World War II Causes - Lecture Notes

Causes of World War II ====================== World war 2 was said to basically be a continuation of WWI yet some specific causes caused the outbreak of it. This whole thing would have not happened if the Nazis were not led at all, let alone by Hitler. After WWI Germany was made into a republic. Ch...

Causes of World War II ====================== World war 2 was said to basically be a continuation of WWI yet some specific causes caused the outbreak of it. This whole thing would have not happened if the Nazis were not led at all, let alone by Hitler. After WWI Germany was made into a republic. Chancellor Hindenburge was its leader. The country reported back to its allies frequently, though Germany did not like the idea of being "controlled" by its so-called allies. Cause: The Treaty of Versailles =============================== After WWI we all know the treaty of Versailles, it was an impossible treaty for the German people. It reduced its army to only 100k, and they took land from Germany. They forced the Germans to take full responsibility and pay for their war reparations. Cause: Failure of the LON ========================= The Versailles made a creation of the League of Nations which was a promise to prevent war and settle disputes through diplomacy. Though it soon failed because not every nation decided to join, decisions required unanimous support, the league did not have its own army, it could not prevent any major incidents. Cause: The Depression ===================== The depression forced the allied countries to become more isolationist and focus on rebuilding their economies. Germany was able to recover and rearm itself because all the other countries were distracted with all their own economic problems. Germany accepted Hitler because he promised to rebuild the economy. Cause: Japanese Aggression ========================== In 1931 the Japanese army invaded Manchuria, a Chinese controlled territory in the North of korea. The invasion caused the Japanese to have a major military power in all of asia. Between 1933 and '36 the USSR felt threatened and struck an alliance with China (Comintern Pact). The Japanese responded by signing an anti-comintern Pact with Germany in 1936. In july 1937 the japanese brutally attacked China and Beijing with millions of soldiers who looted, raped, tortured and murdered millions of Chinese civilians. ### ### NOTE 2: Cause: The rise of Hitler & His Army ==================================== Hitler became the German Fuhrer in 1934, he decided to go against the treaty of versailles and halt every and all reparation payment, in 1935 he created the Nuremberg laws that denied minority rights in Germany and paved the way for his racial and imperialist policies. In 1936 he remilitarized Germany, deploying 30000 soldiers into Rhineland and recruited many more additional soldiers. Hitler and Mussolini also formed the rome-berlin axis. Cause: German Imperialism ========================= In 1938, Hitler wanted to re-establish the Anchluss with Austria, even though it was prohibited by the Treaty of Versailles. Feeling Britain was pre-occupied with events in China (a significant trade partner with Britain), Hitler marched on Austria. Not a shot was fired, and the German army entered Austria with bands playing and soldiers and civilians cheering. Only weeks after Germany invaded Austria, Hitler then invaded Czechoslovakia. Formed after WWI, Czechoslovakia was made up of various ethnic groups including Czechs, Slovaks, and Germans that lived mostly in the Sudeten province near Germany. The Sudetenland was very rich in natural resources. Cause: Appeasement and Munich Agreement ======================================= Britain was conquered with their ports in china. France could not bear the idea of ANOTHER war with germany. The Soviet Union was preoccupied with containing japan. America was focused on rebuilding its own economy. The League of Nations was powerless to enforce laws, by agreeing to Hitlers territorial designs, the Germans would halt at all fighter aggressions. In sept. 1938 Britain, France, Italy, and Germany met to discuss Hitlers aims in Munich. Hitler said he would only take the southern land and if Czechoslovakia falls apart, then he would govern it. The other 3 nations agreed. Chamberlain went back to London with the piece of paper that he claimed would "secure peace in our time". Cause: The Nazi-Soviet Pact and the Invasion of Poland. ======================================================= Aug 23, 1939 hitler and Stalin signed a pact, Though hitler hated communism he needed it for lebensraum so he compromised. Hitler promised to invade Poland and give Stalin the eastern part of the country. Sept.1 1939, hitler invaded poland. From then Britain and France declared war on Germany two days later, with Canada following suit on the 10th. They waited to see what hitler would do next but