Chapter 16: World War Looms
Overview
Germany invades neighboring countries and launches the Holocaust—the systematic killing of
millions of Jews
and other “non-Aryans.” The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor pulls the U.S. into World War II.
I. Section 1: Dictators Threaten World Peace
The rise of rulers with total power in Europe and Asia lead to World War II.
A. Nationalism Grips Europe and Asia
1. Failures of the World War I Peace Settlement
a. Treaty of Versailles causes anger, resentment in Europe
b. Germany resents blame for war (“war-guilt clause”), loss of colonies, border
territories
c. Russia resents loss of lands used to create other nations (ex: Finland, Latvia,
Estonia, Poland,
etc.)
d. New democracies struggle (some fail) under social, economic problems
e. Dictators rise; driven by nationalism, desire for more territory
2. Joseph Stalin transforms the Soviet Union
a. 1922 Vladimir Lenin establishes the communist Soviet Union after a civil war
b. 1924 Joseph Stalin takes over:
- replaces private farms with collectives (farms owned by government
and worked by
common people)
- creates the second largest industrial power; famines (lack of food) kill
millions
- purges (kills) anyone who threatens his power; 8–13 million killed
c. Totalitarian government has almost complete control over people
Visual: Josef Stalin, leader of communist Soviet Union
3. The Rise of Fascism in Italy
a. Unemployment, inflation lead to bitter strikes, some communist-led
b. Middle, upper classes want stronger leaders
c. Fascism stresses nationalism, needs of state (“state” = nation) above
the individual
1. often leads to a dictator taking power
2. IMPORTANT: Many people confuse fascism and communism, but
they are not necessarily the same.
- a communist nation can be fascist, but a fascist
nation is not necessarily communist
d. Benito Mussolini plays on fears of economic collapse, communism
- supported by government officials, police, army
- 1922 appointed head of government, establishes totalitarian state
Visual: Benito Mussolini, the Fascist Italian dictator
Source: http://jspivey.wikispaces.com/Fascism+5-6+F+Tim+%26+Yoonji
4. The Nazis Take Over Germany
a. Adolf Hitler leader of National Socialist German Workers’ Party (a.k.a.
“Nazis”)
b. Mein Kampf— a book written by Hitler in the 1920’s in which he described the
basic beliefs of
Nazism, based on extreme nationalism; said what he intended
to do if he ever
got into power
c. Wants to unite German-speaking people, enforce racial “purification” (kill
people who are not
“pure” German)
d. 1932, 6 million unemployed; many men join Hitler’s private army
e. Nazis become strongest political party; Hitler named chancellor
f. Dismantles (takes apart) democratic Weimar Republic; establishes Third Reich
- Third Reich = 3rd German Empire; supposed to last 1,000 years (only
lasted 12 years)
Visual: Adolf Hitler, Fascist dictator of Germany
Source: http://cille85.wordpress.com/2009/04/29/adolf-hitler/
5. Militarists Gain Control in Japan
a. 1931, nationalist military leaders seize Manchuria (a part of China)
b. League of Nations condemns action; Japan quits League of Nations
c. Militarists (the leaders of the military) take control of Japanese government
1. militarists believe in having a strong military and using it to expand
(imperialism)
6. Aggression in Europe and Africa
a. 1933, Hitler quits League of Nations; 1935, begins military buildup (militarism)
- sends troops into Rhineland (a part of Germany where it is not
supposed to have its
military); the League of Nations does nothing to stop him
b. 1935, League fails to stop Mussolini’s invasion of Ethiopia
c. Important: Every time the League of Nations does nothing, it encourages
countries like
Germany, Italy, and Japan to become more aggressive. After all,
why stop
“misbehaving” if nobody (the League of Nations) is punishing you
when you “act
out”.
7. Civil War Breaks Out in Spain
a. 1936, a fascist, General Francisco Franco rebels against Spanish republic
- Spanish Civil War begins
b. Hitler & Mussolini help Franco; Stalin helps the Spanish government (the other
side)
- Western democracies (including the U.S.) remain neutral
c. War leads to Rome-Berlin Axis—an alliance between Italy and Germany
d. 1939, Franco wins war, becomes fascist dictator
A quick review of the important countries and their leaders:
COUNTRY
LEADER
Soviet Union
(U.S.S.R.)
