Nationalism and WWII: Turkey & Zionism

• Study notes on Nationalism and World War II

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's Contributions to Turkey

• He founded the Modern Turkish Republic in 1923 after the Ottoman Empire's collapse.
• Atatürk modernized and secularized Turkey, replacing Islamic courts with Western laws.
• He advanced education and women's rights, granting women the right to vote and pursue professions.

Modern Turkish Republic: Key Characteristics

• Secularism: Separation between religion and state.
• Nationalism: A strong Turkish national identity.
• Westernization: Adoption of European laws, dress, and education.

Sykes-Picot Agreement (1916): Impact

• It was a secret agreement between Britain and France to divide Ottoman Middle Eastern territories after WWI.
• The agreement disregarded Arab desires for independence, causing resentment and future conflicts.

World Zionist Organization: Goal

• The organization was established by Theodor Herzl in 1897 with the goal of creating a Jewish homeland in Palestine.

Balfour Declaration (1917): Promise and Reaction

• The declaration promised British backing for a Jewish homeland in Palestine.
• Arabs reacted with outrage, as they had been promised independence, thereby increasing tensions between Arabs and Jews.

Banana Republics: Origin

• Latin American countries were named this due to U.S. fruit companies, like United Fruit Company, dominating them.
• These countries often had corrupt governments influenced by foreign business interests.

Good Neighbor Policy (FDR): Goals

• It aimed to improve U.S.-Latin American relations by ending military interventions.
• The policy rejected previous U.S. interventions in Latin America.

Authoritarian Governments in Latin America (1930s): Rise

• Economic instability from the Great Depression made people support strong leaders.
• Fear of communism led elites and the military to support authoritarian rulers.
• Nationalism and military coups helped dictators rise.

Fascism: Key Traits

• Authoritarian rule characterized by a one-party dictatorship.
• Extreme nationalism that emphasized the nation's supremacy.
• Militarism that viewed war and expansion as necessary.
• Suppression of opposition through censorship and state control.

Communism: Key Traits

• A classless society with no private property.
• Government control of the economy, eliminating capitalism.
• One-party rule that prohibited political opposition.
• An internationalist outlook aimed to spread revolution worldwide.

Communism's Role in Hitler and Mussolini's Rise

• The fear of communism led businesses and elites to support fascist leaders as a defense against socialist revolutions.

Mussolini's Actions: Strengthening Rule

• He suppressed opposition by banning political parties.
• He controlled the media with propaganda and censorship.
• He gained support by allying with the Catholic Church.

Hitler's Rise: Fascist Ideals

• He used nationalism and militarism to gain support.
• He promised to restore Germany's power after WWI.
• He attracted conservatives using anti-communist rhetoric.

Hitler's Trial and Mein Kampf: Significance

• After the Beer Hall Putsch failure in 1923, Hitler was imprisoned.
• Mein Kampf ("My Struggle") outlined his anti-Semitism, nationalism, and expansionism beliefs.

Conservative Support for Hitler: Role

• German Conservatives believed they could control him and use his popularity.
• They thought he would crush communists and restore order.

Enabling Acts of 1933: Seizing Power

• These acts allowed Hitler to rule by decree, bypassing Parliament.
• They granted him dictatorial powers, ending democracy in Germany.

Nazi Economic Policy: Result

• Reduced unemployment through military buildup and public works, like Autobahn construction, increasing popularity.

Nuremberg Laws (1935): Jewish Restrictions

• Stripped Jews of German citizenship.
• Banned marriages between Jews and non-Jews.
• Forbade Jews from holding government jobs.
• Required Jews to wear Star of David badges.

Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass): Events

• On November 9-10, 1938, Nazi-led mobs attacked Jewish homes, businesses, and synagogues.
• It marked the start of organized violence against Jews leading to the Holocaust.

Spanish Civil War (1936-1939): "Dress Rehearsal"

• Fascist forces fought against a leftist government.
• It allowed Germany to test weapons and tactics, including Luftwaffe bombings.

Germany's Military Allies (1930s)

• Italy (Mussolini).
• Japan (military dictatorship).

Munich Conference (1938): Response

• Britain and France gave Hitler the Sudetenland (Czechoslovakia) to avoid war through appeasement.

Foreign Labor in Nazi Germany: Use

• Millions of forced laborers from occupied countries kept the German economy running.

Final Solution: Plan

• This was the Nazi plan to exterminate all Jews in Europe, leading to the Holocaust.

Largest Concentration Camp

• Auschwitz-Birkenau was a death camp where over a million people were murdered.

Jewish Population Exterminated: Percentage

• Poland: Approximately 90%.
• Baltic States: Approximately 90%.
• Germany: Approximately 25%.

Other Nazi Victims

• Roma (Gypsies).
• Disabled people.

Attack on Pearl Harbor (1941): Goal

• Japan aimed to destroy the U.S. Pacific Fleet to prevent U.S. interference in Japan’s Asian expansion.

Grand Alliance (WWII)

• United States.
• Soviet Union.
• United Kingdom.

Axis Powers (WWII)

• Germany.
• Italy.
• Japan.

D-Day (June 6, 1944): Allied Action

• The largest amphibious invasion landed in Normandy, France, to push back Nazi forces.

Soviet Women in WWII: Contributions

• Served as combat soldiers, snipers, pilots, and factory workers.

Segregation in the US Military: Effect

• African-American soldiers fought in segregated units with white officers and were often assigned to non-combat roles.

Japanese-American Internment: Treatment

• 120,000 Japanese Americans were forcibly relocated to camps, losing homes and businesses.