Exam Review and Entertainment in the 1930s

Exam Preparation

  • Tests will resemble previous ones.
  • Content will align with notes; anything not covered in class won't be on the test (e.g., Nuremberg trials).

Appeasement

  • Definition: Granting concessions to Hitler to avoid conflict after World War I, based on the belief that Germany had been treated too harshly.
  • Context: Post-World War I sentiment favored leniency towards Germany.
  • Hitler's Aims: Hitler desired war, while England and France initially backed away from confrontation.
  • Culmination: Appeasement ended when they drew a line at Poland, triggering the start of World War II.
  • Example: Neville Chamberlain's "peace in our time" declaration after meeting with Hitler.

Hitler's Appeal in the 1930s

  • Initial Perception: Before the Holocaust, Hitler was seen as an attractive leader.
  • Nationalist Stance: He advocated for reclaiming lost German territories and correcting perceived injustices.
  • Popular Support: He garnered substantial support within Germany, with many Germans backing his actions.
  • Misunderstanding: The extent of his future atrocities was unknown at the time.

Operation Barbarossa

  • Definition: The invasion of the Soviet Union by Germany, commencing on June 22, 1941.
  • Significance: Seen as the main theater of war during World War II, resulting in approximately 35 million deaths.
  • American Perspective: In 1941, there was debate in America on whether to focus on Germany or Japan.

Essay Topics

  • The 1920s
  • The Great Depression
  • The rise of right-wing radicals.
  • The outcome of World War I.
  • Potentially, the causes of World War II, depending on whether it's covered in time.

Exam Logistics

  • Test Distribution: The test will be handed out on Thursday.
  • Submission: The completed test is due the following Thursday, giving students seven days to complete it.
  • Instructions: Test instructions provided on Thursday; questions will be addressed.
  • Office Location: Instructor's office is in T306.
  • Essay Flexibility: Students are allowed to write multiple essays for extra credit.

The Great Depression and Entertainment

  • Economic Hardship: Characterized by severe economic distress and high unemployment rates, leading to radical solutions.
  • Entertainment's Role: Entertainment and sports gained popularity as distractions.
  • Media Expansion: Mass media increasingly focused on entertainment, exemplified by the expansion of Super Bowl pre-game shows.

Rise of Film and Cartoons

  • Radio Popularity: Radio was a dominant medium in the 1920s and 1930s.
  • Film's Mass Appeal: Movies achieved widespread popularity during this era.
  • Mickey Mouse Debut: Mickey Mouse's first appearance was in 1929 in the cartoon "Steamboat Willie."
  • Popeye the Sailor: Popeye debuted in 1932 as part of the Betty Boop cartoon series.
  • Moviegoing Experience: Moviegoers would see cartoons, newsreels, short films, and a main feature.

Propaganda

  • Popeye's Spinach: Spinach symbolized encouragement for children to eat healthily.
  • Superman's Values: Debuted in 1938, Superman fought for "truth, justice, and the American way."
  • Bugs Bunny: Debuted in the late 1930s as an "obnoxious character."

Talking Films

  • The Jazz Singer: In 1927, the first talking film.
  • Impact: Talking films boosted the popularity of movies.
  • Distraction: Movies offered affordable entertainment during tough times.
  • Content: Films were primarily broad entertainment rather than philosophical or deep.
  • Wizard of Oz: Example of one prominent film, released in 1939.

Comedy and Television

  • The Three Stooges: Rose to prominence in the late 1930s.
  • Television's Emergence: TV gained popularity in the 1950s after the TVA expanded power access.
  • I Love Lucy: Lucille Ball, star of I Love Lucy, faced accusations of being a communist but was able to deflect concerns due to her popularity.

Popularity

  • Shirley Temple: Second biggest star, known for tap dancing and optimism.
  • Rin Tin Tin: Biggest star, a dog, earning tens of millions of dollars, played by 17 different dogs over the years.

Automotive Advancements

  • V8 Engine Introduction: In 1932
  • Impact: Enabled faster speeds, facilitating suburban expansion by allowing commutes from towns like Vernon, Bolton, and Glastonbury.
  • Gas Availability: Cheap gas prices supported the use of V8 engines.

Highways and Motels

  • Sunday Drives: Sunday drives became a common pastime.
  • Rise of Motels: Motor hotels (motels) emerged, catering to increased travel.
  • Merritt Parkway: Construction was undertaken by the WPA.

Sports and Racial Contradictions

  • Jesse Owens Emergence: Considered one of the greatest track stars.
  • Harlem Renaissance Decline: The Harlem Renaissance faded due to economic hardships from the depression.

1936 Olympics

  • Setting: Held in Germany under Adolf Hitler, who sought to demonstrate the superiority of the Germanic race.
  • Jesse Owens' Success: Won multiple events.
  • Adidas Endorsement: First celebrity endorsement, with Jesse Owens wearing Adidas sneakers.
  • US Government's Reaction: Stripped Owens of his medals, declaring him a professional athlete.
  • Amateur Status: Olympic atheletes were regarded to be amateurs and the endorsing of products was not admissible.

Controversy

  • Hitler's Meeting: Contrary to some stories, Hitler met with Owens multiple times.
  • Roosevelt's Snub: Roosevelt declined to meet with Owens.

