A second global conflict and the end
of the European World Order
Introduction
• Japanese: early stages of WWII the Japanese saw themselves as liberators. They
felt they were freeing Asia of Europeans (British, French, Dutch, and even US)
that had humiliated and exploited the people and who also thought they were a
superior race
• The Japanese forced the European forces to march long stretches to prison
camps (many died in route or in the camps) in an effort to break the
psychological hold the Europeans had over the colonized.
• But the Japanese were fascists who wanted to create their own imperial empire
in Asia. They soon proved to be far worse than European rulers. They ruled with
an iron first and tortured and killed anyone who was even suspected of
disagreeing with their rule. They also forced peasants and workers in labor to
get the raw materials they needed in order to put up a fight against the Allies.
Many died in the forced labor system (romusha).
• Sukarno-Indonesian nationalist leader fighting against both the European and
Japanese imperialists. He held large rallies and spoke in Javanese or Indonesian
so his Japanese handlers couldn’t understand. Used weakening powers of both
sides during the war to launch nationalistic efforts and gain independence for
his country. After independence problems-many local leaders lacked skill and
political base to effectively deal with the country (ethnically and religiously
divided/ economically poor). This lead to failures of leaders that lead to military
coups
• WW II became an even larger global conflict than WWI
Sukarno
Franco –dictator of Spain
Old and New Causes of WWII
•
•
•
•
•
Major factor was the social and political changes in nations that fought in WWI and
grievances related to WWI.
Japan-gradual shift towards militarization. In China nationalist forces began getting
the upper hands vs. warlords (Guomindang –Nationalists) and Japan didn’t want to
see China develop a strong national government. Fears of curbs of their expansionist
goals combined with weak civilian government at home lead to the Japanese seizing
Manchuria in 1931 (Manchukuo). Civilian leaders in Japan were fearful to object over
this because it might lead to weaken negotiations between Japan and the US as well
as other powers. This act only further empowered the Japanese military.
Germany-Weimar Republic under attack because they couldn’t handle post war
problems and they agreed to the Treaty of Versailles (war guilt clause ) coupled of
course with the Great Depression! Into this environment came Adolf Hitler and the
Nationalist Socialist party (Nazi) and his promised for stability, economic freedom,
and confidence. Once in power, Hitler began to dismantle the Treaty of Versailles.
Hitler’s successes inspired Mussolini in Italy who promised the same thing to his
people and began to invade Ethiopia.
Hitler and Mussolini militarily intervened in Spanish Civil War in the hopes of creating
an allied fascist regime. The Italians and Germans used this opportunity to train their
soldiers (ground forces and civilian attacks). Franco seized power in Spain and ended
elected republican government. Soviet Union did provide military aid, but France,
UK, and US only sent volunteer forces…couldn’t compete against Axis powers. Franco
then became the dictator of Spain. However, after the Spanish Civil War, Franco
refused to fight along side of the Axis powers in WWII.
Unchecked Aggression
• Hitler annexed Austria in
1938 and set his eyes upon
Poland and Czechoslovakia
• Other states in Europe and
the U.S. failed to take action
prior to 1939 to halt
aggression of Germany and
Japan
• Germany seized lands in
Europe while Japan seized
lands in China
• Axis Powers: Germany, Italy,
and Japan vs.
• Grand Alliance: British
Empire, France, Soviet
Union, and the U.S.
• Hitler rearmed Germany,
withdrew from League of
Nations, ignored the Treaty of
Versailles, annexed Austria,
and threatened Czechoslovakia
under the pretext of protecting
Germans in the Sudentenland
• France and England unwilling
to risk war to defend
Czechoslovakia
• 1938 Munich conference:
Granted (appeased) Hitler’s
increased demands to avoid
war.
• Soon Hitler’s armies occupied
all of Czechoslovakia
• Brought closer to living space
goal in Russia
Hitler’s War 1939-1941
• Hitler was aware of
impending warfare and
starting making alliances:
Italy: Pact of Steel 1939
and Soviet Union: NonAggression Pact of 1939
• Hitler believed the
alliance with Soviets
would force France and
Britain into neutral
stances while he
dismantled Poland, his
last obstacle in eastward
expansion
• Soviets were to gain parts
of lost Baltic provinces
• British and French made a
pact in the event Poland
was invaded
• Official start of WWII: Poland invaded on
September 1, 1939 by Germany-1 month
• Germany and Russia split spoils. Soviets set
up military bases to protect Leningrad.
