Causes & Objectives of WWII

Causes of the Second World War

• The Treaty of Versailles' failure contributed to the war.
• The Weimar government and Wall Street Crash impacted the war.
• Hitler's ambition to rebuild Germany spurred the war.
• Fascism and dictatorship played a role in leading to the war.

Hitler's Objectives

• Expanding German territory to create "Lebensraum," or living space, for Germans was among Hitler's aims.
• Hitler wanted to purify the German population of what he saw as inferior races, particularly Jews, to create a greater German Reich.
• A key goal was to establish a strong, centralized government with a dominant military.
• Hitler aimed to establish a "new order" in Europe dominated by Germans, the "Thousand-Year Reich" destined to endure beyond his lifetime.
• The Nazi Party aggressively expanded its military and exterminated millions of Jews and other "undesirables" in the Holocaust to achieve these goals.

Rearmament of 1935

• Germany rebuilt its military in 1935, violating the Treaty of Versailles' limitations on its armed forces' size and capabilities.
• Rearmament was a crucial aspect of Hitler's strategy to strengthen Germany and pursue aggressive foreign policy.
• Developing new weapons and technology, expanding the military, and constructing new military facilities were part of the rearmament.
• The re-establishment of military training schools and academies and the conscription of young men into the armed forces also formed part of the rearmament.
• Other nations did not intervene in the rearmament due to fear or the belief that Germany had the right to protect itself.

Rhineland Invasion of 1936

• German forces entered the demilitarized Rhineland in western Germany.
• The German army carried out the operation in March 1936, and it was viewed as a bold move by Adolf Hitler, who rose to power in 1933.
• As other European powers hesitated to confront Germany, the invasion faced little resistance, marking a significant victory for Hitler and the Nazi regime.
• The Treaty of Versailles was violated by invading the Rhineland, seen as a critical step toward World War II.

The Second World War Overview

• The Second World War spanned from 1939 to 1945.
• The war occurred across six continents.
• Over 50 million people died in total due to the war.
• The Axis and Allied Powers engaged in battle.

The Munich Agreement

• In 1938, Germany annexed Austria and invaded the Sudetenland.
• Major European powers reached a political settlement in 1938 with the Munich Agreement.
• Germany was permitted to annex the Sudetenland.
• The agreement was intended to avoid war but was seen as a failure of appeasement that allowed Hitler to expand German territory without consequences.
• The rest of Czechoslovakia was invaded by Germany in 1939; this sparked World War II.

Hitler's Deceit

• Hitler signed a document with British Prime Minister Chamberlain after the Munich Agreement, pledging that Germany would not wage war against the Allies.
• Hitler invaded the remainder of Czechoslovakia in 1939, and accordingly the Allies prepared for war.
• Poland was Hitler's next target.

Nazi-Soviet Pact

• The Nazi-Soviet Pact was a non-aggression treaty.
• Each side agreed not to attack each other and concentrate on expanding their territories.
• A secret protocol divided Eastern Europe. Germany controlled Western Poland, and the Soviet Union controlled Eastern Poland and the Baltic States.
• Seen as a victory for Hitler because it allowed him to invade Poland without fear of Soviet intervention.
• Germany attacked the Soviet Union in 1941, ending the pact.

War Breaks Out

• Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939.
• France and Britain declared war on September 3, 1939.

Blitzkrieg Strategy

• The Blitzkrieg was a military strategy employed by the German army during World War II.
• Combining fast-moving tanks and aircraft to surprise and overwhelm the enemy, followed by a rapid advance on foot to capture key strategic positions was invovled in this strategy.
• This strategy aimed to quickly defeat the enemy by surprise.
• The German army swiftly conquered much of Europe by employing the strategy.
• The effectiveness of the Blitzkrieg diminished as the Allies developed countermeasures as the war continued.

Attack on Europe

• Germany attacked the heart of Europe, including France, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, and Belgium, by 1940.
• Thousands of British, French, and Belgium troops escaped to England from Denmark using boats, warships, and yachts.

Operation Sealion: The German Invasion Plan of the United Kingdom

• Operation Sealion was the code name for a planned German invasion of the United Kingdom during World War II.
• After the fall of France in 1940, Adolf Hitler proposed the operation to conquer Western Europe and force Britain to surrender.
• The plan included a large-scale amphibious and airborne assault along the British coast.
• The operation was never launched because the British air force repelled the German air force in the Battle of Britain, and the German navy could not provide adequate invasion support.

