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WHAP Unit 7
Causes & Events Leading to WWI – MANIA
The causes of World War I can be summarized with the acronym MANIA:
Militarism – European powers built up their militaries, leading to an arms race. Germany and Britain competed in naval expansion, while all major powers prepared for war.
Alliances – European countries formed complex alliances. The two main sides:
Triple Entente: Britain, France, Russia
Triple Alliance: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy (Italy later switched sides)
Nationalism – National pride and ethnic tensions, especially in the Balkans, fueled conflict. Slavic nationalism in Serbia opposed Austrian control.
Imperialism – Competition for colonies and resources increased tensions between European nations.
Assassination – The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary by a Serbian nationalist (Gavrilo Princip) in June 1914 triggered the war.
Warfare & Arms Race
By 1914, European powers had heavily militarized.
Britain and Germany engaged in a naval arms race, focusing on dreadnought battleships.
Germany’s military build-up made France and Russia wary, prompting them to strengthen their armies.
Official Outbreak – When & Why?
When: July 28, 1914
Why: Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. This led to a chain reaction:
Russia supported Serbia.
Germany supported Austria-Hungary and declared war on Russia and France.
Germany invaded Belgium, violating its neutrality, leading Britain to declare war on Germany.
By August 1914, Europe was fully at war.
Schlieffen Plan
Germany’s strategy was to avoid a two-front war against France and Russia.
Plan: Quickly defeat France by invading through Belgium, then shift focus to Russia.
Failure: Belgium resisted, Britain entered the war, and Russia mobilized faster than expected. This led to prolonged trench warfare.
Trench Warfare
Western Front (France & Belgium): Trenches stretched from the North Sea to Switzerland.
Soldiers faced brutal conditions: mud, disease, rats, and constant shelling.
New weapons: machine guns, poison gas, tanks, and artillery made frontal assaults deadly.
Battle of Verdun (1916) & Battle of the Somme (1916) were among the deadliest.
USA’s Reasons for Entering the War
Initially neutral, the U.S. entered in April 1917 due to:
Unrestricted submarine warfare – Germany’s U-boats sank American ships, including the Lusitania, in 1915.
Zimmermann Telegram – Germany urged Mexico to attack the U.S. in exchange for lost territory (Texas, Arizona, New Mexico).
Economic ties – The U.S. had stronger financial and trade connections with Britain and France.
Official End of War – When & How?
Armistice was signed on November 11, 1918 (now known as Veterans Day).
Germany surrendered after internal unrest, loss of allies, and lack of resources.
The war officially ended with the Treaty of Versailles in June 1919.
Problems Suffered After the War
Massive casualties: Over 16 million dead, 21 million wounded.
Economic devastation in Europe.
Political instability: Revolutions (e.g., the Russian Revolution in 1917), uprisings, and new governments formed.
Psychological trauma: “Lost Generation” of soldiers, shell shock (PTSD).
Spanish Influenza Epidemic (1918-1919): Killed 50 million people worldwide, spreading rapidly due to war conditions.
Treaty of Versailles (1919)
When: Signed on June 28, 1919.
Key Provisions:
Germany took full blame for the war (War Guilt Clause).
Germany had to pay $33 billion in reparations.
Military restrictions: Germany’s army was limited to 100,000 troops, no submarines, and no air force.
Lost territory: Alsace-Lorraine returned to France; German colonies taken by the League of Nations.
League of Nations was created (the U.S. did not join).
Influenza Epidemic (1918-1919)
Also called the Spanish Flu.
Killed more people than WWI (~50 million deaths).
Spread quickly due to wartime troop movements.
Devastated Europe, the U.S., and colonies.
Self-Determination
Concept: Ethnic groups should have the right to govern themselves.
Promoted by Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points.
Led to the creation of new countries: Poland, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
However, colonies (Africa, Asia) were not granted self-determination, leading to future conflicts.
Effects on the Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire collapsed after WWI.
Treaty of Sèvres (1920) divided Ottoman land among Britain & France.
Turkey emerged as an independent nation under Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in 1923.
Britain & France took control of Middle Eastern territories (Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine) under the Mandate System.
Armenian Genocide (1915-1917)
Ottoman government systematically killed 1.5 million Armenians.
Reasons:
Ottomans accused Armenians of siding with Russia.
Mass deportations, forced marches, and massacres occurred.
Considered one of the first modern genocides.
Conclusion
World War I reshaped global politics, economies, and societies. It led to the downfall of empires, the rise of new nations, and tensions that contributed to World War II. The Treaty of Versailles and unresolved issues fueled resentment, particularly in Germany. Meanwhile, the influenza epidemic and the Armenian Genocide highlighted the devastating human cost of the war.
Japan Imperialism – Where? Why?
Where did Japan expand?
Korea (1910) – Annexed by Japan.
