Chapter 27 - The Deepening of the European Crisis: World War II
20 years after WWI or the war to end all wars, Europe fell into the nightmare of World War II. All treaties and leagues were proven helpless to the Nazis.
The war began because in the mind of Hitler only the Aryan race was capable of building a great civilization. (blonde hair, blue eyes)
When Hitler got power from Germany, Germany was weak. Since Hitler was able to rearm Germany with weapons after convincing officials that his intentions were peaceful were what gave him his power to take over.
By the beginning of 1935, Hitler had become convinced that Germany could break some of the provisions of the Treaty of Versailles without serious British and French opposition.
Hitler had come to believe, based on their responses to his early actions, that both states wanted to maintain the international status quo, but without using force.
Consequently, he decided to announce publicly what had been going on secretly for some time; Germany’s military rearmament.
On March 9, 1935, Hitler announced the creation of a new air force and, one week later, the introduction of a military draft that would expand Germany’s army from 100,000 to 550,000 troops.
On November 5th, 1937 Hitler held a secret military conference in Berlin with his military leaders and told them about his future plans. He wanted to conquer all the living space in the east, and he didn’t care if it meant war with France and Great Britain.
Throughout Hitler’s moves, France and Great Britain remained neutral and made it easy for Hitler to do what he wanted. Hitler occupied Czech lands by threatening the liquidation of their lands.
Nine days before he attacked Poland, Hitler made clear to his generals what was expected of them:
‘‘When starting and waging a war it is not right that matters, but victory. Close your hearts to pity. Act brutally. Eighty million people must obtain what is their right. ... The wholesale destruction of Poland is the military objective. Speed is the main thing. Pursuit until complete annihilation.’’
Hitler’s remarks set the tone for what became the most destructive war in human history. They won over Poland. When France and Great Britain finally declared war over Germany, Hitler was already too powerful, and they were not able to stop him.
Soon Hitler invaded the Soviet Union, but their resistance brought Hitler to a temporary stop.
On December 7, 1941, Japanese carrier-based aircraft attacked the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor in the Hawaiian Islands. The next day, the United States declared war on Japan.
Three days later, Hitler declared war on the United States, although he was by no means required to do so by his loose alliance with Japan.
This action enabled President Franklin D. Roosevelt to overcome strong American isolationist sentiment and bring the United States into the European conflict.
With the US in the war, it created a collision and helped turn over the war.
The United States increased the number of trucks, planes, and other arms that it sent to the British and Soviets.
On the Eastern Front, the turning point of the war occurred at Stalingrad.
After the capture of Crimea, Hitler’s generals wanted him to concentrate on the Caucasus and its oilfields, but Hitler decided that Stalingrad, a major industrial center on the Volga, should be taken first.
On November 8, Hitler announced that the German Sixth Army had taken Stalingrad, but in fact, on November 19 and 20, the Soviets attacked German positions north and south of Stalingrad, and by November 23 they had surrounded the German forces.
The last years of WWII were filled with many battles, and the US and its allies trying to defeat the Axis powers.
In January 1945, Adolf Hitler had moved into a bunker 55 feet under Berlin to direct the final stages of the war. Hitler continued to arrange his armies on worn-out battle maps as if it still made a difference.
In his final political testament, Hitler, consistent to the end in his rabid anti-Semitism, blamed the Jews for the war, and, then committed suicide.
The war finally ended when US General Douglas accepted Japan’s surrender on September Second.
The initial victories of the Germans and the Japanese gave them the opportunity to create new orders in Europe and Asia. Economically, the Nazi New Order meant the ruthless exploitation of conquered Europe’s resources.
In eastern Europe, economic exploitation was direct and severe. The Germans seized raw materials, machines, and food, leaving only enough to maintain local peoples at a bare subsistence level. Labor shortages in Germany led to a policy of forced mobilization of foreign labor for Germany.
After the invasion of the Soviet Union, the 4 million Soviet prisoners of war captured by the Germans became a major source of heavy labor.
Resistance movements were formed all throughout Europe.
Active resisters committed acts of sabotage against German installations, assassinated German officials, disseminated anti-german newspapers, wrote anti-German sentiments on walls, and spied on German military positions for the Allies.
These resistance groups were made of men and women.
This was by far the most terrifying attempt to exterminate jews. This was genocide to the jews, and it was a quick way of killing millions of jews. They did this by shooting, starving, overworking, and gas chambers.
At the end of this 2/3s of Europe's Jews were killed.
The fighting was very spread out and covered most of the globe. The number of humans killed was much higher than in WWI since almost 20 million people were killed just by bombs. The war had an impact on each country fighting in it and took a toll on their economic, and social needs.
World War II was the most destructive war in history.
Much had been at stake. Nazi Germany followed a worldview based on racial extermination and the enslavement of millions in order to create an Aryan racial empire.
The Japanese, fueled by extreme nationalist ideals, also pursued dreams of empire in Asia that led to mass murder and untold devastation.
Fighting the Axis powers in World War II required the mobilization of millions of ordinary men and women in the Allied countries who rose to the occasion and struggled to preserve a different way of life.
As Winston Churchill once put it, ‘‘War is horrible, but slavery is worse.’’
The costs of World War II were enormous.
At least 21 million soldiers died.
Civilian deaths were even greater and are now estimated at around 40 million, of whom more than 28 million were Russian and Chinese.
The Soviet Union experienced the greatest losses: 10 million soldiers and 19 million civilians.
In 1945, millions of people around the world faced starvation; in Europe, 100 million people depended on food relief of some kind.