he didnt do anything for 3 month, in which this became what\'s called the " phoney war" NOTE 3: WWII: Early German Offensives ============================= [Hitler Turns North] After taking Poland, Germany turned towards Northern Europe. In April, 1940 Hitler attacked Denmark and Norway. It took only two months to get to these countries. He then turned to Holland, Luxembourg and Belgium in May. The German Blitzkrieg proved 5to be too much for these counties as well. [The Battle for France and the Maginot Line] After WWI France developed a bunch of new things to protect themselves in case Germany decides to strike again such as gun towers and heavily armed tunnel systems. But on May 12th 1940 Germany invaded France and instead of a direct attack through the Maginot line they just went around it, making the Maginot line an expensive joke. The Miracle of Dunkirk ====================== When France was invaded , Britain sent troops to depend on the country. Either the French or Britain were prepared for the speed of the German Blitzkrieg. The german forced allies back to the france city of Dunkirk where they remained trapped. Hitler propped up an air attack. The British called for help. Nearly 900 civilian ships, fishing and channel boars answered the call and crossed the English channel. BEtween May 27 and June 4 almost 350,000 soldiers were evacuated to England. The Fall of France ================== After The evacuation the city\'s remaining French divisions were overcome by airstrikes and armored vehicles. German tanks outflanked the Maginot line and pushed deep into france. German forces occupied Paris unopposed on June 14th after a chaotic exodus of the French government that led to the collapse of the remaining French army. On June 22nd France officially surrendered. NOTE 4: The Battle of Britain ===================== On July 10, 1940 hitler ordered an air attack on the British ships in the English Channel which was the official start of the Battle of Britain. Hitler planned to destroy the British fighter planes, factories, and the morale of the people so he could eventually do a ground attack. Initially the German Luftwaffe was successful at knocking out airfields and supply factories but the air force (RAF) held its ground despite being heavily outnumbered. Sept.7th two german planes bombed civilian london, then hitler ordered an assault on London which peaked on Sept.15th which allowed the RAF time to recover and rearm to back the control of the British air space. Hitler Invades the Soviet Union =============================== June 22nd 1941 Hitler violated the Nazi-Soviet Pact by trying to invade Russia during operation Barbarossa. AT first the blitzkrieg attack was successful at first, reaching within 39km of moscow. Russia retreated and burned everything in the pathway of Hitler including livestock, crops, shelters, and supplies. When winter in January 1943 came, Hitler had to retreat due to the lack of supplies to keep the soldiers warm in -50 degree weather. NOTE 5: The Attack on Pearl Harbour =========================== Just before 8am on dec.7 1941 hundreds of Japanese fighter planes attacked the American Naval base at Pearl Harbour near Honolulu, Hawaii. The barrage lasted about 2 hours but destroyed 20 American vessels, including eight enormous battleships, and more than 300 airplanes. Almost 2500 Amerians soldiers and sailors died from this attack with another 100 wounded. The Japanese did not survive because they only had enough gas for a 1 way suicide mission to destory the American base and then land and hope to survive. That is when America declared war on Japan and 3 days later Germany and Italy declared war on the US. 2 years into the conflict America finally joined WWII. American-Japanese Tensions ========================== The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise, but diplomatic relations between Japan and the US have been sour for decades. The US was unhappy with Japan\'s aggression towardsChina. The Japanese government believed that the only way to solve its socio-economic problems was to expand into Chinese territory. Japan declared war on China in 1937. America responded with economic sanctions and trade embargoes, believing that by limitingJapans access to money, goods, and oils, Japan would have to rein in its expansionism. Instead, the sanctions made the Japanese more determined. During months of negotiations between Tokyo and Washington, neither side would budge. It seemed the war was inevitable. The Battle of Hong Kong ======================= On the same morning of the Pearl Harbour attack, the British colony of Hong Kong was also invaded by Japanese Imperial forces. 