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Western Civilization II
Chapter Twenty-nine
“World War II”
The Road to War
Several factors need to be understood concerning the events leading to World War II.
– Dissatisfaction with the Versailles Treaty.
– Pacifism of the democratic states of England and France.
– The USSR was distrustful of Germany, Italy, and Japan but due to the weakness of AngloFrench relations, Stalin enter an agreement with Hitler in 1939.
– Neville Chamberlain's policy of appeasement in regards to the actions of Hitler and
Germany.
The Course of Events
Using a Franco-Soviet agreement of the preceding year as an excuse, Hitler, on March 7, 1936
repudiated the Locarno agreements and reoccupied the Rhineland.
– The Treaty of Versailles had demilitarized the Rhineland.
– Neither France nor Britain was willing to oppose this moves.
The Spanish Civil War
• The Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) is usually seen as a rehearsal for World War II because of
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outside intervention.
The government of the Spanish Republic caused resentment among conservatives by its
programs, including land reform and anti-clerical legislation aimed at the Catholic Church.
Labor discontent led to disturbances in Barcelona and the surrounding province of Catalonia.
Following an election victory by a popular front of republican and radical parties, right-wing
generals in July began a military insurrection.
– Francisco Franco, stationed at the time in Spanish Morocco, emerged as the leader of this
revolt which became a devastating civil war lasting nearly three years.
Foreign Involvement in the Spanish Civil War
The democracies, including the United States, followed a course of neutrality, refusing to aid
the Spanish government or to become involved.
Nazi Germany, Italy, and the Soviet Union did intervene despite non-intervention agreements
negotiated by Britain and France.
– German air force units were sent to aid the Fascist forces of Franco.
– Italy sent troops and tanks to aid Franco also.
– The Soviet Union sent advisers and recruited soldiers from among anti-fascists in the U.S.
and other countries to fight in an international brigade with republican forces.
Spain became a battlefield for fascist and anti-fascist forces with Franco winning in 1939 in
what was seen as a serious defeat for anti-fascist forces everywhere.
The Rome-Berlin Axis
The Spanish Civil War was a factor in bringing together Mussolini and Hitler in a RomeBerlin Axis
Already Germany and Japan had singed the Anti-Communist Pact in 1936.
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Ostensibly directed against international communism, this was the basis for a diplomatic
alliance between those countries and Italy soon adhered to this agreement, becoming
Germany’s ally in world War II.
Italy’s Invasion of Ethiopia
Italy, in addition to its involvement in Spain, launched a war to conquer the African kingdom
of Ethiopia.
The democracies chose not to intervene in this case,either, despite Emperor Haile Selassie’s
plea to the League of Nations.
By 1936 the conquest was complete.
The Austrian Anschluss
In 1938 Hitler renewed his campaign against Austria which he had unsuccessfully tried to
subvert in 1934.
Pressure was put on the Austrian Chancellor Schuschnig make concessions to Hitler, and
when this did not work, German troops annexed Austria, the Anschluss.
Again Britain and France took no effective action, and about six million Austrians were added
to Germany.
The Sudetenland
Hitler turned next to Czechoslovakia. Three million persons of German origin lived in the
Sudetenland, a borderland between Germany and Czechoslovakia given to Czechoslovakia in
order to provide it with a more defensible boundary.
These ethnic Germans agitated against the democratic government despite its enlightened
minority policy.
Hitler and the Sudeten Nazi party worked to deliberately provoke a crisis by making demands
for a degree of independence unacceptable to the Czech authorities.
Hitler then claimed to interfere as the protector of a persecuted minority.
Appeasement
In May 1938 rumors of invasion led to warnings from Britain and France followed by
assurances fro Hitler.
Nevertheless in the fall the crisis came to a head with renewed demands from Hitler.
Chamberlain twice flew to German in Person to get German terms.
– The second time, Hitler’s increased demands led to mobilization and other measure
towards war.
At the last minute a four-power conference was held in Munich with Hitler, Mussolini,
Chamberlain, and Daladier in attendance.
– At Munich, Hitler's terms were accepted in the Munich Agreements.
– Czechoslovakia was not supported by Britain and France and lost its northern frontiers.
Alliances Form
In March 1939, Hitler gained control of further Czech territory.
With the eyes of Europe on Germany, Italy was allowed to take over Albania in the Balkans.
Disillusioned by these continued aggressions, Britain and France made military preparations.
– Guarantees were given to Poland, Rumania, and Greece.
– Opened negotiations with the USSR.
• Stalin believing that the western powers wanted Russia to take the brunt of a German
assault began to respond to Hitler’s overtures.
– On Aug. 23, 1939 a Non-aggression pact was signed between the two countries.
Germany’s Attack in Europe
Polish Invasion (blitzkrieg)
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September 1, 1939 (Britain and France declared war)
Poland was overrun in 4 weeks
Destruction of the Warsaw ghetto
Denmark, Holland and Norway
Occupied by early 1940
Norway almost gave up without fighting because of a Nazi-supporter inside the Norwegian
government (Vidkum Quisling)
Belgium and France
France reinforced the Maginot Line (defensive forts on the German border)
Germany attacks through Belgium and overruns northern France in a few weeks
The British and resisting French troops were trapped at a port on the North Sea (Dunkirk)
– Every ship available in England (including rowboats) was used to transport the troops to
England
– The equipment had to be left at Dunkirk
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Vichy France
– The aging marshal Henri-Philippe Pétain established a German-puppet government in
Southern France, with headquarters in Vichy
– Vichy France was eventually occupied in 1942
Britain
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The "Battle of Britain" was an air battle
– Beginning of Hitler’s attempt to invade Britain
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Winston Churchill (new prime minister) declared "...we shall not flag or fail. We shall go on
to the end...we shall fight in the seas and oceans...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..."
