7.7 Conducting World War II

How did governments minimize resistance to militarism leading up to WWIi? 

They appealed to ideological beliefs ( fascism and communism ), which dominated the daily life during conflict.

What new military tactics were employed at this time? 

Atomic bomb and “total war”

Japan and Imperialist Policies

What was Japan’s goal with the “New Order in East Asia”? 

The Japanese wanted to expand into Soviet Siberia

How did the Nonaggression Pact between Germany and the Soviet Union impact Japan? 

Japan had to look elsewhere for new territory 

What threatened Japan’s economy at this time and how did Japan plan to retaliate? 

Economic sanctions by the United States threatened to strangle Japan’s economy and undercut its military expansion. Japan retaliated against the U.S. with military force in hopes of them submitting.

Germany’s Early Victories and Challenges

Define blitzkrieg: 

A ‘lightning war’ to quickly subdue Poland.

What nations was Germany able to conquer after their success in Poland? 

Denmark, Norway, Netherlands, Belgium, and France

Describe the state of France in the mid 20th century. 

Germany had taken control of the northern two-thirds of France, and the French had even set up a pro-nazi regime in Vichy

British - American Relations

The US slowly ended its policy of neutrality through a series of agreements with Great Britain. Define and explain the following: 

• Destroyers-for-Bases Agreement - The United States had promised the delivery of 50 destroyers in exchange for eight British air and naval bases in the Western Hemisphere

• Lend-Lease Act - The United States gave up all pretensions of neutrality by lending war materials to Britian

• Atlantic Charter  - A policy which set down the basic goals for post-war world that included provisions like the restoration of self-government to those deprived of it, abandonment of the use of force, and the disarmament of agressor nations.

Who was the last major hold out against Nazi aggression in WWI? 

Britian

Describe the Battle of Britain: 

Hitler had sent out the German air force, Luftwaffe, to Britain to weaken their country so they could have a successful invasion. The Germans had first bombed military bases before turning to bombing cities after the British Royal Air Force had raided Berlin. Britain had stayed resilient despite the bombings, and the British were able to rebuild after the earlier raids. Their planes and radar system had allowed it to destroy German planes faster than they could be replaced. In May 1941, Hitler was forced to postpone the attempted invasion of Britain.

Why did Germany have to postpone his attempts to invade GB? 

Britain’s planes were too destructive to the Luftwaffe and put them in a vulnerable position. 

War on the Soviet Union

What was Hitler’s goal in invading the Soviet Union? (Also, this isn’t in the book, but based on what you know - what agreement was Hitler going back on with this invasion?) 

Hitler went back on the non-aggression pact with the Soviets as he wanted to invade them to eliminate Bolshevism and for more land for his people. He also did this to remove communism as the Soviet Union was a communist country.

Germany, despite being successful in Western Europe, was not successful in Russia because they were at the mercy of the harsh Russian winter. 

Describe the Siege of Leningrad and its effects: 

The Soviets defended the city of Leningrad for three years and led to the death of a million Soviet men, women, and children

Japan Overreaches

Describe some of Japan’s early victories (what territory did they get, who did the attack, etc.) 

A surprise air attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on December 7, 1941

Seizing the Philippines, Dutch East Indies, British Malaya, Burma, and numerous Pacific islands

What was the effect of Japan’s bombing of Pearl Harbor: 

The United States had responded by retaliating against Japan with their allies GB and China. They would fight against the Japanese aggression and would be the cause of the war going global as the U.S. had declared war on Japan and as a result, Hitler declared war on the U.S.

How did colonial armies, like the Indian Army, participate in the war? 

They joined the war effort and had a volunteer army that started with 200k and ended with 2.5 million men. Majority fought against the Japanese in Southeast Asia.

Home Front:

US: How did the US industry change during WWII? 

They planned to provide factories and were able to operate without the threat of a military attack. The United States ramped up their production of resources required for war ( ships, tanks, planes, landing craft, radar equipment, guns, and ammunition ). They even encouraged women to succeed in jobs that were once thought to be for men with the artwork “Rosie the Riveter” 

Who found work in US factories after men left for war? 

Women

What did US factories produce at this time? 

War resources ( ships, tanks, planes, landing craft, radar equipment, guns, and ammunition )

Germany: Where did Germany take most of its labor from? 

