WW2 History Unit 5 Study Guide PDF

WWII Unit 5 Study Guide Unit Main Themes 1. Given what you have studied so far, what is the appropriate role of the U.S. in the world? 2. Given the atrocities in the war, what makes the Holocaust unique? Lesson 1: The Basics 1. Why is WW2 so popular? a. A very distinct good vs bad s...

WWII Unit 5 Study Guide Unit Main Themes 1. Given what you have studied so far, what is the appropriate role of the U.S. in the world? 2. Given the atrocities in the war, what makes the Holocaust unique? Lesson 1: The Basics 1. Why is WW2 so popular? a. A very distinct good vs bad side b. Just war c. Clear purpose d. Note: only in our view in hindsight→ Hitler’s true evils not known till the end of war 2. What we forget/ what people thought of at the time a. Nazi sympathizers and fascist groups arose a lot in the U.S b. Antisemitism and racism rampant in Europe and America c. Soldiers wondered what they were fighting for→ didn’t know about concentration camps until after d. Mass Germans not Nazi→ forced military service e. Fit into just war in hindsight→ good vs evil 3. Why WW2 is so important a. We haven't had such a big war with advanced tech and the Great Powers were all attacking each other 4. Why did it happen? a. Same war with a break in between i. Repercussions from WW1 like Treaty of Versaille ii. Germany’s reason to fight war the same as WW1 iii. Economic distress and wealth gap cause rise in far left and right b. Euripe let first few steps to prevent another war c. Pain of WW1 d. Appeasement: let do as long as our children don’t have to endure what we did 5. The Steps that Hitler took a. 1935: Hitler set vote in Ruhr (an industrial region that Hitler wanted back)--> 90% voted to reunite with Germany so Hitler declared region a part of Germany again i. European countries did nothing because it was techniciallt democratic b. Send troops to demilitarized zone of the Rhineland because France and USSR signed a treaty of friendship, Hitler argued that this was a hostile move against Germany and could be used by France to invade c. 1938: Hitler bullied chancellor into resigning and had troops march into Austria. Austrians cherred, appointed Nazi government and declared German rule i. Very similar people and wanted Germany united homeland ii. No one did anything  d. 1938: invade Sudetenland,and (made after WW1 to provide a nation to ethnic Czechslovakian people), Germans living there angry and called for reunification with Germany, Hitler announced to annex Czechoslovakia but they refused to allow this and defended against invasion. Hitler insist that he would invade and began mobilizing e. The Munich Agreement i. 4 power: Italy, Germany, France and England meet to talk to Hitler about his actions ii. Hitlersays he only wants reunification of Germany ethnic peoples iii. Sign the Munich agreement to promise to not take over other lands and create peace with England iv. Chamberland proud of this but Churchill was opposed to it f. 1939: Hitler took over the rest of Czechoslovaikia and lithuania by bullying rulers→ if I take over then ill treat you well i. Rest of europe doesn’t do anything because technically Hitler didn't break the Munich Agreement (he didn't take over other lands forcefully they agreed) g. Appeasement is over: Europe realizes that Hitler is not just going to take German ethnic peoples territory i. His next target is Poland ii. Meet to protect Poland by making an alliance with Poland (England does) iii. Russia tries to protect by making an alliance with Germany to prevent them from being invaded (not part of the alliance) 1. Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact: as long as Russia doesn't do anything if Germany invades other countries than Germany will not invade Russia and Russia will help Germany invade Poland iv. Response: need alliance because Europe is small and worried that Hitler won’t just stop there 1. Declare war 2. All colonies fight too causing a World War 6. Note: Germany had begun militarizing way before the rest of Europe which made them have much more advanced war tech Lesson 2: The War Begins 1. The “Phoney War a. This is what the English called the war after Hitler invaded Poland because they did not see it as a big deal b. Didn't think Hitler would take over Europe c. Not a sense of urgency 2. Government change: a. Winston Churchill was elected because people lost faith in Chamberland i. He understood Hitlers plans thoroughly ii. Loathed Hitler from the beginning 3. The Beginnings of the War/ the Phoney War a. First spent months mobilization i. Recruited people/draft  ii. Need new tech and weapons to be mass produced iii. Who in change, how to organize, uniforms, food, training b. Don’t have enough industry so end up