Manchuria (1931) – Invaded and controlled as Manchukuo.
China (1937) – The full-scale war began with the Second Sino-Japanese War (notably the , Nanjing Massacre).
Southeast Asia (1940s) – Occupied French Indochina, the Philippines, and other Pacific territories during WWII.
Why did Japan pursue imperialism?
Lack of resources – Japan had limited natural resources (oil, coal, rubber, and iron).
Desire for economic growth – Expansion helped secure markets and raw materials.
Military ambition – The government and military sought to establish Japan as a global power.
Nationalism & militarism – Japan saw itself as a dominant Asian force that should challenge Western influence.
Western imperialism – Japan wanted to compete with European empires in Asia.
Fascism – Characteristics
Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian political ideology that emphasizes:
Extreme nationalism – The nation is supreme, often at the expense of individual rights.
One-party rule – No political opposition is allowed.
Militarism – A strong military is essential for national strength and expansion.
Totalitarian control – The government controls media, education, and public life.
Anti-communism – Fascists opposed socialism and communism.
Economic control – The state heavily influences industry while allowing private ownership.
Examples of Fascist Leaders
Benito Mussolini (Italy) – Mussolini founded the Fascist Party in 1919 and took power in 1922.
Adolf Hitler (Germany) – Led the Nazi Party, became chancellor in 1933.
Francisco Franco (Spain) – Franco took power after the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939).
Great Depression – When? What were the consequences?
When?
Began in October 1929 with the U.S. stock market crash ("Black Tuesday").
Lasted through the 1930s, ending with WWII.
Economic Consequences
Mass unemployment – U.S. unemployment reached 25%; other nations suffered similarly.
Bank failures – Many banks collapsed, wiping out people's savings.
Global trade collapse – U.S. imposed tariffs (Smoot-Hawley Tariff), worsening the situation.
Deflation – Prices fell, leading to decreased production.
Political Consequences
Rise of dictators – Economic instability helped Hitler, Mussolini, and militarists in Japan gain power.
Communist appeal – Some turned to socialism and communism as alternatives to capitalism.
Weakened democracies – Many democratic governments struggled, leading to radical changes.
How was it fixed?
The New Deal (USA) – Government intervention to create jobs and stabilize the economy.
WWII spending – War production finally ended the Great Depression.
FDR & The New Deal
Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) became the U.S. president in 1933 and introduced the New Deal to combat the Great Depression.
Key Programs:
Social Security Act – Provided pensions for the elderly.
Public Works Administration (PWA) – Created jobs through infrastructure projects.
Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) – Built dams to provide electricity.
Works Progress Administration (WPA) – Employed millions in construction and arts.
Goal: Government intervention to revive the economy and restore public confidence.
Munich Agreement / Munich Pact (1938)
What happened?
Britain & France appeased Hitler by allowing him to annex the Sudetenland (Czechoslovakia).
Signed by Germany, Britain, France, and Italy in September 1938.
No Czechoslovak representatives were present.
Why?
Britain and France wanted to avoid war.
They underestimated Hitler and believed he would be satisfied with the Sudetenland.
Result?
Hitler saw appeasement as weakness and took the rest of Czechoslovakia in March 1939.
Britain and France finally realized Hitler wouldn’t stop and declared war after he invaded Poland (September 1939).
Appeasement
Definition: A policy of giving in to an aggressor to avoid conflict.
Main example: Britain and France’s Munich Agreement with Hitler.
Failure: Hitler kept expanding, leading to WWII.
Lesson learned: Appeasement only encouraged aggression.
Lenin & NEP (New Economic Plan) (1921-1928)
What was the NEP?
A temporary retreat from communism to revive the Soviet economy after the Russian Civil War.
Allowed limited capitalism: Peasants could sell surplus crops, and small businesses could operate privately.
Why was it needed?
War Communism (1918-1921) had led to economic collapse and famine.
The Kronstadt Rebellion (1921) showed that even Communist supporters were dissatisfied.
Results:
Improved agriculture and industry.
Some Communists opposed it because it reintroduced capitalist elements.
After Lenin’s death in 1924, Stalin ended the NEP and replaced it with the Five-Year Plans.
Stalin’s Five-Year Plans (1928-1953)
What were they?
Government-controlled economic plans to rapidly industrialize the USSR.
Focused on heavy industry (steel, coal, machinery) and collectivized agriculture.
Goals:
transforming the USSR into an industrial superpower.
Increase state control over the economy.
Consequences:
Industrial growth: The USSR became the second-largest economy after the U.S.
Famine (Holodomor, 1932-33): Forced collectivization in Ukraine led to millions of deaths.
Political purges: Stalin eliminated opponents in the Great Purge (1936-38).
