hudmun c risis · mismanagement of the allied forces. the second question was what position the...
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HUDMUN CRISIS
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
CRISIS BACKGROUND GUIDE ______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Co-Chair: Kenny Dollaway Co-Chair: Nycklas Redenti Crisis Directors: Kev Marleau, Arthur Worrad _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Letter From The Chairs Dear Delegates,
Welcome to the Arcadia Conference! We are Kenny Dollaway, Kev Marleau, and
Nycklas Redenti, and we will be your chairs for crisis. All three of us are big history nerds and
big World War II fans, which is why we are very excited to be chairing a crisis committee about
one of the defining strategic meetings between the allies in World War II. This committee will
center around the goings on of the Arcadia Conference; however, there will be a significant focus
on tactical troop placement and strategically handling the growing threat of Nazi Germany. We
chose this specific section of World War II because it takes place at a time when tensions were
extremely high in Europe and the future of the free nations in Europe were looking bleak.
Because of this, we believe that this committee will most definitely lead to challenging decisions
being made, and exciting crisis events for all of you to respond to. If you have any questions or
concerns for Saturday do not hesitate to email us at [email protected]. We are
incredibly excited to meet all of you and to figure out how to stop the Nazi menace together.
Best of Luck! Sincerely,
Kenny Dollaway Kev Marleau Nycklas Redenti
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The Arcadia Conference
Introduction
Tensions are high in Europe. France has fallen, Italy is under fascist rule, Spain is in disarray,
and Germany only seems to be spreading. With a hugely economically depressed Britain, and the
looming threat of a German invasion of the United Kingdom, the last light of western Europe is
dangerously close to going out. The United States, enjoying economic prosperity through trade
and production, has largely remained neutral throughout the war, despite a fair bit of aid and
supplies given to the United Kingdom. However, with the increasingly dismal situation with the
United Kingdom, and Japan taking offensive action at Pearl Harbor, has finally decided to enter
the war, and will be meeting with both Winston Churchill and other military officials from the
United Kingdom to discuss strategy and actions going forward in the fight against Nazi
Germany.
The United States
The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the subsequent German declaration of war pushed the
conflict-avoiding American populace towards supporting total war with the axis powers. Industry
in the United States was already mobilized towards a war economy due to the production of war
materials that were supplied to Allied forces through the Lend-Lease Program. The United States
Armed Forces, which was previously a hodge-podge of undermanned regional armies, had also
seen considerable growth since the initial German attack on Poland. The military and political
leaders of the United States now faced several significant problems. The first and most urgent
question was how the United States would cooperate with her largest remaining ally, the United
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Kingdom. Historically, military coalitions functioned poorly as a result of conflicting interests
and power struggles between nations. Just as much of Napoleon’s success came from being a
unified military force fighting against numerous coalitions, there was much fear among military
leaders that the unified German armed forces could capitalize on any hesitation or
mismanagement of the Allied forces. The second question was what position the United States
would play in the war. The United States faced a war in two distinct theaters, Pacific and
Atlantic. Resources in the Pacific theatre were severely damaged as a result of the Japanese
attack on Pearl Harbor and the subsequent occupation of the Philippines. Failure to act in the
Pacific could lead to near irreversible Japanese control of the Pacific. Meanwhile, the United
Kingdom stood on the verge of defeat across the Atlantic Ocean. Should the United Kingdom
fall, the German Empire would be able to devote its resources to defeating the Soviet Union,
thereby gaining an impenetrable hold over the European continent and leaving the United States
as the sole bastion of democracy caught in a two-front war. Delegates must find how the United
States can best utilize her resources to avoid either of these situations, and must find how these
goals can be accomplished effectively despite the many historical problems which plagued other
military coalitions.
