Fascism and Nazism Quiz

Unit 8 - World War 2

• Causes of WWII
• Causes of US entry into WWII
• Mobilization and the Home front
• Fighting the War part 1
• Fighting the War part 2
• Effects of WWII

Peace Dissolves

• The Paris Peace Conference met at the Palace of Versailles and lasted a year.
• Delegates from participating nations wrote a series of treaties.

Causes of WWII

• The Great Depression put countries worldwide in desperate situations.
• Many countries turned to radical politicians for solutions.
• These politicians consolidated political and military power, creating totalitarian governments (dictatorships).
• Dictators acted without regard to international consequences, destabilizing the world's political and economic systems.
• This occurred in countries such as the USSR (former Russia), Italy, and Germany.

USSR (Former Russia)

• Joseph Stalin took over Vladimir Lenin in 1924.
• Stalin accelerated the USSR's industrialization process through 5-year plans.
• Stalin reorganized Soviet society, forcing people to collectivize farms and work in industries, often under duress.
• People who resisted were dealt with harshly, imprisoned or even executed.
• Stalin used fear and propaganda to maintain political power.
• The USSR was not trusted by its neighbors due to annexations.
• Germany and Italy were suspicious of the USSR's government.

Strict Regimes in the Soviet Union and Italy

• Stalin ruled with absolute authority and was responsible for the deaths of millions.

Italy

• Fascism put the needs of the state before the individual.
• Benito Mussolini led the Italian Fascist movement.
• Extreme nationalism, imperialism, and militarism were key elements of Italian Fascism.
• Mussolini came to power in 1922.
• The Great Depression led to chaos and political instability in Italy.
• Mussolini restored order through nationalization of industries and limiting political parties.

Germany

• Germany's economic problems during the Great Depression were worsened by Treaty of Versailles reparations.
• Hitler rose to power within the German Nazi Party.
• While in prison, Hitler outlined his political ideology in Mein Kampf, blaming Germany's problems on the Treaty of Versailles and Jews.
• Inflation ruined the Weimar Republic in Germany. Money printed rapidly lost its value.
• By 1923, one US dollar was equal to one trillion Marks German currency.

Germany and Japan Change Leadership

• Inflation in Germany ruined the Weimar Republic.
• Money was printed rapidly and lost all value.
• Children would play with stacks of worthless currency.

Causes of WWII (continued)

• The Nazi Party gained popularity in the 1920's and 30's.
• Hitler became Chancellor in 1933.
• He received more power from the German Parliament.
• Hitler's policies increased the military and put Germans back to work with public works projects.

Japan

• Japan reacted to the Great Depression with militarism.
• The military gained increased political power under Hideki Tojo.
• While the Emperor was still technically in charge, the military made most decisions.
• In 1931, Japan invaded Manchuria, China.
• Japan invaded China again in 1937.
• Japan sought resources in Southeast Asia.
• Japan's government was a totalitarian government.

Roosevelt Criticizes Acts of War

• Japan frequently bombed Chinese cities during their invasion in 1937.
• The Chinese army lacked resources to defend against the attacks.

Causes of WWII (continued)

• Militarism, Imperialism, Nationalism, and Totalitarianism (MINT) were major causes of WWII.
• The League of Nations was unable to confront the aggressive actions of countries like Japan, Germany, and Italy.
• Great Britain and France were the ones to handle Germany's aggression.
• Germany and Italy assisted fascist supporters in the Spanish Civil War.
• Germany was in the beginning stages of aggression across Europe.

War Breaks Out in Europe

• In the 1930s, dictators built their power on nationalism and militarism.
• Charts show differing military expenditure percentages.
• Military spending increased for the US and Britain notably.

Causes of WWII (continued)

• Hitler's goal was to unite all German speakers and regain land lost after WWI.
• In 1936, German troops moved into the Rhineland.
• In 1938, Hitler sent German troops to Austria, which had a large German-speaking population and a struggling economy, and united the countries.
• In late 1938, Hitler annexed the Sudetenland, a German-speaking area of Czechoslovakia.

Dictators Move to Gain Territory

• German troops marched into the Rhineland as a display of strength and pride.
• Japan, Italy, and Germany were met with varying responses.

Causes for US Entry into WWII

• FDR proclaimed neutrality, but was worried.
• The Neutrality Acts, increasingly supportive of Allied Powers, were signed.
• The 'cash-and-carry' policy helped Allied nations gain supplies.
• In 1935/1936 it was illegal to sell goods or provide loans to nations at war.

American Reaction Is Divided

• The cost of WWI and the Great Depression caused American isolationism.
• High unemployment rates during the Depression discouraged overseas conflict.