Stalin did not trust Hitler
• Japan: Japan moved even before Germany!
In 1937 Japan launched an invasion into
China (from Manchuria)-wanted to conquer
all of China. Had success initially. But the
Chinese did resist which lead to the
Japanese attacking both soldiers and
civilians.
• Rape of Nanking (Nanjing) Dec. 1937.
Carried out order to its people b/c it was
Guomingdang capital. Japanese soldiers
were urged to rape, torture, and then later
kill Chinese POWs and civilians.
Approximately 200,000-300,000 people in
Nanking were murdered in the following
weeks. When news reached Japan many
received it was great news. Thousands of
women were raped and some people were
even hacked into pieces. Accounts of
Japanese soldiers even bayoneting babies.
• Interestingly, the Nazis actually
helped the Guomindang
officers to fight against the
Japanese. The Rape of
Nanking was even reported by
a Nazi officer who tried to save
the people of the city.
• The Tripartite Pact wasn’t
signed between Germany,
Italy, and Japan until 1940 well
into WWII.
(Part 1 of 7)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQ
TWtokeF5Q&feature=player_embedde
d
(Part 2 of 7)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dcj
VWe3xgAo&feature=related
(Part 3 of 7)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dK
TIylgLDHE&NR=1
(part 4 of 7)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6
z-fZwpmME&NR=1
WWII
• France and Great Britain held
true to their alliance and
declared war on Germany
September 3, 1939
• Six months after fall of Poland
no military actions took place
because of poor
weather…called “phony war”
(Maginot Line)
• France and Great Britain
awaited Hitler’s next move
• It came in spring of 1940 when
Germany attack Denmark and
Norway…could set up bases to
attack Great Britain
• May 1940 Hitler began
sweeping through Holland,
Belgium, and Luxembourg…part
of his strategy to attack France
• While allies were tied up with
the fight there, Hitler sent an
ever larger army through the
Ardennes in northeastern
France
• Moving through the forest the
Germans made it across the
Maginot Line and across
France to its northern coast in
10 days
• Upon reaching the northern
coast the Germans swung
north again to join forces with
troops in Belgium
• May 26, 1940 Germans
trapped allied forces around
the city of Lille
• Belgium surrendered
• Allies escaped to the beaches
of Dunkirk…with their backs
to the sea
War in France
• Great Britain set out to
rescue the men at Dunkirk850 ships and carried
338,000 men to safety
• June 10, 1940 Mussolini join
Hitler and declared war on
France and Great Britain
• Italy attacked France from
the south
• By June 14, 1940 Paris had
fallen to the Germans
• New prime mister of
France: Henri Petain
• France surrendered June
22, 1940
• France fell due to weak
leadership and outdated
defenses
• Germans took northern
part of country and left
the southern part to a
puppet government
headed by
Petain…headquarters of
the government was in
the city of Vichy
• Charles de Gaulle set up
government while in
exile in England and
fought
Battle of Britain
• After fall of France, Great
Britain stood alone
• Winston Churchill-English
Prime minister declared
nation would never give in
(listen to speech)
• Hitler turned his eyes
towards EnglandOperation Sea Lion:
invasion of England.
