Part Two NotesMaking sure that you have everything for this

A. To what extent were the victorious powers justified in pursuing their national interests at the Paris Peace Conference?

Nationalism at the Paris Peace ConferenceWe have talked about this already, but for those that did not pay attention, here is the quick update.

First of all, at the Paris Peace Conference, the Big Four (Great Britain, France, USA, and Italy) only had there vested interests.

GB - Make Germany Pay

France - Protection from Germany

Italy - Land that was promised

USA - Peace that is fair

Treaty of Versailles

The Treaty of Versailles basically crippled Germany by taking away money, military, land, and their ability to make anything, oh yeah, and they were guilty of letting the war happen.

GB and France got what they wanted, Italy got land, and the Americans really didn’t care.

League of Nations

The League of Nations was the brain child of the Americans, and GB and France were the basic founders.

It was set up to allow countries to talk rather than use weapons. In theory it works, but in reality it didn’t.

The guiding ideals was to keep the peace, and that is what the powers wanted.

B. Why did ultranationalism arise in Italy, Germany and Japan during the inter-war era?

Rise of UltranationalismIn Germany, it was quite simple. The Treaty of Versailles crippled the country and they were looking for answers.

They found answers in Fascism and the Nazi Party.

They were proud to be German, and more importantly less proud of other races in Germany. This lead to Social Darwinism, or the ideas that certain races were better than others.

Rise of UltranationalismItaly was much like Germany. There were not really the winners in World War I and as a new nation in Europe, wanted power.

Mussolini was the man who brought Fascism to Italy, as a response to the socialist/communist ideas that many countries were having.

Tried to being pride to Italy through power.

Rise of Ultranationalism

In Japan, it was a little different.

It saw itself as the Asian Great Power, and wanted to influence the rest of Asia.

Due to its isolation for about 400 years, they developed a strong military belief and values of honor and discipline.

League of Nations

The League was set up to stop conflicts after World War I by using words rather than guns.

It was a chance for the great powers of the world to continue to control the lower powers.

It did not work as it did not have the resources to really stop any of the aggression shown by Germany, Italy and Japan.

C. To what extent did the pursuit of national interests override internationalism during the inter-war period?

Italian Aggression

The Italians tried to expand to be more like the great powers of the world.

They went into Libya, Ethiopia and Albania and tried to take them over.

One thing about the Italians, they make a great pizza, not that great at the war. They were bailed out by the Germans.

Nevertheless, the L of N did nothing to stop the aggression

German Aggression

You could say the the Germans just did what they should of after WWI and began to be a regular country.

However, they became a regular country at the expense of the rest of Europe.

They decided to break many of the Treaty items in an effort to engage the Great Power, but the L of N did nothing to stop Germany.

Japanese Aggression

The Japanese thought that they were the Great Power of Asia, and because of that, the decided to get an empire of its own.

They went to China and took over Manchuria, and the L of N did nothing to stop.

The Problem

Countries of the world were very wary of getting into a global conflict so soon after the end of WWI.

Also that nations were looking out for themselves, as many of these aggressions took place during the Great Depression of the 1930’s.

Countries were more worried about themselves than what was going on in the world.

D. To what extent was the pursuit of National Interests responsible for the for the outbreak of WWII?

The German Tour of EuropeThe Germans went around Europe like a hot knife through butter.

First it was the unifying of Germany and Austria (forbidden in the Treaty of Versailles). This was called Anschluss.

Also there was the re-arming of the Rhineland, which scared the French, as it is right on their boarder.

The German Tour of EuropeThe Germans then turned to the new country of Czechoslovakia. Germany said it needed Lebenstraum (living space) and decided that the Sudentenland in Czech was good as it was full of Germans.

The Crisis was averted when GB got a signed piece of paper from Hitler saying he was finished and this was his last conquest.

He lied, and occupied Czech.

The German Tour of EuropeHis last place to pick a fight was Poland. It was helped by the fact that the Nazi party and the Soviet Union signed a non-aggression pact.

This non-aggression pact basically was an agreement not to fight each other while they were both invading Poland.

So they did and Poland was overrun in about 4 days.

The German Tour of Europe

I mention the Pact of Steel here just to say that Hitler also aligned with Mussolini in Italy.

Truth be told, Mussolini was afraid of Hitler, and was willing to sign just about anything.

It was their mutual ideas on Fascism that brought them together, but Hitler basically ran the show.

E. To What extent were nations justified in pursuing their national interests in World War II?

Germany in the War

The Germans spread very quickly in Europe and in the Eastern part, they were very active.

The occupation of Eastern Europe gave them more Jews to kill, as well as a jumping off base for their attack into the Soviet Union in 1941.

Japan in the War

Like the Germans in Europe, the Japanese made quick work of their enemies in Asia. The French and British were no match against the Japanese Army.

The Japanese held most of Asia, and they were getting ready to go into Australia that is until the decided to attack the Americans.

Resistance in WWII

Resistance was great in all the countries that were taken by the Germans.

The more famous resistance fighters were in France and Greece.

They fought underground trying to help the Allies all that they could while still living under the control of the Germans.

Collaborators in WWIIThere was a choice that people had to make during WWII.

The choice between staying alive and enjoying life or dying.

Those that collaborated with the Nazi’s did so to save their lives and have all the perks of being in power.

It was the thought that the Nazi’s would be around for a long time.

End of the War in Europe

When Hitler decided to have a two front war, it was the beginning of the end. Add to the fact that the USA was involved, it became game over.

Started with D-Day in June of 1944 and within a year, Europe was free of Nazi control

End of the War in Asia

Asia was different, as the Japanese were retreating to their island.

It would have been a tough battle for Japan, and really it was only the Americans that were fighting, so to make it easy for them, they dropped two bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki

F. To what extent did participation in WWII serve Canadian national interests?

Canada and ConscriptionAnother War, another talk about conscription.

The French were none too keen on taking part again, and it brought up the debate once again.

There was a vote, and the conscription side won.

It deepened the mistrust of the French in English Canada and vice versa.

Canada and WWII

Although part of the British Empire, Canada declared war on Germany as its own nation.

We took part in major campaigns throughout the war, and we are loved by the Dutch.

Internment of the JapaneseLet’s put it this way, we did exactly the same thing the Germans were doing with the Jewish population in Europe, but we didn’t kill any Japanese.

Canada believed that Japanese Canadians were a threat and thusly shipped them to the interior of BC in camps.

These were not nice places and we treated out Japanese prisoners much harsher than the Americans