LUKE: Unit 16 Study Guide World Civ

Over what issue did Truman and McArthur disagree, and how did McArthur get into trouble?

...The Chinese forces moved into South Korea and captured the capital of SEOUL. McArthur proposed for a nuclear attack against China. President Truman viewed McArthur's proposal as reckless...."we are trying to prevent a world war, not start one." McArthur tried to go over his head by taking his case to Congress and the press. As a result, President Truman removed McArthur. .

Why did we get involved in Vietnam?

...The United States had supported France in Vietnam. The US saw the defeat of France as a rising threat to the rest of Asia. President Eisenhower described the threat in terms of the DOMINO THEORY. The fall of one nation to communism would lead to the fall of its neighbors. This theory became a major justification for US foreign policy during the Cold War era. Vietnam - A Divided Country After France's defeat, an international peace conference met in Geneva to discuss the future of Indochina. Vietnam was divided at 17 north latitude. North of this line, Ho Chi Minh's Communist forces governed. To the south of this line, the United States and France set up an anti-Communist government under the leadership of NGO DINH DIEM (NOH dihn D'YEM). Opposition to his government grew. Communist guerrillas called VIETCONG began to gain strength in the south. It appeared that a takeover by the Communist Vietcong, backed by North Vietnam, was inevitable. THE UNITED STATES GETS INVOLVED Faced with the possibility of a Communist victory, the US decided to increase its involvement. US Troops Enter the Fight Congress authorized President Lyndon Johnson to send US troops to fight in Vietnam. By 1968, more than half a million US soldiers were in combat there. The United States was the most advance army in the world, however they faced two major difficulities: - US soldiers were fighting in a guerrilla war in unfamiliar jungle terrain - the South Vietnamese government (which they were defending) were becoming unpopular Unable to win a decisive victory on ground, the US turned to air power. The United States Withdraws In the late 1960's the war grew increasingly unpopular in the United States. Young people began to protest the tremendous loss of life. Giving in to public pressure, PRESIDENT RICHARD NIXON began withdrawing troops from Vietnam in 1969. Nixon had a plan called VIETNAMIZATION which allowed US troops to gradually pull out, while the South Vietnamese increased their combat role. Nixon athorized a massive bombin campaign against North Vietnamese bases and supply routes.

Why were nuclear bombs used?

After Okinawa, the next stop was Japan. President Truman's advisors were concerned this invasion would cost millions of lives. Truman had to make the decision whether or not to use a powerful new weapon called the atomic bomb, or A-BOMB. Most of his advisors felt it would bring a quick end to the war. The atomic bomb had been developed by the top-secret MANHATTEN PROJECT, headed by GENERAL LESLIE GROVES and chief scientist J. ROBERT OPPENSHEIMER. They tested this bomb by exploding it in a desert in New Mexico. Truman warned the Japanese that if they didn't surrender, they could expect a "rain of ruin from the air". The Japanese did not reply. On August 6, 1945 the United States dropped an atomic bomb on HIROSHIMA (a Japanese city with 350,000 people). Three days later, a second bomb was dropped on NAGASAKI (a city of 270,000 people).

Why did Hitler invade Poland? What did he want?

After WWI, the Allies had cut out the Polish Corridor from Germany territory to give Poland access to the sea. In 1939, Hitler demanded that the Polish Corridor be returned to Germany. In a secret pact, Germany and the Soviet Union agreed to divide Poland between themselves. A surprise attack on Poland took place on Sept. 1, 1939. This was the event that led Great Britain and France to go to war with Germany. France and Britain declared war on Germany on Sept. 3, 1939. Hitler won and annexed the western half of Poland.

Why did our WWII alliance with the Soviets breakdown not long after the war?

