World War II and the HolocaustLesson 1: World War II Begins

German Path to War

• Guiding Questions

• A. What was Hitler’s motivation for German expansion?

• B. What alliances and events contributed to the outbreak of WWII?

• World War II in Europe had its beginnings in the ideas of Adolf Hitler

• He believed Germans were part of an Aryan race that was superior to all other races.

• To be a great power, he thought Germany needed more land to support a larger population

German Path to War

http://sz-n.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Adolf-Hitler.jpg

German Path to War

• As early as the 1920’s, Hitler indicated that the Nazis would find this land to the east

• Can you guess what land this was?• Soviet Union (Russia)• After the Soviet Union had been conquered, Hitler

foresaw it being resettled by German peasants• In his mind, the Slavic peoples could be used for

slave labor to build an Aryan racial state that Hitler believed would dominate Europe for 1000 years.

Hitler Violates Treaty

• After WWI, Treaty of Versailles limited Germany’s military power

• Hitler stressed that Germany wanted to revise the unfair conditions of the treaty by peaceful means

• He said Germany only wanted its rightful place among the European states

Hitler Violates Treaty

• March 9th 1935: Hitler announced creation of new air force

• Also began military draft • Expanded Germany’s army from 100,000 to

550,000 troops• These actions were in direct violation of the

Treaty of Versailles.

Opposition

• France, Great Britain, and Italy condemned Germany’s actions and warned against future aggressive steps.

• Middle of the Great Depression• Nations were distracted by internal problems

and took no further action.

Early moves

• Hitler was convinced Western Europe had no intention of using force to maintain Treaty of Versailles

• March 7th 1936 he sent German troops into Rhineland.

• Rhineland was part of Germany, but according to the Treaty, it was a demilitarized area.

• Demilitarized: no weapons or fortifications allowed. • Map pg 609

“Only going into their back garden”

• France had the right to use force against this violation

• Wouldn’t do it without British support• Britain didn’t support using force against Germany.• Policy of appeasement.• British government saw occupation of German

territory by German troops as reasonable action by a dissatisfied power

• London Times: Germans were “only going into their own back garden”.

Bellringer

• Why did Britain pursue a policy of appeasement when dealing with Hitler and the Nazis in 1936 when Hitler sent German troops into Rhineland?

Definition

• Appeasement: policy based on belief that if European states satisfied reasonable demands of dissatisfied powers, the dissatisfied powers would be content, and stability and peace would be achieved in Europe.

Bellringer

• How did World War I affect European leader’s attitudes towards international aggression in the 1930’s?

New Alliances

• Hitler was gaining new allies• Benito Mussolini of Italy: long dreamed of

creating new Roman Empire• October 1935: Mussolini’s forces invaded

Ethiopia• British and French opposed this action• Mussolini welcomed Hitler’s support

New Alliances

• 1936: Both Germany and Italy sent troops to Spain to help General Francisco Franco in the Spanish Civil War.

• October 1936: Mussolini and Hitler made agreement, recognizing mutual interests.

• Mussolini spoke of the new alliance as the “Rome-Berlin Axis”.

• November 1936: Germany and Japan signed Anti-Communist pact, promising common fight against communism.

Union with Austria

• 1937 – Germany was once more a “world power” as Hitler claimed

• Hitler was convinced neither France nor Great Britain would oppose his plans

• 1938: Hitler pursued one of his goals: union with Austria, his native land.

Union with Austria

• By threatening Austria with invasion, Hitler forced Austrian leadership to put Austrian Nazis in charge of their government

• The new government invited German troops to enter Austria and “help” in maintaining law and order

• One day later, March 13th 1938, Hitler annexed Austria to Germany.

Czechoslovakia

• Hitler’s next objective was the destruction of Czechoslovakia.

• Sept 15th 1938: Germany demanded Sudetenland, an area in northwestern Czechoslovakia that was inhabited largely by Germans

• Quickly arranged conference in Munich, Hitler’s plans were granted, German troops were allowed to occupy the Sudetenland.

• Czechs, without backup from allies, stood by helplessly.

Munich Conference

• Munich conference: high point of Western appeasement of Hitler.

• Neville Chamberlain: British Prime Minister• When Chamberlain returned to England from

Munich, he bragged that the agreement meant “peace for our time”

• British statesman Winston Churchill warned instead that the settlement “was a disaster of the first magnitude”.

Hitler’s promise

• Hitler promised Chamberlain that he would make no more demands.

• Like many others, Chamberlain believed Hitler’s promises.

Further occupation

• March 1939: Hitler invaded and took Bohemia and Moravia, in western Czechoslovakia.

• The country was becoming a “puppet state” controlled by Nazi Germany.