asking the U.S for aid 4. Where Hitler attacks next a. Denmark and Belgium b. England doesn't really help because they are still mobilizzing 5. When the Phoney War Ends a. Germany invades France b. France dont mobilize because they had the Magnineaux Line→ they thought this trench system would protect them i. Was weak around Belgium ii. Very complex: had arms, tank storage and underground iii. Guns could only point one direction c. Hitlter invades through Belgium fast so no time to mobilize→ Blitzkreig i. New tanks: Panzer tanks→ very fast and well armed ii. Hitler didn’t want trench warfare: fight on land→ line was never used iii. Guns don’t turn backwards 6. France and Britain Response: The War in France a. Know that Hitler is going to Paris→ put troops in front of paris and belgium b. Hitler knows this so he splits his army→ half below Paris and half coming from Belgium to trap troops→ Pincer attack c. Germany war fully mobilized→ Britain and France not really d. Hitler pushes to the Coast and takes over Paris e. France surrenders f. British navy comes to rescue→ German U boats sink big ships→ civilian boats come to rescue 7. Britain only one fighting Germany→ Winston Churchill speech to bring British morale up a. Help get people rallied up: good vs bad b. Hope to arouse the U.S c. Prepare the people to fight on land 8. Petain→ a. WW1 hero and leader of collaborationist in the French government during WW2 b. Didnt want France to suffer c. North: France/ Paris was occupied by German forces and administered by the Military Administration in France, more occupied d. South: Vichy-France, led by Pétain and under German rule (collaborated with them) 9. Hitler’s next plan for Britain: a. Use planes to bomb i. This would be faster ii. England’s navy was too strong iii. Try to kill morale 10. The Battle of Britain: a. Fought in the sky b. British morale was high (always stubborn)  c. Everybody collaborates i. Children and civilians taught to identify German vs English Plane→ send alert and go to bomb shelters ii. Have parties down there d. Thei strategy succeeded by helping the Germans run out of bombs to stop e. Life expectancy of air a=pilots was very low→ 92% 3 days to live Lesson 3: The Battle of Britain and American Involvement 1. Battle of Britain continued a. How britain survived i. R.A.F: good air force ii. Collaboration of morale: 1. Home guards: take night shifts to watch sky for German pilots 2. Mandated blackout→ no targets 3. People stayed cheerful: knitting, music, sewing, reading a. Shelter in churches, houses and train stations b. Where the Children went i. Sent to country side ii. Gas masks and clothes iii. Person to pick them up and take care of them c. Germany bombed for 3 moths and 3 weeks→ turn away: show America what happening to get them to join 2. America was so so on joining at this point but FDR was strongly for joining 3. American involvement a. 1935-36: Hitler just says he wants German homeland back and rest of Europe is appealing to him i. FDR passes the Neutrality Act which prohibits anyone in America from lending money to people in Europe to prohibit with assisting with war money, promise to not get involved with anything b. 1939→ Hitler invades Poland and the UK and France declare war i. Congress sugggests a new system called Cash and Carry ii. Dont want to get fully involved with the war yet (FDR is trying to run again for presidency) iii. Protect democracy: if allies pay the US in cash for ammunition/war goods they have to carry these goods back (dont want to get attacked by U-boats) c. May 1939: Dunkirk and the Invasion of France i. UK needs financial and economic support from the US ii. Churchill pleads for US naval to add destroyers to their depleted navy after Dunkirk iii. Solution: Destroyers for Bases: U.S gives destroyers, Britain lets US lease parts of existing British naval bases for 99 years (still dont want to upset the people because of elections)  d. Battle of Britain over: set propaganda for US so that they can see the horrors that the British have endured + send delegation called the Tizard Mission where it shows scientists plans for new tech like the atomic bomb to bait the U.S to come and help them i. “Lend Lease” Act: US provides military aid but leases it so Britain can pay back later (they cant afford it right now) on credit ii. This helped the allies win iii. Helps the US ecnpnmy: surplus has a place to go and no more unemployment e. 1941: Germany is angry and their U boats start attacking American ships i. US fights back with navy ii. Repeal the neutrality act iii. FDR at this point is reelected f. December 6th→ attack on Pearl Harbor (attack the navy) i. U.S declares war on Japan ii. Citizens are for war because American homeland was