Honors World History B Unit 8: World War II

Erwin Rommel

"Desert Fox"-May 1942; German and Italian armies were led by him and attacked British occupied Egypt and the Suez Canal for the second time; were defeated at the Battle of El Alamein; was moved to France to oversee the defenses before D-Day; tried to assassinate Hitler.

blitzkrieg

"Lighting war", typed of fast-moving warfare used by German forces against Poland in 1939

Douglas MacArthur

(1880-1964), U.S. general. Commander of U.S. (later Allied) forces in the southwestern Pacific during World War II, he accepted Japan's surrender in 1945 and administered the ensuing Allied occupation. He was in charge of UN forces in Korea 1950-51, before being forced to relinquish command by President Truman.

D-Day

(FDR) , June 6, 1944, 160,000 Allied troops landed along a 50-mile stretch of heavily-fortified French coastline to fight Nazi Germany on the beaches of Normandy, France. General Dwight D. Eisenhower called the operation a crusade in which "we will accept nothing less than full victory." More than 5,000 Ships and 13,000 aircraft supported the D-Day invasion, and by day's end on June 6, the Allies gained a foot- hold in Normandy.

Dwight Eisenhower

(FDR) United States general who supervised the invasion of Normandy, Casablanca and the defeat of Nazi Germany

Lend-Lease Act

1941 law that authorized the president to aid any nation whose defense he believed was vital to American security

Atlantic Charter

1941-Pledge signed by US president FDR and British prime minister Winston Churchill not to acquire new territory as a result of WWII amd to work for peace after the war

Wannsee Conference

1942 conference in Germany concerning the plan to murder European Jews

Yalta Conference

1945 Meeting with US president FDR, British Prime Minister(PM) Winston Churchill, and and Soviet Leader Stalin during WWII to plan for post-war

Dunkirk

A city in northern France on the North Sea where in World War II (1940) 330,000 Allied troops had to be evacuated from the beaches at Dunkirk in a desperate retreat under enemy fire.

Winston Churchill

A noted British statesman who led Britain throughout most of World War II and along with Roosevelt planned many allied campaigns. He predicted an iron curtain that would separate Communist Europe from the rest of the West.

Rosie the Riveter

A propaganda character designed to increase production of female workers in the factories. It became a rallying symbol for women to do their part.

Manhattan Project

A secret U.S. project for the construction of the atomic bomb.

Nuremberg Trials

A series of court proceedings held in Nuremberg, Germany, after World War II, in which Nazi leaders were tried for aggression, violations of the rules of war, and crimes against humanity.

appeasement

Accepting demands in order to avoid conflict

Axis powers

Alliance of Germany, Italy, and Japan during World War II.

The government of a country is inflicting terrible human rights abuses on members of the opposition party. Based on the excerpt, can the United Nations intervene?

Article 2, Principle 7 says that the UN will not interfere in purely domestic matters. What is happening in that country is terrible, but it does not affect other countries, so the UN cannot intervene. Several years of drought in western Asia have led to widespread famine. The UN arranges to bring convoys of food to starving people. One country, a member of the UN, does not want to let relief workers come inside its borders. Does any part of the charter cited here support or rebut the country's position? Explain your answer.Possible response: Article 1, Purpose 3 says, "To achieve international co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character." This is clearly an international humanitarian problem, so the nation must cooperate.

How did the creation of Israel result from the Holocaust?

As the horrors of the Holocaust became evident, many believed the Jewish people deserved a homeland and that creating one might prevent or mitigate future manifestations of anti-Semitism.

Joseph Stalin

Bolshevik revolutionary, head of the Soviet Communists after 1924, and dictator of the Soviet Union from 1928 to 1953. He led the Soviet Union with an iron fist, using Five-Year Plans to increase industrial production and terror to crush opposition

How was the Japanese attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor similar to the German invasion of Poland?

Both were surprise attacks done before any declaration of war.

Why did Churchill believe the Munich Pact was the "beginning of the reckoning"?

Churchill didn't believe in the policy of appeasement because it wasn't stopping the Axis powers from committing acts of aggression. He predicted Hitler would continue invading other countries until he was stopped with military force.

Looking back, it is clear to see that the policy of appeasement was a failure, but many politicians believed it would work. Some, like Churchill, did not. Write a short dialogue that could have occurred between Churchill and Chamberlain discussing the policy of appeasement and the Munich Pact. Use details from the textbook and the following excerpts for guidance and to support your ideas. Include 3-5 lines of dialogue for each man.

