WWII

E.U. Pre WWII

• The League of Nations was trying to stop conflicts between Nations 

  • many nations not present (the U.S. and Russia)

• E.U. countries are in a depression

  • Debts with War + worsening economies

• In the Depression, Germany scapegoats Jews (Judaism)

• Depression → Increased Totalitarian Control

Stalin Background

• Inspired by Karl Marx – Epitome of Comunist Ideals

• Becomes editor of a Newspaper When Lenin comes to power

• Lenin suffered a stroke → Stalin takes over

Russian Actions Pre-WWII

• Led by Communist Stalin

• Aimed to create Ideal communist world

• Centralized Economic Plan (In Moscow)

• States take over farms→ Soviet Agriculture system

  • Removes private ownership of farms

• Pushes peasants into factories

• 1928 - 1932 ~ 4 million die from starvation

• The Soviet economy grows by 27%

• Stalin eliminates all other rivals

• ~2 million people undergo harsh labor in “gulags” in Siberia

Fascism

• One dictator with a cult of personality. Create customs to prove strength

  • Ex. Germans had to raise their hand and say Heil Hitler

• Racial Superiority belief system

• The state is supreme, desire to return to past Greatness

• Blame others for misfortune/lack of success (scapegoating)

• Create work camps for those against the fascist regime

Mussolini background

• Founded National Fascist Party in Italy – creator of Facism

• Overall goal: Recreate the Roman Empire

• Gains power from Itallian Government

• Invaded Ethiopia in 1925

  • Only an independent African Kingdom – a member of the United Nations

• The Ethiopian king receives no help from the UN

Blackshirts

• Paramilitaristic people in Italy, hired by Italy to help enforce the Fascist regime

• Fight communists

German Situation Pre-WWII

Economic problems:

• Losing land they had “aquired” from war

• In huge debt

  • Causes them to print money to repay debts

    • Lots of printing → hyperinflation

    • Money worth, worth almost nothing

Hitler’s Rise to Power Pre-WWII

• Germany removes Kaiser → Hitlers eventual rise

• Founds National Socialist German Workers party (nickname Nazi

• First attempted through Beer Hall Putsch

  • Attempted overthrow, all went to jail

• Eventually appointed Chanecollr & given Emergency Powers from Government

  • Abolishes all political parties & arrests communists

• Antisemetic 

• Passes the Enabling Act

• Gives full dictatorial power, eliminates opposition

Beer Hall Putsch

• 1923

• Hitler & His party attempt to overthrow the government

  • All of them imprisoned, even Hitler

    • Goes to jail for 5 years

Enabling Act

A law passed in Germany, ensuring that Hitler did not need congressional support to act.

Spanish Civil War

• Battle between General Franco(Facist leader) against republican anti-facists

  • Precursor to WWII.

• Franco aligns with Germany and Italy

  • Creates a fascist alliance

  • Germany & Italy can test new military tactics & equipment in the battle

• The U.S. government stays neutral, but companies are selling supplies.

  • Furthers Isolationism

• General Franco wins, establishes martial law. 

  • No civil liberties, harsh regulations for people, strong military

Germany Desires going to battle:

1. Living Space

2. Secret German Military Buildup & Combat Experience

3. Racism

German Desire for Living Space

• Hitler attempts to re-claim Saar Basin (1935) and Rhineland(1936)

• Both places are rich in coal → economic gain

• Rhineland was initially a demilitarized zone. Part of the state voted to return to Germany →Hitler sent troops 

• Captured Austria

  • Using Troops & local NAZI party present in country 

  • No help from other European Nations 

• Munich Agreement →Captures Chezoslovakia

• Non-Aggression Pact →Invasion of Poland 

  • marked as beginning of WWI, September 1st, 1939

Munich Agreement

• Brought back by Nevile Chamberlain, and to avoid another WWI. 

• Hitler promises no further territorial expansion, verbally. 

  • He was lying.

• He goes and takes Czechoslovakia. 

German Desire for Military Build up

• Germans able to test military equipment in Spanish Civil War

Non-Aggression Pact of 1939

• Hitler creates a peace pact with Stalin

  • Nobody udnerstand hows why, they hate each other

• To prevent Russian army from interfering

  • They have large army & are mighty 

• Allows for Easy Polish Invasion

  • Split it up

Tripartite Pact – Axis Powers

• Alliance between Germany, Italy, and Japan

  • All three fascist-like governments

European Response to Poland's Invasion:

• Both Britain and France declare war

• Britain tries to blockade Germany. 

