World War II:

• Paths to global conflict were separate between Asia and Europe.

Causes of the outbreak of war in Asia:

• Japan went forth with new imperial ambitions in China, Manchuria, and Korea— why?

  • Japan felt a strong need to compete among Western powers during the interwar period, and they also went through a heavy militarization period after the Great Depression so they needed resources to fuel both of these causes.

• When was Manchuria defeated by the Japanese, and what was the name of the “puppet colony” Japan had established?

  • Manchukuo was the puppet colony established after Japan seized control of Manchuria in 1931

• Why did Japan seize Manchuria and make Manchukuo?

  • Chinese nationalist movements threatened the sphere of influence (not puppet colony) that Japan had gained prior by defeating Manchuria in the 1905 Russo-Japanese war. They instead resorted to full occupation.

Effects of these causes that led to the start of WWII in Asia:

• In response to the 1931 defeat of Manchuria and creation of puppet colony Manchukuo, Japan was condemned by the US, China, and the entire League of Nations— how did Japan respond to this?

  • Japan decided to leave the League of Nations in 1936 and they aligned with the totalitarian states of Italy and Germany with the signing of the Anti-Comintern Pact.

• How did WWII truly start?

  • Chinese nationalism grew to the point in which Japan orchestrated a full-scale attack on China in 1937— the Second Sino-Japanese war. This would go for another 8 years.

Contextualization paragraph summary for the leadup to the start of WWII in Asia:

The outbreak of war in Asia was caused by Japan's imperial ambitions, competition with Western powers, and militarization after the Great Depression. Japan defeated Manchuria in 1931 and established the puppet colony called Manchukuo. Japan seized Manchuria and created Manchukuo due to threats to their Manchurian sphere of influence. gained in the 1905 Russo-Japanese War, from Chinese nationalist movements. In response to the condemnation for this occupation of Manchuria by the US, China, and the League of Nations, Japan left the League of Nations in 1936 and aligned with the authoritarian states of Italy and Germany. WWII in Asia truly started with Japan's full-scale attack on China in 1937, known as the Second Sino-Japanese war.

• Why did Japan become mistrustful of the Western powers and feel scared for their national security?

  • The U.S. had immigration policies that barred Japanese entry, they felt racist implications

  • Western powers owned much of the resources needed to wage war: U.S. owned oil and the Western imperial colonies of the Dutch, French, and British contained vast amounts of resources.

  • Japan felt a looming communist threat up north from the USSR

• What did Japan do to gain resources and strengthen military operation?

  • Japan extended its operations to the European resource colonies from the Dutch, French, and British— Malaya, Indonesia, Indochina, and the Philippines. Brutality was used often.

• Why did Japan orchestrate the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941?

  • Failed negotiations to end American sanctions on the Japanese empire and the imposition of an American oil embargo on Japan in July 1941.

  • Japan's leaders felt that their country's alternatives were accepting American terms, which would reduce Japan's power, or going to war with an uncertain outcome.

• How did the U.S. respond to Pearl Harbor?

  • They entered WWII in the Pacific, eventually defeating Japan through the use of atomic bombs (1945)

• Why did Italy and Germany become involved in the conflict?

  • The Pearl Harbor attacks of 1941 forced the other Axis powers of Italy and Germany to join due to the rigidness of the alliance.

European Warfare:

• Why was Nazi Germany determined to restore greatness?

  • They were bitter with their defeat in WWI and the Treaty of Versailles that ensued. The Treaty of Versailles required heavy war reparations and anti-expansionist policies for Germany.

• Hitler prepared Germany for War by expanding Nazi power across a majority of Europe.

• By the time Nazi Germany invaded Poland in 1941, bringing France and Britain into the war, Europe was already Nazi-dominated.

• This German innovation allowed Germany to initially beat France and take over Europe briefly

  • Blitzkrieg Warfare was more rapid and successful than the WWI defense-oriented trench warfare.