BEFORE THE WAR United States - upset that the Soviet leader had signed a nonaggression pact with Germany Soviet Union - blamed the US Alliance for not invading German-occupied Europe sooner than 1944. Driven by these and other disagreements, the two allies began to pursue opposing goals AFTER THE WAR After the war, the United States and the Soviet Union split sharply. The war had affected them differently: United States - suffered 400,000 deaths, but its cities and factories remained intact. Soviet Union - had 50 times as many fatalities, and many Soviet cities were demolished. These contrasting situations, as well and political and economic differences, affected the two countries postwar goals. UNITED STATES GOALS: - encourage democracy in other countries to help prevent the rise of Communist government - gain access to raw materials and markets to fuel booming industries - rebuild European governments to promote stability and create new markets for US goods - reunite Germany to stabilize it and increase the security of Europe SOVIET UNION GOALS: - encourage communism in other countries as part of a worldwide workers' revolution. - rebuild its war-ravaged economy using Eastern Europe's industrial equipment and raw materials. - control Eastern Europe to protect Soviet borders and balance the US influence in Western Europe. - keep Germany divided to prevent its waging war again.

How did the US initially respond to Japan's expansion into Southeast Asia in 1941?

By October 1940, the Americans had cracked one of the codes that the Japanese used to send secret messages. Therefore, they were well aware of Japanese plans for attacking Asia. To stop the Japanese advances (which would threaten the American-controlled Philippine Islands and Guam), the US government sent aid to strengthen Chinese resistance. When the Japanese overran French Indochina (which included Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos), Roosevelt cut off oil shipments to Japan. Despite the oil shortage, the Japanese hoped to catch the European colonial power and the United States by surprise. So they planned massive attacks on British and Dutch colonies in Southeast Asia and on American outposts in the Pacific. Japanese great naval commander, ISOROKU YAMAMOTO, called for an attack on the US fleet in Hawaii. Yamamot said it was "a dagger pointed at Japan's throat, and it must be destroyed."

What was the iron curtain?

EASTERN EUROPE'S IRON CURTAIN A major goal of the Soviet Union was to shield itself from another invasion from the west (because it lacked natural western borders). Centuries of history taught the Soviets to fear invasion. Soviets Build a Buffer As WWII came to a close, the Soviet troops pushed the Nazis (Germans) back across Eastern Europe. At the end of the war, these troops occupied a strip of countries along the Soviet Union's own western border. Stalin regarded these countries as a necessary buffer, or wall of protection. Stalin ignored the Yalta agreement by installing Communist governments in Albania, Bulgaria Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Poland, and Yugoslavia. The Soviet Union's partner at Yalta, Franklin D. Roosevelt died. He was replaced with Harry S. Truman. Truman saw Stalin's reluctance to allow free elections in Eastern Europe a clear violation to those countries rights. Truman pressed Stalin to permit free elections in Eastern Europe, but Stalin refused. In a speech, Stalin declared that communism and capitalism could not exist in the same world. An Iron Curtain Divides East and West Europe now lay divided between East and West Germany had been split into two sections: 1. EAST GERMANY - The Soviets controlled the eastern part. Under a Communist government, East Germany was now named the GERMAN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC. 2. WEST GERMANY - was now the FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY Winston Churchill - The Iron Curtain Speech Winston Churchill described the division of Europe in a speech on March 5, 1946: "From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the continent".... Churchill's phrase "IRON CURTAIN" came to represent Europe's division into mostly democratic Western Europe and Communist Eastern Europe.

How could civilians help in the war efforts of their countries?

Even though Americans at home did not suffer invasion or bombing, they made a crucial contribution to the Allied war by producing the weapons, and equipment that would help win the war Mobilizing the War Winning the war meant that the US had to "MOBILIZE". Examples of mobilization were: •factories converted their peace time operations to wartime production....made everything from machine guns to boots •automobile factories produced tanks •typewriter company made armor-piercing shells •men and women had jobs in war industries •set the speed limit to 35 miles per hour to save gasoline and rubber. •Allied governments conducted highly effective propaganda campaigns. •American school-children helped the war effort by recycling scrap metal & rubber and by buying war bonds. Because the factories were producing products for the war (instead of their normal products), there was a shortage of consumer goods. Examples of shortages were meat, sugar, tires, gasoline, nylon stockings, and laundry soap. Because of this, the American government RATIONED scarce items. In European countries, the rationing was more drastic. rationed - distributed in limited amounts

What was the Third World? How did it factor into the Cold War?