1,975 Canadians forces tried to help but within 17 days, 290 were killed, 493 were wounded, and more then 260 of them tortured and died within a Prison camp in Hong Kong and Japan when Hong Kong fell onto the hands of Japan on Christmas day, 1941. NOTE 6: Japanese-Canadians at the Time ============================== At the outbreak of WWII in 1939 the population of BC including about 21,000 Japanese origin Canadians, 75% had residential rights. Common belief was that they could not fit in as much and or as fast as European heritage could. People even assumed they were spies. PM Mackenzie King expressed "the extreme difficulty of assimilating Japanese people in Canada. Fear and Resentment in Canada ============================= Panic and anger exploded within BC, Many Canadians feared that Japanese submarines would attack off the coast of BC and that many of the Japanese-Canadian residents were spies. Even though the RCMP and Canadian Military suggested there was no imminent threat by those who were Japanese origin in Canada, many just felt threatened by their prencene. 1200 Japanese-Canadians fishing boats ended up being seized by the Canadian navy. Japanese Internment in Canada ============================= In 1939 the War Measures act began and the government started to detain and arrest anyone with Japanese origins, by 1942 entire families were moved to internment camps in BC. Able bodied men were sent to labour camps and were forced to work on farms and build roads. 23,000 Japanese Canadians were moved and was one of the largest mass exodus in Canadian history. Internment Timelines ==================== **1941 Dec 8:** 1200 boats impounded. Japanese newspapers and schools closed. **1942 Jan 16:** Removal of Male japanese immigrants from the coastal area **1942 Feb 24:** Japanese Males between 18-45 were ordered to be removed from an 100-mile-wide zone along the coast of BC **1942 Feb 26:** Mass evacuation only 24 hours notice. Cars, cameras, and radios all were confiscated. **1942 Mar 4:** Anything they owned was taken away for "protective measures" Houses and more were sold to make money to pay the internment. **1942 Mar 25:** BC security commission initiated a scheme of forcing men to road camps and women and children to ghost town detention camps. Conditions in the Internment Camps ================================== 2 families housed in huts, hundreds of women and children squeezed into livestock buildings, with no electricity or running water until 1943. They slept on straw beds, with poor food that was sent from Japan through the Red Cross for those who were suffering. At the End of the War ===================== In 1945 the government extended the Order in Council to deport many Japanese Canadians back to Japan. It was illegal until 1949 for a Japanese origin to be in Canada. Public pressure was the reason for the eventual stop of the deportations, but that was after 4000 of them were deported. Acknowledging Wartime Wrongs ============================ Forty-three years after the end of the war, PM Brian Mulroney acknowledged the wrongdoing of the Canadian government and announced the awarding of 21,000 dollars for each wrong individual. NOTE 7: Canada's Role in the War Effort =============================== When Canada declared war in 1939, there were only 10,000 soldiers in its armed forces. During the Depression years, the government had reduced military spending. In 1938-1939, the budget for defence was only \$35 million. In 1939, the Canadian army possessed only 14 tanks; 29 Bren guns, 23 anti-tank rifles and 5 small mortar guns. The Canadian Navy had 10 operational vessels, and the Royal Canadian Air Force had only 50 modern aircraft. Though largely unprepared for war, Canada was quick to respond. At this point, the government hoped that Canada's role would be limited. Prime Minister Mackenzie King was prepared to send roughly 40,000 troops and supply food and equipment to Britain. King was reluctant to involve Canada in another costly war. Canada Goes to War ================== By the end of September, over 58,000 Canadian men and women had enlisted. Many recruits were unemployed men who were grateful for a new pair of boots, a uniform and coat, three square meals a day and soldier pay of \$1.30 per day. As in 1914, their recruits were all volunteers, however, they went off to war in a much more sombre mood than the young recruits in 1914. On September 16 the first convoy left for England. By January 1940, 23,000 mostly untrained Canadian troops were in Britain. Canada Moves to Center Stage ============================ Although Prime Minister King had hoped Canada would only be a supplier of war materials in a short, limited war, the reverse was soon true. Hitler\'s dramatic success meant that Britain stood alone in Europe and depended more than ever on Canada\'s support. The Canadian troops in Britain were fresh and well-equipped and more could be set. As in WWI, Canadian convoys were a vital lifeline to the survival of Britain.Canadian food, guns, supplies and armed forces were desperately needed. Canada, although reluctant to take on such a large role in the war, quickly moved to the center stage. NOTE 8: The Holocaust: 1933-1945 ======================== Holocausts original meaning was meant as sacrifice, burned by fire. Came to define the annihilation of the Jews and other groups of people of Europe under the Nazi regime during World War II. Genocide is the systematic extermination of a nationality or group Facts Casualties: 6 million jews and 5 million others, 63% of the jewish population in Europe, 91% in poland. 