Forced labor, some of it in concentration camps. At its peak, wartime workforce consisted of forced labor with 600k French citizens working in German war plants and 1.5 million French soldiers working in prisoner-of-war camps. Due to their conditions being so rough, not much productivity was done.

Why was this system counterproductive? 

Due to the workers being treated so poorly, productivity was low.

Japan: Describe how Japan’s government presented the war: 

They presented an optimistic view of the war instead of trying to mobilize resources. 

Did Japan’s women mobilize in the war effort? 

No, they took pride in not drafting women in the war saying it was ‘out of consideration for the family’.

The Tide Turns in the European Theater

When did the US enter the war? 

The U.S. entered the war in December 1941

Who were the Allied powers? 

Great Britain and the Soviet Union

In which battle did the “tide turn” and the British defeat Germany? 

At the Battle of El Alamein

Describe the Battle of Stalingrad and its effects: 

A Soviet counteroffensive had defeated the pride of Hitler’s military, the German Sixth Army. Even though the Germans remained in control of most of Western Europe, the momentum of the war in Europe had turned against the Nazis. Major win for the Soviet Union

The Tide Turns in the Pacific Theater

Describe the event and significance of the following battles: 

• Battle of the Coral Sea - The U.S. Navy had stopped a Japanese fleet set to invade New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, stopping a future invasion of Australia.

• Battle of Midway Island - The Destruction of four Japanese aircraft carriers where Allied naval forces demonstrated their superiority in the Pacific but stopped the advance of the Japanese

• Guadalacanal - First major Allied offensive , ended early in 1943 w/ an Allied victory

Describe Douglas MacArthur’s “Island hopping” strategy and explain why it was successful: 

Allies would attack islands where Japan was weak and skipped those where Japan was strong. They would move through the Phillippines and get closer to Japan.

What was the significance of aircraft carriers to the allied war effort: 

These ships allowed planes to take off from and land on their decks at sea. It also provided air support for battleships and increased the range and flexibility of naval forces. The aircraft were used for raids and for intelligence gathering .

The Last Years of the War

What events led to the fall of Mussollini? 

The Allies gained control of the island of Sicily in July 1943

Describe D-Day and its impact on WWI. 

On June 6, 1944 , 150k Allied forces launched an amphibious invasion from England landing on the beaches of Normandy in northern France. The Allied casualties were high, but the Allies however established a base to begin the march towards Paris. As control of Western Europe slipped away, Germany’s defeat was closer. (cod cutscene yk)

What is the significance of the Battle of the Bulge? 

Germans made one final push against the Allies. They fought across France, Belgium, and Luxembourg, which left Germany with no realistic expectation of winning the war. As the Allies sent air raids to destroy Germany’s infrastructure and crossed the Rhine River into Germany, they were closing in on the capital of Germany. Berlin. 

What was the result of the Battle of Kursk? 

The largest tank battle of the war where the Soviets challenged the instance of German Blitzkrieg by holding their defensive position and then counterattacking. The Soviets then made progress through Ukraine and the Baltic States in 1944, and they then took over Warsaw, Poland, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria 

Victory in Europe

What happened to Italy's fascist ruler Mussollini and Germany’s Hitler? 

Hitler committed suicide after hiding in a fortified underground shelter in Berlin. Mussolini got killed by members of the Italian resistance two days before 

What is V-E Day? 

Victory in Europe Day

Victory over Japan

Why did the US not want to invade the Japanese homeland? 

The costs it would take and the possible casualties the Allies would face.

What happened in Hiroshima and Nagasaki? How many died? 

They were Atomic bombs that the U.S. Army Air Force dropped on Japan on Aug. 6 & 9, 1945.  Resulted in 140,000 Japanese civilian deaths

When and why did Japan surrender? What is V-J Day? 

Due to the devastation brought by the Allies' victories and the nuclear attacks, Japan surrendered on August 14. This Marked V-J Day or Victory over Japan Day.

Consequences of WWII

How many people died in WWII? 

75 million people

WWII changed how people thought about what? 

Racism, Colonial Empires, and International Relations.

What would shape global affairs for the next 5 decades? 

The context of a fierce ideological battle between the United States and the Soviet Union.