Joseph Stalin
GOVERNMENT/POLICIES
- Communist totalitarian dictatorship;
- modernized industry and agriculture by seizing property and
killing or jailing those people who resisted
- may have been just as horrible a person as was Hitler
Italy
Benito Mussolini
- Fascist totalitarian dictatorship;
- used military aggression to create a new empire (imperialism);
- government control of press; criticism of government outlawed
Germany
Adolf Hitler
Japan
Emperor Hirohito
military leaders
Hideki Tojo
United States
Franklin D.
Roosevelt
Great Britain
- Neville
Chamberlain
(leading up to the
war)
- Fascist totalitarian dictatorship;
- government control of press, schools, religion; persecution of
Jews;
- expansion of German empire (imperialism)
- military rule;
- racial superiority of the Japanese;
- military aggression to expand empire (imperialism)
- representative democracy;
- neutrality to stay out of foreign conflicts;
- Good Neighbor Policy in Latin America
- Be sure to make note that the U.S. WAS NOT a dictatorship at that
time.
- constitutional monarchy
- a monarch (king or queen) represents the country in ceremonies
- day-to-day running of country done by parliament (which is in
some ways
like our Congress)
-Winston Churchill
- foreign policy between wars = appeasement (give in to demands of
(during the war)
other
countries in the attempt to prevent war)
B. The United States Responds Cautiously
1. Americans Cling to Isolationism
a. Public is outraged at supposed profits of banks, arms dealers during WW I
b. Americans become isolationists; FDR backs away from foreign policy
c. 1935 Neutrality Acts try to keep U.S. out of future wars
- outlaws arms (weapons) sales, loans to nations at war
It seems to be unfortunately true that the epidemic of world
lawlessness is spreading. When an epidemic of physical disease
starts to spread, the community approves and joins in a quarantine
of the patients in order to protect the health of the community
against the spread of the disease....War is a contagion, whether it
be declared or undeclared....We are determined to keep out of war,
yet we cannot insure ourselves against the disastrous effects of war
and the dangers of involvement. We are adopting such measures
as will minimize our risk of involvement, but we cannot have
complete protection in a world of disorder in which confidence and
security have broken down.
President Roosevelt, 1937
2. Neutrality Breaks Down
a. 1937 Japan launches new attack on China; FDR sends aid to China
b. FDR wants to isolate aggressor nations (the ones doing the attacking) in order
to help stop/end war
II. Section 2: War in Europe
Using the sudden mass attack called blitzkrieg; Germany invades and quickly conquers many
European countries.
A. Austria and Czechoslovakia Fall
1. German Annexes (takes over) Austria
a. Post WW I division of Austria-Hungary creates fairly small Austria
b. Majority of Austrians are German, favor unification (combining) with Germany
c. 1938, German troops march into Austria unopposed, union complete
d. U.S., rest of world do nothing to stop Germany even though this
breaks Treaty of Versailles
2. Bargaining for the Sudetenland
a. 3 million German-speakers in Sudetenland (an area of Czechoslovakia)
b. Hitler claims Czechs abuse Sudeten Germans, marches troops to border
c. 1938, Prime Ministers Daladier, Neville Chamberlain meet with Hitler in
Munich, Germany
(the Munich Conference)
d. Sign Munich Agreement, appease Hitler by handing Sudetenland over to
Germany
e. Winston Churchill strongly against appeasement policy, warns war will
follow
f. Appeasement—giving somebody what they want in order to get them to
behave is called appeasement; does not usually work (it certainly did not this time!)
because you have given them every reason to misbehave again because you have
already shown them that you will give them what they want - British Prime Minister
Chamberlain stated that the agreement had guaranteed “peace in our time”; he was
dead wrong!
Visual: A political cartoon showing world leaders putting on “ostrich hats” and
then burying their heads in the sand, just as an ostrich does if it detects something
threatening. The cartoon is implying that the world’s leaders are “burying their heads in
the sand” (hoping the problem will go away if they ignore it), which is a foolish action.
Source: http://multimedialearningllc.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/drseussbonnet-cartoon.jpg
B. The German Offensive Begins
1. The Soviet Union Declares Neutrality
a. March 1939, German troops occupy rest of Czechoslovakia
b. Hitler began to accused Poland of mistreating Germans in Poland
c. Many think he’s bluffing; invading Poland would bring two-front war
d. Stalin, Hitler sign nonaggression pact—will not attack each other
- they sign a second, secret pact agreeing to divide Poland between
them
- Hitler intends to break the pact; he is just trying to trick the Soviets
into thinking that
Germany will not attack them (to catch them off-guard)
Visual: A political cartoon showing the Non-Aggression Pact. Stalin is being
“stabbed in the back” by Hitler.
