Key Events of World War II

Key Dates

• The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was signed on March 3, 1918.
• The Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919.
• The Beer Hall Putsch occurred from November 8-9, 1923.
• Hitler became the Chancellor on January 30, 1933.
• The Reichstag Fire happened on February 27, 1933.
• Goebbels became the Reich Minister for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda on March 14, 1933.
• Dachau, the first concentration camp, was established on March 22, 1933.
• The Enabling Act was passed on March 23, 1933.
• The Night of the Long Knives (Röhm Putsch) took place from June 30 to July 2, 1934.
• Hitler became Führer on August 19, 1934.
• Kristallnacht (The Night of the Broken Glass) occurred from November 9-10, 1938.
• WWII began on September 1, 1939.
• Winston Churchill became the British Prime Minister on May 10, 1940.
• Germany invaded France on May 10, 1940.
• Italy entered WWII in June 1940.
• The Final Solution occurred from 1941 to May 8, 1945.
• Operation Barbarossa (the German invasion of the Soviet Union) was from June 22, 1941, to December 5, 1941.
• America entered WWII in December 1941.
• WWII ended on September 2, 1945.

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (German occupied)

• It was signed on March 3, 1918.
• Germany (victors) and Russia (defeated nation) were the parties involved.
• It followed the December 1917 armistice, which was a consequence of the October 1917 Marxist revolution.
• Russia lost territory of the baltic states, Finland, and Poland.
• The lost territory accounted for 30% of Russia's population.

Treaty of Versailles

• It was signed on June 28, 1919, in the hall of mirrors.
• Germany and the allies (excluding the USA) were the parties involved.
• Germany had to pay for the damages caused by the war, amounting to about 132 billion marks.
• The German army was reduced to 100,000 men.
• Germany was only allowed 6 ships and no submarines in its navy.
• Germany was banned from having an air force.
• German military personnel and weapons were to be kept off the Rhineland area (German area near Belgium).
• Germany was not allowed to unite with Austria (Anschluss).
• Germany lost land and it was given to the victors eg Alsace-Lorraine was given back to France and North Schleswig was given back to Denmark
• The League of Nations took control of Germany's colonies.
• The Polish corridor split Germany via East Prussia.

The Big Four Leaders

• Woodrow Wilson (United States of America President) wanted lasting peace, pushed for self-determination, and did not want harsh reparations from Germany.
• David Lloyd George (Great Britain Prime Minister) wanted to punish Germany in an economically friendly way and keep Germany as a trading partner.
• George Clemenceau (France Prime Minister) wanted the most aggressive approach to ensure the ongoing security of France.
• Vittorio Orlando (Italy Prime Minister) interested in receiving territorial gains for Italy.

Treaty of Saint-Germain

• It was signed on September 10, 1919.
• Austria and the Allies were the parties involved.
• The Austro-Hungarian empire was dismantled into smaller states.
• Czechia and the merger of Slav states into Yugoslavia resulted from this treaty.
• Austria left with 6.5 million people and Hungary with 8 million.

Neuilly

• Signed on November 27, 1919
• Parties: Bulgaria and the Allies
• Bulgaria lost the capital of Sofia to Yugoslavia, Romania and Greece, leaving them without direct access to the Aegean Sea.

Trianon

• Signed on June 4, 1920
• Parties: Hungary and the Allies
• Hungary lost ⅔ of the land it controlled as part of the Austro-Hungarian empire
• Which lost 3 million ethnic Hungarians to surrounding nations, mostly Romania

Treaties with Turkey

• First treaty: August 10, 1920, its terms led to Turkey's War of Independence and a conflict with Greece
• Second treaty: July 24, 1923, Lausanne treaty.
• The Ottoman Empire was dissolved.
• Britain received a mandate for Palestine and Mesopotamia.
• France received Lebanon and Syria.
• Approximately 1.3 million Greeks were forced to leave Asia Minor, and 500,000 Turks left Greece.