British Strategies Fighting:

• Rader & Ultra Advantage

  • Invented Radar → detection of incoming planes

  • Ultra – cracks German codes 

• Have the Spitfire planes, more maneuverable than the German (Luftwaffe)

  • Causes Germans to lose many planes

Important WWII Battles/Locations/Events Pre U.S. Involvment

• The Phony War

• Invasion of Norway

• Netherlands, Belgium, & Luxembourg

• France

• Miracle at Dunkirk

The Phony War (Sitzkrig) September 1939 – May 1940

• Period of time, with no violence

• Creates false sense of security in E.U.

• Allows Germany to recover, and build up resources

• Eventually rebegins war in May 1940

German Invasion Norway

• Acquisition helps German’s war strategies

  • Good U-boat bases can be built

  • Good place to build air bases

  • Prevents British control of seas

• Leads to invasion of Denmar, Norway (April 1940)

Invasion of Netherlands, Belgium, & Luxembourg

• Done while bypassing Maginot Line

• Helped control more ports & bring German Troops

Miracle at Dunkirk

• The British army was pushed into the edge, near Dunkirk sea

• Private fishing boats come and save the army from absolute destruction

U.S. Foreign policy 1920s-1940s

• U.S stays isolationist

  • Put more focus on Internal Problems

• FDR states that they will stay neutral, away from WWII. 

• Yet, FDR knows soon Hitler will approach them 

  • Attempts to subtly change the nation’s mind of war

U.S. Pre-War Neutrality Policies

• Nye Commission (1936)

• Congress Neutrality Acts (1935-37)

• Ludlow Amendment (1938)

Nye Commission (1936)

• Forbids the United States from selling arms into a war zone (aimed to stop supplying the war).

Congress Neutrality Acts (1935-37) 

• Prohibited Banks from aiding conflict in the E.U.

Ludlow Amendment (1938)

• Takes power of declaring war from Congress to citizens

• The nation must vote if they should go to war

  • Prevents those in congress from declaring war

FDR Executive Orders For the War

• Cash and Carry Executive Order ‘

• Destroyer Deal (1940)

• Lend-Lease Act (1941)

Cash and Carry Executive Order

• The U.S. will sell war goods (guns, oil, etc.) to allied nations

• Must be paid in cash

• Other nations will carry 

  • Prevents the death of U.S. ships in war

  • Replaces the 1936 Neutrality Act

Destroyer Deal, September 1940

• U.S. built warships for Allied nations

• U.S. receive Naval bases in Europe & European territories

Lend-Lease Act (1941)

• U.S. “loaned” war material to Allies

  • Tricky way of saying they will support the British

• United States becomes known as “Arsenal of Democracy”

  • As their the supplier

• Gets U.S. economy running. 

  • Helps aid during time of Great Depression

Operation Barbarossa (June 1941)

• Hitlers Biggest mistake

• Hitler’s frustration over British Resistance → invades Soviet Union.

• Hitler convinced in ability to end battle quickly

  • But Winter starts → German’s fucked

• Winter, stops almost all German advance. 

• Hitler refuses to withdraw→ Heavy loses in german army 

• Soviet Union suffer the most civilian and damages than all other nations in WWII. 

19th Century Japan

• Wanted no foreign influence or leaving of individuals

  • Believed in Cultural Purity,

  • Believed themselves supriorior Asian race. 

• Agrarian Society

• Lord-vassal type of government.

• Honor and Tradition are important concepts

• Forced interaction with the outside world after the Treaty of Kanagawa

Treaty of Kanagawa

• Commodore Perry forced a treaty between Japan and the U.S.

• Terms:

  • Created 2 ports for American ships

  • Helps U.S. ships when near the Japanese Shore

• Causes rapid Japanese industrialization

  • →Japan needs more resources

• Need for resources → Mass Expansionism

Japanese Expansionism Conquests

• Annex Korea, 1910

• Nanking 1937

• Manchuria

Annexation of Korea (1910)

• Attempt to erase their culture & replace with Japanes culture

  • Kids taught japanese script. 

  • Very brutal

Nanking (1937)

• Like a city of learning, with lots of culture. 

• Horrific murders of civilians and violence.

