WW2 and Interwar Years

Conditions of TOV

-FR and Br blame Germany

-Ger limited to 100,000 person army

-Ger loses all colonies

-Ger pays 132 billion gold marks in repearations

Weakness

-Germany blamed for war

-Germany had no say

-Weiman Republic forced to sign

-Russia new leader, Lenin introduces communsim

• Russia had failed to modernize and industrialize as other nations had.

• The Czar held all the power and had divine right. Russia had an autocracy, a type of government in which only one ruler has power.

• Political dissidents assassinated Czar Alexander II

• Czar Alexander III was a harsh ruler who repealed reforms and oppressed religious and cultural minorities in Russia, and he died from kidney inflammation

• Nicholas II: Alexander's son - took over, but was still a lousy leader. Letting Sergei Witte do everything for him.

• Russians were unhappy because of widespread poverty, political repression, and secret police, and a lack of modernization

• Russia got into a quick war with Japan, losing, resulting in the Russians hating Nicholas even more.

• Bloody Sunday (January 22, 1905) - Father Gapon led a peaceful protest asking for better working conditions, but then the soldiers opened fire on the crowd.

• Nicholas’ reputation plummeted, starting the 1905 revolution.  

• In October, workers in Marxists, including Leon Trotsky, began setting up local elected councils called Soviets, which coordinated strikes and supplied the workers.

• Nicholas agreed to share power with the Dumas (liberals)

• Now, with the liberals satisfied and the war with Japan ended, the Tsar sent thousands of troops home who then dismantled the Soviets, arrested their leaders, and crushed the peasant uprising in the countryside. He then disregarded the parliament with the liberals and killed all the people, now survived the 1905 revolution. 

• Lenin was a communist, agreed with Karl Marx, and led the Bolsheviks, but was exiled. Because he was exiled, all he could do was watch as the movements failed to organize. He felt the only way left was an armed revolution by the workers.

• Sergei Witte got replaced by Pyotr Stolypin, which is when Russia started to improve which was bad for Lenin, but it was also stricter.

• Lenin met Joseph Stalin while in exile, and he was great at kidnapping, robbing, extorting, bribing, ransoming, assassinating, and stealing for the Bolsheviks.

• Stalin eventually got exiled to Siberia

• Nicholas II introduced Grigori Rasputin, a mystic healer who was infamous for his crazy partying, corruption, and influence over the royal family.

• Lenin wanted Russia to lose in WWI

• Rasputin made the Tsar look weak and questionable

• The military ended up joining protestors, tired of how they were treated and for having to kill their own people.

• Nicholas’ biggest downfall in leading Russia was his ability to not share power

• Germany took Lenin out of exile back to Russia to try and destabilize the country

• Provisional government (liberals) vs. Petrograd soviet (social revolutionaries and mensheviks) sharing power in Russia.

• Lenin was upset when he came back to Russia because people wanted land, Russia was still fighting in WWI, and people were starving. This resulted in a new slogan “Peace, land, and bread”.

• After Nicholas II loses power in Russia, leadership continues to change, there are many protests, Russia is in constant change. 

• Bolsheviks took control of the building, but no one tried to stop them.

• Soviet Union red army under leon trotsky

• -Suppressed internal and foreign millitary

• Checka is new secret millitary police force

• War Communism

• Ecenomic Policy

• Revolutionary govt confiscated

• Took food to feed armies

• Helped defeat Red Army

• Resulted in opp to Bolshevicks

• Bolshevick Rev was initially seen as heroic force, but faced some problems

• NEP:- Implemented in 1921

• Allowd for private enterpise in agriculture

• Aimed to Stabilize food

• Increase in production

• Turning point in BR history for Socialism

• In 1919, Soviet established Comintern to promote Bolshevik model of sociallism

• Slatin vs. Trotsky

• -tensions grow between groups

• -STALIN WINS (shifted focus from internals news to national development because of socialism in country)

• Exile of Trotsky in 1929

• Industrialization

• -In 1927, Party Congress pushed for industrialization

• -SU overtake productive capacity

• -require; rapid construction of iron, steel, etc..

