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Period 7 - WWII Causes & Consequences

Unit 7: World War II

Overview

  • Focus on the causes and consequences of WWII (Topics 7.6 & 7.7).

Historical Context

European Political Order at the Start of the 20th Century

  • Domination by European powers, including the U.S., Russia, and Japan.

  • Global challenges aimed at redistributing and restructuring power influenced by internal and external conflicts.

  • High human casualties from these conflicts.

Challenges to Political Stability

  • Factors affecting stability include:

    • Ethnic and religious conflicts

    • Secessionist movements

    • Territorial partitions

    • Economic dependencies

    • Legacies of colonialism

World Wars as Total Wars

Characteristics of Total War

  • Total wars where governments utilized:

    • Political propaganda

    • Art and media

    • Intensified nationalism to mobilize populations.

  • Utilization of ideologies (fascism, communism) for total resource mobilization.

Learning Objectives

Topic 7.6

  • Explain the causes and consequences of WWII.

Causes of World War II

Key Factors Leading to Conflict

  • Unsustainable peace from the Treaty of Versailles post-WWI.

  • The global economic crisis of the Great Depression (1929).

  • Continuing imperialist ambitions and the rise of fascism and totalitarianism.

  • Aggressive militarism of Nazi Germany under Hitler.

Learning Objectives

Topic 7.7

  • Analyze the similarities and differences in government methods for conducting war.

Differences in Government Strategies During WWII

Democratic vs. Totalitarian Strategies

Western Democracies

  • Great Britain (Winston Churchill)

  • United States (Franklin D. Roosevelt)

Totalitarian Regimes

  • Germany (Adolf Hitler)

  • Soviet Union (Joseph Stalin)

Military Technology and Tactics

Innovations Impacting Warfare

  • Introduction of new military technology (atomic bomb, firebombing).

  • Shift to "total war" increased casualties significantly.

Aggression Goes Unchecked

1930s Context

  • Dictators like Hitler and Mussolini acted with aggression due to weak responses from other nations.

Japan's Path to Aggression

Industrialization and Political Changes

  • Industrialized late with limited democratic experience; fostered an authoritarian regime in the 1930s.

  • 1925: Universal male suffrage; education and consumerism emerged in the 1920s.

Economic Struggles Leading to Militarism

  • 1930s: The Great Depression led to authoritarian rule; radical nationalism emerged.

Japan's Expansion

Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere

  • Aimed at forming an economic and military bloc in Asia against Western influence.

  • Seized Manchuria (1931) and expanded into Eastern China starting the Second Sino-Japanese War.

Conflict with the League of Nations

  • Japan's actions prompted withdrawal from the League after its invasion of Manchuria.

The Nanjing Massacre

Historical Significance

  • Occurred after the Second Sino-Japanese War, with high civilian tolls in Nanking.

  • Contention over death toll estimates between historians and governments.

Mussolini and Italian Imperialism

Italy's Invasion of Ethiopia

  • Aimed for revenge after previous defeat against Ethiopia.

German Rearmament and Expansion

Expansionist Policies Under Hitler

  • Rearmament in violation of the Treaty of Versailles; aimed to unite ethnic Germans.

  • Aggressive actions including the remilitarization of the Rhineland and annexation of Austria.

The Munich Agreement

Context of Appeasement

  • Negotiations between Britain (Chamberlain) and Germany; allowed Germany to annex Sudetenland.

  • Became a symbol of appeasement policy.

Outbreak of World War II

Invasion of Poland

  • Germany's invasion on September 1, 1939, prompted Britain and France to declare war.

Key Aspects of WWII

Blitzkrieg and Military Tactics

  • Rapid and overwhelming military offensives used by Germany, characterized by coordinated air and ground assaults.

The Battle of Britain

Resilience Against German Bombing

  • The Blitz: German bombing Campaign against London; British resilience led to German failure to conquer Britain.

Japan's Attack on Pearl Harbor

Reaction to U.S. Sanctions

  • December 7, 1941, attack that prompted U.S. entry into the war.

The End of WWII

Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

  • Hiroshima (August 6, 1945) and Nagasaki (August 9, 1945) led to Japan's surrender on August 14, 1945.

The Holocaust

Systematic Genocide Under Nazi Germany

  • Initiated by discriminatory policies and escalated into mass extermination; 6 million Jews and millions of others killed.

Outcomes of WWII

Global Impacts

  • Significant loss of life (80 million deaths), destruction of European infrastructure, shift of global power dynamics.

  • Formation of the United Nations and increased interdependence among states.

Economic and Social Changes

  • Growth of international organizations, capitalism, and the decline of colonial empires.