20 years after WWI or the war to end all wars, Europe fell into the nightmare of World War II. All treaties and leagues were proven helpless to the Nazis.
The war began because in the mind of Hitler only the Aryan race was capable of building a great civilization. (blonde hair, blue eyes)
When Hitler got power from Germany, Germany was weak. Since Hitler was able to rearm Germany with weapons after convincing officials that his intentions were peaceful were what gave him his power to take over.
By the beginning of 1935, Hitler had become convinced that Germany could break some of the provisions of the Treaty of Versailles without serious British and French opposition.
Hitler had come to believe, based on their responses to his early actions, that both states wanted to maintain the international status quo, but without using force.
Consequently, he decided to announce publicly what had been going on secretly for some time; Germany’s military rearmament.
On March 9, 1935, Hitler announced the creation of a new air force and, one week later, the introduction of a military draft that would expand Germany’s army from 100,000 to 550,000 troops.
On November 5th, 1937 Hitler held a secret military conference in Berlin with his military leaders and told them about his future plans. He wanted to conquer all the living space in the east, and he didn’t care if it meant war with France and Great Britain.
Throughout Hitler’s moves, France and Great Britain remained neutral and made it easy for Hitler to do what he wanted. Hitler occupied Czech lands by threatening the liquidation of their lands.
Nine days before he attacked Poland, Hitler made clear to his generals what was expected of them:
‘‘When starting and waging a war it is not right that matters, but victory. Close your hearts to pity. Act brutally. Eighty million people must obtain what is their right. ... The wholesale destruction of Poland is the military objective. Speed is the main thing. Pursuit until complete annihilation.’’
Hitler’s remarks set the tone for what became the most destructive war in human history. They won over Poland. When France and Great Britain finally declared war over Germany, Hitler was already too powerful, and they were not able to stop him.
Soon Hitler invaded the Soviet Union, but their resistance brought Hitler to a temporary stop.
On December 7, 1941, Japanese carrier-based aircraft attacked the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor in the Hawaiian Islands. The next day, the United States declared war on Japan.
Three days later, Hitler declared war on the United States, although he was by no means required to do so by his loose alliance with Japan.
This action enabled President Franklin D. Roosevelt to overcome strong American isolationist sentiment and bring the United States into the European conflict.
With the US in the war, it created a collision and helped turn over the war.
The United States increased the number of trucks, planes, and other arms that it sent to the British and Soviets.
On the Eastern Front, the turning point of the war occurred at Stalingrad.
After the capture of Crimea, Hitler’s generals wanted him to concentrate on the Caucasus and its oilfields, but Hitler decided that Stalingrad, a major industrial center on the Volga, should be taken first.
On November 8, Hitler announced that the German Sixth Army had taken Stalingrad, but in fact, on November 19 and 20, the Soviets attacked German positions north and south of Stalingrad, and by November 23 they had surrounded the German forces.
The last years of WWII were filled with many battles, and the US and its allies trying to defeat the Axis powers.
In January 1945, Adolf Hitler had moved into a bunker 55 feet under Berlin to direct the final stages of the war. Hitler continued to arrange his armies on worn-out battle maps as if it still made a difference.
In his final political testament, Hitler, consistent to the end in his rabid anti-Semitism, blamed the Jews for the war, and, then committed suicide.
The war finally ended when US General Douglas accepted Japan’s surrender on September Second.
The initial victories of the Germans and the Japanese gave them the opportunity to create new orders in Europe and Asia. Economically, the Nazi New Order meant the ruthless exploitation of conquered Europe’s resources.
In eastern Europe, economic exploitation was direct and severe. The Germans seized raw materials, machines, and food, leaving only enough to maintain local peoples at a bare subsistence level. Labor shortages in Germany led to a policy of forced mobilization of foreign labor for Germany.
After the invasion of the Soviet Union, the 4 million Soviet prisoners of war captured by the Germans became a major source of heavy labor.
Resistance movements were formed all throughout Europe.
Active resisters committed acts of sabotage against German installations, assassinated German officials, disseminated anti-german newspapers, wrote anti-German sentiments on walls, and spied on German military positions for the Allies.
These resistance groups were made of men and women.
This was by far the most terrifying attempt to exterminate jews. This was genocide to the jews, and it was a quick way of killing millions of jews. They did this by shooting, starving, overworking, and gas chambers.
At the end of this 2/3s of Europe's Jews were killed.
The fighting was very spread out and covered most of the globe. The number of humans killed was much higher than in WWI since almost 20 million people were killed just by bombs. The war had an impact on each country fighting in it and took a toll on their economic, and social needs.
World War II was the most destructive war in history.
Much had been at stake. Nazi Germany followed a worldview based on racial extermination and the enslavement of millions in order to create an Aryan racial empire.
The Japanese, fueled by extreme nationalist ideals, also pursued dreams of empire in Asia that led to mass murder and untold devastation.
Fighting the Axis powers in World War II required the mobilization of millions of ordinary men and women in the Allied countries who rose to the occasion and struggled to preserve a different way of life.
As Winston Churchill once put it, ‘‘War is horrible, but slavery is worse.’’
The costs of World War II were enormous.
At least 21 million soldiers died.
Civilian deaths were even greater and are now estimated at around 40 million, of whom more than 28 million were Russian and Chinese.
The Soviet Union experienced the greatest losses: 10 million soldiers and 19 million civilians.
In 1945, millions of people around the world faced starvation; in Europe, 100 million people depended on food relief of some kind.