836,255 dresses, 348000 suits, 38k mens shoes, and 14k pounds of human hair but only 7650 alive prisoners. Before and After the Holocaust ============================== In 1933, the European Jewish population was 9,508,340 Estimated Jewish survivors after: 3,546,211 Holocaust: The Stages of Isolation ================================== 1: Stripping of Rights 2: Segregation 3: Concentration 4: Extermination 1: Stripping of Rights (Of Jews 1935) ===================================== Stripped of German Membership, fired and businesses boycotted, banned from every and any schooling, Jewish and Aryans forbidden marriage, Carry ID cards, passports stamped with J, forced to wear the armband of the Yellow "Star of David", Jewish synagogues destroyed, forced to pay reparations and special income taxes. 2: Segregation (Of Jews) ======================== Jews were forced to live in designated areas called "ghettos" to isolate them from the rest of society. 356 ghettos in Poland, Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia, Romania, and Hungary during WWII. Ghettos were filthy, overcrowded with poor sanitation. Diseases, low quality and amount of food. Warsaw was the largest ghetto holding 500,000 people within 3.5sq/miles. Nazi ghettos became transition areas, used as collection points for deportation to concentration and death camps. NOTE 9: 3: Concentration (Of Jews) ========================== Essential to Nazis systematic oppression and eventual mass murder of enemies of Nazy Germany (Jews, Communists, homosexuals, political opponents). They were forced to do slave labour "annihilation by work". These prisoners faced malnutrition and starvation. Prisoners transported in cattle freight cars. Camps were built on railroad lines for efficient transportation. Life on the camps: ------------------ All possessions were taken away, all heads were shaved, arms tattoos, forced to wear prison uniforms, men and women were separated, they only survived because of trade skills and physical strength, they were forced to undergo unsanitary, disease ridden and lice infested housing, and they were experimented on. 4: Extermination (Of Jews) ========================== Einsatzgruppen (mobile killing units) had begun killing operations aimed at entire Jewish communities in the 1930s. They created Death factories: Nazi extermination camps fulfilled the singular function of mass murder. And made them Euthanasia program which was fa nazi policy to eliminate lived uniformity of life (mentally, or physically challenged or disabled) to promote Aryan "racial integrity". Wannsee conference (Berlin - 1942) established the "complete solution of the Jewish question" Called for the complete extermination of the jews and other groups. Zyklon B gas became a primary agent in the mass extermination Gas chambers and Crematoriums, ------------------------------ were used to kill anyone who walked in, it was disguised as showers and would lock them into the room killing the person within 3-15 minutes. Up to 8000 people were gassed per day at Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest death camp with 4 operating gas chambers. Gold fillings from victims\' teeth were melted down to make gold bars, Prisoners bodies would be cremated. Nearing the End of the War -------------------------- By 1945 the Nazis began to destroy the camps and cremation centers as allied troops closed in. Death Marched (Todesmarsch): Between 1944-1945, nazi s ordered marches over long distances. Approximately 250000 - 375000 prisoners perished in Death marches. Jan 27 1945, the Soviet army entered Auschwitz (largest camp) and liberated more than 7000 remaining prisoners, who were mostly ill and dying. Nazis confiscated property in storerooms nicknamed Kanada because the sheer amount of loot stored there was associated with riches of Canada. NOTE 10: Aftermath ========= [Yom ha-shoah]: holocaust remembrance day established in 1951 [Nuremberg Trials]: 1945-1949 were trials for war crimes of nazi officials (24 nazi leaders tried) Aftermath: The Creation of Israel ================================= In 1947 the United Nations recommended a plan to partition the land of Palestine to create 2 independent states with an internationalized Jerisalem. Back to WWII: The Russian Front =============================== On august 23rd, 1939, Stalin and Hitler signed a "Nonaggression pact" which vowed not to interfere in each other\'s business. On June 22nd 1941 Germany invaded the soviet union. Having