Conclusion
The early 20th century was shaped by imperialism, economic crises, and the rise of totalitarian regimes. Japan expanded aggressively, the Great Depression destabilized economies, and fascism led to WWII. Lenin’s NEP temporarily stabilized the Soviet Union, but Stalin’s Five-Year Plans transformed it into a superpower at a huge human cost. The Munich Agreement showed the dangers of appeasement, proving that ignoring aggression only leads to greater conflict.
Events Leading Up to WWII – Timeline of Axis Advances
1931: Japan Invades Manchuria
Japan, needing resources, invaded Manchuria (China).
The League of Nations did nothing, showing its weakness.
1935: Italy Invades Ethiopia
Mussolini invaded Ethiopia, showing fascist aggression.
The League of Nations imposed weak sanctions, failing to stop Italy.
1936: Hitler Remilitarizes the Rhineland
Germany violated the Treaty of Versailles by sending troops into the demilitarized Rhineland.
Britain and France do not act (appeasement).
1936-1939: Spanish Civil War
Francisco Franco’s fascists won with support from Hitler and Mussolini.
The war served as a testing ground for WWII weapons and tactics.
1937: Japan Invades China (Second Sino-Japanese War)
Full-scale war begins between Japan and China.
Nanjing Massacre (1937-38): Japanese troops committed atrocities against Chinese civilians.
1938: Munich Agreement (Appeasement)
Hitler took the Sudetenland (Czechoslovakia) with Britain and France’s approval.
British PM Neville Chamberlain believed Hitler would stop, but he took the rest of Czechoslovakia in 1939.
1939: Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact
Germany and the USSR agreed not to attack each other.
Secretly, they agreed to split Poland.
Official Outbreak of WWII – When & Why?
When?
September 1, 1939: Germany invades Poland.
September 3, 1939: Britain and France declare war on Germany.
Why?
Hitler’s aggression and the failure of appeasement.
The Nazi-Soviet Pact allowed Germany to attack Poland without Soviet interference.
Blitzkrieg ("Lightning War")
German strategy of fast-moving warfare using:
Tanks (Panzers)
Aircraft (Luftwaffe)
Infantry coordination
Used in Poland (1939), France (1940), and the USSR (1941).
Italy’s Invasion of Ethiopia (1935-1936)
Mussolini attempted to expand Italy’s empire.
Used chemical weapons and brutal tactics.
The League of Nations failed to stop him, showing its weakness.
Operation Barbarossa (June 22, 1941)
Hitler breaks the Nazi-Soviet Pact and invades the USSR.
Initial German success, but a harsh winter and Soviet resistance stopped them.
This led to the Battle of Stalingrad and huge German losses.
Pearl Harbor – When & What Happened?
December 7, 1941: Japan attacks the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
Over 2,400 Americans were killed; battleships and aircraft were destroyed.
December 8, 1941: The U.S. declares war on Japan; Germany & Italy declare war on the U.S.
Battle of Stalingrad (August 1942 – February 1943)
Turning point of the Eastern Front.
Hitler’s forces attacked Stalingrad, but the harsh winter & Soviet counterattack led to German surrender.
Over 1 million Soviet casualties, but the Germans never fully recovered.
D-Day (June 6, 1944) – What Happened?
Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France (Normandy beaches).
Led by General Eisenhower; included U.S., British, and Canadian forces.
Largest amphibious invasion in history.
Germany was pushed back, leading to the liberation of France.
Atomic Bomb – Where & When? Effects?
Where & When?
Hiroshima (August 6, 1945) – The First atomic bomb is dropped. 80,000+ killed instantly.
Nagasaki (August 9, 1945) – The Second bomb is dropped. 40,000+ were killed instantly.
Effects:
Japan surrendered on August 15, 1945 (V-J Day).
Radiation poisoning killed thousands more over time.
Showed the destructive power of nuclear weapons and led to the Cold War arms race.
Women’s Roles in WWII
Women worked in factories producing weapons (e.g., Rosie the Riveter in the U.S.).
Served in military roles (nurses, pilots, spies).
Women took over men’s jobs on the home front.
Soviet women fought in combat (e.g., Night Witches, female bomber pilots).
Death Camps – Who Was Persecuted? Death Toll?
Victims of the Holocaust:
6 million Jews (genocide).
5 million others, including:
Slavs, Romani (Gypsies), disabled, LGBTQ+, political opponents, Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Auschwitz, Treblinka, Sobibor, Dachau – Notorious Nazi death camps.
Methods of Execution:
Gas chambers, forced labor, starvation, and medical experiments.
Propaganda in WWII
Used by all sides to influence public opinion.
Nazi propaganda:
Anti-Semitic films & posters.
Hitler Youth programs.
U.S. & Allied propaganda:
Encouraged war bonds, rationing, and enlistment.
Demonized Axis powers.
Japanese propaganda:
Promoted loyalty to the Emperor.
