History Lecture Notes Review
Historical Concepts
Historians analyze historical evidence using concepts such as primary and secondary sources. Primary sources are firsthand accounts from the time being studied, while secondary sources interpret primary sources later. Origin, bias, attitude, intention, limitations, reliability, and usefulness are crucial in source analysis.
Module 1: Impact of the Treaty of Versailles and Context of WWI
The Treaty of Versailles, signed in 1919, held Germany responsible for WWI, demanding territorial losses, military reductions, reparations (1,052 billion in 2024), and the creation of demilitarized zones. This treaty is seen by some as a cause of the rise of Hitler. The treaty also established the League of Nations. Germans viewed the treaty as a "stab in the back".
Unit 1.1: The Weimar Government
The Weimar Republic, established after Kaiser Wilhelm II's abdication in 1918, adopted a democratic system with proportional representation. The chancellor held the most power. The Weimar Government faced unpopularity due to the Treaty of Versailles, hyperinflation, and political instability.
Unit 1.2: Germany in the 1920s & Rise of the Nazi Party
Post-WWI Germany saw the rise of right-wing extremist parties, including the DAP (German Workers’ Party) founded by Anton Drexler in 1919. Hitler joined the DAP, renamed it the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP or Nazis), and implemented changes that caused the party to grow. The SA (Stormtroopers) used violence to control crowds and attack opponents. By 1922 Hitler had complete control of the party. The Munich Putsch in 1923 failed, but prison time allowed Hitler to write Mein Kampf.
The ‘Lean Years’ 1924-1928
During the “Lean Years” following the Munich Putsch, Hitler reorganized the Nazi Party, outlined the Nazi party's beliefs and policies in Mein Kampf, which included: reversing the Treaty of Versailles, rebuilding the army, invading Communist Russia (Lebensraum), Aryanism, Socialism, Totalitarianism and the Nazi Party. Support for the Nazis declined, however, after Von Hindenburg took power and Germany's economy was stabalizing. The 1929 Great Depression increased extremist political parties which led to the rise of authoritarian regimes.
Module 2: Rise of Hitler and the Nazis
Factors influencing the Nazi's victory in 1932 include: The Great Depression, fear of communism, weakness of the Weimar Republic, organization of the Nazis and the role of Hitler. Hitler promised to 'fix the economy' and the propaganda targeted toward lower-middle class citizens which led to a political victory through democratic voting. On January 30, 1933 Hindenburg appointed Hitler as chancellor. After the Reichstag fire, Hitler imposed Article 48 of the constitution which led to the Enabling Act of 1933 and Hitler gaining dictatorial powers.
Unit 2.2: Hitler’s Foreign Policy
Driven by expansionist ideology (Lebensraum) and racial supremacy. Key Policies include overturning the Treaty of Versailles, expanding into Eastern Europe to unite German-speaking people, containing communism, reviving the military, forming alliances, and implementing the "Final Solution".
Unit 2.3: Nazi Atrocities and the Holocaust
Antisemitism existed, but Nazi's could begin persecution through the Nuremburg Laws (1933-1938) which stripped Jews of German rights and citizenship. Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass) marked another turning point in the build-up to the Holocaust attacks on Jewish businesses, synagogues and homes. Nazi concentration camps were used to incarcerate, eliminate, and exploit targeted groups.
Module 3: Key Events of WWII
Unit 3.1: The Policy of Appeasement
Appeasement is a diplomatic strategy where a country makes concessions to an aggressive foreign power in an effort to avoid war. The Policy of Appeasement gave Hitler what he wanted to stop him from going to war.
Unit 3.2: World War II
WWII (1939-1945) involved Allied Powers (U.S., Britain, France, Soviet Union, China) against Axis Powers (Germany, Italy, Japan). Germany invades Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland. Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact enabled initial Axis advances. The rise of nationalist philosophy among Germany, Italy and Japan leads to increased tensions. After Mussolini's surrender on April 27, the Allies close in on Berlin, and Hitler commits suicide on April 30. Propoganda during WWII was intensified.