Churchill promises nothing but "blood, sweat and tears"
When France surrendered, Churchill stated "Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and
so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years,
men will say, 'This was their finest hour.'"
Germany believed it had to destroy the British factories before it could invade
Initial German success but eventually the English developed airplanes (Spitfires) that could
fight the German bombers
Radar was developed to allow the fighters to attack without wasting fuel
British also learned to decode German messages.
Hitler grew anxious and began to attack British non-military sites (cities)
– “The Blitz”
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Britain eventually took control of the air and Churchill praised the Royal Air Force, "Never in
the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few."
Balkans
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Hitler attacked Greece, Yugoslavia and forced Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria into alliances
Yugoslavia (Tito) resisted tenaciously and slowed the German advance
Russia
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Hitler attacked Russia in June 1941
– Wanted Russian land and resources.
– Hitler's innate hatred of the Communists may have led to this move
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Siege of Leningrad (about 2 years)
As Soviets retreated the practiced a “Scorched Earth” policy.
Germans met strong resistance (Stalingrad, especially) and were eventually stopped on the
outskirts of Moscow by the winter
US Isolationism
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The US didn't actively participate on either side in the early war
Roosevelt realized that long range interests of the US favored the Allies
Lend lease (a policy designed to let the Allies buy US goods on credit)
Japan's Invasions
China
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Japan had attacked China in 1937
America had given quiet support with airplanes (Flying Tigers)
– Pappy Boyington
Pearl Harbor
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US had imposed an embargo on the sale of vital raw materials to Japan
December 7, 1941, surprise attack ???????
America lost all its Pacific fleet except for three aircraft carriers
– “A day that will live in infamy.”
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America declared war on Japan
– Dec. 8, 1941
– The Japanese attack overcame American isolationism
– The joint declaration of war by Germany and Japan brought the US into the war in Europe
Southeast Asia
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Japanese moved to conquer all Southeast Asia
Philippines were a US territory and had many American soldiers
– US troops trapped on Corregidor and Bataan
– MacArthur led the US troops but eventually had to sneak out to Australia ("I shall return")
– The US positions were overrun and the troops forced to take the "death march" to Japanese
prison camps
Allied Counterattacks in Europe
Soviet Union
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Russian army attacked in 1942 and trapped 300,000 German troops who fought to a
devastating defeat
The Russian army began a slow push toward Germany
North Africa
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British armor units (Montgomery) defeated combined German and Italian troops (Rommel) at
El Alamein, Egypt (1943)
American forces (Patten) attacked from Morocco and the Germans were squeezed out of
Africa
May 1943, Allies hold all of N.Africa - ended threat to the Suez Canal and made the
Mediterranean safe for Allied ships
– Base for invasion of Southern Europe.
Italy
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American and Anglo troops landed in Sicily (1943), then on mainland Italy
Mussolini overthrown and Italy surrendered but the Germans occupied northern Italy and
slowed the allied advance
– Aided by Italian resistance forces
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Allies take Rome in 1944, but fighting did not end completely until the following year.
Normandy
June 6, 1944 was the largest invasion ever made (D-Day)
General Dwight D. Eisenhower was allied commander in chief
Good advances because the Germans continued to look elsewhere for the real invasion
Battle of the Bulge
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Last gasp of the Germans in the winter of 1944
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Allied troops were pushing near the Rhine River
Attack through the forests of Eastern France and Belgium
Germans surrounded Bastogne and trapped Americans
– "Nuts"
– Rescued by George Patten
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Germans ran out of fuel and were defeated
Capture of the bridges over the Rhine signaled the end for the Germans
Surrender
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Churchill, Stalin and Roosevelt agreed on who would capture what territory (Tehran)
The three leaders agreed that surrender would be total
The leaders (now with Truman replacing Roosevelt) divided up German territory for post-war
occupation (Yalta)
– Eastern European governments were to be freely elected
– The governments were guaranteed to be pro-Russian
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Hitler died in a bombing raid of Berlin just as the Russians were entering the city
The German forces formally surrendered (May 8, 1945)
Allied Counterattacks in the Pacific
Midway
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American aircraft carriers found the Japanese carriers and sunk them just as the empty
Japanese fighters were returning
– June 4-7, 1942
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Major turning point in the war because the Japanese navy no longer had total control
Coral Sea
Ended Japan’s advance towards Australia.
Southeast Asia
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MacArthur landed in the Solomons
Began leap-frogging through Indonesia
– “Island Hopping”
• Naval bombardment and then amphibious landings
• Many of the islands were strongly entrenched and many lives lost
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MacArthur landed on the Philippines saying "I have returned"
Japanese Main Islands
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Fighting became more fierce as the Japanese main islands were approached (Iwo Jima and
Okinawa)
US bombardment of Japan
Kamikazes
Atomic bombs (Hiroshima and Nagasaki, August 6th and 9th, 1945)
Surrender on the deck of the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay (MacArthur, Nimitz)
– August 15, 1945 VJ-Day
The War’s Aftermath
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Costs of the War
– Approximately 50 million people died - including 6 million Jews in Nazi death camps.
– Vast areas of destruction especially in Europe and Asia.
War Crime Trials
– Nuremberg Trials
• surviving Nazi leaders charged with crimes against humanity.
– Several Japanese commanders also tried for war crimes against humanity.
At Yalta, the idea of a United Nations was discussed