Ch. 30: World War II and the End of the European World Order

The Path to War in Europe• Hitler’s rise to power

– Jan. 30, 1933: Chancellor– Revise unfair Treaty of

Versailles– March 9, 1935: formation of

new air force– March 16, 1935: draft to

increase army– Alliances:

• Franco in the Spanish Civil War• Mussolini’s invasion of

Ethiopia• Austria: Anschluss-threat of

invasion forces chancellor to put Nazis in charge of government

European response:• Great Britain:

appeasement• France:

non-aggressive without support from Great Britain

• Unwillingness to risk war

The Path to War in Japan• Manchuria– Seized by Japanese soldiers– “Mukden” incident– Need for resources– Desire for Siberia

• Alliances– See Hitler as an ally– Russia-German Non-Aggression

Pact• Southeast Asia– New source for resources– Roosevelt criticizes bombing of

U.S. Navy ship in China

The War

• Europe– Hitler invades Poland (1939)– Denmark and Norway (1940)– Netherlands, Belgium, and

France (1940)– Rapid surrender to Luftwaffe– Troop trains– Great Britain: never gains a foothold

• Bombs naval bases, harbors, communication centers, and war industrial complex

• Hitler changes tactic: bombs civilian areas• RAF has opportunity to rebuild

Russian Front• Hitler turns attention to

Russia in 1941– Defeat before winter – 1,800 mile front– Fierce resistance

• Defeat of Nazi troops for first time!

Back to Japan!• Plan for surprise attack…

but where!?!– Pearl Harbor: December 7,

1941– Destruction of U.S.

warships– Belief U.S. would surrender

• Don’t want war• Cowardly• Undisciplined

– Accept Japanese domination of the Pacific

– U.S. declares war on Japan

Last Years of the War: 1943-44• Italy – Strong German lines

prevented Allied win until June, 1944

• Germany– Allied invasion of

Normandy in June, 1944– Paris free by August– Joined Soviet troops to

liberate Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria

An End in Sight in Europe!

• Mussolini killed April 28, 1945 by his troops

• Hitler blames war on the Jews– Kills himself April 30,

1945

But no end in sight in the Pacific…• Battle of Midway

– Turning point for Allied forces

– June 1942: U.S. planes destroy 4 Japanese aircraft carriers

• “Island hopping”– General MacArthur

• Atomic bomb– Hiroshima: August 6, 1945– Nagasaki: August 9, 1945

• Japanese surrender unconditionally!

It’s finally over…but the suffering goes on…and on!

Hitler’s Europe• German supremacy

– Superiority of Aryans– Take land and resources as

needed– Enslave or eliminate those in the

way• Holocaust

– Aryan supremacy threatened by Jews

– Eliminate Jewish “problem”• Concentration camps• Extermination: 2 out of 3 Jews• Mass graves

– One-half million Gypsies and Slavic people killed

Result of war on the home front: The Soviet Union

• Suffered huge losses– 2 out of 5 killed were

Soviet citizens• Stalin concerned with

military readiness– Massive production of

military machines• Shortages for citizens

– Food and housing scarce– Little concern for

production of consumer goods

Postwar U.S.• No war on U.S. turf• Boom towns– Economic boom– Fulfill industrial demands– Mass move to cities– Black migration leads to

racial issues– Shortages of housing– Shortages of schools

• Japanese-Americans– Internment camps

Postwar Germany• Early success– Rapid victories– Gain resources– No sacrifice on part

of German people• Total mobilization– Eventual losses create

need to mobilize• Economy• Military

– Too late for success

Defeat for Japan• Tradition of obedience– Loyal to government– Obey emperor– Brings honor

• Hierarchical society– Do what you are told– Respect those above you

• Kamikaze : “divine wind”– Sacrificed their lives– Good of the whole society

Common thread…critical role played by women