Causes for US Entry into WWII

• The Lend-Lease Act (March 1941) allowed the transfer of US military equipment.
• FDR stated the US would be the "arsenal for democracy" to aid Allied Powers who were fighting dictatorships.
• Money for the aid came from deficit spending.

America Moves Closer Toward War

• Lend-Lease aid was given to the Allied countries (British Empire, Soviet Union (SU), China, France).

Causes for US Entry into WWII

• In the fall of 1941, Hitler ordered German U-boats to attack American merchant ships escorting British vessels.
• One such ship was the USS Greer.
• FDR responded with a "shoot on sight" policy toward German U-boats.
• This caused tension with Germany, creating a crisis of conflict.

Causes for US Entry into WWII

• Japan expanded its empire in the Pacific.
• The US placed an embargo on Japan in 1940, restricting war materials.
• The large US naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, became a key threat to Japan's naval expansion.
• Japan viewed the US fleet as an obstacle to maintaining its influence in the Pacific.

Causes for US Entry into WWII

• The surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
• Japan killed thousands of Americans, destroyed 8 battleships, and sank many other vessels.
• Japan did not anticipate the quick American response.
• US Congress declared war on Japan and Germany on December 8, 1941.

Mobilization and the Home Front

• FDR started the mobilization process before Pearl Harbor.
• The Selective Service Act (September 1940) introduced a peacetime draft.
• 16 million registered and 1 million were drafted.
• Americans elected FDR for a third term to further mobilization.

Mobilization and the Home Front

• Volunteer enlistment increased after Pearl Harbor.
• 5 million soldiers volunteered.
• 10 million were drafted.
• Participation in the war was from various backgrounds.
• African Americans served in segregated units, initially denied front-line opportunities.
• Women joined in the workforce by forming the WAC (Women's Army Corps).

Patriotism Inspires Rapid Mobilization

• Young men volunteered for the US Navy in December 1941.
• Many young men volunteered before being drafted (as the draft was already in place).

Mobilization and the Home Front

• FDR created the Office of War Mobilization (OWM) to ensure that sufficient national resources and manpower were used for the war effort.
• Coordination of war production was managed by the War Production Board (WPB).
• Pre-fabrication, mass production, and assembly lines were implemented.

Mobilization and the Home Front

• Cost-plus contracts convinced corporations to cooperate with government contracts.
• War costs increased, but production accelerated.
• Unemployment dropped due to war production, reaching 1.9% by 1944.
• Women and minorities were hired for jobs that were previously closed to them.

Mobilization and the Home Front

• Large scale migration occurred to areas with war-related industries.
• Women were inspired and encouraged by the Rosie the Riveter character.
• 6 Million women entered the workforce.
• US production rates were double that of the Axis powers.

Patriotism on the Home Front

• Posters encouraged national effort participation.

Increased Opportunities in Employment

• Women gained well-paying factory jobs.

Increased Opportunities in Employment

• Overall increase in women in manufacturing and defense industries.
• Hourly rates for men were significantly higher than women's.

Migration During World War II

• War-related industries in western states increased western migration trends.
• The middle of the country saw little population growth due to industrial shifts.

Mobilization and the Home Front

• Propaganda campaign (Office of War Information, OWI) promoted war effort popularity.
• New Deal government spending was dwarfed by wartime spending.
• National debt increased substantially (from $42B in 1939 to $269B in 1945).
• Funding for the war was acquired through raised taxes and a freeze on prices and wages.
• War bonds raised public support and financing.

Patriotism on the Home Front

• Federal spending increased in relation to the war.
• The national defense budget dominated federal spending.

Mobilization and the Home Front

• The government limited resources through rationing.
• Ration books limited the amount of resources a person could obtain.
• Victory gardens were encouraged for personal use to ease food shortages.

Mobilization and the Home Front

• National War Labor Board was formed to resolve labor disputes to ensure no stoppages in war-production.
• Office of War Information (OWI) coordinated media and propaganda efforts to show the war positively.
• The United Service Organization (USO) worked to maintain troop morale with shows & other support.
• Office of Scientific Research & Development (OSRD) developed war-related technologies such as penicillin, morphine, synthetic rubber and sonar.

Mobilization and the Home Front

• Extreme patriotism was rampant.
• Significant personal sacrifices were made by Americans during WWII.
• Racism and discrimination among minorities remained in the American society.

Japanese Internment During World War II

• German, Italian, and Japanese citizens were required to register in the US.
• Supporting documentation was required.
• The notice was issued in four languages due to the variety of cultures and heritage.

