1. WWII and the End of the European World Order

2. Causes of WWII  Gradual militarization of Japan and imperialistic tendencies (seized Manchuria in 1931 and proclaimed it the independent state of Manchukuo)  Nazi party in Germany gaining in success, Hitler’s policy to dismantle the political system set up in Versailles  Hitler’s success emboldened Mussolini to go on military adventures of his own, i.e. Ethiopia  Hitler and Mussolini realized that the western powers weren’t going to do anything in defense of the small states

3. Beginning of WWII  Japanese military actually moved first in 1937 to launch an attack on China. By 1938 controlled quite a large area  Japan had entered the war without coordination of allies, Germany and Italy (only signed pact in 1940)  Germany had its eyes on the east  1939 non – aggression pact with Soviet Union  Sept. 1, 1939 invasion of Poland, Soviets then take over eastern half of Poland

5. Nazi Blitzkrieg and Retreat  Blitzkrieg “lightening war” rapid penetration of enemy territory quickly overwhelmed the Poles, French, British.  Weak French leadership. By 1940 Germans had north and central France and set up puppet regime in Vichy  Britain driven from continent but was able to fend off Germans in London at Battle of Britain under the leadership of Winston Churchill  Mid-1941 Germans controlled most of European continent- used conquered nations for supplies, labor  1941 drove Soviet forces out of central Europe and then moved onto Soviet Union but winter stalled them. 1942 spring renewed attempt on Soviets. Failure to capture Stalingrad in 1942 and 1943  1943 Soviet armies went on the offensive and took back central Europe

6. Holocaust: Hitler’s War Against the Jews  1942 final solution at Wannsee conference  The more war turned against Hitler, the more he turned against the Jews  12 million deaths (about 7-8 million Jews and 4 million others)  Intensified plight of Zionists for place of their own

7. End of European War  U.S. entered to counter German U-boat attacks, then helped British fight Germans in N. Africa  1944-45 Battle of the Bulge Allies invading Germany from the East and Soviets from the east  April 30, 1945- Hitler committed suicide and two weeks later the military surrendered

8. Rise and Fall of Japanese Empire in the Pacific  Dec. 7, 1941 Japanese attack U.S. base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii  Japanese attacking colonial holdings in China  Battle of the Coral Sea 1942- Japan abandons hope of taking over ports  Midway 1942 U.S. defeats Japan  March 1945 mass bombardment of vulnerable Japanese cities

9. Japanese Americans Imprisoned  Propaganda against Japanese- Americans  Feb. 1942 internment program  March Japanese-Americans sent to camps (31,275 total in five years)

10.  Aug. 6 and 9 Hiroshima and Nagasaki- U.S. President Truman drops the atomic bomb on two cities and Japanese surrender unconditionally

11. Facts about the Atomic Bomb in Hiroshima  Ground Temperatures7000 degrees F.  Hurricane Force Winds980 mph  Energy released20,000 tons of TNT  Buildings destroyed62,000  Killed immediately70,000  Dead by the end of 1945140,000  Total deaths related to the A-bomb 210,000

12. Allies and Axis Costs of WWII CountryMilitary Killed/missing Civilians Killed United States292,131- Great Britain271,31160,595 France205,707173,260 USSR13,600,0007,720,000 Germany3,300,0002,893,000 Japan1,140,429953,000

13. Cold War: 1940s-1980s  Arose over Allied Powers’ disagreement in postwar settlement- who would get which territory  Tehran 1943- strategy to defeat Germany  Yalta 1945- plan for governing postwar Germany  Potsdam 1945- division of Poland

14. Nationalism and Decolonization  WWII further destroyed the myth of white superiority  Total war drained resources so Europeans couldn’t hold on to colonies anymore  Atlantic Charter 1941- right to self- determination

15. Independence in South and Southeast Asia  WWII destroyed alliance between Indian National Congress and Britain  1947 India divided on religious lines- India- Hindu and Pakistan – Muslim  Sri Lanka and Burma later got independence  Dutch and French pull out of Indonesia and Vietnam  Philippines given independence by U.S.

16. Liberation of Africa  Western-educated individuals led independence movements in Africa (Nkrumah in Ghana)  By mid-1960s the British, French, Portuguese and Belgian nonsettler colonies were free

17. Settler Colonies in Africa and S. Africa  Algeria, Kenya, Southern Rhodesia- bloody fighting to get independence  Only white minority in S. Africa able to maintain power after 1980  Apartheid

18. Arabs, Israelis, and Palestine  Strains of nationalism conflicted in Palestine  Warfare over Palestine after WWII  Zionists better armed, had world sympathy, and expanded U.N. sanctioned territory