• How Germany lost the war:

  • The US eventually intervened and opened a front in Northern France in 1944.

  • Soviet Russia launched a counterattack and expanded Westward into Nazi territory.

Consequences and mass atrocities after 1900

Atrocities of the Second World War:

• New military innovations like the atomic bomb, jet fighters, and missiles increased the civilian death toll to a staggering number at 60 million. (Atrocity)

  • Follow up: Only roughly 10 million died during WWI and most of which were soldiers, showing how new military innovations notably the branch of aerial warfare involving fighter jets, atomic bombs, and missiles increased the rate of death among civilians.

• How many died in the Soviet union from WWII?

  • 25 million

• How many died in China in WWII

  • Some 15 million

• Mass firebombing in Germany and Japan and the atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

  • Enabled by new wartime innovations.

The Holocaust

• The Holocaust brought some 6 million Jews into Nazi death camps (notably Auschwitz).

• Others; including enemies of the state, Soviets, Poles, homosexuals, and disabled peoples were likewise executed in the pursuit of German purification

Atrocities that were motivated by Military Expansionism:

Japanese Mass Atrocity: The Rape of Nanjing:

• 1937-38: the mass killing, mutilation, and often rape of some 200,000 Chinese civilians.

  • This was during the Second Sino-Japanese War, in response to Chinese nationalist movements that threatened the hold in Manchukuo.

  • Imperial Japan’s atrocity in Nanjing was driven by militaristic expansionism: a major theme for authoritarian states in World War II.

Nazi Mass Atrocity: Operation Barbarossa

• Nazi Germany’s 1941 invasion of the Soviet Union

  • Led to widespread civilian massacre on the newly opened Eastern Front.

  • Goal was to create more Lebensraum (living space): a German expansionist policy.]

Italian Mass Atrocity: Invasion of Ethiopia

• Fascist Italy, under Benito Mussolini, engaged in military expansionism in Ethiopia

  • The invasion resulted in widespread atrocities through the use of chemical weapons and the displacement of civilians.

These atrocities reflect the increasing scale and intensity of civilian casualties compared to World War I. These incidents reflect the evolution of military technology and tactics, with a shift towards more destructive methods often targeting cities themselves as enemies in themselves. New aerial warfare innovations had the ability to inflict mass casualties on civilian populations and destroy enemy infrastructure on a previously unimaginable scale. Thus there’s a greater willingness to employ devastating forces against civilian populations to achieve military objectives in World War II compared to World War I.

Above all, the governments that did mass atrocities were extremist groups in power. Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, and Showa Japan were all ran by systems of totalitarian government focused on expansionism and the suppression of internal opposition.

WWII: Total war’s impact on Women:

• Like WWII, women were drawn to serve in the industry and military. Examples?

  • Examples: Soviet Union involved a high percentage of women in the workforce (more than half), dominated agriculture, and served in combat

WWII: Various political and economic consequences:

• The toll of the Second War on European economies forced these countries to loosen their grip on their colonies and motivated nationalist and anticolonial movements everywhere.

• United Nations (UN) formed in 1945; peacekeeping organization.

• US and Soviet Union became superpowers and Germany and Japan forced to demilitarize

The Chinese Revolution

The Chinese Revolution

Eastern European applications of Communism from the USSR:

• Soviets’ and Stalin’s victory over the Nazis gave communism credibility

• Stalin acted to install communist governments in nations he feared would be enveloped in American capitalism. Poland, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria

Vietnam:

• Ho Chi Minh spread communism through Vietnam, battling Japan, France, and America.

China:

• Prior, Qing Dynasty fell in 1911 to imperialism and internal issues

• Mao Zedong defeated the Guomindang (Nationalist Party)

  • The Bolshevik Party of Russia had it a lot easier, since their foe was the weak Provisional Government whereas the Guomindang had a moderately strong military.