The United Kingdom
The year is 1941. London has received massive damage and casualties from the seemingly non
stop barrage of bombings. The United Kingdom is dwindling in both supplies and available
troops and the clock is ticking, and it does not look like it will be long before Britain is lost. This
situation led to the United Kingdom reaching out to allies to aid the cause against Germany, and
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with most of the viable nations either annexed or in disarray, there lies one option: the United
States. Prior to this, the United States spent most of the early section of the war, following
Britain and France’s declaration of war against Germany in response to the invasion of Poland,
providing various forms of material to contribute to the war effort for the allies. However, due to
these increasingly desolate conditions for Britain, possibly facing defeat at the hands of Nazi
Germany, and certainly unable to pay for anymore material, the United States responded with the
lend-lease system. The lend-lease system was meant to act as a way to provide the allies with
supplies and defer payment until a later date, justified by the fact that Europe was virtually
bankrupt following World War I and the economic trouble of the 1930s. The lend-lease system
proved beneficial for the United Kingdom at the time, however, Britain more troops would be
required to succeed against the Nazi war machine. Luckily for the United Kingdom, the United
States finally entered the war and discussions over what to do next were finally underway. The
United States and Britain would hold a special conference in Washington D.C. called the Arcadia
Conference. This conference had the primary objective of establishing strategies for how the
allies would go forward in the war effort against Nazi Germany, including troop placement and
potential new campaigns and fronts to fight the Axis on. Due to heavy military pressure from the
German military, Churchill and his military advisors are under heavy duress to use this
conference to focus strategic effort against Germany in Europe.
Nazi Germany
Germany has had numerous successes on its path to world domination. The majority of European
nations have capitulated and allowed all of their possessions to fall into Germans hands. This
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juggernaut seems unstoppable, their armies have brought an end to more than one nation, in such
a short amount of time, as Winston Churchill said “our citizens weekend in the country, but
Hitler takes countries in the weekend”. The policy of appeasement utilized by the United
Kingdom allowed for German conquest to get rolling without resistance. This allowed for the
German speaking region of Czechoslovakia, known as the Sudetenland to be annexed, the
Rhineland to be remilitarized, and Austria to be annexed by Germany in the Anuchlausen, all of
which spat in the face of the treaty of Versailles. The utilization of the new military strategy
known as Blitzkrieg has allowed not only for the complete invasion of Poland, but also for the
total decimation of the French. The actions of Germany have resulted in a declaration of war
from the United Kingdom, egos have received material support from the United States, and this
has pushed Germany to search for allies in other nations left unsatisfied after the conclusion of
the First World War, and it has found them in the nations of Italy and Japan. Italy has just
concluded a war with Ethiopia, and annexed the nation along with the area of Eritrea, but besides
that, their actions have been less than inflammatory, however the Empire of Japan made the
decision to instigate a surprise attack on the American naval base at Pearl Harbor, as they saw
America as their rival for supremacy over the Pacific. This action resulted in an official
declaration of war from the US, and was responded to in kind by a deceleration of war from the
German government. German forces have been deployed into North Africa in order to prevent an
allied invasion into Europe through Anatolia, and on the northern coast to help defend the
channel. As the victories have come pouring in for Germany, and despite the fact that Hitler and
Stalin have signed the Molotov-Rippenbau pact, Hitler’s gaze has began to fall East.
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Empire of Japan
On August 1 of 1941, the United States declared an oil embargo on the Empire of Japan, as a
result of Japan occupying key air bases in Indochina during the Second Sino-Japanese war. This
embargo put excess strain on Japan’s already uneasy economy. The years of war with China
have resulted in a massive industrial power, and without the oil, things were very quickly
degrading. It was under much duress that Japan decided on September 4, 1941 to plan an attack
on the United States military base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Following this attack, the United
States declared war and four days later, Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy joined in on the side of
Japan. Japan followed up their attack with a massive offensive that sought to ensure Japanese
dominance over the South-East Asia and the South Pacific. This offensive was immensely
successful, and led to the fall of Hong Kong, British Malaya, and Singapore all in quick
succession. The Philippines were captured in January of 1942, and this lead to the capture of
70,000 American and Filipino soldiers, one of the worst losses suffered by America during the
war. The important areas of Borneo, Central Java, Malang, Cepu, Sumatra, and the Dutch
controlled areas of New Guinea and the East Indies. The shadow of Japan currently looms over
Asia, and it will take a massive strategic effort to ensure they are pushed back.
Actions to be Taken
Since each delegate will be assigned a specific character who will be some sort of government or
military official from either the United States or the United Kingdom, it will be important that
each delegate understands the goals and agenda of not just the country but of the individual.