Overall Outcomes of the Treaties

• A new European map was drawn up.
• 4 empires had fallen.
• Russia becomes the Soviet Union.
• The USA returned to its isolationist policy.
• The League of Nations was formed.

Pre-War Conditions that Enabled Dictators

• Representative parliamentary governments increased, but experienced attacks from those in disagreement.
• Anti-Semitism was on the rise in Europe.

The Great War

• Solidified the idea that civilizations were declining.
• Intense hate-filled propaganda was prevalent.
• Caused revolutions in Russia, Germany, and Hungary.

Treaties and the Paris Peace Conference

• Italy did not receive the land that it was promised.
• Germany got the war guilt clause.
• Japan was denied a racial equality clause in the League of Nations charter.

Interwar Economics

• The Great Depression revealed the unsuitability of liberal democracies.
• High unemployment rates, business closures, and declining living standards, Germany = 40% of the population.
• The Great Depression was linked to the end of the war and the treaty terms.

Solutions to the Crisis

• Dictators promised a simple solution
• The crisis could only be resolved by overturning the current democratic governments.

Cult of Personality

• Offered simple solutions to complex problems

Violence Desensitization

• Violence became normalized due to the Great War.
• Propaganda was used to incite violence.

Communism

• Countries of communism: China, Latin America, Russia.
• Appealed to workers by promising to end exploitation
• Great depression and the War made people wary of democracy

Appeal of Nationalism

• Pride in one's nation
• The nation is a group of people speaking a common language, culture, sense of destiny and history

Ideas Behind Nationalism

• Loyalty to the nation
• Each nation can have self-determination.
• Sometimes, a belief that one's nation is superior to others

How Nationalism Relates to Dictators

• Nationalism leads to a sense of belonging.
• Scapegoating is used to identify a threat to the entire nation.
• Dictators place themselves as the restorer of the pride of the nation.

Appeal of Imperialism

• Policy of extending a country's power and influence through colonization, the use of military force, or other means

How Imperialism Relates to Dictators

• Countries with empires are seen as denoting power to other nations.
• Countries without empires are viewed as being weak.
• Countries with empires have access to greater resources (e.g., buffer zones, food, oil, shorter routes).

Appeal of Militarization

• The process by which a society organizes itself for military conflict and violence

How Militarization Relates to Dictators

• Prepares for a potential war.
• Deters other countries from going to war.
• Suppresses any domestic opposition.

The Failure of Democracies

• The democracy created the treaties, but Germany and other nations' democracies did not prevent their harmful effects.
• These had crippled economies and moral.
• There was lots of political gridlock and a lack of decisions.
• There was an inability to support the population during the Great Depression.

Dictatorship vs. Totalitarianism vs. Fascism

• Dictatorship (umbrella term): A single leader (or small group) rules a nation with absolute power.
• Totalitarianism (type of dictatorship): Complete state control over all aspects of public and private life.
• Fascism (type of totalitarianism and a political ideology): Far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology.
• Fascism included emphasis on military power, expansion, cult of personality, use of terror and tradition, and a partnership between the corporate-state while maintaining private ownership.

Russia: Communism vs. Facist Totalitarianism

• Despite the cult of personality surrounding Lenin and Stalin, communism was not primarily about the leaders.
• Communism is fundamentally concerned with property and its ownership.
• Other totalitarian regimes allowed private property and sought to control its use in the interest of the state.

Impact of WW1 on russia

• There were massive military defeats, starvation and corrupt governments leading to the Russian revolution and the abdication of the Tsar
• This show that Russia was 50 years behind the rest of the world in terms of technology and industrialisation

CONTEXT - Lenin

• After the abdication of the Tsar, Lenin the Bolsheviks took power from the democratic provisional government
• Issues of the provisional government Didn't fix social, economic and political matters eg mass hunger They didn't withdraw from the war so those problems became worse
• Aspects of Lenin in power Secret police to suppress any political oppression Nationalisation of the bank industry and grain requisitioning imposed on peasants
• He died in 1924 and the power was given to Joseph Stalin