purged his military of many of its best officers, Stalin and the Soviets were not ready for war. The Eastern Front ================= Operation "barbarossa\" began on June 22nd, 1941. The early days the Germans drove into the Soviet Union, almost reaching Moscow by October. The German army besieged Leningrad for what was to become a two years struggle ending in the death of more than one million civilians. When the severe Russian winter arrived the Nazi offensive broke down and the German attack was halted. The Tide Turns ============== The Nazis needed supplies and resources to continue the war so victory in the Soviet Union was essential. From sept 14th 1942 till feb 2nd 1942 the Germans and Russians fought for the strategic city of Stalingrad on the Volga river. Hitler and the nazis lost the battle - 500,000 germ and other troops were killed or taken prisoner. By the autumn of 1943 the Germany army of 2,5 soldiers faced an army of 5.5 million soviet soldiers. What was the Situation in 1943 ============================== The Russians are defeating the Germans and are advancing in the Easy. The allie are victorious in africa and launch an assault on mainland Italy through Sicily Italy ===== From July 10th to august 17th the allies including the Canadians fought and took Sicily from the German army - Codename "operation husky". The campaign of Italy was designed to take pressure off their russian allies and pull the germans out of north-western europe reading the area of operation "overlord". (th sept 1943, the attack began in italy. The Canadians were forced to fight for every meter of the mountainous terrain as the Germans refused to give up. The Italians Surrender ====================== 8th sept 1943 the Italian government surrendered. The allied planners thought the italian campaign would be over in a matter of weeks, They were wrong. Italy represented frustration and death for thousands of allied soldiers in a bitter stagnated fight. It would be a year before allied troops entered ROme, and the invasion of France would overshow that victory. The battle for Italy ==================== After They surrendered the Italians separated into 2 camps. Pro allied or pro German. Sept 9th the allies landed Americans at salerno and the British landed at taranto. Sept 26th the allied had built a force of 189,000 men and 30k vehicles. Following the Italian surrender, the German army took control of the defence of Germany. Ortona ====== An ancient city that consists of sorrow streets and connected houses. Much of Ortona was reduced to rubble, making it difficult for the Canadians to use tanks. The Germans barricaded themselves in houses and mined the streets. The fighting was house-to-house, literally the Canadians blasted their way through walls to get inside building to building. The battle continued till christmas 1943 but ended 3 days later after germans withdrew. The Liberation of Rome ====================== Following the fall of Ortona the allied ground to a halt to extreme weather of december. The allied forces focus was turned to the western front to where they considered the easiest path to get inside rome. It took 4 major offensives between jan and may 1944 before the allies introduced british , us, french, polish, and canadian corps broke through. Rome was declared an open city but the allied took possession of it on june 4th. NOTE 11: The Move on to France ===================== Having the Germans occupied in Italy allowed the allies to move forward with their plan to open up the long awaited western front in Europe. Normandy ======== Normandy is a peninsula on the French Coast, It was chosen because the Germans expected the attack to be on the Pas de Calais. The Criteria ============ The enemy must remain ignorant of the proposed landing site. The enemy must be prevented from bringing up reinforcements quickly once the allies land. Complete allies air and naval superiority in the English channel. Local defences must largely be destroyed by air and sea bombardment. Operation "Overload" - *[June 6th 1944]* ==================================================== There would be [FIVE] sectors that would be attacked UTAH - American OMAHA - American GOLD - British JUNO - Canadian SWORD - British The Plan ======== Winston Churchhill and Franklin Roosevelt agreed it was time to open up a few new fronts in the West through the beaches. The Atlantic Wall ================= Early in 1944, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel was assigned to improve the defenses of the wall. Rommel believed the existing coastal fortifications were entirely inadequate. A string of reinforced concrete pillboxes were built along the beaches to house machine guns, antitank, guns and light artillery. Minefield and anti tank obstacles were planted on beaches and underwater obstacles were also planted offshore. By the time of the invasion the Germans had almost 6 million mines