Knock our Royal Air Force
(RAF) then send in troops
• Summer 1940 Luftwaffe
(German air force) began
the blitzkrieg or lightening
war: bombing campaign
• At first targets were
airfields then focused
switched to cities such as
London
• Two secret weapons of England:
radar and the Enigma (German
code-making machine)
• Bombing started at night due to
British uncanny ability to resist the
Germans
• Battle continued until May 10, 1941
when Hitler called off the attacks
stunned by English resistance and
decided to focus on Eastern Europe
and the Mediterranean
• Italy moved to Libya to seized Egypt
• Hitler’s goal seized Suez Canal and
oil field in the Middle East and to
cut off Great Britain from its
colonies in Asia
• Italy did not fare well against British
so Hitler sent in General Rommel
• Rommel pushed British across
Africa
Balkans/Collaboration-Resistance
• Hitler began planning an
attack on his ally the USSR
and the Balkans were key
to carrying out his
invasion plan
• Bulgaria, Romania,
Hungary cooperated and
joined Axis powers in
1941 while Yugoslavia and
Greece resisted…by April
of 1941 both counties
surrendered to Hitler
• Balkans government were
ruled by those who
cooperated with Hitler
because of fear or
promises
• There was resistance to
Nazi occupation
• Josip Broz of Yugoslavia
(Tito) was the most
successful of these
resistance fighters and
due to his actions
became the leader of
his country post WWII
Allied Victory
• Spring 1941 Germany
controlled Europe and
was allied with Soviet
Union, Italy, and Japan
(However, this was about
to change)
• Summer of 1941
Germany invaded Russia
(ending the RussianGerman non aggression
pact) and Japan bombed
the U.S. (pulling the U.S.
into the war)
• With western countries
neutralized Hitler
carried out his plans
towards ending
communism and
expanding German
territory in Russia
(Operation Barbarossa)
• Stalin then made an
alliance with Great
Britain and the U.S.
Soviet Union
• Battle for Moscow in 194142: Germans attack Moscow
• Unprepared for weather
problems: not dressed for
winter, tanks didn’t start,
weapons jammed in subzero
temperatures
• Russians counterattack
(General Gyorgi Zhukov)
forcing ill prepared German
soldiers to retreat
• Battle of Stalingrad
(Volgograd) of 1942-43:
fierce battle where city was
repeatedly bombed,
however, once winter came
around same problems
• Russians had 2 advantages:
population and weather
• 1.5 million dead
• 50% of all death and causalities of
the war were incurred by the Soviets
• Battle of Kursk-1943-biggest tank
battle of the war. Bulge in Germany
–Russian line and wanted to make
sure the Russians couldn’t launch a
offensive from this bulge area so
had to take them out. Russians
found out their plans from German
POWs and started planning
counteroffensive. They surprised the
Germans! Last major German
offensive against Russia. Germans
retreated-lost many lives and much
equipment in battle.
• Battle of Kursk:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
AqgBNX8OduY&feature=related
• Battle of Russia:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9
gjr6PgieDY&feature=related
• Battle of Stalingrad:
Assault at Stalingrad
Photographs by Georgi Zelma
Battle for Moscow:
Assault at Stalingrad
Photographs by Georgi Zelma
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://w
w2-aircraft.com/images/battles/MoscowBattle_russian_soldiers.jpg&imgrefurl=http://ww2aircraft.com/battles/Moscow_1941_1942.html&usg
=__QQWJI1KQVhXedornstn0gYh44N8=&h=259&w=
400&sz=70&hl=en&start=12&itbs=1&tbnid=8i0CQU
NUYqjQkM:&tbnh=80&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3
Fq%3DBattle%2Bof%2BMoscow%26hl%3Den%26sa
fe%3Dstrict%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:1
Racism and Destruction
• Nazi’s began enforcing
these racist policies in
• Germans and Japanese
1933 with the Gypsies
utilized pseudoscientific
• Germans I.D. groups that
theories to justify the
were racially and
slaughter of certain
genetically inferior:
mixed marriage children,
groups to make way for
mentally ill, physically
the master race
defective, Jews
• U.S. used racism
• homeless, criminals,
towards the enemy
alcoholics, prostitutes,
“Asians” and started
those with STD’s, and
homosexual men
internment camps
Jews
• Plan of final solution: total
extermination of European
Jews
• Began with deportation to
ghettos
• Berlin Conference of 1942:
Reinhard Heydrich plan for
the SS and extermination
• Final solution began with
the conquest of Poland and
invasion of Russia in 1941Operation Barbarossa
• Executions carried out by
the SS and Himmler out
of fear that Hitler would
favor military over SS
• Lowest:
Judeocommunists
• Himmler established more
efficient killing devices:
gas camber (I.G. Farben
developed the Zyklon B
gas just for this purpose)
• 1941 extermination camps
Jews
• 5 major camps: Chelmno,
Belzec, Sobibor,
Treblinka, and Auschwitz
• Many died on journey to
death camps: RR cars
sealed with no food, water
or sanitation
• 12 million died/ 6 million
Jews
• Targeted were the old,
sick, weak, pregnant, and
menstruating women
• Jews could offer no
resistance because they
were locked in a country
that universally
accepted their fate while
immigration policies of
most other nations made
it impossible for them to
leave
Jews
Burying the
Remains of
Children by David
Olère.