Following World War II, the world's nations were grouped politically into three "worlds". 1. INDUSTRIALIZED CAPITALIST NATIONS - United States and its allies 2. COMMUNIST NATIONS - led by the Soviet Union 3. THIRD WORLD NATIONS - consisted of developing nations, often newly independent. and not aligned with either superpower. The Third World nations had a choice between aligning with the United States, or the Soviet Union. The superpowers used a variety of techniques to gain influence in the Third World.

What was the "Final Solution"?

Hitler grew impatient waiting for Jews to die from starvation or disease. He decided to take action. Hitler's plan was called the FINAL SOLUTION. It was a program of GENOCIDE - the systematic killing of an entire people Hitler believed that his plan of conquest depended on the purity of the Aryan race. To protect racial purity, the Nazis had to eliminate other races, nationalities, or groups they viewed as inferior - as "subhumans". They included Roma (gypsies), Poles, Russians, homosexuals, the insane, the disabled, and the incurably ill. But, the Nazi's focused especially on the Jews. The "Final Solution" reached its last stage in 1942. They built extermination camps equipped with huge gas chambers that could kill as many as 6,000 human begins in a day. When prisoners arrived at AUSCHWITZ (OUSH-vihts), the largest of the extermination camps, the paraded before a committee of SS doctors. With the wave of a the hand, the doctors separated the strong from the weak. Those labeled as weak would die that day. The Nazis told the "weak" Jews that they would be taking a shower. They led them to a chamber with fake showerheads. After the doors were closed, cyanide gas poured from the showerheads. All were killed in a matter of minutes. Later the Nazis installed crematoriums, or ovens, to burn the bodies.

How did American policy in Nicaragua change over time?

In the 1970's, the United States and the Soviet Union backed away from the aggressive policies of brinkmanship that they had followed. The superpowers slowly moved to lower tensions. The United States (under Richard Nixon) turns to DÉTENTE. Détente is a policy of lessening Cold War tensions. It replaced brinkmanship. Tensions increased as US activities (such as arming Nicaragua's Contras) pushed the United States and Soviet Union further away from detente.

What event led to Great Britain and France going to war with Germany?

Joseph Stalin had signed a ten-year NON-AGRESSION PACT with Hitler. Stalin was not crazy about the idea, so Hitler promised him territory. In a secret pact, Germany and the Soviet Union agreed to divide Poland between themselves. They also agreed that the USSR could take over Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia Non-agression pact - an agreement in which nations promise not to attack one another. A surprise attack on Poland took place on Sept. 1, 1939. This was the event that led Great Britain and France to go to war with Germany. France and Britain declared war on Germany on Sept. 3, 1939. Hitler won and annexed the western half of Poland. The German's invasion of Poland was the first test of Germany's newest military strategy, the BLITZKRIEG (BLIHTS-kreeg), or "lightning war". It involved using fast moving airplanes and tanks, followed by massive infantry forces to take the enemy by surprise and quickly overwhelm them. It worked.

What was Kristallnacht?

Kristallnacht - "Night of Broken Glass" A young Jewish boy, HERSCHEL GRYNSZPAN (17 years old) was visiting his uncle in Paris. While Herschel was in Paris, he received a post card saying that his father had been deported to Poland. This greatly upset Herschel. To avenge his father's deportation, Herschel shot at a German diplomat living in Paris. When the Nazi leaders heard about this, they launched a violent attack on the Jewish community. Close to 100 Jews were killed. Hundreds of Jewish shop windows were smashed....streets were littered with shattered plate glass. For this reason, November 9 became known as KRISTALLNACHT (krih-STAHL-NAHKT), or "Night of Broken Glass". *Kritallnacht marked a major step-up in the Nazi policy of Jewish persecution. The future for the Jews in Germany looked truly grim.

Why was Japan trying to build an empire in Southeast Asia?