Stalin

• He allied with the left communists and portrayed himself as Lenin's disciple.
• He removed his opponents from the party
• He collected information on fellow Bolshevik members, and he then could appoint and promote people in exchange for loyalty.
• It can be argued that under Lenin there was a party dictatorship while under Stalin it was more of a personal dictatorship

Stalin's Russia

• The government was the one to set priorities and direct the economy
• Forced collectivisation of agriculture Small farms => massive state-run farms Workers got no salaries rather a share of what the farm produced only for the needs of themselves and their families Millions had died in famine 5-year plans Rapid growth in industrial areas Workers were forced to work in very poor working conditions eg long hours to ensure this
• Censorship Stalin was portrayed as a hero and his face was placed everywhere Old Bolsheviks were killed Purges of those who opposed him were arrested then either killed, sent to concentration camps or prisons Erased many of the more liberal policies under Lenin, eg abortion was now illegal. Youth organisations eg Komsomol, to indoctrinate the youth
• The reason for the restriction of cultural expression was that it caused ethnic diversity that threatened Stalin's rule
• Stalin image Paternal figure that was the father of all russians Got the nickname 'uncle joe'
• Religion was restricted Church leaders arrested and churches physically shut down Stalin did not want a challenge to his position of authority Dobbing in to police became popular
• Stalin's failure to reach any security agreements with the western democracies,

Italy in the 1860s

• Italy was unified under a constitutional monarchy.
• The government had limited power while the monarch could choose the prime minister under certain conditions.
• Voting rights were restricted to a small part of Italy
• Italy was still deeply divided North = Industrialised and secular South = Agrarian and more Catholic

Why Italy was dissatisfied

• Lost 650,000 men in the war
• That treaty that was used (1915 london) to encourage Italy to join the Allies was not fully honoured.
• Italy's economy collapsed They took out loans to finance the war effort This led to 2 million unemployed in 1920 Italy
• Political instability One group that wanted power was the Italian socialists who organised strik.es

Mussolini, pre world was one

• Mussolini was part of the Italian socialist party, left after they were against Italy's involvement in ww1
• Formed Italian Fasci of Combat (FIC) => National Fascist Party (PNF), supported by the blackshirts
• 1922 Appointed PM
• 1943 Deposed from his position

Mussolini's Ideology

• One party state
• Promoted the idealisation of ancient Rome and desired a rebirth
• Used violence and struggle as political tools
• Rejected communism and liberal democracy
• Territorial expansion however was not based on racial ideology

Economy within Italy's dictatorship

• He made reforms to the economy but never took complete control of the economy
• Wanted to reorganise the economy based on corporatist principles
• Placed failed businesses from the great depression under state control

the system of terror that was implemented in Italy through dictatorship

• Blackshirts used violence against socialists
• Secret police OVRA
• Violent repression over colonies eg Libya
• Did not have total control over the country as the Catholic church, army and monarchy still existed

Society and culture within Italy's fascist dictatorship

• Catholicism was the official religion of Italy and territory was given to the Vatican
• Push of traditional family structures to increase the population
• Banned literature on birth control and increased penalties for abortion in 1926.

Foreign policy within Italy's fascist dictatorship

• Agressive foregin policy Get what territory they were promised Restore the ancient rome empire by getting control over the mediterranean sea
• Facist Italy abandoned previous liberal era colonial policy of cooperation with local leaders. Instead claiming that italians were superior to African races thus had the right to colonise They would (in Libya and other colonies) Mass killings, use of concetration camps and the forced starvation of thousands of people
• They supported other fascist movements eg the Nazis

Japan Context of WW1

• 19-20th century Japan focused on modernisation, westernisation and industrialisation
• They were by some considered one of the major powers in the world, especially after their victory in the Russo-Japanese War in 1905
• WW1 was during the Taisho period (directly after the Meiji period), Japan was on the side of the Allies and aided by taking over German colonies in the Pacific

Japan political structure

• Not a full democracy
• Had their parliament called the diet but its democratic abilities were limited as voting was restricted and the emperor remained an influential figure
• There was a divide between what structure the citizens wanted Democracy and internationalism vs nationalism and authoritarianism