Churchill should speak out against the Munich Agreement and the policy of appeasement, citing reasons such as dictators will never respond to anything by force and that Hitler considered appeasement weak. Chamberlain should support appeasement because it led Hitler agree to stop his aggression without a war.

Hiroshima

City in Japan, the first to be destroyed by an atomic bomb, on August 6, 1945. The bombing hastened the end of World War II.

Stalingrad

City in Russia, site of a Red Army victory over the Germany army in 1942-1943. The Battle of Stalingrad was the turning point in the war between Germany and the Soviet Union. Today Volgograd.

Vichy

City in central France where a puppet state governed unoccupied France and the French colonies

Think back to your study of the Evian Conference. More than 32 representatives were there in the late 1930s to discuss the Jewish refugee problem. Although delegates expressed their sympathies for the Jewish community, nobody opened their doors to the refugees because of economic hardships due to the Great Depression and feelings of anti-Semitism. Do you think the countries who met at the Evian Conference in France share some guilt for the Holocaust? Why or why not?

Countries were not aware of the mistreatment and were only looking out for the people of their own country. Alternatively, some countries were aware of the laws against the Jews and the escalation of mistreatment, and they should be held responsible for not defending the human rights of others.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Democratic president who created the New Deal to counter the effects of the Great Depression

In order to pave the way for the invasion of D-Day, what preliminary steps did Eisenhower take on the Western Front to distract and weaken Germany?

Eisenhower's strategy included Allied bombing of French and German infrastructure instead of only military targets. The Allies used the long-range, heavy-artillery carrying B-24 bomber to demolish French bridges and railroads, which hindered the transport of German weapons, machinery, and food supplies, plus the nonstop bombing of German war factories and aircraft so that German planes would be disabled from use against the D-Day forces landing in Normandy.

Francisco Franco

Fascist leader of the Spanish revolution, helped by Hitler and Mussolini

How costly was World War II in terms of European and Soviet casualties?

Fifty million people around the world lost their lives; 30 million of those were in Europe, and the other 20 million were in the Soviet Union.

Why did many countries give in to Hitler's actions?

Germans were still struggling to recover from the depression. They thought fascism was a better alternative to communism. The memories of World War I haunted the countries and made them less likely to get into another war.

Why were Soviet and American forces finally able to liberate many concentration camp victims?

Germany was nearing defeat, and the Allies were advancing on German territory.

The Soviet Union joined the Allies after Germany's invasion. How might this new enemy affect Germany's war effort in geographic terms?

Germany was now located between two enemies and must fight a two-front war. Britain was on Germany's western front, and the Soviet Union was on Germany's eastern front.

List three main causes that led to World War II.

Germany's aggressive actions, policy of appeasement; Nazi-Soviet Pact providing that Germany and Soviet Union wouldn't go to war once Germany invaded Poland

What German action triggered World War II?

Germany's invasion of Poland

Review the map in A Second Front in Europe. Based on the map, how did the relative location of Germany contribute to its loss in World War II?

Germany's location was right in the middle of Europe, surrounded on three sides by enemies: France, Britain, and the Soviet Union.

Use what you have learned about the conclusion of World War II to write a one minute radio broadcast news script. In the script, highlight six key events leading up to the end of combat in Europe. Be sure to identify the significance of each event and to provide the timeframe of each event. Be creative, and introduce yourself as a radio broadcaster.

Good evening, fellow citizens! This is Allied Newsie Nellie coming to you live tonight from London. It's been a whirlwind today as news reaches us that the war is finally coming to a close. Before we get to the big story, let's recap the key events that got us here. Yes, the tide turned when Hitler took on General Winter in 1941. By January 1943, with the failed siege at Stalingrad, the Nazis were on the run, Soviet forces at their heels. At the same time, the Nazis lost ground in North Africa. American General Eisenhower stopped the Desert Fox's advance, and forced surrender from the Germans in Tunisia in May 1943. From there, in July 1943, the British and American army swept across the Mediterranean to subdue Italy. Then, as you may well remember, the Allies seized the moment to open a second front in Europe. At dawn on June 6, 1944, thousands of Allied ships ferried 156,000 troops across the English Channel. At the same time, Allied forces moved north from Italy, and French resistance fighters rose up against the Germans. On August 25, the Allies took back Paris, and routed the Germans. The Allies forced the Germans to retreat, but under pursuit, they stopped and launched a counterattack in Belgium. There, at the bloody Battle of the Bulge, the Germans made their last real offensive—and lost. From then on, the Allies proved relentless, pushing German forces home to Berlin from all sides, while Allied bombers struck German supply lines, industry, and other non-military targets. Just this month, in February 1945, the Allies destroyed the city of Dresden. More than 100,000 are reported dead in the attack, and Germany seems poised to surrender.