• Finally, Western states reacted to the Nazi threat.

• When Hitler demanded Polish port of Danzig, Great Britain saw the danger and offered to protect Poland in the event of war.

Hitler and the Soviets

• France and Britain realized that only the Soviet Union was powerful enough to help contain Nazis

• Hitler continued to believe the West would not fight over Poland

• He did fear that the West and the Soviet Union might make an alliance

• To prevent this, Hitler made his own agreement with Stalin.

Non-Aggression Pact

• August 23rd 1939: Germany and Soviet Union signed the Nazi-Soviet Non-aggression pact.

• The two nations promised not to attack each other.

• To get Stalin to sign, Hitler offered control of eastern Poland and the Baltic states.

• Did not matter to Hitler what he promised, he was accustomed to breaking promises anyway.

How long with the honeymoon last?

Poland

• Hitler shocked the world when he announced the treaty

• Hitler now free to attack Poland• Hitler told his generals “Now Poland is in the

position in which I wanted her….I am only afraid that at the last moment some swine with yet submit to me a plan for mediation.”

Bellringer – Japanese Path to War

• Why did Japan want to expand into Chinese Manchuria? (Pg 611)

Japanese Path to War

• Night of Sept 18th 1931: Japanese soldiers, disguised as Chinese soldiers, blew up a small section of the Manchurian Railway near the city of Mukden.

• Japan owned this area, and Japanese soldiers wanted to blame the incident on the Chinese

• Japanese army used this to justify its taking of all of Manchuria in a series of military advances.

Manchuria

• Manchuria offered many resources the Japanese needed

• After this conquest, the Japanese army became committed to an expansionist policy – a policy of enlarging the Japanese empire

League of Nations

• Sept 1932: Japanese army formed Manchuria into a separate state

• Renamed it Manchukuo• Placed a puppet ruler, Henry Pu Yi, on the throne. • Worldwide protests• League of Nations sent in investigators• Japan withdrew from League of Nations• United States refused to recognize Japanese

Manchuria, but was unwilling to threaten force

Expansion and Control

• Japan continued expansion and control• Eastern part of Mongolia • Areas in north China around Beijing.• Japanese army established foreign policy, not

their Emperor• Armed forces had gained control of Japanese

politics by the 1930’s.

War with China

• As Japan moved steadily southward, protests against aggression grew stronger in Chinese cities

• Japan seized Chinese capital of Nanjing in December• Japanese Army destroyed the city and massacred

more than 100,000 civilians and prisoners of war• Event known as “Rape of Nanjing because of its

brutality• Women forced into sexual slavery• Temporarily defeated, Chinese continued to resist

Event known as “Nanjing Massacre” because of its

brutality.

Temporarily defeated, Chinese continued to resist

New Order?

• Japan’s hoped to force Chinese to agree to a new Order in East Asia

• Wanted to establish a new system of control with Japan guiding neighbors to prosperity.

• Part of Japan’s plan to take Soviet Siberia, with its rich resources

Cooperation with Germany

• During the late 1930’s Japan began to cooperate with Nazi Germany

• Japan assumed the two countries would eventually launch a joint attack on Soviet Union, dividing the resources between them.

• When Germany and Soviets signed nonaggression pact in Aug 1939, Japanese had to rethink their goals

• Japan lacked resources to defeat Soviet Union• Looked to South Asia for raw materials for their

military.

Sanctions

• Moving southward risked war with Europe and USA

• Japan’s attacks already drawing strong criticism, especially from USA

• Summer 1940: Japan demanded right to exploit economic resources in French Indochina

USA Intervenes

• USA objected, and warned of economic sanctions unless Japan withdrew

• Sanctions: restrictions intended to enforce international law.

• Japan badly needed oil and scrap iron that it was getting from United States

• If they were cut off, Japan’s long term goals would be threatened

Dilemma

• Japan was now in a dilemma• To get raw materials in Southeast Asia, they

had to risk losing them from the USA• After much debate, Japan decided to launch a

surprise attack on US and European colonies in Southeast Asia

Lesson 2: World War II

• Hitler stunned Europe with German attack on Poland

• His blitzkrieg, or “lightning war”, used panzer divisions.

• Panzer division: strike force of 300 tanks, supported by airplanes.

• Blitzkreig broke through Polish lines and surrounded Polish troops

Europe at War

• Within 4 weeks, Poland had surrendered• Sept 28th 1939: Germany and Soviet Union

divided Poland• Waited out winter, resumed attacking April 9th

1940, another Blitzkrieg against Denmark and Norway

• One month later, Germany launched an attack on Netherlands, Belgium, and France

Maginot Line

• French and British forces taken by surprise• Anticipating an attack, France built a defense

system called the Maginot Line across its border with Germany.