Olère's first
assignment at
Auschwitz was
as a grave digger
of bunker 2. His
prisoner number,
106144, is seen
both on his shirt
and as a tattoo
on his left arm.
Gassing / Gazage
The container in the
lower right is
labeled Zyklon B.
Although Olère
spent most of his
time doing art for
the SS and
translating BBC
radio broadcasts, he
was, from time to
time, called upon to
help empty the gas
chambers.
Holocaust
German soldiers of
the Waffen-SS and
the Reich Labor
Service look on as a
member of
Einsatzgruppe D
prepares to shoot a
Ukrainian Jew
kneeling on the
edge of a mass
grave filled with the
bodies of previous
victims.
Holocaust
In March, 1942, the Jews of
the Lublin Province of Poland
are deported to the Belzec
death camp
Crematorium furnaces in the Gusen
concentration camp after the liberation
http://www.oskarsc
hindler.com/Albums
5/jpg_B.htm
“Near the end of the war, in order to cut expenses and save
gas, "cost- accountant considerations" led to an order to
place living children directly into the ovens or throw them
into open burning pits. “
http://www.oskarschindler.com/Albums5/jpg
_27.htm
http://ww
w.oskarschi
ndler.com/
Albums5/jp
g_B.htm
At peak efficiency Auschwitz had the capacity to 'get rid of ten thousand people in
24 hours,' as the SS Kommandant Rudolf Hoess would testify during the War
Crimes Trials after WW2. Witness after witness, document after document
produced irrefutable evidence of the crimes committed, and no witness was more
shocking than Rudolf Hoess, who calmly explained how he had come to
exterminate 2,5 million people.
http://www.auschwitz.
http://www.deathcamps.info/Exp
eriments/jpg_exp15.htm
High-Altitude Experiments
to investigate the limits of human
endurance and existence at extremely
high altitudes. The victims were placed
in the low-pressure chamber and
thereafter the simulated altitude therein
was raised. Many victims died as a result
of these experiments and others
suffered grave injury, torture, and illtreatment.
“Dr. Herta Oberheuser killed children with oil and
evipan injections, then removed their limbs and
vital organs. The time from the injection to death
was between three and five minutes, with the
person being fully conscious until the last moment.
She made some of the most gruesome and painful
medical experiments, focused on deliberately
inflicting wounds on the subjects. In order to
simulate the combat wounds of German soldiers
fighting in the war, Herta Oberheuser rubbed
foreign objects, such as wood, rusty nails, slivers of
glass, dirt or sawdust” into the wounds.
The identical twins Eva Mozes Kor and Miriam Mozes survived the deadly genetic experiments conducted by Josef
Mengele in Auschwitz. Their parents, grandparents, two older sisters, uncles, aunts and cousins were killed.
The sisters were put through many extremely brutal surgeries and experiments by Mengele, who experimented
mainly on twins. Eva later recalled:
"I was given five injections. That evening I developed extremely high fever. I was trembling. My arms and my legs
were swollen, huge size. Mengele and Dr. Konig and three other doctors came in the next morning. They looked at
my fever chart, and Dr. Mengele said, laughingly, 'Too bad, she is so young. She has only two weeks to live .."
Eva later told how a set of Gypsy twins was brought back from Mengele's lab after they were sewn back to back.
Mengele had attempted to create a Siamese twin by connecting blood vessels and organs. The twins screamed day
and night until gangrene set in, and after three days, they died ...
The fact that Eva and Miriam survived Auschwitz was a miracle in itself, as only few individual twins were still alive
at the time the camp was liberated.