What do you believe governments can do to promote peace among nations?

Governments need good government officials to be role models, need to address people's needs, and need to establish policies that promote peace.

Describe the escalation of Hitler's campaign against the Jews.

Hitler issued the Nuremberg Laws and launched campaigns of persecution such as the Night of Broken Glass. He eventually escalated his plans with the creation of the concentration camp system and the "Final Solution," where he created death camps designed to slaughter millions of Jews in what is known today as the Holocaust.

Why did Hitler nullify the Nazi-Soviet Pact by invading the Soviet Union?

Hitler wanted access to the plentiful raw materials, and he wanted to crush communism along with his hated rival, Stalin.

Explain why Hitler's blitzkrieg tactics were successful at the beginning of the war.

Hitler's blitzkrieg was successful because it used advanced technology to overwhelm enemy forces. First, airplanes bombed a region, then fast-moving ground troops moved in to surround enemy forces. In the beginning, it happened too quickly before enemy forces could counteract.

Describe the difference between Hitler's "Final Solution" and the Nazis' earlier persecution of the Jews.

Hitler's early forms of persecution were aimed at removing Jews from Germany through legal means and terror. As time went on, Hitler escalated to the "Final Solution," which was the extermination of Jews in a systematic way using death camps.

Final Solution

Hitler's program of systematically killing the entire Jewish people

How is it relevant for people today?

I think it reminds people that they can't just let bad things happen to other people who are different from them—such as people who practice different religions, or come from other countries or ethnic groups. If people are being abused, you have to speak up.

What does this quotation mean to you?

I think the quote means that if you don't speak up for what you think is right, then you can't expect anyone else to either. If you don't help when someone needs help, then you can't expect someone else to help you.

How does it relate to the experiences of people during World War II?

I think this quote means that the speaker let the Nazis take other groups of people that were different from him—Communists, Jews, and Catholics. Then, eventually, the Nazis came to take him too. When they did, no one was left to help him.

How did the Allied advance toward Germany limit that country's ability to wage war?

Incessant bombings of German military bases, factories, railroads, oil depots, and cities destroyed industry and demoralized civilians.

What was the significance of the D-Day invasion?

It forced Hitler to fight on two fronts, and the success of the invasion allowed the Allies to establish ground forces in Europe and push the Nazis back.

How did geography work against Germany to bring an end to the war in Europe?

It was difficult for Germany to fight a war on three different fronts—in the east against the Soviets, the west against Britain and the United States, and eventually the south in the Mediterranean area. As German losses mounted late in the war, they were also geographically surrounded by the Allies.

What role did Japanese imperialism play in igniting World War II?

Japan wanted to expand its empire by taking over most of Asia and countries in the Pacific. Japanese leaders felt threatened by the United States after it banned the sale of war materials to Japan. As a result, Japan attacked the United States in hopes of stopping American interference with Japan's desire to expand.

Nagasaki

Japanese city in which the second atomic bomb was dropped (August 9, 1945).

Bataan Death March

Japanese forced about 60,000 of americans and philippines to march 100 miles with little food and water, most died or were killed on the way

Sudetenland

Land that Germany thought was rightfully theirs due to the large German speaking population

island-hop

MacArthur's plan to get past Japanese strongholds; seize islands not well defended but close to Japan

V-E Day

May 8, 1945; victory in Europe Day when the Germans surrendered

Why did Stalin and the Soviet Union want the Allies to open a second front?

Most of the German focus was directed at defeating the Soviets on the Eastern front. Stalin believed a second front would force Germany into a difficult two-front war and take pressure off the Soviet forces.

Auschwitz

Nazi extermination camp in Poland, the largest center of mass murder during the Holocaust. Close to a million Jews, Gypsies, Communists, and others were killed there. (p. 800)

How did the Nazis use the concentration camp system throughout World War II?

Nazis originally used the concentration camp system as a place to detain political prisoners, or prisoners of the state. Prisoners were used as slave laborers. As time progressed, Hitler used the concentration camp system as a place to send people the Nazis considered "undesirables," such as Jews, Slavs, homosexuals, and Roma. Eventually, death camps were created as a means to exterminate Jews.

Neutrality Acts

Originally designed to avoid American involvement in World War II by preventing loans to those countries taking part in the conflict; they were later modified in 1939 to allow aid to Great Britain and other Allied nations.

Hideki Tojo

Prime minister of Japan during World War II

What groups other than Jewish people did the Holocaust target? Why?