Encouraged kamikaze pilots (suicide attacks).
V-E & V-J Day – When & What Happened?
V-E Day (Victory in Europe Day) – May 8, 1945
Germany surrendered unconditionally after Hitler’s suicide (April 30, 1945).
Celebrations in Europe & the U.S..
V-J Day (Victory over Japan Day) – August 15, 1945
Japan surrendered after the atomic bombings.
September 2, 1945 –An Official surrender was signed on the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.
Conclusion
WWII was the deadliest conflict in history, shaped by total war, industrialized killing, and nuclear weapons. The war resulted in:
Mass destruction & loss of life.
The division of Germany & the start of the Cold War.
Decolonization movements worldwide.
The United Nations (UN) was created to prevent future wars
Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924)
U.S. President (1913-1921) during World War I.
Advocated for neutrality but later led the U.S. into WWI in 1917.
Proposed the Fourteen Points, including the League of Nations to prevent future wars.
Treaty of Versailles (1919) – Wilson pushed for peace, but the U.S. Senate refused to join the League.
His idealist foreign policy failed to prevent WWII, as the League of Nations was weak.
Neville Chamberlain (1869-1940)
British Prime Minister (1937-1940).
Known for appeasement, gave Hitler the Sudetenland (Czechoslovakia) in the Munich Agreement (1938).
Thought he had ensured “peace for our time.”
Failed to stop Hitler, who invaded the rest of Czechoslovakia and Poland.
Replaced by Winston Churchill in 1940 after Britain declared war on Germany.
Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
British Prime Minister (1940-1945, 1951-1955).
Opposed appeasement and warned about Hitler.
Led Britain during WWII, delivering powerful speeches (“We shall never surrender”).
Allied with FDR & Stalin in the Grand Alliance.
Helped plan D-Day (1944).
Coined the term “Iron Curtain” about Soviet expansion after WWII.
Adolf Hitler (1889-1945)
Leader of Nazi Germany (1933-1945).
Wrote Mein Kampf, promoting Aryan supremacy, anti-Semitism, and expansionism.
Defied the Treaty of Versailles (built up military, took Rhineland, Austria, and Czechoslovakia).
Started WWII (1939) by invading Poland.
Used Blitzkrieg tactics to conquer Europe.
Responsible for the Holocaust (6 million Jews murdered, 5 million others).
Lost the war and committed suicide in April 1945 as Soviet forces took Berlin.
Benito Mussolini (1883-1945)
Fascist dictator of Italy (1922-1943).
Promoted militarism, dictatorship, and nationalism.
Invaded Ethiopia (1935) and aligned with Hitler in the Axis Powers.
Overthrown in 1943 when Italy surrendered, but later led a Nazi-controlled puppet state.
Executed in 1945 by Italian resistance fighters.
Joseph Stalin (1878-1953)
Leader of the Soviet Union (1924-1953) after Lenin’s death.
Implemented Five-Year Plans – rapid industrialization, but led to famines (Holodomor).
Conducted Great Purge (1936-1938) – executed political enemies.
Signed the Nazi-Soviet Pact (1939) but later joined the Allies after Hitler invaded the USSR (1941).
Led the USSR to victory at Stalingrad (1943) and took Berlin (1945).
After WWII, it turned Eastern Europe into communist states, leading to the Cold War.
Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) (1882-1945)
U.S. President (1933-1945) – longest-serving president.
Led the U.S. out of the Great Depression with the New Deal.
Advocated for neutrality early in WWII but supported the Allies with Lend-Lease (1941).
After Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941), the U.S. declared war on Japan, then Germany.
Led U.S. war production, D-Day planning, and helped defeat the Axis.
Attended the Yalta Conference (1945) with Stalin & Churchill to decide post-war Europe.
Died in April 1945, before the war ended.
Hideki Tojo (1884-1948)
Japanese general and Prime Minister (1941-1944).
Ordered the attack on Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941), bringing the U.S. into WWII.
Supported militarism & expansion (invaded China, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific islands).
Refused to surrender until Hiroshima & Nagasaki bombings (August 1945).
Arrested & executed for war crimes (1948).
Vladimir Lenin (1870-1924)
Founder of the Soviet Union (1917-1924).
Led the Bolshevik Revolution (1917), overthrowing Russia’s Tsar Nicholas II.
Promoted communism & class struggle.
Created the New Economic Policy (NEP) – a temporary mix of socialism & capitalism to rebuild Russia.
Died in 1924, leading to a power struggle won by Stalin.
Conclusion
These leaders shaped both World Wars and the global political landscape. Their decisions led to massive conflicts, economic struggles, genocide, and the rise of fascism, communism, and democracy in the 20th century. Their legacies continue to influence contemporary political ideologies and conflicts, making it essential to analyze their impact on modern governance and international relations.