Mobilization and the Home Front

• Americans showed suspicion of Japanese-Americans.
• An Executive Order, 9066, designated certain areas as war zones, allowing the removal of people from those areas.

Mobilization and the Home Front

• Military necessity was the cited justification, but reasons for internment are more complex to fully determine.
• Interned mostly consisted of Japanese immigrants.
• Many other Asian immigrants were incarcerated in camps.
• German and Italian-Americans were largely not interned.

Mobilization and the Home Front

• Most internees were citizens who lost property without due process.
• The Supreme Court ruled in Korematsu v. US, upholding the internment camps as an appropriate war measure, despite the decision being seen as unconstitutional.

Mobilization and the Home Front

• The Bracero program recruited Mexicans for agricultural work.
• Increased Latino immigrants led to the Zoot Suit riots in Los Angeles due to racial and patriotic tensions.
• Rationing was required as wartime materials were scarce.

Mobilization and the Home Front

• African American participation in the war effort increased after Executive Order 8802 banned discrimination in government jobs based on race.
• The Double V Campaign encouraged African Americans to fight against fascism abroad and racism at home.

Fighting WWII part 1

• After conquering Poland, Hitler invaded Denmark, Norway, and then Belgium and Luxembourg.
• British and French forces were trapped at Dunkirk and rescued by boats of all sizes.
• This effort became known as the Miracle of Dunkirk.
• Over 340,000 troops were rescued.
• Germany's conquest of Europe throughout 1940 was rapid.

Allied Strategy

• German troops marched through Berlin marking France's surrender in 1940.
• This signifies the power of the Axis Armies at the start of the war.

War Breaks Out in Europe

• Axis control and militarization rapidly encroached upon Europe by 1941.

Fighting WWII part 1

• The Battle of Britain was an aerial campaign.
• Germany was unsuccessful in overcoming Britain's air defenses, and retreated.
• Radar played a crucial role for Britain in the Battle of Britain.
• Loss of 1,000 British airplanes compared to 1,700 German planes.
• In October, 1940, Germany postponed the invasion, resulting in an Allied victory.

Fighting WWII part 1

• In the spring of 1941, Hitler broke the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact and invaded the USSR.
• This invasion marked the start of a large-scale war with Russia as an Allied power.
• Germany pushed back the Soviets for over a year and a half, leading to the Battle of Stalingrad.
• The battle and harsh winters stalled the Germans, forcing a retreat and making the Soviets take the offensive on the Eastern Front.
• 2 million casualties were recorded.

The European Front

• German invasions of the Soviet Union happened in 1941 and 1942.

Allied Strategy

• Germany, Italy and Japan had distinct goals of conquest.
• The Allied nations wanted to defeat the Axis powers.

Fighting WWII part 1

• FDR believed that Europe should be invaded first, prioritizing the defeat of Germany and Italy, before the Pacific Campaign.
• The Battle of the Atlantic was a significant struggle for America, as German U-boats threatened supply lines using Wolfpack tactics.
• Operation Torch opened another front in North Africa as US/Allied forces invaded, taking over German held territory in preparation for invasion of Axis held Europe.

Fighting WWII part 1

• Japan attacked the Philippines after Pearl Harbor.
• American troops were overrun and forced to retreat.
• Stories emerged of brutal Japanese treatment and the Bataan Death March, fueling anti-Japanese propaganda.

The Early War in the Pacific

• The Bataan Death March was extremely inhumane.
• The march involved long foot and rail routes through the peninsula.

Fighting WWII part 1

• The Doolittle Raid was a strategic bombing of Japan.
• The raid, while having little material effect, boosted US morale.
• The Coral Sea battle was a strategic draw preventing Japanese conquest of Australia.
• The Battle of Midway was a crucial turning point, damaging 4 Japanese carriers and significantly weakening Japanese naval power.

Turning Points in the Pacific

• The Battle of Midway was a defining moment.
• US's successful defense of Midway hindered Japan's plan to attack Hawaii.

Turning Points in the Pacific

• America's strategy in the Pacific followed island-hopping tactics.
• The goal was to reduce Japanese island holdings and move in closer to launch more significant attacks against Japan and its mainland.
• Key locations and islands were strategic for this approach.

Fighting WWII Part 2

• Allies in January 1943 met in Casablanca.
• The decision was made for a third front by invading Italy (Operation Torch) instead of France.
• The invasion of Sicily prompted the Italian surrender.
• Hitler's intervention to reclaim control of Italy continued conflict over Italy.

Axis Powers on the Defensive

• American forces landed in Italy in 1943 during the Allied invasion.

Planning Germany's Defeat

• An Allied convoy drove through a destroyed German village in 1945.
• The photograph shows the Allied armies' power in the final years of the war.