Like Hitler, Japan's leaders had big dreams of an empire. Fighting the long war with China was placing a strain on Japan's economy. To increase Japan's resources, the Japanese leaders were looking at Asia (which at that time belonged to Europe

What was the Cultural Revolution? What was its purpose? What did it do?

Mao thought China's new economic policies weakened the Communist goal of social equality. He was determined to revive the revolution. He urged China's young people to "learn revolution by making revolution". Millions of young high school and college students responded by forming militia units called RED GUARDS. The Red Guards led a major uprising known as the CULTURAL REVOLUTION. Its goal was to establish a society of peasants and workers in which all were equal •the new hero was the peasant who worked with his hands •intellectuals and artists were considered useless and dangerous •Red Guards shut down colleges and schools •Red Guards targeted anyone who was against the regime •intellectuals had to purify themselves by doing hard labor in remote villages •thousands were executed or imprisoned Chaos threatened farm production and to close factories. Civil war seemed likely. Even Mao admitted the Cultural Revolution had to stop. The army was ordered to "put down" the Red Guards. ZHOU ENLAI (joh enl-leye), founder of the Chinese Communist party, began to restore order.

What economic system did China adopt after the civil war?

Mao was determined to reshape China's economy based on MARXIST SOCIALISM. Under the AGRARIAN REFORM LAW of 1950, Mao seized the holdings of landlords. Millions of landlords who resisted were killed. He then divided the land among the peasants. To further Mao's socialist principles, he forced the peasants to join COLLECTIVE FARMS. Each farm was comprised of 200-300 households. Mao also transformed industry and business. Private companies were now nationalized, or brought under government ownership. Mao launched a FIVE YEAR PLAN that would increase production goals and output of coal, steel, cement, and electricity The Great Leap Forward To expand the success of the first Five Year Plan, Mao proclaimed the "GREAT LEAP FORWARD" in 1958. The plan still called for collective farms, or COMMUNES. In the strictly controlled life of the communes, peasants worked the land together. They ate, slept, and raised children in communes. They owned nothing. The peasants had no incentive to work hard because they did not profit from their labor. The Great Leap Forward was a giant step backward. The program ended in 1961 when crop failures caused a famine that killed 20 million people.

How did Brezhnev differ from Khrushchev in their policies?

Nikita Khrushchev becam the dominant Soviet leader. He denounced Stalin for jailing and killing loyal Soviet citizens. His speech signaled the start of a policy called DESTALINIZATION, or purging the country of Stalin's memory. Workers destroyed monuments of the former dictator. He called for "peaceful competition", with capitalist states. But, the new outlook did not change life in the SATELLITE COUNTRIES. Their resentment turned to active protest. No one wanted communism. A Hungarian Communist leader named IMRE NAGY, formed a new government. He promised free elections and demanded Soviet troops to leave. However, a pro-soviet government was installed and Nagy was executed. Despite the show of force in Hungary, Khrushchev lost prestige in his country because of the CUBAN MISSLE CRISIS. In 1964, party leaders voted to remove Khrushchev from power. His replacement was LEONID BREZHNEV. Leonid Brezhnev adopted a repressive domestic policy. The party enforced laws that limit basic human rights of freedom of speech and worship. Government contolled (censored) what writers could publish. He did not tolerate dissent in Eastern Europe. At that time Czech Communist leader ALEXANDER DUBCEK loosened controls on censorship to offer his country socialism with a "human face". This period of reform was known as PRAGUE SPRING. Unforntuntely, this period did not survive. The armed forces from the Warsaw Pact, invaded Chzecholslovakia. Brezhnev justified this by claiming he needed to prevent the rejection of communism. This policy became known as BREZHNEV DOCTRINE.

What was the Atlantic Charter?

Roosevelt and Churchill met secretly and issued a joint declaration called the ATLANTIC CHARTER. It upheld the free trade among nations, and the right of people to choose their own government. (This later served as the Allies' peace plan at the end of the war)

What were NATO and the Warsaw Pact?