Manchuria

• Set up as a puppet stage by the Japanese

• Goes from a Chinese state to an independent state.

• Hurts U.S. Economically

FDR & Japan Dilema

• Must decide between negotiation and war

  • Attempts to do both

• U.S. want Japan to stop harming China

  • China important to U.S. economy

• Japan Wants U.S. to stop giving China Aid

• Cuts U.S. Exports to Japan

• Move Naval asset from San Diego To Pearl Harbor

  • More security near pacific area. 

Pearl Harbor Plan & Effects

• Admiral Yamamoto wants to strike first & fast

  • To end U.S. involvement

• U.S. movement of navy to pearl harbor → Japanese plan to target 

  • Felt if U.S. fleet wiped out, U.S. would continue staying isolatinist

  • Complete opposite actually happens 

• Yamamoto knew if U.S. joined, Japan could run wild for 6 months, before losing

• Causes Japanese prejudice in U.S.(Internment camps)

• Japanese enthusiasm for Philippines → not fully finishing U.S. at pearl harbor 

American Preparation for Entering War

3 M’s

• Men

  • Recruit an army

  • Many joining men

    • Lots of motivation

    • Need for Jobs (Great Depressin)

• Machines

  • Create a war economy in 1940 

  • Using underutilized Factories & large unemployment

  • Increase in U.S. innovation (ex. make synthetic rubber)

  • U.S. enters debt for the war

• Minds 

  • Board of War mobilization

    • Led many other boards

    • Had control of U.S. Economy

    • Convinced people in favor of war

  • Large motivation (pearl Harbor)

  • Scared of sneak attacks

  • Fear of Nazism 

  • People can’t share information, to prevent spies

Kennedy Thesis

• The U.S. could stall the war; the Axis powers had no time

  • → the rush of Axis powers

• U.S. had large unemployment → large military growth 

• War is not fought on U.S. Land → U.S. Economy can thrive

  • Prevents U.S. civilian harm 

• U.S. Focus on Mass Production & Standardization

  • More on output, not variety

  • Ex. Liberty Ships

• Economy Makes lots of money

  • Guns and Butter (make guns, receive butter (money)). 

Women during WWII

• Propaganda, get Women to contribue to the war 

• Partially Successful

  • ~ ¼ women serve in the forces in war. 

• If in defense industry (factory etc,) only making 60% of what Men are

Casablanca Morocco Conference

• Where the Plan of Attack is determined

• U.S., Britain, and France decide to attack through MAT of Europe (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia)

  • Known as Operation Torch

• Churchill wants this to secure the Middle East for Britain

• FDR is still holding the defensive in the Pacific

• The Soviet Union was unable to participate

  • Still dealing with Operation Barbarossa

• Give allied aid to the Soviet Union (Weapons, not men)

  • Causes Stalin Casablanca Frusturation

    • Mad in little involvement

Stalin Casablanca Frustration:

• Mad at why the Americans won’t fight and only use money and machines

• Distrustful of motives & commitment to the war

  • Feels they want to reduce Russian Strength

• Wants U.S. soldiers to create another front. 

  • Through the attacking of France

Important Battles/Events After U.S. Entry

• Battle of El-Amin

• Tehran Iran Conference (1943)

• Siege of Leningrad

• Summer of 1943

• D-Day

Battle of El-Amin

• Beat General Rommel, who was Hitler’s greatest general. 

• Leads to his eventual suicide

Tehran Iran Conference (1943)

• First time Big 3 meet, U.S. Britain, Soviet Union

• Create plans for Post-war Germany & EU

• Stalin wants existing borders

• Both Stalin & U.S. convince Churchill to invade France

Siege of Leningrad:

• Siege of Leningrad city in Russia

• Goes almost 2 years. 

• Many Russian civilians die.

Summer 1943:

• Germans pushed back to Ukraine

• Most of tanks gone

  • Ends Blitzkrieg strategy.

• Germany heavily bombed. 

• The Mussolini government was dissolved by king. 

  • → Italy joins allied forces

• Hitler makes Mussolini a puppet master in Germany

D-Day

• Largest & most complex military plan in history

• Plan: flood french shores, while getting men accross. 

• In Normandy

• U.S. Fly planes & deploy paratroppers in enemy territory

  • The 101st and 82nd Airborns

  • 62% casualty rate

• It takes Americans and British a few months to establish themselves in France.