Source: http://hsudarren.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/a_stab_in_the_back.gif
2. Blitzkrieg in Poland
a. Sept. 1939, Hitler overruns Poland in blitzkrieg, “lightning war”
b. Germany annexes western Poland; U.S.S.R. attacks, annexes eastern Poland
c. France, Britain declare war on Germany; World War II begins
3. Alliances As of 1939 (at the start of WWII)
Axis Powers
1. Germany
2. Italy
3. Japan
U.S.S.R. join in 1941)
Allied Powers (the primary ones)
1. Britain
2. France (those people not yet captured)
(other countries will soon join; U.S.A and
4. The “Phony War”
a. French, British soldiers on Maginot Line face Germans in what they call
“sitzkrieg ”
- both sides just “sit” there, staring at each other for weeks, not fighting
b. Stalin annexes Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania; defeats Finland
c. 1940, Hitler invades Denmark, Norway, then Low Countries (Netherlands,
Belgium, etc.)
C. France and Britain Fight On
1. The Fall of France
a. German army goes through Ardennes Forest, bypassing French, British
b. British, French trapped on Dunkirk; soldiers barely escape to England by ferry
c. 1940, Italy invades France from south; Germans approach Paris
d. France falls; Germans occupy northern France
e. Nazi puppet government (run by Germany) set up in southern France (in town
of Vichy)
f. General Charles de Gaulle sets up government-in-exile in England
- the leader of the French Resistance (the French who are fighting the
Nazi’s)
2. The Battle of Britain
a. Summer 1940, Germany prepares fleet to invade Britain
b. Battle of Britain—German planes bomb British targets
c. Prime Minister Winston Churchill stated: “We shall fight on the beaches,
we shall fight in
the fields and the streets, we shall never surrender.”
Visuals: Winston Churchill (Prime Minister of Britain) is shown on the
left. The German
plan of attack is shown on the right. The body of water is the
English Channel.
c. Britain uses radar to track, shoot down German planes
d. Hitler calls off invasion of Britain (Britain had come very close to losing the
battle and,
therefore, the war)
e. Germans, British continue to bomb each other’s cities
Visual: A very famous picture of London’s St. Paul Cathedral during the “Blitz”
when the
Germans were bombing England.
Source: http://mrbhistoryblog.blogspot.com/
IV. Section 4: America Moves Toward War
In response to the fighting in Europe, the United States provides economic and military aid to
help the Allies
achieve victory.
Important Question: Was FDR leaning toward isolationism or interventionism at this point? Be
able to explain
how you know your answer to be correct.
A. The United States Musters Its Forces
1. Moving Cautiously Away from Neutrality
a. 1939, FDR persuades Congress to pass “cash-and-carry” provision
- allows warring nations to come to U.S. and give us cash for weapons
that they must
then carry away (we will not ship them)
b. Argues will help France, Britain defeat Hitler, keep U.S. out of war
2. The Axis Threat
a. 1940, FDR tries to provide Britain “all aid short of war”
b. Germany, Japan, Italy sign Tripartite Pact, mutual defense treaty
- become known as Axis Powers
c. Pact aimed at keeping U.S. out of war by forcing fight on two oceans
3. Building U.S. Defenses
a. Nazi victories in 1940 lead to increased U.S. defense spending
b. First peacetime draft enacted—Selective Training and Service Act:
- draftees to serve for 1 year in Western Hemisphere only
4. Roosevelt Runs for a Third Term
a. FDR breaks two-term tradition, runs for reelection
b. FDR reelected with 55% of votes
B. “The Great Arsenal of Democracy”
1. The Lend-Lease Plan
a. FDR tells nation if Britain falls, Axis powers free to conquer world
- U.S. must become “arsenal of democracy”
b. By late 1940, Britain has no more cash to buy U.S. arms
c. 1941 Lend-Lease Act—U.S. to lend or lease supplies for defense
Primary Source: (about moving toward interventionism)
Source:
http://www.gilderlehrman.org/teachers/module_pop_resource.php?module_id=520&resource_id=1157
Our whole program of aid for the democracies has been
based on hardheaded concern for our own security and for
the kind of safe civilized world in which we wish to live. Ever
dollar of material we send helps to keep the dictators away
from our own hemisphere. Every day that they are held off
gives us time to build more guns and tanks and planes and
ships.