• The line was a series of concrete and steel fortifications armed with heavy artillery

• Germany decided not to cross the Maginot Line• Instead they went around it and attacked France

from its border with Belgium.

Maginot Line

Maginot Line• André Maginot was the French Minister of Defense at the time.

He was also a World War I veteran. France ran defense in World War I somewhat successfully, so Maginot decided to do it again. He embedded 3 billion francs worth of artillery casemates, machine guns, tanks, and cement into the earth along its borders with Germany. Machines could rise out of the ground, shoot 360°, and lower back into place. Electric power. Diesel redundancy. Even underground trains. The Maginot Line was two hundred miles of engineered brilliance.

• But the Germans went around it. They attacked near neutral Belgium, glided overhead, bombed the Maginot Line, and broke through within five days. They called it Blitzkrieg, or “lightning war.”

Evacuation at Dunkirk• By going around the Maginot Line, the

Germans split the Allied armies• Trapped French troops and the British army on

the beaches of Dunkirk• In a heroic effort, the Royal Navy and private

citizens evacuated 338,000 Allied troops.

Primary Source

• “The Soldiers were coming off the beach clinging to bits of wood and wreckage and anything that would float. As we got close enough we began…..picking up as many as we could…[and taking] them off to one of the ships lying off in the deep water.”

• -Quoted in blood, tears and folly, 1993

Armistice

• French signed an armistice on June 22 1940• German armies occupied three-fifths of France• An authoritarian regime controlled the

remainder of the country• Called “Vichy France” and was led by French

hero of WW1 Marshal Henri Petain

Vichy France

Churchill

• Germany now in control of western and central Europe, but Britain had still not been defeated.

• After Dunkirk, the British resolve heightened. • British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was

especially helpful in rallying the British people.

USA

• President Franklin D. Roosevelt spoke against Nazi aggression

• But followed strict policy of isolationism• Isolationism: policy of national isolation by refraining from

alliances and other international political and economic relations.

• Many Americans felt that USA had been drawn into World War I due to economic involvement in Europe

• Wanted to prevent this from happening again• Roosevelt felt that neutrality would encourage Nazi

aggression.• USA gradually relaxed this policy, began to supply Britain

Bellringer

• Describe the significance of the following three terms to WW2:

• 1. Maginot Line• 2. Dunkirk• 3. Vichy France

The Battle of Britain

• Hitler realized an amphibious (land-sea) invasion of Britain could only succeed if Germany controlled the air.

• August 1940: the Luftwaffe (German air force) launched major attack

• German planes bombed British air and naval bases, harbors, communication centers.

Battle of Britain

• British fought back with determination• Effective radar system: gave early warning of

German attacks• British air force still suffered huge losses• September 1940: Germany retaliated for British

attack on Berlin• Hitler shifts strategy• Bombed cities instead of military targets• Hoped to break British morale

Battle of Britain

• Because military targets were not hit, British rebuilt their air strength quickly

• British air force was successful against Luftwaffe bombers

• Hitler postponed invasion of Britain indefinitely.

Attack on Soviet Union

• Hitler became convinced that Britain remained in the war only because it expected Soviet support

• If Soviet Union was smashed, Britain’s last hope would be eliminated

• Hitler also was convinced that the Soviet Union had a weak army and could be defeated quickly.

Invasion of Soviet Union

• Hitler’s invasion of the Soviet Union delayed because of Mussolini’s failed invasion of Greece in 1940

• To secure the Balkans, Hitler seized both Greece and Yugoslavia in April

• Hitler invaded Soviet Union on June 22nd 1941• He believed he could defeat the Russians

before winter• Massive attack stretched along 2,900 km.

German Advances

• German troops advanced quickly, capturing 2 million Russian soldiers.

• By November, one German army group swept through Ukraine, and a second was attacking Leningrad, and a third was approaching within 40 km of Moscow, the capital.

• German advance stopped by fierce winter and Soviet resistance

• Germany had not planned for winter uniforms• A counterattack in December 1941 by Soviet army

ended the year for the Germans.

Japan at War

• December 7th 1941: Japanese aircraft attacked US naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii

• Surprise attack• Destroyed more than 350 aircraft, 18 ships,

killed 3,500 Americans• The same day, Japanese attacked Philippines

and advanced on Malaya• By Spring 1942, almost all of SE Asia and much

of Western Pacific had fallen to the Japanese

FDR’s Speech

• FDR's famous request for Congress to declare war following the Japanese attacks of December 7th -- the "day that will live in infamy."

• December 8, 1941

Primary Source

• Yesterday, Dec. 7, 1941 -- a date which will live in infamy -- the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

• The United States was at peace with that nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with the government and its emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific.