Superpowers Form Rival Alliances During the Cold War, Fear of Soviet aggression resulted in ten European nations joining with the United States and Canada to form a defensive military alliance called the NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANIZATION (NATO). If any NATO member was attacked, it would be met with armed forces by all member nations. The Soviet Union saw NATO as a threat and formed an alliance called the WARSAW PACT. It included: • Soviet Union • East Germany • Czechoslovakia • Poland • Hungary • Romania • Bulgaria • Albania

What was Stalingrad? What happened?

THE BATTLE OF STALINGRAD began on Aug. 23, 1942, The LUFTWAFFLE went on nightly bombing raids. Stalin told his commanders to defend the city that had been named after him, to the death. Germans had controlled 90% of the ruined city, until another Russian winter set in. The Soviet troops launched a counterattack, and closed in on Stalingrad trapping the Germans, and cut off their supplies. General Paulus begged Hitler to retreat, but Hitler refused saying the city was "to be held at all costs." This cost the Soviets one million soldiers....the city was 99% destroyed. However, the Germans were now on the defensive (the tide was turning).

What battle marked the turning point of the Pacific War?

The Battle of Midway Japan's next target was Midway Island (west of Hawaii). The location was a key American airfield. Thanks to Allied code breakers, ADMIRAL CHESTER NIMITZ knew the Japanese were heading toward Midway. The Japanese commander (Admiral Yamamoto) was hoping this attack on Midway would draw the whole Pacific Fleet from Pearl Harbor to defend the island. Admiral Chester Nimitz had a strategy....he allowed the Japanese to begin their assault on the island. As the first Japanese planes got into the air, American planes swooped in to attack the Japanese fleet. The strategy was a success. Yamamoto ordered his fleet to withdraw. The BATTLE OF MIDWAY turned the tide of war in the Pacific. The Battle of Midway Japan's next target was Midway Island (west of Hawaii). The location was a key American airfield. Thanks to Allied code breakers, ADMIRAL CHESTER NIMITZ knew the Japanese were heading toward Midway. The Japanese commander (Admiral Yamamoto) was hoping this attack on Midway would draw the whole Pacific Fleet from Pearl Harbor to defend the island. Admiral Chester Nimitz had a strategy....he allowed the Japanese to begin their assault on the island. As the first Japanese planes got into the air, American planes swooped in to attack the Japanese fleet. The strategy was a success. Yamamoto ordered his fleet to withdraw. The BATTLE OF MIDWAY turned the tide of war in the Pacific.

What was the Battle of the Bulge?

The Battle of the Bulge As the Allied forces moved toward Germany from the west, the Soviet Army was moving toward Germany from the east. Hitler now faced a war on both fronts. In a desperate gamble, he decided to counter-attack the Allied forces in the west, hoping to break up the Allied supply lines. Hitler explained, "This battle is to decide whether we shall live or die... all resistance must be broken in a wave of terror." On December 16, the Germans broke through the weak American defenses along the 75-mile front in the Ardennes. The push into Allied lines gave the campaign its name - THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE. Although the Americans were caught off guard, the Allies eventually pushed the Germans back, and eventually the Germans retreated. After the Battle of the Bulge, the war in Europe rapidly came to a close.

How did Sputnik affect the Cold War in general and the US in particular?

The Cold War in the Skies The Cold War affected the science and education programs of the two countries. The Soviets announced the development of a rocket that could travel great distances - an intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM. The Soviets used ICBM to push SPUNTNIK, the first unmanned satellite, above the earth's atmosphere. Because of this the Americans felt they had fallen behind, so they poured money into science education and technology. In 1958, the United States launched its own satellite. Eisenhower had proposed that the US and the Soviet Union be able to fly over each other's territory to guard against surprise nuclear attacks. The Soviet Union said no. In response, the US CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY (CIA) started secret high-altitude spy flights over Soviet territory in planes called U-2s. In 1960, the Soviets shot down a U2 plane and its pilot, FRANCIS GARY POWERS, was captured. This incident heightened the Cold War tensions.

What happened in the Nuremberg Trials?

