World War II Notes

Main Idea Details

1868-1912 A. Japan 1. Meiji Restoration a. Brought back rule by an emperor to Japan replacing rule by shoguns. 1. Shoguns were military rulers on a regional basis in a primitive society. b. Will begin the process for Japan to become a modern society. c. Education in the west is emphasized. d. Rapid industrialization begins. 2. Sino-Japanese War 1894-1895 a. War between China and Japan over Korea. b. Japan wins war and west begins to take notice. 3. Russo-Japanese War 1905 a. War between Russia and Japan. b. Small island nation defeats a larger powerful empire in Europe. 4. World War I 1914-1918 a. Gained control of areas in Manchuria once controlled by Germany. b. Became members of League of Nations.

1919-1933 A. Germany 1. Weimar Republic rules Germany a. Started after World War I b. Attempted to establish democratic ideas in the country. c. Forced to deal with the huge economic costs or World War I and allied demand for reparations. 2. It is named for the city of Weimar where a constitution was written. 3. Forced to deal with severe economic problems-mainly hyper inflation.

1920’s A. The United States 1. During the Early 1920’s the economy was booming 2. During the Late 1920’s, the economy

began to crash, leading to the Great Depression

1922

fasces

A. Italy 1. Benito Mussolini’s Rise to Power a. October 24- March on Rome b. The overthrowing of the government in Rome c. 26,000 Black Shirts (fascist army) swarmed the capitol d. Victor Emanuel IIl, the leader, appointed Mussolini Prime Minister and started a new government. 2. Fascist Leader/Fascism a. Fascism - a type of government that originated from ultra-nationalism and has one extreme leader (in Italy the leader called “Il Duce” was Mussolini) 1. Extreme nationalism that promotes the interest of the state above everything else. b. Fascism tends to include a belief in the supremacy of one national or ethnic group, a contempt for democracy, an insistence on obedience to a powerful leader 1. Comes from word fasces-a bundle of rods with a projecting ax blade 2. It symbolizes total authority c. 1918 - the economy was failing (postwar depression) which caused many strikes and uproars. d. 1919 - the first fascist party was created and officially began its mission to claim Italy. e. 1919- Mussolini first uses the term fascism. 3. He promises to return Italy to the glory days that was once Ancient Rome. 4. Blames Italy’s problems on Treaty of Versailles.

B. Britain / USA / France / Japan / Italy 1. Washington Naval Conference

a. Feb 1922: Britain, the USA, France,Japan and Italy sign the Washington

Naval Treaty

b. Limits the size of their navies 1. 5:5:3:1.6:1.6 ration established. 2. US-Eng-Japan-Italy-France 3. Number represents tonnage of what was allowed to be produced. 4. Japan resents the inferior rating.

1923 A. Italy 1. Black Shirts became a national military known as the Voluntary Fascist Militia for National Security

B. Germany 1. Beer Hall Putsch a. Also known as Munich Putsch b. Adolf Hitler gained followers in the Nazi party c. They tried to kidnap the Bavarian government leaders d. It failed and Hitler went to prison for 9 months 1. It is here he writes Mein Kampf that means My Struggle. 2. He outlines his plan of domination of Europe in the book. e. putsch-violent attempt to overthrow the government. 2. Ruhr Valley Occupation a. 40,000 French soldiers occupied Ruhr Valley in order to get reparations b. Hurt French/German relations even more

C. Japan 1. Japan faces an economic crisis after the Tokyo earthquake a. Death of over 100,000 People b. Damaged more than 650,000 buildings c. 45% of people lose their jobs

1924 A. Germany 1. Dawes Plan a. A plan created by Charles Dawes that allowed Germany to schedule their war reparations into smaller portions.

b. Ended up failing in 1929 when Germany couldn’t pay anymore money back from the loans given by the US and Britain 1. Caused US and Britain to go into debt because they weren’t paid back

B. Japan 1. Relation between US and Japan weaken due to the Immigration Act

1925 A. Germany 1. Paul Von Hindenburg a. Elected president in April

1928 A. France 1. The Kellogg-Briand Pact was signed in Paris on August 27, 1928 2. It was the strongest attempt to outlaw war wanted disputes to be settled peacefully 3. Failed due to too many loopholes 4. France and the U.S where the first two to sign it then most other countries signed it afterwards 5. Signed by 63 nations in the world.