Crisises in Japan 1912 - 26

• Crisises in Japan 1912 - 26
• 1918, rice riots
• Japanese-controlled Korea wanted independence
• 1923, the big earthquake in Kanto, caused death and destruction
• Communism began to spread

Dissatisfaction from treaties

• They did not get as much land as they wanted, eg they were denied the Shandong province.
• Washington Naval Conference 1921-22 had to accept strict limitations on the size of their naval flee.t

Divisions in the Japanese army

• Kodo Ha: Remove all civilian politicians and return to the imperial way
• Tosei Ha: Cautious in their approach of challenging the status of the emperor and removing civilian political influence

Three events that exaggerated the decline of democracy

• Great depression: 40% unemployed
• Manchurian incident: railway incident that resulted in 400 Chinese and 2 Japanese deaths
• Right-wing terrorism: Assassinations became prevalent like PM Hara Takahashi

Ideologies

• Traditional Japanese values: a powerful emperor, Japanese racial superiority and militarism
• Disregarded the treatment of POWs

Economy within Japan

• The Great Depression impacts made precious economic problems worse eg rural poverty
• One motive behind expansionism was to gain more resources for Japan
• The economy was not a major focus for the economy

System of terror

• The targets were: Left-wing politicians, groups and Intellectuals
• There was a military budget increase
• 1925 Peace Preservation law puts limits on the freedom of speech to arrest radicals
• There was little opposition from the Japanese

Society and culture

• Loyalty to the emperor and Women and youth groups used to spread ideas of propaganda
• The military was highly regarded

Foreign Policy

• Japan was still experiencing racist policies from the West such as the immigration exclusion act.
• Invasion of Manchuria and leaving the League of nations.
• Formed the axis under the Tripartite pact.
• Establish the Asia co prosperity sphere"

The Weimar Republic"

• It was the name given to the German government between the end of the Imperial period (1918) and the beginning of Nazi Germany (1933).

Process to the Weimar Republic

• The army was no longer listening to orders, Chancellor resigns and the Kaiser goes into exile
• Chancellorship was given to Friedrich Ebert which gave support from the conservative army + elites and the Signed armistice agreement of 11 Nov
• The republic is formed

Weimar National Assembly's responsibilities

• Draft a constitution and Ratify the Treaty of Versailles

Opposition against the Weimar Republic

• The extremist group wanted a full revolution like Russia and the country to become more socialist
• Resented the acceptance of the treaty of versailles because they Believed that the country was becoming too socialist

Federalism for the Features of the Weimar Republic

• Power shared between the Reichstag and 17 states

Reichstag

• Elections every 4 years
• Every person 20+ had to vote, and parties would receive seats in proportion to their total votes.

Chancellor in the charge of leading the government

• The chancellor was chosen, appointed and dismissed by the president, however, to pass legislature they had to have support of the Reichstag.

President

• 7-year term, elected by the people
• The president was head of state and was not part of the Reichstag, and had considerable powers in case of an emergency.

Golden years of the republic (1925-1929)

• Recovers the German economy: Dawes Plan & Young Plan – both reliant on the US economy.
• Political Stability: SPD dominates the Reichstag.
• Treaty of Locarno: Germany making friends, invited back to the international community in 1926

Cultural flourishment

• Technology and Rights for homosexuals and women eg abortions
• Modern forms of entertainment eg sports and cinema

The Aftermath of World War One

• After World War I, Germany was required to pay substantial war reparations as mandated by the Treaty of Versailles
• German response: Workers went on strike (passive resistance) because the government printed money to support striking workers, which contributed enormously to hyperinflation
• German hyperinflation: the German mark had become virtually worthless by November 1923

Resolution:

• The crisis ended with the Dawes Plan of 1924 and French and Belgian troops withdrew from the Ruhr by August 1925. Long-term Impact: deeped resenment contributed economic political instability help party support!"