The Nuremberg Trials Besides trying to recover politically and economically, they had to also deal with issues of war crimes. During 1945 and 1946, the INTERNATIONAL MILITARY TRIBUNAL, represented 23 nations and put the Nazi war criminals on trial in Nuremberg, Germany. The first of the NUREMBERG TRIALS charged 22 Nazi leaders with waging a war of aggression. They were also accused of committing "crimes against humanity" - the murder of 11 million people. ADOLF HITLER - committed suicide SS CHIEF HEINRICH HIMMLER - committed suicide MINISTER OF PROPAGANDA - committed suicide RUDOLF HESS (Hitler's former deputy) - found guilty, and was sentenced to life in prison HERMANN GORING (commander of the Luftwaffle) - received a death sentence, but committed suicide before they could execute him 10 OTHER NAZI LEADERS - Hanged on Oct. 16, 1946 HANS FRANK (the "Slayer of Poles") was the only convicted Nazi to express remorse...."A thousand years will pass, and still this quilt of Germany will not have been erased."

Why did the Soviets invade Afghanistan?

The Soviet influence began to increase in Afghanistan. In the late 1970's, a Muslim revolt threatened to topple Afghanistan's Communist regime. This Muslim revolt led to a Soviet invasion in 1979. The United States armed the rebles because they considered the Soviet invasion as a threat to Middle Eastern oil supplies. President Jimmy Carter warned the Soviets against any attempt to gain control of the Persian Gulf. To protest invasion, he stopped US grain shipments to the Soviet Union and ordered a US boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics. In the 1980's, a new Soviet president, MIKHAIL GORBACHEV, acknowledged the war's devasting costs and withdrew all Soviet troops from Afghanistan.

What was the Truman Doctrine?

The Truman Doctrine President Truman's support for the countries that rejected communism was called THE TRUMAN DOCTRINE. It caused great controversy: - some opponents objected to Americans interference in other nations affairs. -others argued that the United States could not afford to carry on a global crusade against communism. Congress, however, authorized more than 400 million in aid to Turkey and Greece.

Why did China intervene in Korea?

The UNITED NATIONS troops pushed the North Koreans across the 38th parallel into North Korea. The United Nation forces were mainly from the United States. The Chinese felt threatened by these troops and by an American fleet off their coast. So, they sent 300,000 troops into North Korea. The United Nation forces were now outnumbered. The Chinese forces moved into South Korea and captured the capital of SEOUL. McArthur proposed for a nuclear attack against China. President Truman viewed McArthur's proposal as reckless...."we are trying to prevent a world war, not start one." McArthur tried to go over his head by taking his case to Congress and the press. As a result, President Truman removed McArthur. . Over the next two years, fighting continued. By 1952, the United Nations troops had control over South Korea. In 1953, the United Nations forces and North Korea signed a cease-fire agreement. The border was set near the 38th parallel.

Who won China's civil war?

The civil war between the Communist and the Nationalist lasted from 1946 - 1949. At first the Nationalist had the advantage...their army outnumbered the Communist's army three to one. And the United States continued its support in financial aid. However, with China's collapsing economy, thousands of Nationalist soldiers left to join the The civil war between the Communist and the Nationalist lasted from 1946 - 1949. At first the Nationalist had the advantage...their army outnumbered the Communist's army three to one. And the United States continued its support in financial aid. However, with China's collapsing economy, thousands of Nationalist soldiers left to join the Communists....Mao had promised to return land to the peasants. In 1949, Mao gained control of the country. He proclaimed it the PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA. The Nationalists leaders retreated to the island of TAIWAN, which Westerners called FORMOSA Mao's victory fueled the US anti-Communist feelings. The United States viewed this takeover as another step in a Communist campaign to conquer the world. THE TWO CHINAS AFFECT THE COLD WAR China had split into two nations: 1. Taiwan, (or Nationalist China) 2. People's Republic of China The Superpowers React The United States helped Jiang Jieshi set up a Nationalist government on the small island of Taiwan. It was called the REPUBLIC OF CHINA. The United States also tried to halt Soviet expansion in Asia. The Soviet Union gave financial, military, and technical aid to Communist China. In addition, the Chinese and the Soviets pledged to come to each other's defense if attacked. China Expands Under the Communists When China's control over Tibet tightened, the DALAI LAMA (a religious leader), fled to India. India welcomed many Tibetan refugees. As a result, resentment between India and China grew. THE COMMUNISTS TRANSFORM CHINA When the Communists took control, they moved quickly to strengthen their rule over China, and aimed to restore China as a powerful nation. Communist Claim a New "MANDATE OF HEAVEN" The Chinese government set up two parallel organizations: • The Communist party • The national government Mao headed both organizations until 1959

What was containment?