As adults, Eva and Miriam suffered serious health problems. Eva suffered from miscarriages and tuberculosis. Her
son had cancer. Miriam's kidneys never fully developed and she died in 1993 of a rare form of cancer, probably
brought on by the unknown medical experiments and injections which she was subjected to at the hands of Josef
Mengele.
Holocaust
SS-women at the Belsen Camp.
Holocaust
In 1943, the Allies stopped Germany's eastward advance into the U.S.S.R.
The Soviet Army began pressing westward, through Poland, toward
Germany. Under pressure of the Soviet Army offensive, SS-men selected
those inmates from concentration camps who were still fit for work. The
rest were killed. In this photo, the inmates to be taken to camps inside the
Third Reich say good-bye to those who are left behind
United States
• Japan expanding into
China and southeast Asiaopposed by the U.S.
through economic
embargoes
• 1940 Tripartite Pact:
Japan join Axis Powers
• Japan invades China/
Indochina, which the U.S.
insisted upon evacuation
and the reestablishment of
the open door policy
• Lend-Lease Act of 1941authorized Roosevelt to
provide armaments to
Great Britain and Soviets
without payment
• December 7, 1941 Pearl
Harbor: Japan attacked
U.S. fleet in Hawaii
• Surprised: worst single
engagement in U.S. naval
history
• U.S. declared war on
Japan December 7, 1941
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/events/wwii-pac/pearlhbr/pearlhbr.htm
USS Utah
USS Arizona
USS Downes
USS Cassin
U.S.
• Two front war: Japan in
the Pacific and Germany
in Europe
• December 11, 1941
Germany declared war on
the U.S.
• U.S.’ power was in their
industrial capabilitiesincreased 400% by 1943
• Much discussion about
strategies on side of Allies
• Stalin wanted relief for
his troops against
Germans in Eastern
Europe, U.S. focus was on
the Pacific, …
• …and British focus was
•
•
•
•
on North Africa (Suez
Canal)
1942 Allies moved from
North Africa into Italy
Successful in taking over
southern Italy
Mussolini was stripped of
his powers by King
Emanuele III. Took
control of northern Italy.
He was killed in 1945
General Peitro Badoglio
replaced Mussolini and
September 8, 1943 signed
an armistice with the
Allies
Mussolini and Hitler
Clara Petacci (left) and Benito
Mussolini (right) hung by their
feet after death.
Wikipedia.org
U.S.
• Churchill, F. Roosevelt,
and Stalin met in
November 1943 at
Teheran, Iran to discuss
new objectives
• Roosevelt and Churchill
were to open up a
second front in France
• June 6, 1944 Allied
troops under General
Eisenhower came
ashore the beaches at
Normandy (D-Day)
• Operation Overlord: 2.2
million Allied forces
poured into northern
France
• Allied forces broke
through German lines to
liberate Paris in August
• Battle of the Bulge:
December 1944 was the
Germans last attempt to
halt Allied advances, but
it only slowed down the
Allies
• March 1945 Allies
marched from the Rhine
into Germany
• Russians seized capital of
Berlin in April 1945
• Hitler committed suicide
later that month
• May 8th 1945 official
surrender of Germany
Troops in an LCVP landing craft approaching "Omaha" Beach on "D-Day", 6
June 1944
Survivors of a sunken troop
transport wade ashore on Omaha
Beach
Storming of Normandy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPU4p7UQOtU
Liberation of Death Camps
Survivors of Bergen-Belsen walk along the main street of the camp, past a
pile of victims' shoes.
Survivors in hospital barracks 2 (for Jews) after liberation.
Check out this site: http://www.pbs.org/auschwitz/40-45/liberation/
•
•
•
•
•
•
Pacific Theatre
Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity
Sphere 1940-1945: Japan ending
imperialism in Asia and liberating its
peoples…so it claimed
In reality Japanese viewed southeast
Asia as a market for manufactured
goods, sources of raw materials, and a
source of profits from capital
investment (imperialism)
Japan had been involved prior to
WWII in an invasion of China which
began as we learned earlier in 1937.
After Pearl Harbor bombing Dec. 7th
of 1941 1/3 of Japanese military
forces remained bogged down in
China!