Joe Louis

  • Symbol of American Power: A prominent figure in the late 1930s and 1940s.
  • Boxing Dominance: Defended his heavyweight title eight times in 1941.
  • Military Service: Enlisted in the paratroopers during World War II.
  • IRS Issues: Faced IRS issues and was stripped of his earnings and lived off of wealthy people.

Symbols of American Power

  • Athletics and Power: Sports figures became symbols, but societal limitations remained.
  • Max Schmeling: Despite representing Nazi Germany, Schmeling befriended Joe Louis and was punished by Hitler for it.

American Distractions and World War II

  • Superficial Entertainment: Focus on entertainment amid global conflict.
  • World's Fair: Displayed American technology and industry.
  • The Wizard of Oz: Released in 1939, one of the first movies in color.

Baseball

  • Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio: In 1941, Williams had a batting average of over 400 and DiMaggio getting safely to base in 56 straight games.
  • Engagement in War: Both served in World War II; Williams was a fighter pilot and an ace in both WWII and the Korean War.

American Opinion and Foreign Policy

  • Pre-Pearl Harbor Sentiment: On December 6, 1941, 65% of the U.S. opposed involvement in foreign wars.
  • Pearl Harbor Attack: On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, resulting in unified support for the way.
  • Lost Generation: Anything related to the lost generation and the rise of Mussolini, Stalin, and Hitler is relevant.

Japan

Ominous Clouds
  • Not from Europe, but Japan.
Rise of Right Radicals
  • Stalin, Mussolini, Hitler are right radicals.
  • Right radicals: Individual ruled Germany, not the government.
  • Philosophies such as fascism and Nazism would be the result of one man taking over.
  • World war two had been going on for eight years due to Japan.
Japan's Rise to Power
  • 1853: Japan mainly sealed off from other countries; no missionaries and no connection to western countries.
  • Ruled by shoguns or samurai.
  • People wore the same clothes for 1000 years.
  • Saw technology that they never had with Perry's arrival.
Commodore Matthew Perry
  • Lands in Yokohama Harbor in 1853.
  • Perry brought guns and basically threatened Yokohama which resulted in trade.
  • Perry's arrival brought modern technology such as trains.
    Perry's sailors said that the Japanese people are very artistic while the Japanese saw the ships as technology never seen before.
  • Very artistic because they were sitting up on the hillsides, like painting the American ships, drawing what we had.
Reverse Engineering

They starting to reverse engineer all of the ships.

Meji Restoration
  • In 1887, they got rid of their Samurai-based government. Meji means good government.
  • Gather the will to become a major power in the Western sense.
  • Importing experts, technology, modern fashions, weapons, imports.
  • Basically, these guys became massive power.
Sino-Japanese War
  • In 1894-95 they fought their first war as a major power.
  • Modern weapons at that time.
  • Defeating China at that war.
Russo-Japanese War
  • In 1904 Japan went to war against Russia.
  • Take out their navy.
    They have one of the most powerful navies in the world at the time.
  • In addition, Theodor Roosevelt stepped in because the idea of an Asian race defeating a white race scared a lot of people.
Japanese Flyers
  • American forces believed that Japanese flyers couldn't fly well because of the shape of their eyes.
  • The finest flyers were not Japanese ones.
Hirhito
  • Emperor was Kishoa in 1926.
  • Marine biologist.
  • Most powerful totalitarian ruler in the World.
  • No one was to powerful.
The New Empire and Natural Resources
  • Needed China's resources.
  • Northern area of China known as Manchuria in 1931.
  • New type of Empire known as East Asian co-prosperity sphere.
Export
  • They can only get oil and steel from the United States.
East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere
  • Japan is going to want them for their resources in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia.
  • Sign with us and we're going to get all these westerners out of here.
The United States' Worry
  • Worried about the newcomers dynamic idea.
Hideki Tojo
  • The Power (Prime Minister) of Japan in the 1930s, who will lead Tojo into war.
Chinese Resources
  • Control and control or be allied with China because of its large resource amount and lot of people.
    The American policy toward China is the Open Door policy.
Invasion in 1937
  • Japanese begin full scale invasion.
  • Chinese people don't understand or consider this to be ancient history!
  • Also, the Japanese took the city of Nanjing which was major.
Open City
  • Declared Nanjing an open city which meant they wouldn't resist to prevent air force bombing from Japan.
Rape of Nanjing
  • Occured in 1937.
  • 300K Chinese were killed.
  • All these were photographs because all these Japanese soldiers sent it to Hong Kong.
End Exports

Cut off exports of steel and oil out of Japan (U.S) in 1940 and 1941 because of it.

Eliminate East Asia and Britain

Then the Japanese figured that if they deliver a knock out blow to East Asia and Britain strong, they would give up and sue for peace.
This is Pearl Harbor.

Pearl Harbor
  • Pearl Harbor occurred on 12/07/1941 in the morning which was Sunday at 7:00AM.
  • Completely discounted Japanese military power by the American forces.
  • American thought that they were in a very cool exercise, but this was not the case.
    Yamamto's planned the battle and they were planning to knock out the United States.
    Yamomoto said that with time, the United State's industrial might would out do the Japanese.