President Roosevelt, May, 1941
2. Supporting Stalin
a. 1941, Hitler breaks pact with Stalin, invades Soviet Union
b. Roosevelt sends Lend-Lease supplies to Soviet Union
3. German Wolf Packs
a. Hitler uses U-boats to attack supply convoys
b. Wolf packs—groups of up to 40 submarines patrol North Atlantic
- sink supply ships
c. FDR allows navy to attack German U-boats in self-defense
C. FDR Plans for War
1. The Atlantic Charter
a. FDR’s proposal to extend the term of draftees passes House by 1 vote
b. FDR, Churchill issue Atlantic Charter—joint declaration of war aims
c. Charter is basis of “A Declaration of the United Nations” or Allies
d. Allies—nations that fight Axis powers; 26 nations sign Declaration
2. Shoot on Sight
a. Germans fire on U.S. ship, FDR orders navy to shoot U-boats on sight
b. U-boat attacks lead Senate to repeal ban on arming merchant ships
D. Japan Attacks the United States
1. Japan’s Ambitions in the Pacific
a. Hideki Tojo—chief of staff of army that invades China, prime minister
b. Japan seizes French bases in Indochina (later known as Vietnam)
- U.S. cuts off trade of important supplies, such as oil and steel
- Japan sees that action as basically an act of war against them; begins
to plan attack
against U.S.
c. Japan needs oil from U.S. or must take Dutch East Indies oil fields
2. Peace Talks are Questioned
a. 1941 U.S. breaks Japanese codes; learns Japan planning to attack U.S.
b. Peace talks with Japan last about 1 month
c. December 6, Japanese envoy instructed to reject all U.S. proposals
3. The Attack on Pearl Harbor
a. December 7, 1941 Japanese attack Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
b. 2,403 Americans killed; 1,178 wounded (most killed on U.S. soil by an outside
attacker until 9/11/2001
c. Over 300 aircraft, 21 ships destroyed or damaged (but not our aircraft
carriers; allowed us to fight back sooner than Japan had thought we could)
4. Reaction to Pearl Harbor
a. Congress approves FDR’s request for declaration of war against Japan
b. Germany, Italy declare war on U.S.
c. U.S. unprepared to fight in both Atlantic, Pacific Oceans
II. Section 2: The War for Europe and North Africa
Allied forces, led by the United States and Great Britain, battle Axis powers for control of Europe
and North Africa.
A. The United States and Britain Join Forces
1. War Plans
a. Churchill convinces FDR to strike first against Hitler
2. The Battle of the Atlantic
Question: What was the Battle of the Atlantic and what role did the
German u-boats play in brining the U.S. into the war?
a. Battle of the Atlantic was the fighting that took place between the navies of Britain &
Germany- Germany’s goal was to use its u-boats in the attempt to prevent Lend-Lease
supplies from reaching Britain and the U.S.S.R.
- “wolf packs”, or large groups of German u-boats, would attack convoys
of ships, usually late at night;
- convoys full of destroyers with sonar; planes with radar
- construction of Liberty ships (cargo carriers) speeds up
Visual: The map below roughly shows where the fighting in the Atlantic Ocean took place.
Take notice
of the location of the German u-boats (meant to block trade).
B. The Eastern Front and the Mediterranean
1. The Battle of Stalingrad
a. Hitler wants to capture Caucasus oil fields and destroy Stalingrad
b. Soviets defeat Germans in bitter winter campaign
- Over 230,000 Germans, 1,100,000 Soviets die
c. Battle a turning point: Soviet army begins to move towards
Germany
2. The North African Front
a. General Dwight D. Eisenhower leads invasion of North Africa
1. Visual: General Eisenhower (a future president)
b. Afrika Korps, led by General Erwin Rommel, surrenders May
1943
c. Visual: The map below shows where the Allies landed in North Africa,
swept across that Africa, and then crossed the Mediterranean Sea and up
through Italy (the “soft underbelly of Europe”). You can also see how the
Allies attacked from France and eventually into Germany.
3. The Italian Campaign
a. Allies decide will accept only unconditional surrender (no bargaining) from
Axis
b. Summer 1943, capture Sicily; Mussolini forced to resign
c. 1944 Allies win “Bloody Anzio”; Germans continue strong resistance
4. Heroes in Combat
a. African Americans —Tuskegee Airmen (a movie is out about them), Buffaloes
decorated
b. Mexican-American soldiers win many awards
c. Japanese-American unit most decorated unit in U.S. history