The American fleet was temporarily
out which then allowed for the
Japanese to expand and take over
colonial areas of European powers
like Hong Kong, Burma, Dutch East
Indies, the Philippines, and French
Indochina.
Great Britain was a major player with
Australia and New Zealand support.
However, the US emerged as the
major contender to Japan (why?)
• Japanese alienated European
allies b/c they took their
colonies while they were
distracted with Nazis
• The Japanese also needed raw
material and food for home so
they were brutally oppressive
to people they came to rule
over (this led to resistance
movements)
• Resistance fighters and
guerrillas forces helped British
and American forces and also
sabotaged the Japanese.
• Shipping lanes from distant
colonies were taken out by
American subs.
Japan and the Pacific
•
•
•
•
• Battle of Guadalcanal 1942Japanese viewed their
43: Japanese wanted to set
emperor as head of the state
up bases on islands in
southeast Pacific –Allies
and as a God on earth
decided to attack at
Allies: General MacArthur – Guadalcanal due to locationJapan: Admiral Isoroku
1st land offensive
Yamamoto
• The Imperial Japanese Navy
intended to turn the
Viewed Americans and
Solomons Islands into
Europeans as morally
strategic bases and start a
deficient and racist
program of occupying
Battle of Midway June 1942: islands in the chain to build
airbases with Guadalcanal
defeat on Japanese navy
being the major base-Allies
from which it could not
secured the island in Feb.
recover. U.S. intercepted
1943
plan of attack and
• Battle of Coral Sea:
http://www.youtube.com/wa
prepared…were waiting for
tch?v=1cD9lkGW8Ic
the Japanese (war turning)
Allies vs. Japan
• By 1944 the Allies were in striking distance of Japan and began
regular bombings. Thought it would save more lives to bomb rather
than launch a land invasion (too many soldiers had already died).
• By 1945 mass bombings in important cities (Japanese homes made
out of wood and paper construction so easily fell to bombs) In
Tokyo alone 125,000 Japanese (mostly civilian) died.
• August 6 and 9 of 1945 atomic bombings (Hiroshima and Nagaski).
Well over 100,000 died in both cities and more later due to
radiation.
• Bombings:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfozG4FP1RI&feature=related
After War
• Wanted to avoid poor peace
treaty like the one after WWI
(Versailles). They wanted to
build the framework for more
lasting peace so they created
the United Nations (UN). This
body represented the world’s
people in all countries both
large and small. After the US
agreed to join many states
followed. The headquarters of
the UN is in Manhattan. Main
aim to resolve disputes, keep
peace, human rights issues,
women rights issues, child
labor, environmental
protection, refugees, and aid
• Cold War began after WWII as a
result of the final conferences
because Soviet Union expect large
lands gains while Britain and the US
wanted to limit this and have lands
under their influence instead.
• 1944 Tehran Conference-Stalin
wanted the Allies to focus on USSR
and push back Germans, but the
Allies decided to invade in France
and push back Germans.
• 1945 Yalta Conference-Wanted
Soviet help against Japan-would
give Manchuria and northern
Japanese islands to them (waited
until 2 days after the 1st atomic
bomb was dropped to declare war
on Japan), divided up Germany into
various zones, created the UN, and
Polish liberation
Occupation zones of Germany in 1945.
Post war conferences/ outcomes
• Potsdam 1945- Truman told Stalin
of new weapon (although didn’t
mention it was atomic). Stalin still
waited too long to join effort…no
land gains.
• Stalin wanted to gain reparations
payments from Germany to
rebuilt his country that had been
devastated by war.
• Austria divided and occupiedindependent in 1956
• Japan occupied by US after war
• Korea divided into 2 zones: Soviet
and US
• Old colonial areas returned, but
many succumbed quickly to
nationalistic movements
• China regained its lands-but
quickly thrown into fight between
nationalists and communists
• India, Middle East, and Africa
helped in fighting during war and
changes were expected.
• Soviet Union pressed boundaries
Westward-gained lands lost after
WWI back. Communist
governments forced on the
people with soldiers to back it up.