B. Japan 1. Hirohito is crowned Emperor.

C. Russia 1. Stalin begins the 5 Year Plan to industrialize Russia.

1929 A. Italy 1. Lateran Treaty a. Treaty between Italy and Vatican b. It was signed for the papacy and the Italian Constitution. c. Signed by Cardinal Pietro Gasparri d. It made the Vatican City an independent state. 1. Today, it acts as its own country. e. This was signed on February 11, 1929 1. Italy gained a small bit of territory

and independence from the pope. f. Since Italy is mostly Catholic and listens to the Pope, this was a way for Mussolini to get the pope out of his fascist ways.

B. Japan 1. Tojo Hideki a. Bureaucrat and skilled political fighter determined to expand Japanese empire even at the risk of war with the US b. Grew up with an army general as a father and always strived for the military c. Becomes commander of the First Infantry Regiment

C. United States 1. The Great Depression officially begins with the stock market crash of Oct. 1929

1930 A. France 1. The Maginot Line 2.It was created by Andre Maginot, who was the French Minister of War, in the 1930’s. Construction lasted until 1940. a. Was on the northeast border to defend against German attacks because the cement was thicker so it could withstand heavy gun power. b. The line offered soldiers a place to live, air-conditioned areas, and recreation areas. It was often said to be more comfortable that a city.

1931 A. France 1. De Gaulle was put on secretary-general and was assigned to study the mobilization of France in a war crisis 2. De Gaulle becomes the head of the French Government during the war

B. Japan 1. Japan invades the sovereign of Manchuria for strategic purposes 2. Tojo Hideki

a. Pushes for army modernization b. Pushes for aggressive foreign stance in dealing with other countries. 3. Started with Manchurian Incident a. Japan was already in Manchuria after gaining territory from Germany after WWI. b. A Japanese railroad was blown up by the Japanese in Manchuria and blamed on the Chinese. c. Japan used this as a reason to justify invading Manchuria. d. Violated the League of Nations, Kellogg-Briand Pact, and terms from Washington Naval Conference. e. First example of aggression leading to World War II. No country took action against Japan at this time.

1932 A. Italy 1. “What is Fascism” is written by Mussolini

B. Germany 1. the Nazis had achieved political control of the government when they became the majority party. 2. Hitler's promises of jobs, security, and a resurrected Germany continued to resonate with the people. 3. Nazism-authoritarian ultranationalist government with a racist ideology based on anti-Semitism and a belief in the superiority of “Aryan” Germans.

C. Japan 1. Japan attacks Shanghai, China

D. United States 1. President Franklin D. Roosevelt introduced the New Deal to help relieve the effects of the Great Depression.

1933 A. Germany 1.Hitler a. President Hindenburg named

Adolf Hitler to be the Chancellor of Germany 1. His cabinet at the time included some nazis b. The Reichstag was burned on February 27, 1933 1. Supposedly done by a dutch communist, but done by the Nazi’s. c. Full power was also elected by be given to Hitler on March 23, 1933. 1.The main parties to elect this were the nazis, Nationalist, and the Centre Party. d. Hitler also ceased all other Parties to be created 2. Nazi Decrees of 1933 a. Suspended civil liberties b. Gave hitler unlimited power c. Outlawed all other political parties other than the Nazi Party

B. Japan 1. The League of Nations issues its report on the Japanese invasion of Manchuria 2. Tojo Hideki becomes major general

1934 A. Russia 1. called the League of Nations for a . . . . . . “collective security” to stop Germany, . . . .. Italy, and Japan from militarism 2. Russia becomes a part of the League of Nations 3. Stalin’s Great Purge

B. Germany 1. Hitler ruthlessly suppressed civil rights 2.murdered his political opponents within the Nazi Party during the infamous Night of the Long Knives 3. Uses his Brown Shirts to enforce his ideas.

1935 A. Italy 1. Invades Ethiopia because they want the countries natural resources such as oil.

a. Mussolini wanted to expand Italy further b. The invasion was successful

B. Germany 1. Germany denounces the disarmament clauses of the Treaty of Versailles.

C. United States 1. Issues the Stimson Doctrine to condemn Japan’s attack on Manchuria. 2. US will not recognize any territory taken by Japan in violation of the collective security agreements in 1920s. 3. Another reason for Japan’s attack on US in 1941.

1936 A. Italy 1. Rome Berlin Axis - between Hitler and Mussolini on October 25,1936 . 2. Mussolini also adopted the anti-Semitism way to get Hitler to trust him.