in the north. The Time Has Come ================= On the evening of June 5th paratroopers dropped in to secure a braid for the allied advance. Heavy bombers dropped their payloads on what was supposed to be the beach defenses. In the early morning the largest armada of ships left Britain for the French coast. The Canadians on D-Day ====================== Of the nearly 150,000 allied troops who landed of parachuted into the invasion area, 14,000 were Canadians. The Royal canadian Navy contributed 110 ships and 10,000 sailors in support of the landings while the RCAF had helped prepare the invasion by bombing targets inland. Canadians suffered 1074 casualties including 359 killed. NOTE 12: The Battle for Normandy ======================= For the first month following the D-Day landings, a stalemate developed during which the Allies built up their forces. In July Canadian troops helped capture Caen and then joined an American advance from the south to encircle the German forces in Normandy. By August 21, German forces had either retreated or been destroyed between the Canadian-British and American Pincers. The ten-week Normandy Campaign cost the Canadians alone more than 18,000 casualties, with 5000 deaths. The Liberation of Northwest Europe ================================== September 1944 the British captured the Belgian port of Antwerp It was a key victory for the allies because they desperately required its docking facilities to bring in supplies. The problem was that the Germans occupied both banks of the 70-kilometre long Scheldt River estuary linking Antwerp to the sea. Liberating The Scheldt Estuary ============================== The battle of the scheldt was a series of military operations which took place in northern Belgium and southwestern Netherlands fromOctober 2nd to November 8th, 1944. By september, 1944 it had become urgent for the allies to clear both banks of the scheldt Estuary in order to open the port of Antwerp to Allied shipping, thus easing logistical burdens in their supply lines stretching hundreds of miles from Normandy. The British capture Antwerp on September 4th 1944 but the Germans still controlled the Scheldt Estuary making the port useless. After five weeks of difficult fighting, the First canadian Army with support from other countries was successful in securing the Scheldt Estuary. IIt took numerous amphibious assaults, crossing of canals, and fighting over open group. Both land and water were minded, and the Germans defended their retreating line with artillery and snipers.The Allies finally cleared the port areas on November 8, but at a cost 12,873 Allied casualties (killed, wounds, or missing), half of them Canadians. The Battle of the Bulge ======================= The ardennes offensive known to the general public as the Battle of the Bulge, started on Dec 16th, 1944. Three powerful German armies plunged into the semi-mountainous, heavily forested Ardennes region of eastern Belgium and northern Luxembourg. Their goal was to reach the sea, trap four allies armies, and impel a negotiated peace on the Western front. Thinking the Ardennes was the least likely spot for a German offensive the line was thin with American manpower concentrated north and south of the Ardennes. Even though the German Offensive achieved total surprise, the American troops did not give ground without a fight. Within three days the Americans, assisted by the arrival of powerful reinforcements insured that the Germans would not achieve their goal. The German losses in the battle were critical. The last of the German reserves were gone. The Luftwaffe had been broken. The German Army in the West was being pushed back. Most importantly, the Eastern Front was now ripe for the taking and the German Army was unable to halt the Soviets German forces were sent reeling on two fronts and never recovered. The Final Days In April 1945, the battle is coming to a close. On the 30th April, Hitler commits suicide together with his mistress Eva Braun hours after they were married. Hitler gave strict orders for his body to be burned, so that his enemies wouldn't capture his body. The Soviets Arrive -- Berlin Falls ================================== By 2 May, the Reichstag, the old German parliament falls and Berlin surrenders to Marshall Zukhov, who receives the honour of being the conqueror of Berlin. The battle for Berlin cost the Soviets over 70,000 casualties. Many of them died because of the haste with which the campaign was conducted. VE-Day ====== The major Allied ground offensive the west against German territory began on 8 February 1945. In April, Canadian troops liberated most of the Netherlands. The Germans formally surrendered on 8 May 1945, known as Victory-in-Europe, or 'V-E' Day. All Eyes on Japan ================= Following FDR's death, Harry Truman becomes President of the United States. Truman decided to use the bomb on Japan because he believed that it