• Yesterday, the Japanese government also launched an attack against Malaya.

• Last night, Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong.• Last night, Japanese forces attacked Guam.• Last night, Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands.• Last night, the Japanese attacked Wake Island.• This morning, the Japanese attacked Midway Island.• Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive

extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our nation.

• With confidence in our armed forces -- with the unbending determination of our people -- we will gain the inevitable triumph -- so help us God.

• I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, Dec. 7, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese empire.

Last years of the War

• Beginning of 1943: tide of battle turned against axis (Germany, Italy, Japan)

• Since Autumn of 1943, Allies planned invasion of France from Great Britain, across the English Channel

• June 6th 1944 – D-Day• Allied forces under US general Dwight

Eisenhower landed on the Normandy beaches in history’s greatest naval invasion

D-Day

• Allies fought their way past hidden underwater mines, barbed wire, machine gun fire

• Germans responded slowly, thinking this was a diversion and the real invasion would occur elsewhere

• Gave Allied forces time to set up• Within 3 months, allies landed 2 million men and 500,000

vehicles• Allies pushed through German defensive lines, liberated

Paris by August 1944• By Jan 1945, both sides suffered heavy losses but the Allied

lines held

Soviet advances

• Soviets came a long way since Battle of Stalingrad in 1943

• Soviets soundly defeated German forces at the Battle of Kursk, the greatest tank battle of WW2.

• Soviets moved into Baltic states by early 1944, and occupied Warsaw Poland and Berlin by April.

• As allied forces advanced into Nazi occupied Europe, they also liberated the concentration camps and death camps.

Hitler’s final stand

• By January 1945, Hitler had moved into a bunker 55 feet under the city of Berlin.

• In his final testament, He blamed the Jews for the war. He wrote:

• “Above all I charge the leaders of the nation and those under them to scrupulous observance of the laws of race and to merciless opposition to the universal poisoner of all peoples, international Jewry.” – April 29th 1945

• Hitler committed suicide on April 30th.

Today’s Focus

• USA advances in SE Asia• Roosevelt’s Death/Truman takes over• Manhattan Project• Hiroshima/Nagasaki bombing• Armistice

Asia

• Beginning in 1943, US forces advanced in the Pacific

• Island hopping campaign, gained strategic advantage in air war on Japan

• Casualties mounted

Roosevelt’s death

• Harry Truman became president after Roosevelt died on April 12th 1945.

• Truman had difficult decision to make

Manhattan project

• Scientists worked on top secret project called the Manhattan project

• Efforts led to development of the atomic bomb.• Should Truman use the newly developed atomic

weapons to bring the war to an end? • If USA invaded Japan, troops would suffer heavy

casualties• Only two bombs, nobody knew how effective

they’d be.

Nuclear Bomb• A nuclear weapon of the "Little Boy" type, the

uranium gun-type detonated over Hiroshima. It is 28 inches in diameter and 120 inches long. "Little Boy" weighed about 9,000 pounds and had a yield approximating 15,000 tons of high explosives.

Nuclear Bomb• A nuclear weapon of the "Fat Man" type, the

plutonium implosion type detonated over Nagasaki. 60 inches in diameter and 128 inches long, the weapon weighed about 10,000 pounds and had a yield approximating 21,000 tons of high explosives

Hiroshima/Nagasaki

• Truman decided to use the bombs• First bomb dropped on Hiroshima (Aug 6th)• Of the city’s 350,000 inhabitants, 190,000 died. • Three days later, another bomb dropped on

Nagasaki• Both cities were leveled, thousands died

immediately, thousands more in later months due to radiation.

The bomb and its aftermath

Death Count

• The real mortality of the atomic bombs that were dropped on Japan will never be known.

• The destruction and overwhelming chaos made orderly counting impossible.

• It is not unlikely that the estimates of killed and wounded in Hiroshima (150,000) and Nagasaki (75,000) are over conservative.

War Over

• Japan’s emperor accepted Allied forces demands for surrender on Aug 15th 1945

• WW2 finally over• 17 million died in battle, 20 million civilian

deaths, some estimates place total losses at 60 million.

War Over

• The dropping of the bombs in Japan marked the beginning of the Nuclear Age.

• Other countries raced to build their own nuclear weapons.

• In August 1949, Soviet Union set of its first atomic bomb, starting an arms race with the United States that lasted 40 years.

Cold War

• No real peace but a period of political tensions, known as the Cold War, followed the victory of the Allies in WW2.

• The Cold War dominated world affairs until the late 1980’s.

• 1945 and 1946 – Nazi leaders condemned for war crimes at trials in Nuremberg, Germany.

• War Crimes trials were also held in Japan and Italy.