Roma, disabled people, criminals, Slavs, and other racially undesirable people as defined by the Nazis

How and why does genocide still occur?

Some people target other groups based on differences between them. Maybe those doing the targeting want more power, wealth, or land. They might have a history of conflict with the other group. Genocide happens when one group kills or destroys another. If nobody intervenes, genocide may continue to happen.

internment

Temporary imprisonment of members of a specific group

Harry Truman

The 33rd U.S. president, who succeeded Franklin D. Roosevelt upon Roosevelt's death in April 1945. Truman, who led the country through the last few months of World War II, is best known for making the controversial decision to use two atomic bombs against Japan in August 1945. After the war, Truman was crucial in the implementation of the Marshall Plan, which greatly accelerated Western Europe's economic recovery.

What do you think would have happened if the Soviets had lost the Battle of Stalingrad?

The Allied strategy to stop Hitler's war machine was based on encircling Germany and pushing in from the west via Britain, across the channel through France, the south from North Africa through Italy, and the east from the Soviet Union. Without winning the Battle of Stalingrad, there was the possibility that the Germans could have taken control of the Soviet Union. This would have created a much larger German power and an adversary that would have caused the Allies to need to regroup.

After winning the war in Europe, the Allies poured all their resources into victory in the Pacific theater. Based on the map, how would you describe the Allied strategy to defeat Japan?

The Allies captured specific islands as stepping stones toward Japan, and created a sea blockade of Japan. Meanwhile, their planes dropped bombs on Japan.

After winning World War II, the Allies wanted to ensure that Axis countries would not threaten peace once again. Make a list of steps the Allies took to guard against a rebirth of Axis aggression.

The Allies created new democratic governments in the Axis countries, they founded the UN, and they held war crimes trials; the United States began the Marshall Plan, occupied Japan, and occupied and divided Germany.

Describe how the Axis powers gained control of most of Europe in 1941.

The Axis powers used blitzkrieg and fast military strategies to take over most of Europe.

How and why did the Germans change tactics after they had begun bombing Britain?

The Germans began to bomb civilian locations and targets, not just military targets, hoping that they would break the will of the British and force them to surrender.

Why was Hitler's strategic decision to try to take over the oil fields of the Soviet Union a disaster?

The Germans fell short of the oil field goals and became stuck in the bitter winter of the Soviet Union outside Stalingrad and ended up fighting house to house. To gain even a block, it took weeks, and in the midst, masses of soldiers on both sides, as well as Soviet civilians, were killed. The Germans became trapped within the city, and fresh supplies of food and munitions were not forthcoming from Germany.

What was the Bataan Death March?

The Japanese forced Filipino and U.S. soldiers to walk over 65 miles in the heat, causing thousands to die.

How effective was the League of Nations in the 1930s? Give details from the reading to support your answer.

The League of Nations was ineffective because it allowed Germany, Italy, and Japan to invade countries which were members of the League, and permitted Germany's defiance of the Versailles treaty by not acting when Hitler sent the German army into the Rhineland.

Why was the United Nations created when there was already an organization, the League of Nations, designed to prevent world aggression?

The League of Nations, created after World War I to prevent aggression, was unable to prevent an even larger war, World War II.

How did the Nazi-Soviet Pact contribute to the start of World War II?

The Nazi-Soviet Pact was a nonaggression pact between Germany and the Soviet Union. Hitler was preparing to invade Poland and knew it would start a war with the Western democracies, but he didn't want to fight the Soviet Union at the same time. By signing the Nazi-Soviet Pact, Hitler was assured that the Soviet Union wouldn't counter-attack after Germany invaded Poland. Therefore, Hitler felt able to break the terms of the Munich Pact and invade Poland, starting World War II.

How was the Spanish Civil War another step in the march toward World War II?

The Nazis were able to experiment with their new weapons; it produced open conflict between Fascist and anti-Fascist forces; and it probably increased fears of fascism spreading.

What did Japanese pilots and the difficult battle at Iwo Jima demonstrate to the United States about the Japanese?

The United States believed that the Japanese would not surrender; the war would be drawn out for a long time, costing many more lives.

What event brought the United States into the war, and why?

The bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese brought the United States into the war, because it forced the United States to respond militarily. Germany then declared war on the United States because of its alliance with Japan.

Describe the strategy involved in the invasion of Normandy on D-Day.

The invasion of Normandy was the second front of the war. France was occupied by Germany. Paratroopers were dropped behind military lines at midnight. Waves of Allied troops were ferried across the English Channel and made their way up the shore amidst gunfire and mines. From there, troops fought their way inland.