was the only way to get the Japanese to surrender and save American lives. On August 6th, 1945 a lone B-29 Superfortress called the Enola Gay took off and headed for Hiroshima. Hiroshima and Little Boy ======================== At 8:15am the atomic bomb nicknamed "Little Boy" was dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima.The bomb's explosive force was equivalent to 15,000 tons of TNT. Within seconds, the city was flattened and thousands were dead. This was the first nuclear weapon used in war. Nagasaki and Fat Man ==================== On August 11, a bomb called "Fat Man" was dropped on the city of Nagasaki at 11:00am. The bomb's explosive force was equivalent to 21,000 tons of TNT. This was the second time a nuclear weapon had been used in war. At noon, August 15th, 1945 -- Emperor Hirohito spoke directly to his people to tell them Japan had surrendered. NOTE 13: A War of Science and Innovation =============================== For all the role of science, mathematics, and new inventions in earlier wars, no war had as profound an effect on the technologies of our current lives than World War II. and no war was as profoundly affected by science, math, and technology than WWII. Remote Sensing: Radar ===================== Radio Detection And Ranging. Radar technology allowed the Allies to defend themselves against the German Luftwaffe. Many historians believe that Radar was the most important technology of WWII. Cavity magnetrons, an essential component in Radar, is the backbone of the modern day Microwave oven. Radar technology today is also applied in weather forecasting, law enforcement, and air traffic control. Remote Sensing: Sonar ===================== Sound, Navigation and Ranging. Sonar is a system that uses underwater sound waves to detect and locate submerged objects and measure distances. It was used for submarine and mine detection. Today it is used for depth detection, commercial fishing, mapping, diving safety and communication at sea, and medical imaging (ultrasound). Rocket and Propulsion Technology ================================ WWII saw the creation of guided missiles and advanced rocketry. The German V2 was capable of carrying a warhead that could cross the English Channel and hit London. The rocket technology of WWII is the bedrock of modern day space exploration. WWII also saw the emergence of the Jet Engine, which has revolutionized modern aviation and air travel. Healthcare and Practical Medicine ================================= WWII saw major advances in healthcare including the development of antibiotics (penicillin), anti-malarial drugs, vaccines, pain management drugs like morphine, and surgical procedures like skin grafts, implanted plates to repair bone fractures, and blood and plasma transfusions. These medical interventions saved many millions of combatant and civilian lives. Electronics and Computing Machines ================================== Machines were developed to encrypt, transmit, intercept, and decode electronic communications. Computing machines were also built to help scientists solve complicated ballistic equations. These innovations are the foundation for modern communication, televisions, cell phones, digital computers, and the internet. Plastics and Synthetic Materials ================================ During WWII, plastic became known at the material of a thousand uses. Nylon was used for ropes, parachutes, helmet liners, body armour, gears and wheels, adhesives, and countless other applications. Plexiglas was used to make aircraft windows. Perspex was used to make Aeroplane cockpits. Polythene was used to insulate electronics. Plastic wrap was used to cover guns during shipping, while acrylic sheets were molded into noses for bombers and canopies for fighter planes. Plastic was also used to produce synthetic rubber for tires. A War of Science and Innovation =============================== Entire fields of science and engineering were born. Advances in remote sensing, rockets and propulsion, computers, communication, physics, energy, and medicine. WWII saw the development of plastics, synthetic materials, fuels, and batteries. Advances in manufacturing, robotics, pesticides and agriculture, masonry, food and nutrition science, training and education, and logistics. NOTE 14: Why Did the Allies Win WWII? ============================ More soldiers, Better strategy, Applied technological advances, Greater morale, Greater material and financial resources. WWII Casualties =============== World War II was the deadliest military conflict in history. An estimated total of 75 million people perished. Deaths directly caused by the war (including military and civilian fatalities) are estimated at 50 million, with an additional estimated 25 million deaths from war-related disease and famine. Civilian deaths totaled 50 million. Military deaths from all causes totaled 25 million, including deaths in captivity of