• Leads to formation of labor forces

• Govt creates propaganda to promote 5-YEARS PLAN

• Collectivization of Agriculture

• In 1928-29, Soviet govt face food shortages

• To fix issue, Stalin reversed NEP policies

• Collectivization

• Aimed to replace private firms with Communist farms

• Purge

• Cause:- Fear of revolt

• Sergel Kirov:- popular guy, first to die in purge

• Purge killed millions

• Purge targeted low-level workers

Fascism and Mussolini:

•  "Fascism” comes from the Italian term “Fascio” which means a bundle of things will be stronger together than individually

• Fascism is strongly connect to anti-socialist ideology, pro-war, extreme nationalism, anti-democratic, anti-Semitic and mostly right winged 

• The Fascist Party believed the economy was there to serve national interests. Force was a part in politics like the Black Shirts. 

• Hitler looked to Mussolini as a role model when Mussolini took power. 

• Mussolini was a powerful and persuasive public speaker, appealing to the public. He won many support to address the economic suffering and the treats posed by communism. Fascism posed for a powerful leader and eliminate the nation's problems

• Band of Mussolini/Combat

• Founded in Milan 1919

• Consisted of Vets who resented Italy’s actions during WW1

• Feared socialism, inflation, and laboour unrest, mad at italin govt

• In October of 1922, Mussolini led 30,000 of his followers, "Black Shirts”, in an event known as the March on Rome.When many of the police, military, and government officials refused to stop the movement, the Italian king appointed Mussolini to lead the government. Referring Mussolini as II Duce meaning leader.

• Mussolini earned the people's trust by promising to return Italy to the former glory of the Roman Empire and to restore Italy as a world power. He maintained control over Italians by using propaganda, censorship, and schools to indoctrinate people

• Mussolini conquered Ethiopia in 1936

• Vatican City is created through Mussolini to created peace for RC pope and Church

German Demoacry and Dictatorship

• Creation of Weimer Republic

• SOCIAL DEMS accpeted humuliating terms of Treaty

• -discgraced, ashamed

  Stalin by now becomes leader of Soviet Union

  Weimar republic

• Germany needs to follow rules sent by treaty

• Eveyone blames republic

• People desire change

  Kapp Putsch

• Armed insurrection in Berlin

• Led by officers and servants

• Coup failed, but there was much support

• In May 1921, Allies payed reparation of 132 billion

  Invasion of Ruhr and Inflation

• Due to inflation, german money became weaker

• printing press kept printing money to help bonds (bad idea)

  Invasion of the Ruhr

• French invade Germany in 1923 to secure reperations

• Cause even more inflation and unemployment

• Econ bad

  Hitler’s Early Career

• Late in 1923, Hitler comes

• Attended elite art school in Vienna

• Began consuming anti-jew hate in Vienna

• During WW1, Hitler rises ranks

• Hitler settles in Munich

• Became associated with Nazis

• Calls for ethnic cleansing of Jews and removal of citizenship

  Sturm Abteliun

• Storm troopers under captain Ernest Roen, like communists

• Organization seen as potential for violence in Wiemar

• were fed and given brown uniform

  Hitler’s Rise

• Ecenomy did not improve, people were upset, political situation worsened

• Govt needed popular vote for Nazis

• Wins vote

  Hitler’s Consolidation of Power

• Once in office, Hitler got his power with force

• On Aug 2, 1934, Pres HIdenburg died

  Number Laws (1933)

• Laws that rid Jews of Citizenship, forced by Nazis

  Dawes Plan

• lowered annual payments to French

  Beer Hall Putsch (Before in Office)

• attempt to overthrow govt (made by Nazis)

• HItle is jailed, writes Mein Kampf

  Mein Kampf

• Hitler’s manifesto

• “my struggle”

• People are not shocked or repelled because trust

• Aryan Race theory

• Blond hair, blue eyed Germans are superior

• Racially Inferior = Jews, Slavic, Poles, Russians, Czechs

• No mixing

  The Reichstag

• building brunt down by Nazies

• Feb 27, 1933

• Hidenburg hands Nazis power

  Rhineland

• Nazis invade rhineland

  Rome Berlin Axis

• Hitler sees Mussolini as role-model, admires

  Axis Powers

• Germany, Japan, Italy

  Allied Powers

• US, Soviet Union, France, Uk

20.2.1 German Conquest of Europe

-Germans First attacked Poland, was successful

-Poles were weak in military and collapsed

Blitzkrieg

-Fast moving military attacks, masses supported by air power

-”Lightning Warfare”

Russia’s Conquest

-On Sept 17, Russia invades Poland

-By July 1940, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania were occupied by Soviet forces, further solidifying Russia's control over the Baltic region.