B. Germany 1. Germany and Italy create the Rome-Berlin Axis Alliance, the first agreement leading to the formation of the Axis powers in 1940. 2. Benito Mussolini hopes the agreement will force the British and French into giving in to his expansion plans into Africa.

C. Japan 1. Japan and Germany sign the Anti-Comintern Pact (November 25) a. Agreement between two countries to resist the idea of communism

1937 A. Japan 1. Japan invades China in July beginning the Sino-Japanese War a. took place between 1937-1945 b. Considered first battle of WWII 1.Tojo led two infantry brigades in

July 1937; his only experience of combat c. Causes 1. Decades of Japanese efforts to prevent Chinese unity and extend economic political control of China. 2. Japan had been occupying northeastern regions in that area 3. Japan turned Manchuria into a puppet state called manchukuo 2.China makes a truce with communists in order to fight the Japanese a. Led by Zhou Enlai 3. Rape of Nanjing a. In December, Japanese government murdered and raped thousands of Chinese civilians.

1938

Chamberlain and Hitler

Night of the Broken Glass

A. France and Britain and Germany 1. The Munich Conference 2.On September 29, 1938 leaders met to keep peace in Europe 3. Germany wants more land so France with others agree to appease Hitler as long as he doesn't try to obtain more land a. appeasement-giving in to demands b. Hitler is given territory in exchange for his promise to not take any more. 4. Was seen as peacekeeping agreement gave Germany the Sudetenland which before was Czeck land 5. Prime Minister Chamberlain believes his appeasement has created “peace in our time. “

B. Germany 1. Kristallnacht a. Night of the Broken Glass b. The uprising of Kristallnacht was caused by the murder of a German embassy official stationed in France by a Jew c. This event is called Kristallnacht, or Night of the Broken Glass, because shattered glass lined German streets from broken glass of windows from synagogues, homes, and Jewish

owned businesses. d. The Nazis are responsible for this event, which marks the beginning of the Holocaust.

1939 A. Italy 1. Pact of Steel 2. This was a full military and political alliance between Germany and Italy on May 22, 1939

B. Russia 1. German-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact a. divided Poland between Germany and the Soviet Union so when Hitler invaded Poland Russia also went in and took their part. It also secured a temporary peace for the Soviets. b. Means that Germany and Russia agree not to use aggression against each other

C. Germany 1. German forces attacked Poland on September 1 a. Used blitzkrieg form of warfare 1. means “lightning warfare” because Germany attacks with all part of their military at the same time. 2. Intention is to overwhelm the enemy and defeat them quickly. 2. This is the immediate cause of World War II.

D. Britain 1. Prepares for war 2. Britain and France declare war on Germany as a result of the invasion of Poland 3. The US alters its neutral stance to supply military goods to Britain and France in return for cash

E. France 1. France and Britain reach an agreement with Poland so that they will back up Poland. 2. France declares war on Germany on

September 3.

F. United States 1. Neutrality Act a. Congress declares America’s neutrality to keep them out of the war.

1940 A. Britain 1. Winston Churchill replaced Neville Chamberlain as British Prime Minister when he resigned on May 1940 2. Italy declares war on Britain and France 3. German bombers attack British ports, ships, and airfields 4. Battle of Britain begins when Germany turns its attention to Great Britain after defeating France a.The Luftwaffe (German air force) begins a relentless bombing attack on Great Britain in hope of defeating the British Royal Air Force and the British Royal Navy

B. France 1.De Gaulle wrote The Army of the Future in 1940 and warned about how reliance on the Maginot Line was bad he said "any defender who limited himself to static resistance by old-fashioned elements would be doomed to disaster." he was correct because later that year the line was bypassed and France was invaded 2. France’s Surrender a. Battle of France took place from May 10 to June 22 between France and Germany. b. Germany invaded France through Belgium because the Maginot line did not go along the French-Belgium border. c. Germany came out from the Ardennes Forest and went on the blitzkrieg, or lightning war, where they stormed across the French border and stormed past the Maginot Line. 1.Crushing defeat for France which required them to surrender to

Germany and remove themselves from the war. 2.Italy then entered the war, fighting with Germany 3.The Tripartite Pact was signed by Germany, Japan, and Italy on September 27th. This allowed Japan to be an alliance with Italy and Germany.

a. The Franco-German Armistice of June 22, 1940, divided France into two zones: one to be under German military occupation and one to be left to the French

4. The Vichy administration was a puppet government of France by Nazi Germany from June 1940 to May 1945.

5. Beginning of the French Resistance Movement a. The underground movement by soldiers and civilians in France that tried to free France from the control of Germany b. Began with freedom fighter attacks in the summer of 1940 which were quite unorganized and were counterattacked by Germany

c. After this the objective shifted to gathering intelligence and acquiring weapons

C. Italy 1. Declares war on France and Britain. Sided with the Germans.

D. Germany 1. German submarines attack neutral shipping in British waters. 2. Germany launches a blitzkrieg attack on France through the Ardennes on May 10.