about 5 million prisoners of war. Half of the dead from the Republic of China, and the Soviet Union. The Aftermath of WWII ===================== WWII saw the decline of all European colonial empires and rise of the Soviet Union and the United States as superpowers. Created the United Nations, an organization for international cooperation and diplomacy, similar to the League of Nations. Members of the United Nations agreed to outlaw wars of aggression to avoid a third world war. The Aftermath of WWII ===================== Western Europe and Japan were rebuilt through the American Marshall Plan, whereas Central and Eastern Europe fell under the Soviet sphere of influence. The US and the USSR would become bitter rivals, engaged in espionage, political subversion, proxy wars, and a dangerous nuclear arms race that would become known as the Cold War. A Clash of Ideologies ===================== Communism: Collectivism, Equality, Socialism, Totalitarianism, Public (State) property. The end goal of communism is to eliminate socio-economic class. Capitalism: Individualism, Freedom Democracy, Limited Government, Private Property. The end goal of capitalism is the preservation of socio-economic freedom. Nuclear Tensions ================ The USA had shown its atomic power when it deployed nuclear weapons in WWII. The USSR was also developing atomic weapons. The USA and the USSR were in competition with each other to have the best, most powerful weapons in the world -- this was called the Arms Race. Potsdam Conference ================== The US, Great Britain and USSR sat down in July and August 1945 to decide Europe's post-war direction. The Soviets viewed the lands they captured in WWII as compensation for the sacrifices they were forced to make. Stalin promised the Soviets would allow free elections in the lands that they occupied. In practice, "free elections" meant only having the communist party to vote for. Communist Countries Post WWII ============================= Czechoslovakia (1948), East Germany (1949), Poland (1947), Hungary (1947), Romania (1947), Bulgaria (1947), Albania (1947), China (1949), Cuba (1959), Laos (1975), North Korea (1945), Vietnam (1976). The Truman Doctrine =================== Truman was determined to stand up to any Soviet intimidation or communist expansion. The Truman Doctrine in March 1947 promised that the USA "would support free peoples who are resisting subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures". Triggered by British inability to hold the line in Greece, it was followed by aid to Greece and Turkey, and also money to help capitalists to stop communists in Italy and France. It signaled the end of American isolationist policies. Economic Aid and Competing for Influence ======================================== The Marshall Plan offered huge sums to enable the economies of Europe to rebuild after WWII, and, by generating prosperity, to reject the appeal of Communism. The Soviet Union (USSR) prevented Eastern European countries from receiving American money, and followed up with their own initiative called the Molotov Plan. However, to receive aid from the Molotov Plan, Nations had to agree to a Soviet presence. Germany Divided =============== Germany, which had been ruled by Hitler and the Nazis until their defeat in 1945, was split in two. The western side became West Germany and the eastern side became East Germany. East Germany became a communist country. Focus on Berlin on 1945 ======================= After World War II, Germany was divided into four zones, occupied by French, British, American, and Soviet troops. Berlin is the multinational area within the Soviet zone. Soviet Blockade =============== In June of 1948, the French, British and American zones were joined into the nation of West Germany after the Soviets refused to end their occupation of Germany. Berlin was partitioned into East Berlin and West Berlin. The Berlin Wall =============== The Berlin Wall was built in 1961 by the Soviet backed East Germans, to prevent its population from escaping to West Berlin, which was controlled by the major Western Allies. North Atlantic Treat Organization ================================= In 1949, the U.S. formed an alliance with friendly European countries called the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The members of NATO would defend each other against any Soviet aggression. Warsaw Pact =========== In 1955, the Soviet Union formed its own military alliance called the Warsaw Pact. The Warsaw Pact was made up of Eastern European countries under Soviet control. The Cold War ============ The tension and rivalry between the USA and the USSR was described as the Cold War (1945-1990). There was never a real war between the two sides between 1945 and 1990, but they were often very close to war (Hotspots). Both sides got involved in other conflicts in the world to either stop the spread of communism (USA) or help