Chapter 16: World War LoomsOverview

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 PeaceThe 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 Settlementa. Treaty of Versailles causes anger, resentment in Europeb. Germany resents blame for war (“war-guilt clause”), loss of colonies,

border territoriesc. 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 problemse. Dictators rise; driven by nationalism, desire for more territory

2. Joseph Stalin transforms the Soviet Uniona. 1922 Vladimir Lenin establishes the communist Soviet Union after a

civil warb. 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

killedc. Totalitarian government has almost complete control over people

Visual: Josef Stalin, leader of communist Soviet Union

3. The Rise of Fascism in Italya. Unemployment, inflation lead to bitter strikes, some communist-ledb. Middle, upper classes want stronger leadersc. Fascism stresses nationalism, needs of state (“state” = nation)

above the individual

1. often leads to a dictator taking power2. 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 Germanya. 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 armye. Nazis become strongest political party; Hitler named chancellorf. 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 GermanySource: http://cille85.wordpress.com/2009/04/29/adolf-hitler/

5. Militarists Gain Control in Japana. 1931, nationalist military leaders seize Manchuria (a part of China)b. League of Nations condemns action; Japan quits League of Nationsc. Militarists (the leaders of the military) take control of Japanese

government1. militarists believe in having a strong military and using it to

expand (imperialism)

6. Aggression in Europe and Africaa. 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 Ethiopiac. 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 beginsb. 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 GOVERNMENT/POLICIES

Soviet Union(U.S.S.R.)

Joseph Stalin- 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- Fascist totalitarian dictatorship;- government control of press, schools, religion; persecution of Jews;- expansion of German empire (imperialism)

JapanEmperor Hirohitomilitary leadersHideki Tojo

- military rule;- racial superiority of the Japanese;- military aggression to expand empire (imperialism)

United States Franklin D. Roosevelt

- 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.

Great Britain - Neville Chamberlain (leading up to the war)

-Winston Churchill (during the war)

- 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)- foreign policy between wars = appeasement (give in to demands of other countries in the attempt to prevent war)

B. The United States Responds Cautiously

1. Americans Cling to Isolationisma. Public is outraged at supposed profits of banks, arms dealers during

WW Ib. Americans become isolationists; FDR backs away from foreign

policyc. 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 Downa. 1937 Japan launches new attack on China; FDR sends aid to Chinab. 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) Austriaa. Post WW I division of Austria-Hungary creates fairly small Austriab. Majority of Austrians are German, favor unification (combining) with

Germanyc. 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 Sudetenlanda. 3 million German-speakers in Sudetenland (an area of

Czechoslovakia)b. Hitler claims Czechs abuse Sudeten Germans, marches troops to

borderc. 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 Germanye. Winston Churchill strongly against appeasement policy,

warns war will followf. 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/dr-seussbonnet-cartoon.jpg

B. The German Offensive Begins

1. The Soviet Union Declares Neutralitya. March 1939, German troops occupy rest of Czechoslovakiab. Hitler began to accused Poland of mistreating Germans in Polandc. Many think he’s bluffing; invading Poland would bring two-front ward. 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 Polanda. Sept. 1939, Hitler overruns Poland in blitzkrieg, “lightning war”b. Germany annexes western Poland; U.S.S.R. attacks, annexes

eastern Polandc. France, Britain declare war on Germany; World War II begins

3. Alliances As of 1939 (at the start of WWII)

Axis Powers Allied Powers (the primary ones)1. Germany 1. Britain2. Italy 2. France (those people not yet captured)3. Japan (other countries will soon join; U.S.A and U.S.S.R. join in 1941)

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 Finlandc. 1940, Hitler invades Denmark, Norway, then Low Countries

(Netherlands, Belgium, etc.)

C. France and Britain Fight On

1. The Fall of Francea. German army goes through Ardennes Forest, bypassing French,

Britishb. British, French trapped on Dunkirk; soldiers barely escape to

England by ferryc. 1940, Italy invades France from south; Germans approach Parisd. France falls; Germans occupy northern Francee. 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 Britaina. Summer 1940, Germany prepares fleet to invade Britainb. Battle of Britain—German planes bomb British targetsc. 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 planesd. 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 citiesVisual: 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 Neutralitya. 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 Threata. 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 Powersc. Pact aimed at keeping U.S. out of war by forcing fight on two oceans

3. Building U.S. Defensesa. Nazi victories in 1940 lead to increased U.S. defense spendingb. 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 Terma. FDR breaks two-term tradition, runs for reelectionb. FDR reelected with 55% of votes

B. “The Great Arsenal of Democracy”

1. The Lend-Lease Plana. 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. armsc. 1941 Lend-Lease Act—U.S. to lend or lease supplies for defensePrimary 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 Stalina. 1941, Hitler breaks pact with Stalin, invades Soviet Unionb. Roosevelt sends Lend-Lease supplies to Soviet Union

3. German Wolf Packsa. Hitler uses U-boats to attack supply convoysb. Wolf packs—groups of up to 40 submarines patrol North Atlantic

- sink supply shipsc. FDR allows navy to attack German U-boats in self-defense

C. FDR Plans for War

1. The Atlantic Chartera. FDR’s proposal to extend the term of draftees passes House by 1

voteb. FDR, Churchill issue Atlantic Charter—joint declaration of war aimsc. Charter is basis of “A Declaration of the United Nations” or Alliesd. Allies—nations that fight Axis powers; 26 nations sign Declaration

2. Shoot on Sighta. Germans fire on U.S. ship, FDR orders navy to shoot U-boats on sightb. U-boat attacks lead Senate to repeal ban on arming merchant ships

D. Japan Attacks the United States

1. Japan’s Ambitions in the Pacifica. Hideki Tojo—chief of staff of army that invades China, prime

ministerb. 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 Questioneda. 1941 U.S. breaks Japanese codes; learns Japan planning to attack

U.S.b. Peace talks with Japan last about 1 monthc. December 6, Japanese envoy instructed to reject all U.S. proposals

3. The Attack on Pearl Harbora. December 7, 1941 Japanese attack Pearl Harbor, Hawaiib. 2,403 Americans killed; 1,178 wounded (most killed on U.S. soil by

an outside attacker until 9/11/2001c. 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 Harbora. 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 AfricaAllied 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 Plansa. 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 Stalingrada. Hitler wants to capture Caucasus oil fields and destroy Stalingradb. Soviets defeat Germans in bitter winter campaign

- Over 230,000 Germans, 1,100,000 Soviets diec. Battle a turning point: Soviet army begins to move towards Germany

2. The North African Fronta. 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 Campaigna. Allies decide will accept only unconditional surrender (no bargaining) from Axisb. Summer 1943, capture Sicily; Mussolini forced to resignc. 1944 Allies win “Bloody Anzio”; Germans continue strong resistance

4. Heroes in Combata. African Americans —Tuskegee Airmen (a movie is out about them),

Buffaloes decoratedb. Mexican-American soldiers win many awardsc. Japanese-American unit most decorated unit in U.S. history