1941 A. Britain 1. The British sign a treaty with the Russians 2. Britain declares war on Finland,

USS Arizona Memorial

Hungary, and Japan

B. Russia 1. Operation Barbarossa-June a. Code name for the German invasion of the Soviet Union b. Hitler wanted to break the Nazi Soviet Pact and he invaded Russia to get their natural resources. c. Russia couldn’t hold off the attack due to the loss of soldiers from the Great Purge.

C. United States 1. Atlantic Charter a. August

b. President Roosevelt and Winston Churchill met on a ship off the coast of Newfoundland to discuss postwar goals

2. Lend-Lease Act a. March 11th b. provides for the extension of credit, weapons, and supplies to the British government, as Great Britain struggles against the aggression of Nazi Germany 3. Pearl Harbor a. Was on December 7th b. Japan attacked because the US had placed an embargo on oil and scrap iron which Japan needed. c. This is the reason for the US entry into World War II. 4. Declaring War a. U.S. declared war on Japan on December 8th b. Germany and Italy declare war on the U.S on Dec. 11, and Congress responds the same way

D. Italy 1. declares war on the USSR (Russia)

E. France 1. First organized operation by the French Resistance Movement took place 2. Transmission and gathering of intelligence took place and underground newspapers were published

3. Nazis killed civilian hostages to try to stop the movement but were not very successful as more and more people continued to join the Resistance a. British and Free French Forces helped arm the movement

F. Germany 1. German forces launched an all-out offensive against the Soviet Union a. in open disregard of the nonaggression pact. 2. Hitler compounded his mistakes by declaring war on the United States after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor 3. Germany invades Greece. 4. Germany invades Yugoslavia

G. Japan 1. Japan surprise attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 2. They wanted to get rid of the embargo on scrap iron and oil imposed by US and other countries. a. Japan would not have fuel for military and industry under the embargo.

1942 A. . Britain 1. Britain’s first major air raid against Germany, in Cologne

B. United States 1. Battle of Midway against Japan 2. Japan wanted to take the island of Midway, in the middle of the Pacific. a. They knew that the Americans used it to refuel their planes and ships when fighting Japan. 3. U.S. officers already knew their plans to take the island and came prepared. a. Preparing includes bringing three aircraft carriers to defend the island and many more planes. 4. Americans surprise attacked the Japanese and sank three carriers, causing them to abandon their plan.

5. Now that Japan was confined to its island, it was forced to be on the defensive for the rest of the war. a. This is considered a major turning point because it was the first real victory against Japan.

C. Japan 1.The Bataan Death March a. Took place in April b. Was the march of 76,000 captured American Filipino soldiers to prisoner-of-war camps c. The total number of those who died is unknown but, thousands died from disease, and between 3,000 and 10,000 Allied soldiers were killed by their captors.

D. Russia 1. The Battle of Stalingrad a. Germans had little supplies and were halted by the Russian Winter b. Stalin was using the Scorched Earth Policy during this time c.When Hitler tried to expand territory into Russia to get the oil fields in the south d. Was a turning point in the war for the Allies and was a major loss for Churchill (Britain)E. Germany 1. Nazi Party bureaucrats plan the "final solution" to the Jewish question a. Jews were evacuated to concentration camps all over Europe b. they were exterminated in what became known as the holocaust

F. France1. Nazis occupy Vichy France.

1943 A. Britain 1. British air raids on Berlin

B. Italy 1. Sicily, Italy is invaded by the Allies from Africa

2. Mussolini is now not in power, because he was kicked out a. King Victor Emmanuel III puts Mussolini in prison. b. After he is thrown out of power, I 3. Italy signs Armistice with allies, declares war on Germany. a. This was started when Mussolini was imprisoned by Victor Emmanuel III.

C. France 1. Vichy authorities enacted the Service du Travail Obligatoire (Forced Labor Service) 2. This sent French citizens to Germany to help the Nazi war effort 3. around 700,000 French had been sent to Germany by the end of the war

4. Many of the people of France decided to join the Resistance and not go to Germany, causing the Resistance to go up even more.