-Finland was next

-All this expansion was a part of Stalin's broader strategy to secure Soviet borders and assert dominance in Eastern Europe.

-Hitler invades Soviet Union, breaking 1939 treaty

“Sitzkrieg” (1940)

-Until the spring of 1940, all was quiet with French and British

-Cynics in the West called it Sitzkrieg

-In spring of 1940, Hitler invaded/took over Denmark, Norway, Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Belgium

-British and French Flee

-British operate most successful evacuation in history, more than 2000,000 British and 100,000 French Flee

Fall of France

-Belgians lose faith in France, become neutral

-French’s weak army collapses

-Mussolini invades South France

-Verdan Petain (1856-1951) asks for neutrality and seeks an armistice with Germany, leading to the establishment of the Vichy regime.

-This leads to the beginning of the German Occupation of France and the loss of power of France as a whole

20.2.2 Battle of Britain

-The Battle of Britain represents a crucial turning point, as the Royal Air Force successfully defends the United Kingdom against the Luftwaffe's aerial assaults, demonstrating the resilience of British forces and the failure of German attempts to gain air superiority.

-Germany expects Britain to surrender

-Britain DOES NOT and instead appoints Winston Churchill

Winston Church hill (1650-1722)

-Big Critic of Nazis

-Against appeasement

-British prides, hates fascism, loves France

-Rejects attempts to give up

-Writer/speaker

-Establishes close relationship with U.S. president Franklin D Roosevelt who helps British

British vs. Hitler

-British remain defiant

-Hitlers uses Luftwaffe and strikes London

-Strengthens British resolve, deals damage

20.2.3 German attack on Russia (Operation Barbarossa) (invasion of Russia)

-aimed to destroy Russia before Winter

-launched on June 22, 1941

-Unprepared, Stalin panicked German victory was near

-German delay advances for too long, Winter comes

-Stalin gets time to prepare, Germany scared

20.2.4 Hitler’s Plans for Europe (3rd Reich) (New Order)

-Racist, targeted “inferior race”

-Inferior race included Gypsies, Romaines, Poles, Jews, Homosexual, POC

-Thought would last centuries

-Push back on everyone

-”Superpower”

-Slavery and torture

-Unmatched in carefully planned terror

-Germination and Colonization

20.2.5 Japan & US Enter War

-U.S distrusted Japan

-Japan wanted to expand, only obstacle was US

-Japan had already dominated Asia, particularly China

-Japan was blocked by US with expanding due to sanction and frozen assets

Pearl Harbor (Dec 7, 1941)

-war faction led by General Hideki Tojo (Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto thought of plan)

-Decided to risk war rather than yield and wanted to push US out of Pacific/no sanction

-Greatly damaged and surprised Americans (2,340 US personnel dead)

-After US and Britain declare war on Japan, Allied Powers declare war on U.S

20.2.6 The Tide Turns

-Americans were inexperienced and weak, thus Japan captured Guam, Wake Island, and the Philippine Islands

-By 1942, they conquered HK, Malaya, Burma, and East Indies

-Germans also began going deeper into Russia, while in Africa Rommel drove British back into Egypt until they stopped him at El Alamin

-Allies were losing until..

Hope for Allies

-Won naval battle in Coral Sea

-Defeated Japanese in a air battle

-Allies began reversing momentum of war

20.2.6.1 Allied Landings in Africa, Sicily, and Italy

-Allies landed in Africa, Sicily, and Italy

-Leader of new Italian govt lands and starts war with Germany

20.2.6.2 Battle of Stalingrad

-Russian camps grew unbearable

-In the Summer of 1942, Germans attacked but were unable to advance South

-Germans goal was to reach oil fields (they valued oil/rubber)

-Hitler was determined to take the city, and Stalin wanted to hold it

-Battle raged for months

-Russians lost SO MUCH men, however, they still won

-This battle marked a turning point for Russia’s campaign, as they now would be getting help from Americans

20.2.6.3 Strategic Bombing

-Industrial might came in full force from US

-New tech and tactics reduced the submarine and menace

-Americans and British also began a series of bombardments on Germany

-By 1945, Allies did extensive damage on Germany, which weakened it greatly

20.2.7 Defeat of Nazi Germany

-”D” day (June 6, 1944)