Review the chart in The Allies Respond to the Holocaust to estimate the number of lives lost from Nazi persecution.

The number of people killed by the Nazis was approximately 11.1 million.

Anschluss

The union of Austria with Germany, resulting from the occupation of Austria by the German army in 1938.

Could World War II have been won without the use of the atomic bomb? How might the end of the war have been different?

The war would still have ended with an Allied victory even if the United States had not used atomic weapons: the Japanese navy and air forces had largely been destroyed, and the Allies were concentrating all their resources on defeating Japan; the Soviet Union had even joined the fight. However, without the use of the atomic bomb, victory would have taken much longer and with more combat on the ground, as the Japanese seemed unwilling to surrender and still had many fighting forces. It's debatable if the atomic bombs really saved lives as some Americans claimed, but that decision probably cost fewer Allied lives than a full-scale invasion would have.

Read the following quote, and then answer the question: "If the dismissal of Jewish scientists means the annihilation of contemporary German science, we shall do without science for a few years."How do you think Hitler's way of thinking may have contributed to the defeat of Germany in World War II?

These scientists brought their knowledge, including weapons technology, to the Allies. They would be able to reveal German scientific secrets, which would also benefit the Allies.

How did Allied nations respond to news of the death camps?

They accepted a limited amount of refugees. They were slow to respond to reports of the death camps and did not undertake any specific military actions once they had confirmation of the camps.

Why did the Western powers follow a policy of appeasement even though it seemed to encourage more aggression?

They followed a policy of appeasement in an effort to keep the peace because everyone was trying to prevent the horrors of war.

How did the Nazis put their anti-Semitic beliefs into practice?

They forced many Jews to be slave laborers and eventually systematically killed millions.

How did people survive the bombings?

They sought refuge in bomb shelters, subway tunnels, and other underground locations.

How did Jews resist the Nazis?

They staged uprisings in Jewish ghettos, tried to escape from concentration camps, and hid in their neighbors' houses.

What were the main goals of the Allies' postwar policies toward the defeated Axis countries?

They wanted to encourage the creation of democratic governments, encourage tolerance and peace, protect the basic rights of citizens, and punish war criminals.

Why did U.S. and Canadian citizens of Japanese descent lose their jobs, have their property seized, and then get sent to internment camps?

Those citizens of Japanese descent were considered by the American and Canadian governments as a security risk based solely on their ethnicity.

How did wartime production of resources play a role in Hitler's final defeat?

U.S. wartime production almost doubled Axis wartime production, and U.S. planes bombed German factories and supply lines so that they could no longer produce resources.

What were the general arguments for and against using atomic bombs to end World War II? List, on one side, reasons why Truman might have decided to use the atomic bomb, and on the other, reasons against using the weapon.

Use the Atomic Bomb - The Japanese still had two million troops, and the war could drag on for a long time. If the Japanese were unwilling to surrender, and dropping the atomic bomb could save Allied lives, then it was worthwhile. Do Not Use the Atomic Bomb - The ultimate power of the atomic bomb was unknown. The war was almost over. The major battles in Europe had been won. The Japanese air force had been destroyed.

How did World War II open new opportunities for women?

With a total war commitment by many nations, men were sent off to fight in the war. Women took over their roles in places like factories, which opened the door for new opportunities.

kamikaze

a fighter plane used for suicide missions by Japanese pilots in World War II

crematorium

a furnace where a corpse can be burned and reduced to ashes

Holocaust

a large-scale destruction, especially by fire; a vast slaughter; a burnt offering

Nazi-Soviet Pact

agreement between Germany and the Soviet Union in 1939 in which the two nations promised not to fight each other and to divide up land in Eastern Europe

United Nations (UN)

an organization of independent states formed in 1945 to promote international peace and security

Where did the Nazis start sending Jewish people in 1942 as their "Final Solution"?

death camps specifically set up to kill masses of people

From which direction did the Allies come when they launched the D-Day invasion?

from the north

concentration camp

prison camps used under the rule of Hitler in Nazi Germany. Conditions were inhuman, and prisoners, mostly Jewish people, were generally starved or worked to death, or killed immediately.

aircraft carrier

ships that accommodate the taking off and landing of airplanes, and transport aircraft

Luftwaffe

the German air force before and during World War II

pacifism

the belief that any violence, including war, is unjustifiable under any circumstances, and that all disputes should be settled by peaceful means.

Why did President Truman decide to use the atomic bomb?

to prevent many more U.S. military casualties