attacked Lesson 4: The American Experience 1. How the U.S gets involved in WW2 a. Japan bombs Pearl Harbor and declares war on Japan→ Germany then declares war on America i. Hitler want Blitzkrieg plan: wants to invade Russia and wants to get rid of the U.S first– wants to get hings over with 2. American mobilization a. Biggest mobilization in American history b. Everyone mobilizes in some way c. Different groups in this way are able to gain more regnonition and power from being involved in the war 3. What WW2 is to America a. Turning point in American social history because… i. It gave historically underprivileged groups more power than ever before ii. These groups were not willing to give up this power after iii. Unified the nation in a way it had never been unified before 1. Diverse population 2. All races involved 3. All religions 4. Americans first, race second 5. Civil Rights Leaders emerge from being veterans 4. Women: a. Not allowed to be in combat b. But could join the war c. Why not allowed: needed to care for children i. Not strong enough or emotionally capable ii. Homemakers d. Most on homefront i. Could still be involved  ii. USO-help out men fighting 1. Based in training camps→ make feel loved, serve, chat with them 2. Raise moral 3. Club Morale: rooms on bus, candy, gum, sent to France follow and give donuts 4. Like therapy iii. Red Cross Nurses 1. Germans would not respect so could be shot 2. Very dangerous iv. WACS: women auxileration corps 1. Accompany soldiers→ answer the phone, drive ambulance, send messages→ communication and programming v. WAVES: the same as the WACS but in the navy vi. WASPS: in the air force but had to be a pro pilot 1. Fly things to where they were needed 2. Fly bombers 3. Fly fighter jets 4. Accompany other pilots 5. The Japanese a. National to the U.S b. Pearl Harbor→ blamed the Japanese Americans for being spys to give into for Japan to attack i. Why thought this: Surprise attack ii. Americans needed a scapegoat iii. Strait racism: different culture 1. Unassimilable→ japan over America c. FDR: 9066→ Put Japanese Americans in internment camps (different from concentration camps which were aimed at extermination) i. Before many Japanese Americans were integrated into American society ii. These camps existed to keep them in prison/ prevent any spys or unloyal people: not a high death rate iii. Lived in stalls and only could bring few possessions iv. Military went in to ask them to join: 1. Many JA joined the military as a way to prove themselves as American 2. Japanese 442nd Infantry→ most decorated with bravery etc 3. Prove and fight for families stuck in the camps 6. African Americans a. Not allowed to be in combat roles i. For: tall, strong, want to put in front because less than ii. Not: less than in all ways because of Jim Crow laws, not human and not men 1. If they were put at the front this would make them seem more American, manly and human 2. Didn't want to give guns because could go crazy  b. Why they signed up in drones: signed up willingly in percentage of that population compared to white people i. To prove they are American, men and equal/capable ii. VV→ victory at home and abroad c. Combat roles at the end i. Tuskegee Airmen were the best pilots and recruited at the end ii. 761 Tank Battalion: combat tank unit 7. Native Americans a. Why: wanted to fight to protect American land b. Did allow in combat roles→ noble warrior stereotype c. Navajo Code talkers i. Germans kept cracking 1. Hard to break 2. Want to create a very secretive code using the Navajo language because it was a language that no one else knew: couldn’t break 8. Mexican Americans a. Yes to prove American and equal right b. Allowed in Combat Roles→ couldn’t tell if white or something else (ot questioned) c. Wanted Mexican Migrants for agricultural work for the war effort i. Bracero program: come and go back home 9. Propaganda: a. Themes→ female empowerment i. Dangerous enemy ii. Strong homefront iii. Poor and defenseless b. Warfare as a patriotic duty c. Become manly/attract women d. Negative propaganda: enemy so dangerous Lesson 5: War in the Pacific 1. Pearl Harbor→ All Japanese people sent to internment camps a. 3 years b. Only get out if join the army c. Jobs,food, housing d. Housing situation was terrible, hot/cold, not native food, barbed wire, limitedoptions for employment e. Homes invaded when gone f. Attempt to look homey g. Schools: citizenship , music h. Theme: tried so hard to prove American i. Dress westernly ii. Dont want to look bad 2. Why these internment camps happened +why they blamed all of them for the attack a. Seen as unassimilable  b. small/central c. Thoughts sys and that they found out too much about americans and the naval bases so wanted to keep