WWII: SETTING THE STAGE

Where are we going: Lesson Overview  Game debrief  The Basics  Causes of War  Essential Question for our Unit: Why did WWII happen?  Where should we start?  Three Lenses.

Why do wars happen?  War defined: Armed conflict between two or more states consisting of over 1000 battlefield deaths.  In the 20 th century alone war has resulted in over 230 million casualties  Infinite number of theories (for example): Economic systems Political systems High unemployment Military spending Ethnic divisions Environmental catastrophe

Three Levels:  Bad Individuals Cause War  Bad States Cause War  Bad Systems Cause War

The Basics  When: September 1, 1939 to September 2,  Began with the invasion of Poland and ended with the surrender of Japan.

Who  Allies: Canada, United Kingdom, Soviet Union, United States, China, France, Poland, Australia, India, Yugoslavia, Greece, Netherlands, Belgium, South Africa, New Zealand, Norway, Czechoslovakia, Ethiopia, Brazil, Denmark, Luxembourg, Cuba, Mexico, Philippines, Mongolia, Iran.  Axis: Germany, Japan, Italy, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria

What  The most destructive war in human history. Lasting six years and claiming over 63 million lives.  600,000 killed in air raids alone (most of them civilians)  3.4 Million tons of bombs dropped  Life expectancy of bomber RAF bomber pilot – 6 weeks.  Canada suffered 907 casualties in one day at Dieppe.  In 12 years of fighting in Afghanistan Canada suffered 158 casualties.  Over 1.1 million Canadian served in WWII (40% of the adult male population)  Canada spent over $33B in direct costs during the war ($421B in today’s dollars)

Where Dark Green Allies pre1941 Light Green Allies post 1941 Orange Axis

How  WWII revolutionized modern warfare and drove technological innovation. New inventions include:  V2 Rocket  Penicillin  Nuclear Power  Radar  Synthetic Rubber  Jerrycans  Hobart’s Funnies

The Big Question: Why did WWII Happen????  If we were looking for causes.....  Where would we look?  What time period should we look at?  What kinds of things might be important to know?  What do YOU think???

Lens # 1: Economics  The Great Depression  GBR/FRA: Suffering through a period of economic transition.  GER: Carrying massive debt and facing hyperinflation.  CAN/US: Hit hard by the depression. Unemployment reaches 27% in Canada.

Lens # 2: Ideological (the “isms”)  Pacifism  Capitalism  Isolationism  Socialism  Fascism  Militarism  Totalitarianism

Lens # 3: Political  Redistribution of military power  Redrawn borders and new states.  Weak International Institutions  Pacifism and non intervention  10 Year rule  Statute of Westminster  Anti-Semitism

What part of WWII are you most interested in learning more about? Exit Cards