The Battle of the Blitz

• The German air force (Luftwaffe) carried out a strategic bombing campaign against the United Kingdom during World War II from September 1940.
• The bombing lasted eight months, targeting British cities and industrial centers to degrade the country's capacity to fight yet.
• Although the Germans initially inflicted significant damage and loss of life, the British developed effective countermeasures.
• By May 1941, the Germans ended their bombing campaign, concluding the Battle of the Blitz.

The Tripartite Pact

• Known as the Three-Power Pact, it was a political agreement signed by Germany, Italy, and Japan.
• It was a Tripartite Pact on September 27, 1940.
• The three countries formed a defensive alliance, pledging mutual support.
• The pact was a response to the Allied powers' formation, including the United Kingdom, France, and the United States.
• Intended to strengthen the Axis powers in World War II, and was joined by Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria.

Operation Barbarossa

• Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II beginning in June 1941.
• The invasion involved over three million German soldiers, tanks, and aircraft, becoming the largest military invasion in history.
• The operation aimed to swiftly defeat the Soviet Union, capture Moscow, and establish German control of Eastern Europe.
• The attack initially made significant gains due to the surprise, but the Soviet forces eventually regrouped and counterattacked.
• Ultimately, the invasion plan failed and marked a turning point in favor of the Allies.

Pearl Harbor Attack

• Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbor, a naval base in Hawaii, on December 7, 1941.
• The attack came as a surprise because the United States was not yet at war with Japan, resulting in the destruction of much of the U.S. Pacific fleet.
• This attack was part of a broader Japanese strategy to swiftly defeat the United States and seize control of the Pacific region.
• The attack was a major turning point in World War II as it led to the United States declaring war on Japan and joining the conflict.
• The attack ultimately failed as the United States recovered before emerging victorious in the war.

Allies Face Setbacks

• The Allies were at risk of losing the war by 1942.
• Germany was closing in on Moscow and pushing Britain out of Africa.
• Japan was also driving back American forces.
• Three major battles shifted the war's momentum.

The Battle of Midway

• The Battle of Midway was a major naval clash in the Pacific Ocean near the Midway Atoll during June 1942.
• The United States and Japan engaged in the battle.
• The United States anticipated and prepared for the Japanese attack with code-breaking efforts giving them the ability to decipher Japanese plans.
• The U.S. forces launched a surprise attack sinking four Japanese carriers and turning the tide of the battle.
• Resulting in significant victory that marked the start of Japan's decline.

Battle of Stalingrad

• The Battle of Stalingrad took place in the city of Stalingrad (Volgograd) in the Soviet Union from July 1942 to February 1943.
• The German army's Operation Barbarossa, was advancing into the Soviet Union and fought with the Soviet army, which determined to defend the city.
• The battle included brutal street fighting and used heavy artillery and airstrikes.
• The Soviet army encircled and trapped the German army, forcing their surrender in February 1943.
• The victory marked a turning point, pushing the German army into retreat.

El Alamein

• The battle occurred in Egypt in October 1942. The British and Commonwealth forces defended against the advancing Axis powers aiming to seize the Suez Canal.
• The battle featured intense combat and artillery barrages.
• The British forces gained the upper hand, driving back the Axis powers.
• The victory served as a major turning point, marking the beginning of the end for Axis powers in North Africa.

Italy Surrenders

• As Italy's fortunes in the war declined, Mussolini faced increased criticism.
• In 1943, the Italian parliament removed him from power and arrested him.
• German forces rescued Mussolini from capture but was eventually captured and executed by Italian partisans in 1945.

D-Day

• D-Day signals the code name of the Normandy landings on June 6, 1944, during World War II.
• It was a significant Allied campaign where thousands of troops landed on Normandy's beaches, to secure Western Europe and start a full-scale German invasion.
• Allied forces successfully established a beachhead and began advancing inland during the operation.
• The D-Day landings signaled a major turning point helping the end the German army in Europe and considered one of the most significant wartime military operations of history.
• Including massive troop deployment in the air, land and sea.

Germany Surrenders

• Germany surrendered in World War II because of its defeat on the battlefield by Allied powers.
• By 1945, the German army was on the retreat
• The domestic challenges of food shortages and heavy bombing made it clear the war was not winnable.
• Hitler committed suicide.
• Germany formally surrendered in May 8, 1945, marking the war's end.

Use of Nuclear Weapons

• To force Japan to surrender, the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945.
• Japan was still a formidable foe.
• To prevent a costly invasion of Japan, the United States thought the bombs were necessary.
• The devastating power of nuclear weapons was intended to convince Japan that the futility of continued resistance. -Japan surrendered and ended the war due to the bombings.