• US influence over western
European nations grew as did too
economic aid
• Stage of 2 Great Changes:
1) Decolonizatin
2) Cold War
•
•
•
•
•
Nationalism and Decolonization
Watching fellow Asians (Japanese)
capture and conquered Europeans
destroyed illusion of white
superiority. Death marches like
Bataan furthered this. However, the
Japanese were very harsh and
demanded much of locals. Locals
began to realized that self-rule was
the only way to go.
US and Soviets both condemned
colonies (Atlantic Charter of 1941)
India: National Congress said they’d
support Allies during WWII if the
British would grant them
independence-idea rejected by
Churchill.
Quit India movement -summer 1942mass campaigns of civil disobedience.
British responded with repression
and imprisoned main leaders like
Gandhi.
Muslim League in India did support
British during war. They were led by
Muhammad Ali Jinnah. They won
much favor in the British government
and began advocating a separate
Muslim state in the subcontinent.
•
•
•
•
•
•
In 1945 Winston Churchill was defeated
and the Labour government came to
power. They were willing to give India
independence.
In 1947 the British handed power over
to the Congress leaders who headed the
new government of India AND to Jinnah
who became the first president of
Pakistan.
Fighting did occur between various
religious fractions and thousands lost
their lives in this power transition.
Gandhi was killed Jan. 30, 1948 by a
Hindu fanatic 
Soon Burma (Myanmar) and Ceylon (Sri
Lanka) followed.
As British let go the Dutch and French
still tried to hold out on their colonies,
but eventually lost out to independence
movements
US-prior to war working on
independence in Philippines-got lots of
help from locals and quick to give
independence after war for this.
Nonsettler Africa
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War pressures (forced labor, confiscation of crops
and minerals, and inflations) and African recruits
who killed Europeans and saw their losses to
Japan shattered the colonizers’ reputation for
military prowess (they could be beat-look at
France)
Industrial development started in Africasomething that had been restricted. These
factories attracted unemployed Africans from the
countryside. Migrations caused large urban
growth coupled with idle workers!
2 paths (1st-Nkrumah, 2nd-negotiations)
Kwame Nkrumah (British Coast colony) launched
decolonization process. Radical and well educated
African leader-many others didn’t want to tap
into civil unrest of lower class out of fear of being
kicked out of British legislature, but not Nkrumah.
He established his own political party (Convention
Peoples Party CPP) and organized mass rallies,
boycotts, and strikes.
By 1957 The British recognized Nkrumah as the
prime minister of an independent Ghana
• French and Belgian African gained
independence a little differently.
• France had ongoing negotiations that
lead to reforms and concessions and
eventually independence. In this
process, however, ties to France were
kept economically and culturally.
• By 1960 all of France’s west African
colonies were free.
• Belgians just left the Congo-no real
nationalistic pressure for few well
educated individuals. Congo became
independent in 1960 (only 16 African
college graduates in a population of
13 million!!!!)
• By mid 1960s the European colonial
era had come to an end
Repression and Guerrilla War-Settler Colonies
• No peaceful decolonization in
settler colonies (Kenya, South
Africa, and Algeria). Settlers
blocked indigenous nationalist
movements  Settlers saw this
as their permanent home and
refused to give power or civil
rights to African majority .
Refused colonial reforms to give
back lands to indigenous
Africans 
• Non-violent ways were
forbidden and local leaders
afraid of angering settler
minority so African nationalists
turned to violence!
• Kenya-1950s-(failure of nonviolence led by Jomo Kenyatta
and the Kenya African Union
(KAU) led to a radical leaders
and the formation of the Land
Freedom Army
• In 1954 Land Freedom Army
had 20,000 rebels in Nairobi –
they mounted terror campaign
against British, settlers, and
African collaborators. Military
response by British and
imprisonment of non-violent
leadership-no alternative?
• Defeated rebels in 1956.
However the rebels wore on
British and they were willing to
negotiate-Kenyatta released
from prison. In 1963 Kenya
won its independence with
Kenyatta’s one party rule until
the 1980s-stable and
prosperous.
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Algeria-French regarded it as part of its
nation-like a province.