them confined from spying d. Atrocities by the Japanese reached America before even the Nazi’s did→ barbaric, cruel, torturous→ associated all Japanese with these actions and locked them up out of fear 3. War in the Pacific a. Began in Asia in 1931 before the invasion of Poland b. 1910-annexed Korea c. Invasion of Manchuria→just thought they would take over regions closeby d. 1937→ invasion of China i. Know people in Asia were worried→ wanted to create an empire of superior race 4. American REsponse: a. Oil embargo→major supplier→ wanted to stop it to prevent their expansion i. Only other place to get oil in the Philippines and Indochina ii. Invasion of pearl harbor was to hurt the navy and morale to weaken U.S 1. They thought by attacking and hurting the navy America couldn't stop them from invading Philippines and Indochina to get oil. 2. Count that America would go to Europe first: America would go to Europe first so they could secure lands in East Asia before the U.S would come and try to stop them 3. Naval warfare→ aircrafts brought by boats→ out during Pearl Harbor 5. Next: Japan took over the philippines a. Japanese strategy was island hopping b. Turning point Battle of Midway i. US was trying hard to decode Japanese encrypted messages ii. They found out about the surprise attack on Midway as moving to their prior attack location iii. Surprised the Japanese→ huge Japanese forces there and managed to damage their naval fleet beyond repair iv. Island hopping 6. American island hopping→hope to retake land to Japan a. About to invade Japan not done because of the atomic bond b. Japanese refused to surrender because of the cultural belief that the value of the state/emperor was above that of self 7. The Rape of Nanjing a. A forgotten holocaust b. Spirit of genocide because of atrocities c. Entire families massacred, young killed d. Thousands of women raped e. 20-80,000 raped/tortured→ Japanese government tried to keep silen and killed f. Lutted houses g. 200-300,000 people died h. Cruel way to meet end i. bayonets/shooting practice  ii. Nail tow all and kill iii. Carve out organs iv. Hang by tongues i. Nazi were even disgusted by their work 8. Impact on the U.S a. Images would have come before Pearl Harbor on mass→ not seen as German b. This incentivised the Internment camps and the fear of U.S towards Japanese people 9. Island hopping and the Bataan Death March a. After U.S surrenders in the Philippines men were forced to march in extreme conditions with no food or drink b. Once liberated from Japan came back to tell c. Soldiers kept in death camps as prisoners of war 10. Why were the Japanese so brutal a. Racial→ not Japanese so inferior and not human b. Indoctrinated: authority applaud such behavior c. Do for country/respect/honor d. Action rewarded by community e. Out of fear f. To prove power g. Loathing of people who surrender/no individualism of people→ work for the empire and good of the country Lesson 6: Turning Points of the War 1. Axis Powers and what they did next: after France occupation and Africa and other parts of Europe (U.S is not involved yet and Germany has cooperative governments/occupies certain areas) a. Turns on Russia (not really allies) b. Operation Barbarossa- invasion of Russia → leads to Hitlers goal of Europe conquering c. How he plans to invade Russia: i. Blitzkrieg: because Russia is so big he wants to get it done fast and to try to do it before the U.S intervenes in the war. 2. Russia’s reponse to the attack a. Context: i. Russia is very badly equiped ii. Poor tanks iii. Very mad→ Because Nazi beleives that Russian people are an inferior race, once they invade they send many to Concentration camps 1. This makes the Russian morale very high b. Fortify the Capital of Moscow and Stalin grad i. Stalin grad is very important to Hitler because of it’s namesake and position on the coast of Russia c. How to beat the Germans i. The problem with German supply lines  1. Civilians are constantly attacking supply lines to hinder the Germans (prepare for winter) 2. Hitler realizes that Russia is to big to be keeping supply lines so many of the soldiers are required to feed off of the land ii. Russia decides to Pull the Germans into Russia so as to slash and burn everything in their path so that the Germans have nothing to live on (no supply lines)--> bring to winter and hard to survive because of weather conditions and lack of proper training and materials to live iii. Good winter war tactics 3. The Allies intervention in the war a. U.S in the war in the pacfic but after Operation Barborosa they join in b. Russia wants help from the U.S i. Chruchill says no because he wants the Russians to distract the German forces ii. Liberate Western Europe first c. Invade North