Fighting WWII part 2

• Slow progress came from the German defenders' geography advantage.
• Hitler's and Mussolini's capture and death, combined with the switch in Italy's allegiance, affected the war.
• The Tehran Conference planned an invasion of the western beaches (Normandy) in Europe and was done so successfully.

Fighting WWII part 2

• Increasing strategic bombing of Germany (Dresden).
• The primary aim was to hamper the production of war materials.
• D-Day (June 6, 1944) took place.
• Allied forces landed in Normandy, France, in 1944.

The Invasion of Normandy

• Allied forces invaded Normandy, France, in 1944 with the largest invasion force in history (over 150,000 soldiers).
• The operation had support from ships and planes.

Fighting WWII part 2

• Allied troops made significant progress throughout 1944.
• Germany created a bulge in the Allied line with an unexpected offensive known as the Battle of the Bulge.
• Germany was ultimately outmatched on three major fronts, forcing a retreat.

Defeat of Germany

• Allied armies entered Paris (France) in August 1944 marking a major victory.

Defeat of Germany

• Allied progress through 1942 into 1945 marked significant changes in Europe.

Fighting WWII part 2

• Soviet forces were the first to reach Berlin.
• Hitler committed suicide.
• Germany surrendered in May 1945 (V-E Day), marking a period of celebration and relief for Allied forces.
• FDR did not live to see this moment as he died before this victory.

Fighting WWII part 2

• After the Battle of Midway, the US island-hopping strategy captured strategic islands closer to Japan.
• The goal was to gain strategic advantage to eventually bomb the Japanese mainland.
• Iwo Jima and Okinawa were critical for closer bombing runs.

Fighting WWII part 2

• Iwo Jima and Okinawa were critical islands, but they were costly in terms of casualties.
• The increased strategic bombing of Japan led to the ultimate surrender decision.

Fighting WWII part 2

• The Tokyo firebombing and the subsequent nuclear bombings of the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were significant historical events.
• The atomic bombs forced Japan's surrender concluding WWII.

Effects of WWII

• Destruction across the globe reached unprecedented levels.
• High civilian casualties were a dominant part of the war.
• The Manhattan Project was the US initiative to develop nuclear weapons.
• The primary contributors to the project were Albert Einstein, Robert Oppenheimer, and Leslie Groves.
• The Potsdam Ultimatum gave Japan the option to surrender, or face nuclear attack.

Planning the Postwar World

• World War II resulted in millions of casualties (military and civilian).

Effects of WWII

• The Holocaust, a systematic effort by the Nazi regime to exterminate Jewish people, caused immense suffering and death, altering the ethnic makeup of Europe.

Effects of WWII

• Nuremberg Trials set a precedent for trying people for war crimes.
• Many officials involved in the Holocaust were severely prosecuted and punished for their crimes.

Roots of the Holocaust

• Propaganda from the Nazi era glorified the Aryan race.
• The regime promoted negative images against those deemed "inferior."

Roots of the Holocaust

• A timeline of discrimination shows the evolution of the Nazi anti-Semitic campaign.
• Early actions included boycotts, job restrictions, and citizenship stripping, culminating in the "Final Solution".

Allied Response to the Holocaust

• US initially refused asylum to Jewish refugees.

Hitler's "Final Solution"

• Nazi troops removed Jewish residents from Warsaw ghetto after an uprising.
• The image is a powerful and significant representation of the Holocaust.

Hitler's "Final Solution"

• Locations of death camps differ from the concentration and forced labor camps.

Hitler's "Final Solution"

• Numbered prisoners, identifying them with triangular patches.

Effects of WWII

• The United Nations was created to maintain global peace and security.
• The Declaration of Human Rights was introduced at this time, establishing fundamental rights.
• Germany was divided into zones of occupation (Soviet, US, British, and French).
• The US emerged as a dominant super power from the war with little infrastructure damage, while the Soviet Union was severely damaged.
• Post-war trials were held, such as the Nuremberg Trials, holding the guilty for war crimes accountable.

International Organizations and Treaties

• World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) were formed to help with the post-war economies.
• Agreements like the GATT on tariffs and trade reduced international barriers.

International Impact of the War

• Post-war, Germany was transformed, changing its political and geographical landscapes as a result of postwar agreements.

International Organizations and Treaties

• These organizations demonstrate the need to address global economic problems as well as help in global peace and stability.

Test your knowledge on Fascism and Nazism with this quiz, which explores key ideologies, important figures, and historical events that shaped these movements. From Mussolini's Italy to Hitler's Germany, gain insights into how these regimes rose to power and their impact on the world.