-Allied powers landed on the coast of Normandy to pursue Germans

-General Dwight D. Eisenhower faced a heavily guarded area

-Success could only be achieved by meticulous planning and heavy bombing

-Allies once again succeeded

-Allies have also landed in France by the beginning of September, France was liberated

20.2.7 Battle of Bulge

-All went well until German launched counterattack in Belgium

-Because Germany pushed forward into allied line, this was called Battle of Bulge

-This sealed the fate for the Germans for the rest of the war

20.2.7.2 Capture of Berlin

-Russians swept forward in east

-Germans were trapped

-On April 39, 1945, Hitler committed in an underground bunker

-Russians now occupied Berlin

20.2.8 Fall of Japanese Empire

-War in Europe ended on May 8, 1945

-Victory over Japan was also in sight

20.2.8.1 Americans Recapture Pacific Islands

-In 1943, American Forces began a campaign of “island hopping”

-They did not try to recapture every Pacific Island, but selected the most strategic sites

-They recaptured Marian Islands and Philippines

-In 1945, Iwo Jima and Okinawa fell, despite fierce suicide missions

-Americans made plans to counterattack this resistance

Hiroshima

-On Aug 6, 1945, a place dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city, Hiroshima

-Destroyed more than 70,000 of its 200,000 residents

-Bomb was detonated by US and was used for military purposes

-2 days later, Soviet Union declared war on Japan and invaded Manchuria

Nagaski

Atomic bomb hits Nagasaki

-Japan still dosen’t wanna give up, but Emperor Hirohito is forced to surrender

-Harry Truman agrees on April 12, 1945

The Manhattan Project

-Created brand new bomb

-Dr. J Rover Oppenheimer

-Detonate in deserts

V-J Day

-Sept 2, 1945

-Japan unconditionally surrenders and will be occupied for future

20.2.9 Cost of War

-Killed over 15 million solders

Dec 8

-Roosevelt signs US Deceleration of War (on Japan)

Dec 11

-FDR signs DOW on Ger

-US leaves the Philippines (US colony) after fighting

Batan Death March (April, 1942)

-Death march employed by Japanese to US soldiers

-Torturous, meant to kill US soldiers

-Soldiers were beaten, abused, shot, and killed

-There were too many soldiers

-60 miles, around 80k marched

Allied Counter Offense (MacArthur’s Strategy)

-Island Hopping

-Jumping over fortified islands to seize lightly defended locations

Major Battles

-Battle of Coral Sea (1st Time Japan retreated)

-Battle of Midway (TP in Pacific) 4 carriers, 100 polits, US oon 0 now

Gen Mac Arthur “returns” to philippines (1944)

Yalta Conference

-FDR wants quick Soviet entry into pacific

-FDR Churchill concede Stalin needs buffer

Postdam Conference (July, 1945)

-US has the A-bomb (truman)

-Allies agee Germany is divided into 4 occupation zones (Berlin too)

Hitler in 1933

-Outlaw other political parties

-Disband trade unions and social norms

-With of Huermann Goeering established Gestapo

-Gestapo established, ultimate powers given

-CC camps set up for “death”, including Dachau

Joseph Goebels

-A massive state propaganda programs implements, including nuremberg rallies

-Minister of truth, Enlightenment

-Created “Big Lie”

-Innocent Germany tormented by “international” jews

-Jews at fault

Nazi Thinking

-Pure BLOOD

-Physicans Law = NO jews can be docs

-Disbarring of Lawyers= no jew lawyers

-Law against overcrowidn at ge. schools=no jew kdis at school

-Law prevention of genetically diseased offspring=no jew kids/sterilize

-Reich Flag= symbol

Policies

-Jews wear star of David

-Jews go to Ghettos (400 in total)

-Isolate JEws

-Send to CC camos

Jewish Refugees

-300,000 of estimated 500,00 Germans jews feld persecution

-July 1939; Evian Conference; created to adress jews

-US/FDR loudest voices there

-April/December 1940; German occupiers confine 3 mill Jews to Ghettos

-1942; order all Jews under Ger to be evacuted to camps in EE

-1938; terrible year for Jews

Kristallnacht

-Nov 9/10 (1938) Night of Broken Glass

Final Solution

-To kill fast, put in Death Camps

-Genocide became policy in Jan, 1942

Consequences of Holocaust

-slaughter of 6 mil Jews

Nuremberg Trials

-Nazi Leader convicted

-Some flee, like Angel of death leaves for Argentina