Dunkirk Evacuation

• The evacuation of Dunkirk, which took place in May-June 1940 during World War II was known as the Dunkirk evacuation.
• The Allied forces were able to evacuate significant numbers of troops surrounded by the German army due to the success of the operation.
• Civilian and military ships evacuated over 300,000 Allied soldiers, bringing them back to Britain.
• The successful evacuation boosted Allied morale yet the Germans suffered a major defeat as they had been anticipating an easy victory.
• The Allies were forced to abandon equipment.
• The Germans' decision to halt their advance enabled the evacuation.

British Homefront

• During WW2, the British home front was a key battleground.
• Mobilizing the economy for war production and rationing defined the British home front war effort.
• Mobilizing civilians for voluntary military service and civil defence
• It also maintained national morale through propaganda.

Key Words of the Holocaust

• Holocaust: A Nazi regime attempt to exterminate the Jewish race.
• Persecution: Unfair treatment due to race or religion or political beliefs.
• Antisemitism: Strong dislike, cruel and unfair treatment.
• Aryan: A superior German with blond hair and blue eyes.
• Scapegoats: people who are blamed for mistakes.
• Ghettos: Restricted areas Jews were forced to live.

Anti-Semitism

• Centuries of anti-semitism preceded the Nazis.
• Jewish people were blamed for the death of Jesus Christ, the Black Death, and being stingy.
• Jewish people were treated as outsiders and had few civil rights.
• Anti-semitism was often viewed with suspicion and mistrust.

The Nazi's Victims

• Besides Jewish people, Nazis persecuted Romani, homosexuals, disabled, minorities.
• Nazi regime targeted political opponents.
• Those groups were persecuted, imprisoned, and killed.

"The Final Solution"

• Their plan to exterminate the Jewish people was referred to as the "Final Solution".
• The Nazis saw Jewish people as inferior and strove to rid Europe of them via murder and enslavement.
• Nazis rounded up Jews and forced them into ghettos.
• Nazis deported Jews to concentration camps like slaves.
• The Final Solution happened around 1942 and 1943.

Jewish Ghettos

• Many Jewish people found themselves under Nazi rule when Germany invaded.
• Half a million perished in ghettos due to disease and starvation.
• Jewish people suffered persecution.
• The ghettos were dissolved of their inhabitants and deported to concentration camps, where they were murdered.

Einsatzgruppen

• The Einsatzgruppen were execution squads that were responsible for mass killings.
• These squads were ran mass killings of Jews and other perceived enemies and operated under the direction of the SS.
• Jewish People were hunted down and murdered.

Wannsee Conference

• At the Wannsee Villa in Berlin a meeting was held in January 20, 1942.
• High-ranking Nazi Party and German government
• The goal was to start 'final solution', exterminate Jewish people resulting in around 11 million people.
• The logistics of deporting Jews from all over Europe to Poland was discussed.
• The Wannsee Conference symbolizes the code and bureaucracy from which the Holocaust was conceived and planned.

Death Camp Atrocities

• Six main death camps in operation -Aushwitz-Birkenau was the largest and originated as centre of detention -Belzec -Chelmn -Majdanek -Sobibor -Treblinka

Auschwitz-Birkenau Horrors

• The Auschwitz-Birkenau camp was the largest, where prisoners were subjected to forced labor, medical experimentation, and other forms of abuse.
• Many prisoners were killed in the gas chambers. The daily routine was characterized by hunger, exhaustion, and fear of death.
• Prisoners endured roll call, and insufficient food, rest, and gruelling labour.
• Living quarters lead to constant danger.
• Prisoners were at risk of being killed for any camp infraction.

Deaths of the Holocaust

• Six million Jewish people were killed along five million other considered “others”
• The amount of deaths of those that fell victim to the Holocasut indicate the vast scope of the tragedy.

Resistance During the Holocaust

• White Rose: A Munich-based student group calling for passive resistance to the Nazis.
• Kreisau Circle: A group of intellectuals and politicians developing plans for a Germany based on Christian values and democracy.
• Edelweiss Pirates: A Cologne youth group who opposed the Hitler Youth and engaged in civil disobedience.
• Confessing Church: A group of protestant theologian defending the Nazi regime interference.
• Some Germans faced imprisonment or lost their lives due to resistance acts such as Oskar Shindler.

Propaganda

• Propaganda is the spread of information to influence attitude.
• In Nazi Germany; propaganda was used to justify persecution.
• Nazi propaganda portrayed racial minorities and glorified military.
• The opposing propaganda often portrayed Allied struggles.