D. Russia 1. Battle of Stalingrad a. When Russia pushed back Germany 2. Moscow Conference- Soviet Union, UK, US, and China signed a declaration for the early establishment of an international organization to maintain peace and security. 3. Tehran Conference- Churchill and Roosevelt finally agreed to Stalin’s demands to let the borders formed by the Nazi-Soviet pact stand leaving parts of Poland in the hands of Stalin

1944 A. Britain 1. Massive British air raids on Hamburg 2. Germany launches the V1 and V2 rockets against Great Britain and other European cities

B. France 1. De Gaulle continued as president of the provisional gov. and helped France write its constitution 2. Resistance groups were working in

mountainous, metropolitan, and isolated

regions a. Became known as the French Interior Forces 6. After D-Day they were integrated into the Free French Forces and set about liberating the country

C. Italy 1.Rome, Italy is liberated by the Allies and Italy is out of WWII and lost because their Capital, Rome, is overthrown

D. United States 1. June 6- D-Day a. Allies invade Normandy

b. Led by general Dwight D. Eisenhower c. first day of the battle of Normandy

d. 23,000 american and british troops dropped into Normandy by parachute e. 130,000 allied troops crossed the English channel in boats from English bases f. By the end of the day the Allies had control of all 5 beaches

1945 A. United States 1. The Manhattan Project is created, commissioning scientists to harness atomic power and use it as a weapon. 2. August 6, 1945, atomic bomb codenamed “Little Boy” is dropped on Hiroshima, Japan. 3. August 9,1945, atomic bomb codenamed “Fat Man” is dropped on Nagasaki, Japan.

B. Italy 1.Mussolini, who had been rescued from prison by Germans, is captured and executed by Italian partisans. 2. WWII comes to an end in Europe on May 8, 1945 a. Called V-E Day (Victory in Europe)

C. Japan 1. Bloody battles took place on the islands a. Iwo Jima from February to March

Little Boy

Yalta Conference Big Three

b. Okinawa from April to July c. Japan showed that they would rather die than surrender to our enemies 3. The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki a. Hiroshima 1. On August 6, 1945 2. ⅔ of the city was destroyed, around 80,000 people died immediately, by heat and radioactivity. 3. Another 90,000 people were injured and most suffered from long-term radiation damage. b. Nagasaki 1. Took place 3 days later (August 9) 2. This bomb destroyed the city, and killed tens of thousands of people. c. These resulted in Japan’s unconditional surrender on September 2, 1945 1. Called V-J Day (Victory in Japan)

D. Germany 1. The Big 3 meet to decide the fate of postwar Germany and resolve various other issues at the Yalta Conference from February 4 to 11. 2. The compromises fail to completely satisfy any of the participants but lead to the Allied occupation of Germany, the establishment of the United Nations, and the rise of the iron curtain.

E. Russia 1. Yalta Conference a. Established the United Nations by the “Big Three” b. San Francisco Conference 1. Conference of 50 nations except Poland (who signed later) who signed the United Nations Charter

United Nations A. United Nations Conference on International Organization (UNCIO) 1. April 25 1945 2. United Nations Charter a. Signed by the 50 nations there.

Poland, who was the 51 original nation, signed later. b. The United Nations came into effect around October 24th 1945 when the United Nations Charter was finally ratified 1. Oct. 24 is celebrated worldwide today as UN Day.

B. Goals 1. To maintain international peace and security 2.To develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples 3.To achieve international co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights 4.To be centre where nations could work together to achieve these goals

C. Organs 1. General Assembly a.The General Assembly is the main deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the United Nations. 2. Security Council a. The Security Council’s main responsibility is to keep the international peace and security. 3. Economic and Social Council a. The world’s economic, social and environmental challenges are ECOSOC’s concern. 4. Trusteeship Council a. task of supervising the administration of Trust Territories b. The Trustee Council no longer exists. It was disbanded in the 1990s. 5. International Court of Justice a. in accordance with international law, settling legal disputes between States submitted to it by them and giving advisory opinions on legal matters referred to it by duly authorized

United Nations organs and specialized agencies. 6. Secretariat a. The Secretariat — an international staff working in duty stations around the world — carries out the diverse day-to-day work of the Organization. 1. It services the other principal organs of the United Nations and administers the programs and policies laid down by them.