UNITED STATES TRIES TO CONTAIN SOVIETS President Truman adopted a foreign policy called CONTAINMENT which was a policy directed at blocking Soviet influence and stopping the expansion of communism. Containment policies included forming alliances and helping weak countries resist Soviet advances.

What is blitzkrieg?

Using the sudden mass attack called blitzkrieg, Germany overran much of Europe and North Africa. Hitler's actions set off World War II. The results of the war still affect the politics and economics of today's world. The surprise attack on Poland took place on Sept. 1, 1939. France and Britain declared war on Germany on Sept. 3, 1939. Hitler won and annexed the western half of Poland. The German's invasion of Poland was the first test of Germany's newest military strategy, the BLITZKRIEG (BLIHTS-kreeg), or "lightning war". It involved using fast moving airplanes and tanks, followed by massive infantry forces to take the enemy by surprise and quickly overwhelm them. It worked.

Why were there so many homeless/displaced persons after the war?

World War II cost millions of human lives, and billions of dollars in damages. The war left Europe and Japan in ruins. The United States survived the World War II undamaged, allowing it to become a world leader. Setting the Stage In addition to the millions of lives lost, and billions of dollars lost, there were 50 million people who had been uprooted from their homes and wandering the countryside in search of somewhere to live. Property damage ran into billions of US dollars. DEVASTATION IN EUROPE Constant bombing and shelling had reduced hundreds of cities to rubble. Many were left homeless. One US officer stationed in Germany reported "Wherever we looked we saw desolation. It was like a city of the dead." A Harvest of Destruction A few "lucky" cities of Europe - Paris, Rome and Brussels - remained largely undamaged by war. Many civilians stayed where they were, and tried to get on with their lives. Some lived in destroyed homes, or huddled in cellars or caves made from rubble. They had no water, no electricity, and very little food. Many people did not stay where they were. Rather, they took to the roads. These people were survivors of concentration camps, prisoners of war, and refugees who found themselves in the wrong country when postwar treaties changed the national border. They wandered across Europe, hoping to find their families or to find a safe place to live. Misery Continues after the War With the transportation system destroyed, the harvest often did not reach the cities. Thousands died from famine and disease. The first postwar winter brought more suffering as people went without shoes and coats. World War II cost millions of human lives, and billions of dollars in damages. The war left Europe and Japan in ruins. The United States survived the World War II undamaged, allowing it to become a world leader. Setting the Stage In addition to the millions of lives lost, and billions of dollars lost, there were 50 million people who had been uprooted from their homes and wandering the countryside in search of somewhere to live. Property damage ran into billions of US dollars. DEVASTATION IN EUROPE Constant bombing and shelling had reduced hundreds of cities to rubble. Many were left homeless. One US officer stationed in Germany reported "Wherever we looked we saw desolation. It was like a city of the dead." A Harvest of Destruction A few "lucky" cities of Europe - Paris, Rome and Brussels - remained largely undamaged by war. Many civilians stayed where they were, and tried to get on with their lives. Some lived in destroyed homes, or huddled in cellars or caves made from rubble. They had no water, no electricity, and very little food. Many people did not stay where they were. Rather, they took to the roads. These people were survivors of concentration camps, prisoners of war, and refugees who found themselves in the wrong country when postwar treaties changed the national border. They wandered across Europe, hoping to find their families or to find a safe place to live. Misery Continues after the War With the transportation system destroyed, the harvest often did not reach the cities. Thousands died from famine and disease. The first postwar winter brought more suffering as people went without shoes and coats.