• Mao’s experiments with land reform, guerilla warfare, and the creation of the Red Army consolidated power within the peasant class to support his new CCP

  • The Bolsheviks found an audience within the working urban class.

• Mao adopted Marxism-Leninism and supported Chinese nationalism and anti-imperialism.

• Long March of 1934-35

  • Event that marked the emergence of Mao Zedong as China’s leader.

• Women’s roles in society/politics

  • Marriage Law, preventing arranged/bought marriage, suffrage, and private ownership

  • Women’s associations supported revolutionaries by producing clothes and shoes.

• The Second Sino-Japanese War is what allowed Mao to consolidate power

  • Japanese invasion heavily weakened the Guomindang administrative and forced them to retreat

  • The People’s Liberation Army pushed back Guomindang and Japanese invaders through guerrilla tactics.

• The CCP addressed the problems that led to the fall of the Qing: imperialism and peasant exploitation

  • Proved popular because of an honest reputation, much unlike Guomindang and Qing administrative

Comparing the CCP and Bolshevik uprisings:

• In terms of societal structure, the CCP supported the peasant class in a way the

  • The CCP's emphasis on rural development and agrarian reform set them apart from their Russian counterparts.

• Unlike the Bolsheviks, who primarily focused on urban industrial workers, the CCP believed that the peasantry could be mobilized to bring about social and political change. They viewed the peasants as the backbone of the revolution, as they were the majority of the population in agrarian China.

• To support the peasant class, the CCP implemented various policies and initiatives.

  In contrast, the Bolsheviks' focus on urban industrial workers often overshadowed the needs and aspirations of the peasantry in Russia.

  • While the Bolsheviks aimed to industrialize the country and build a socialist society, their approach towards the peasantry was less comprehensive. The Bolsheviks implemented policies such as grain requisitioning, which aimed to feed the urban population but often resulted in hardships and famine for the peasantry.

• 1949: CCP defeats Guomindang, and they flee to Taiwan

Making connections:

Essential Question: Why were the beginnings of WWI and WWII different?

• World War I was primarily triggered by a complex web of alliances and hot imperial rivalries, while World War II was largely a result of the aggressive expansionist policies pursued by Nazi Germany and contention between Imperial Japan and America.

• World War I led to the redrawing of national borders and the collapse of empires, while World War II resulted in the establishment of the United Nations and the division of Europe into two opposing blocs during the Cold War.

• WWI was welcomed and anticipated by all Western powers— WWII was not.

What were the similarities and differences in the causes of war in Western Europe and Asia?

Similarities:

• Expansionist ambitions: Both Japan and Germany sought to expand their territories and establish dominance in their respective regions.

• Nationalism: Both countries had strong nationalist sentiments, fueling their desire for power and influence.

• Economic factors: Both Japan and Germany faced economic challenges and sought to secure resources and markets through military conquest.

• Militarization: Both countries heavily invested in their military forces and pursued aggressive military strategies.

Differences:

• Geographic context: Japan's expansionist goals were primarily focused on East Asia and the Pacific, while Germany aimed to dominate Europe.

• Ideological motivations: Germany's Nazi regime was driven by a racist ideology, seeking to establish an Aryan supremacy, while Japan's militaristic government aimed to compete with Western powers following the Great Depression and create a Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere.

  • The Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere was a concept promoted by the Japanese Empire during World War II. It advertised to establish a self-sufficient bloc of Asian nations under Japanese leadership, with the goal of ‘liberating Asia’ from Western colonial powers. Includes annexed Korea, China, and the puppet colony of Manchukuo. However, the true intention behind this concept was to expand Japanese influence and gather resources in the region. The Japanese Empire used propaganda to convince Asian countries to join the sphere, but in reality, it was a form of imperialism and domination. It failed as Japan's military aggression and oppressive rule led to resistance and eventual defeat in the war.

• Triggering events: Germany's invasion of Poland in 1939 marked the start of WWII in Europe, while Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 brought the United States into the war.