Unit 3.3: WWII in the Pacific
Japan's expansionist military government invaded China in 1931, leading to U.S. economic sanctions. Tensions escalated, and the U.S. naval fleet was moved to Pearl Harbor as a display of power. The bombing of Pearl Harbor on Dec 7, 1941 pushed the U.S. into the Allied side of the war, and led to a rash of fear about national security, especially on the West Coast as well as the internment of Japanese Americans after Executive Order 9066.
Unit 3.4: Increasing Tension between the Allies at the end of WWII
The U.S. and USSR, former allies against Nazism, grew apart after WWII due to opposing ideologies: capitalism versus communism. The U.S. developed the atomic bomb without informing the USSR, increasing tensions. These events led to the start of the Cold War. The war in the Pacific ended when the USA used the atomic bomb in an effort to end the war with Japan.
Module 4: The Cold War (1945-1989)
Unit 4.1: What was the Cold War?
The nuclear bomb caused a shift in competition between superpowers. The US and Soviet Union competed for economic and political influence in Europe and the world under conflicting ideologies, Capitalism vs communism.
Unit 4.2: How it began (Conferences)
Post-WWII, Germany was divided into four zones controlled by the Allies. The Yalta and Potsdam Conferences shaped post-war Europe. Churchill's "Iron Curtain" speech highlighted the divide between East and West. The Truman Doctrine aimed to contain communism through financial and military aid, and the Marshall Plan provided aid to rebuild Western Europe. The tension between the two countries intensified after both conferences.
Unit 4.3: The Berlin Blockade and Airlift
The Berlin Blockade (1948-1949) occurred when the Soviets blocked off entry points in attempt to force the Western Allies out of Berlin. The West responded with Operation Vittles, an airlift of supplies into West Berlin, which made the Soviets lift the Blockade.
Unit 4.4: The Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall (1961-1989) symbolized the Iron Curtain, dividing East and West Berlin. Built to stop the exodus of East Germans, it became a heavily guarded barrier, restricting movement and freedom. The wall later fell (November 9, 1989) and was the symbolic end of the Cold War.
Unit 4.5: Conflict and Competition between the Super Powers
Arms race development intensified and expanded weapon supplies between the US and USSR. This was also referred to as the Space race, a competition between the USA and the USSR for status in the eyes of the world during the Cold War.
Unit 4.6: The Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 was a major Cold War event. The tensions between Kennedy and Khrushchev followed until both sides de-escalated, the US agreed to secretly remove its missiles from Turkey, and the USSR removed its missile bases from Cuba.
Unit 4.7: The end of the Cold War
Gorbachev’s policies and the liberal reform he adopted in the USSR lead to changes. Communist party was disbanded which allowed the Cold War to come to an end.
Module 5: Turning Points in SA History
Unit 5.1: 1948 as a turning point in South Africa’s history
The National Party (NP) victory in 1948 started Apartheid, emphasizing racial segregation and white supremacy. Policies and economical improvement focused on the preservation and improvement of the economic status of white people. In 1948, racial segregation established itself as a primary focus for South Africa. This implemented laws that made racial segregation and economic security a foundation of South African society.
Unit 5.2: Apartheid laws
The laws of the land were split based off certain laws. The laws included public amenities spaces being segregated, no political organizations in agreement with the government, inferior education enforced for black youth, homelands being set aside for exclusive use by people of colour, and that people had to carry passes to move around the rural and urban areas.
Unit 5.3: Repression and resistance to Apartheid
The African National Congress (ANC) was a liberation organization, still in power in South Africa to this day, who fought to end apartheid and usher in democracy in 1994. The Women's March in 1956 was a pivotal event protesting all forms of apartheid. Finally, and perhaps one of the saddest massacres, was the Sharpeville Massacre (1960) killed black protesters.