National Liberation Front (FLN) (1950s)
revolt against French rule and settler
dominance. Rebels were defeated, but
they gradually negotiated the
independence of Algeria. De Gaulle felt
that too many resources were going
towards the conflict in Algeria and that
the country was being drained.
Violent settler backlash-Secret Army
Organization (OAS) directed against
Arabs, Berbers, and French that
supported independence (1 million
settlers)
Algerians finally won their independence
in 1962 after a bitter civil war, but
multiracial accommodations couldn’t be
made after such violence –about
900,000 left the new nation. Many
harkis or Arabs and Berbers fled to
France.
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Angola and Mozambique became
independent in 1975 and Zimbabwe by
1980. (violent revolutions against settlers)
South Africa-largest settler population (4.5
million vs. 23 mill African and 3.5 East
Indian etc).
Afrikaners also didn’t have a connection
back to a European homeland b/c many
had been there longer than the existence
of the US! (had no where to go-saw
themselves different than Dutch)… very
racist.
The British beat the Afrikaners in the Boer
war (1902) but gave some concessions due
to guilt over Boer women and children
death-they allowed the Afrikaners to have
internal political control-included fate of
African majority-continued subjugation of
Africans.
Afrikaner National Party-moved towards
independence from Britain which
happened in 1961. Afterwards Afrikaners
began a system of racial segregationapartheid –legally established by
thousands of laws: reserved best jobs for
whites, only whites could vote, stopped
meetings, rallies, political parties, and labor
union of Africans. Limited African
education. 
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Conflicting Nationalism
• Jews in Palestine responded with
Egypt, Iraq, and Syria became
independent between the wars
Hitler’s final solution had provided
support for Zionists plus many
countries didn’t allow Jews to
immigrate and felt guilty for causing
their deaths
Immigration to Palestine grew as
Hitler killed more and more Jews.
In the Palestine Arab resistance to
Jewish settlement grew-riots and
violent assaults on Zionist
communities. British began to restrict
immigration to the colony.
(Remember it’s a British mandate
now)
British put down major Muslim revolt
1936-39 and tried to stem flow of
Jews into Palestine.
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violence to the British who were
trying to keep Jewish immigration
down during a time of Nazi
oppression against Jews. They
formed their own Zionist military
force, Haganah, as well as other
terrorist organizations.
By end of WWII stalemate-Zionists
wanted a state, Palestinian Arabs
wanted a multi-religious nation in
which Arabs held power.
Possible solution-partition
1948 United Nations agreed to the
partitioning of the Palestine between
the Palestinian Arabs and the Jews.
Soon after the Palestinians and
Israelis were fighting and the Israelis
surprised everyone by being better
armed and better prepared. They
held onto their tiny country, but
expanded it by taking over Arab
lands. It created hundreds of
thousands of Palestinian Arab
refugees and cemented the hostilities
between Palestinians and Israelis into
the future.
Global Connections
• Fall of colonial order not a
surprise because of post
WWI nationalistic activities
• Independence many times
was a transfer of power
from one elite to another
and was typically peaceful
• Limited social and economic
changes occurred to help
the majority of people in
these countries-some land
redistribution but only in
Kenya, Zimbabwe, and
Algeria)
• Educational reforms-more
science and African historycommunication continued
in many placed in European
languages though (cultural
influences still there to this
day)
• Liberation didn’t change
economic dominance of
Western countries-leaders
often explicitly promised to
protect Western trade
interests  Consequences
of colonial rule still
prevalent.
Works Cited
http://www.politicalfriendster.com/images/2015.jpg Sukarno
http://media-2.web.britannica.com/eb-media/80/680-050-FC86F569.jpg Franco
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://padresteve.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/nanking-rapeof.jpg&imgrefurl=http://padresteve.wordpress.com/2009/12/17/revisionist-history-and-the-rape-of-nanking-1937/&usg=__dusgWLFNOu31y8vLKYod8qg5UM=&h=437&w=327&sz=28&hl=en&start=1&itbs=1&tbnid=h67MMETF33fRLM:&tbnh=126&tbnw=94&prev=/imag
es%3Fq%3Drape%2Bof%2Bnanjing%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Dstrict%26sa%3DG%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:1