These specific may help you to figure out which front you plan to fight on, what resources you
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will attempt to allocate, and how you will handle various crises that occur during the committee.
For example, an American official might be more focused on allocating troops and resources
towards fighting Japan due to the Pearl Harbor attack. Whereas a British official might be more
preoccupied with handling the immediate threat of Germany in continental Europe.
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Characters
British Officers
Sir Dudley Pound Admiral of the Fleet of the British Royal Navy For hundreds of years, the Royal Navy was the most formidable naval force in the world. In order to defend her overseas possessions and the trade between them, the Royal Navy must defend her convoys from the formidable threat of German submarines. As Admiral of the Fleet, Sir Dudley Pound will be tasked with making effective use of the United Kingdom’s naval superiority. Sir John Dill Field Marshal of the British Army Having a rocky relationship with the recently appointed Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Sir John Dill was sent to Washington to oversee the diplomatic end of joint military operations. A firm believer in cooperation, Dill hopes to cooperate with the United States Army to ensure victory.
Sir Charles Portal Chief of the Air Staff of the British Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force played a key role in defending the United Kingdom from the German onslaught. Fighters had to be ready at a moment’s notice to defend major industrial centers from strategic bombings. Sir Charles Portal, as Chief of the Air Staff of the Royal Air Force, must balance the United Kingdom’s defensive and offensive capabilities.
Stewart Menzies Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service Stewart Menzies, as chief of the Secret Intelligence Service had many responsibilities. His jurisdiction largely pertained to the cracking of German codes and securing important pieces of intelligence about the strategic plans of the Axis. Menzies will play a large role in conducting espionage missions, disseminating propaganda, and funding resistance movements in Axis occupied territories.
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Anthony Eden Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs A very able diplomat, he was somewhat hampered due to the fact that Churchill handled most negotiations. He was largely responsible for much of the information passed between Britain and the USSR, and was the main government contact for Charles de Gaulle, and many of the exiled French in Free France.
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U.S. Officers:
Ernest J. King Commander in Chief of the United States Fleet The United States Navy suffered a devastating loss of forces after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Like the United Kingdom, the United States will rely on her Navy to protect her supply ships and homefront. Ernest J. King, as Commander in Chief of the United States Fleet, must judiciously divide his forces between the Atlantic and Pacific theaters. George C. Marshall Chief of Staff of the United States Army Prior to the the United States’ entry into World War II, the United States Army was vastly undersupplied and inexperienced. George C. Marshall, as the Chief of Staff of the United States Army, will have to unify the current hodgepodge of small regional armies into an effective armed force capable of defeating both Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan.
Henry H. Arnold Commanding General of the U.S. Army Air Forces After the reorganization of the United States Air Force combined the Army Air Corps and the Army Air Force, Henry H. Arnold was charged with direct control of the newly unified Air Force. The Royal Air Force, although in a strong position, will greatly appreciate the support of the United States Air Force.
William J. Donovan Director of the Office of Strategic Services Prior to World War II, the United States’ intelligence gathering capabilities were haphazard and limited. The Office of Strategic Services was formed after the attack on Pearl Harbor to rectify this. As the Director of the Office of Strategic Services, William J. Donovan will be responsible for performing and defending from espionage, funding resistance groups in Axis occupied territories, and disseminating propaganda at home and abroad. Although not entirely trusted by his counterparts in Britain and the Armed Forces, Donovan was known to never turn down a plan, no matter how implausible.
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Donald M. Nelson Chairman of the War Production Board Donald M. Nelson was made Chairman of the War Production Board after the creation of the Board in response to the attack on Pearl Harbor. The United States’ industrial capability is vast and untapped, particularly as the States suffer from the Great Depression. Nelson must ensure that these resources are balanced and utilized efficiently between the United States’ population and its military forces. Cordell Hull Secretary of State Appointed as Secretary of State by Roosevelt, Cordell Hull was staunchly anti-fascist, and sought not only to defeat fascism in Europe but worked hard to prevent its spread. As Secretary of State, Cordell Hull will be responsible for communication between the U.S. and other countries.