U.S.S.R. had the Red Army, the world s largest military force. What do we have militarily that no one else has? Atomic Bomb! International Cooperation The U.S. led the charge for the est. of the United Nations; an organization United that, many hoped would succeed where the League of Nations failed. Nations War Crime Trials for the high-ranking Nazi officers. Their defense was that they were following orders handed down by Hitler. Judges did not accept their excuses and some were hanged and others received life sentences. Nuremberg Trials