Africa to get the French colonists on the allies side i. Operation Torch d. Operation Husky i. Pincer attack to invade Scicily and Italy and then later squeeze from the top ii. Very easy to do 4. The Turning Points of the War: The war can go wither way Germany has ro advantage and U.S is not super involved yet a. Russia: Stalingrad i. When the Nazi arrived there Hitler had one plan to kill all men and send the women to concentration camps→ his hatred because the city was deemed to most communist ii. German had a foothold in Stalingrad→ fought everywhere in the city (houses, sewage, etc) iii. Killings by Russia: snipers iv. Germany was winning at first (they even declared a win) but Russia had more people so theyjust kept sending in people once they were killed v. Germans retreat from stalingrad in 1943 vi. After this moment Russia is able to push back German forces (they are starving and cold) vii. Push to Berlin where they meet the U.S + U.K forces coming from the West b. The West: D-day i. Americans gathering in the U.K for a year ii. Location of invasion was a secret iii. Operation Mincemeat to trick Germans 1. Dressed up a homeless guy→ correspondents say its a different location in France to trick Hitler to put his strongest hold in that area iv. Operation Fortitude: 1. Planted blowup and paper maché war goods to trick the German forces further v. Amphibious attack on Normandy  1. Land and sea 2. Drop off soldiers at beaches through carriers 3. Bombers with dropping soldier with parachutes vi. Some beaches were very heavily fortified so a lot of casualties (primarily the U.S0 vii. Got up the beach to take machine gun bunkers and got a foothold in France to invade. Lesson 7: The Holocaust 1. Crimes of the holocaust aren't appeared until the end 2. Anti-smeitc values were always kind of implemented in History→ WW1 help gain followers (not very relevant) 3. Reasoning for the Holocaust a. Anti-semeitsm prominent in Europe but not very present in Germany, when Hitler was brought to power people just thought it would be like the rest of Europe and didn’t know what it would become b. Jews who stayed, some fled were stripped of rights and later sent to Concentration camps unless hid c. Once occupied states (who were even considered Aryan) were not safe as long as they were Jewish d. Not just Jewish people but Slavic people as well e. People in France were told to report Jewish people or they would be killed f. In Russia→ as a part of the Operation Barbarossa, russian Jewish towns were killed directly g. As a way to implement to Final Solution: i. When invade people think just as living place→ just try to take back German native lands and people but in reality wanted a new world order with Aryans at the forefront→ Europe and eventually the whole world ii. Aryans-Northern Europeans to rule the world iii. Lating peoples: Romance Languages to become slave races iv. Slavic and Jewish to all be exterminated v. Ones that cause problems be killed→ take over Europe/other world races later 4. 3 Main purposes of the Holocaust a. Labor: to make uniforms i. Nazi gaslight to think that their labor work is fine and they will come back to their goods ii. Back breaking labor: bring stones back and forth when camp became too full→ shower with cyanide pellets to kill: Nazi soldiers trick to make think its just a nice shower and when they come back everything will be normal (fold clothes etc, put names on luggage) 1. Stashes of wedding rings/glasses b. Experimentation on people by scientists or doctors i. Women lefs infected with metal/diseases to test medications ii. Dacau: stimulate depressurization to air force droppings to study best methods for air force training  iii. Water tank filled with cold water→ how long will the body temp last until it dies iv. Malaria infect to test medicine v. Twin experiment: control and other infect with different diseases/scrutiny→ then the other killed vi. Races with different diseases vii. Nazi tried to eliminate these experiments before the U.S army could discover them viii. Substantial amount of medical information and evidence was gained: is it ethical to use c. Extermination: end goal but some camps this was the main purpose i. Railway→ gas, shower, oven ii. Make other prisoners choose who to kill or the soldiers pick randomly iii. Absolute starvation iv. Shootings 5. 10 million total killed, 6 million Jews others POW, slavic, criminals, Catholics etc 6. Separated men and women some hid their children 7. Majority of the war many didn't know/ didn’t believe just thought it was rumors(no way humans can do that to each other) a. People in towns pretend not to know 8. Tokyo Trials and Nuremberg Trials a. Leader put on trial for war crimes b. What is considered a war crime c.