Republic constitution

• Proportional representation: Voted for the party instead of an MP leads to tiny parties which can get the majority, no government to get its laws passed in the Reichstag
• Article 48: The emergency powers were not specific to what the emergency was to be allowed those powers

What caused the collapse of the Weimar republic

• Dissatisfaction with treaty of Versailles and Internal threats by extremist groups
• Commuist Republic in Bavaria and later seized control of the Ruhr in half pitch + The great depression

Origins of the party

• July 1921: Hitler became the leader of the Nationalist Socialist German Workers' (Nazi) Party,
• Throughout the 1920s Hitler used his speeches to spread if the Jews communists were ousted

1923

• Beer Hall Putsch failed takeover of the government
• Charged for treason and imprisoned 5 yrs wrote ‘mein Kampf
• The media attention over this putsch made Hitler a high-profile figure

Domestic Experience during WW1

• Food shortages leading to ratiod and 1916 food prices double + Increase in health issues because of lack of food
• During the war women took up many men jobs

Appeal of Nazis

• Middle class: lost their money through hyperinflation and resent the Weimar Republic
• Unemployed: promises to end unemployment, and Factory owners
• The Nazis were against communists and Womam wanted traditional role

Personal characteristics of hitler

• Propaganda: portrayed him as all the issues and used SA tactic
• Issues with Weimar republic can control"

The Enabling Law

• This was a new law that gave Hitler the power to rule by decree rather than passing laws through of the reichstag and the president
• The only social democrat party of Germany voted against it.
• Hinderburg Appointed Hitler to be the chancellor

Night of the Long Knives

• purge of the SA leadership and other political opponents from 30 June 1934 to 2 July 1934. Carried out primarily by the SS and the Gestapo, over 150 people were murdered and hundreds more were arrested
• Reason: The public accepted it

The process of Gleischaltung

• The process of Gleischaltung a process of the Nazi Party taking control over all aspects of Germany, took place majorly during the 1933-34 period by Removed anyone of non aryan descent or those that opposed the Nazis The Nazi party was now the only political party and death of the President Hindenburg"

Point plan Nazi

• a program for the cretation of antisemitism, social darwin etc
• the points was ignores: Mein kumpf and Social Darwinism
• Misappropriates Darwin's theory of evolution to sociology, economics, and politics.
• Creates a hierarchy of races, and Eugenics = improving the human race by ridding society of its 'undesirables' the key include connection between German ppl and their land (blood soil

Religious and prominient figures

• German wanted to enrich the world not and Authoritarianism Hitler=Furer Goebbels: Minister of propaganda"

Name Charactor and roles

• The "terror= Heydrich: Nicknamed and created files on jews","Speer = Served his architect", "Himmler = The head of SS" and "Göering = Economic plans".

Forces of Terror in Germnay

• SS Charactor: was intellegence with Aryan. SA Character: paramilitary
• Gestapo: Setup in 1933 look for enemies with toture. SD: Force under Heyreich with power"

-Important NAZI laws

• Law for the Coordination of the States of the Reich by labour

Nazi opposition

• A lot of people was opposing nazi, Youth and Industrial
• Group with Slogan: Est 1942 with White Rose and Orchestra in 1942."

Aassaination attempt, Pirate and swing

• Attempt: In 1944 to attempt assinate
• Pirate: Had a movement, and used against against
• Swing: Predominaterly and the Nazi: Ban it"

Religious opposition within Nazi.Germany.

• Was was Catholic=JCR say was handcapped but not distory _protest: Was again the chruch leader and the Historian say it

Reich chamber of culture

• The regulated under to be a method, value and the film act A lot of people where art to become a new type in
• View from hitller with litaratue and burned art"."

ungerman Anti

• Music "was racal pure simple, Radio had limit range
• There where was a boycott and were opression"

Killings:

• The Einsatz gruppen and they the gas
• Race: Had a darls winism that they will a voik with Roma but targets." .

""what where the men called what where target"

• There where the men: the gay that was the traget. also asocial with order ""What happen they got sent to the camp. were not apart"" .

1865 with founder in war

• After not to fialue lead in on the justice to labor. The gernn with the war