WWII

Causes of WWII

Causes of WWIIIn interwar period, fascism, extreme nationalism, racist ideologies, and the failure of appeasement resulted in WWII, presenting a grave challenge to European civilization

Appeasement Occured Due to:

● French and British fears of another war● American isolationism ● Distrust between Western democratic, capitalist nations and

the totalitarianism

Result: fascist states able to to rearm and expand their territory

The Dreyfus Affair (1894-1906)Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish officer in the French military, was charged with spying for the Germans.

● He was court martialed and found guilty based on questionable evidence

● Dreyfus was publicly humiliated and sentenced to life imprisonment on Devil’s Island, a penal colony in the Caribbean

When military leaders discovered evidence of Dreyfus’ innocence, they covered it up in order to avoid embarrassment.

● Emile Zola, a well known French writer, published an open letter to the President of France in a newspaper accusing the government and military of anti-Semitism

The French population was sharply divided between the liberal and progressive “Dreyfusards,” who believed in Dreyfus’ innocence and the more conservative, religious anti-Dreyfusards, who believed he was guilty

● Public rallies and protests were staged throughout France, highlighting the polarization of French society

Dreyfus was given a re-trial in 1899 and was found guilty again but pardoned

● In 1906 Dreyfus was formally cleared of all charges and his military commission was reinstated

● Dreyfus went on to serve in WWI and retired honorably from the military

The Zionist Movement and Jewish Nationalism (1895-1948)They Dreyfus Affair is often cited as a major influence on the Zionist Movement which started with Theodor Herzl’s publication of Der Judenstaat (The Jewish State)

● Herzl and the Jews who joined his movement gave up on the idea of integrating into European society believing that anti Semitism was bound to arise anywhere in Europe where Jews want to escape anti-Semitism elsewhere

● Herzl wrote about the “The Jewish question”

The Zionists’ advocacy for a Jewish State was in accord the spirit of nationalism that spread through Europe in the nineteenth century resulting in the unifications of Germany and Italy

● Initially Zionists did not receive a warm reception from Europe’s political class ● It would take the Holocaust for European elites to finally support the

establishment of a Jewish state

Rise of Fascism Why was Fascism on the Rise?

Mussolini and Hitler rose to power by exploiting postwar bitterness and economic instability using terror manipulating the fledgling and unpopular democracies in their countries

Racism as Tool for Fascism

Fascism depends on nationalism, creating “us v. them” using racism as tool

Fueled by racism and anti-Semitism, Nazi Germany, with the cooperation of some of the other Axis powers, sought to establish a “new racial order” culminating in the Holocaust

● Targeted Jews, Roma (Gypsies), homosexuals, people with disabilities, Russian and Polish POWs

● Started with Nuremberg Laws:

The Holocaust (1941-1945)● Continuation of:

○ Ethnic cleansings that were happening more frequently from WWI onwards

○ Racism as tool of nationalism that began post Congress of Vienna

● New Order was Hitler’s racial imperialism that resulted in 6 million Jewish and 5 million other European deaths

● Result: “crimes against humanity” in Nuremberg Trials

Deep Rooted Anti-SemitismFrance and Anti-Semitism: Dreyfus Affair

Austria and Anti-Semitism

● Mayor Karl Lueger via Christian Socialist Party used anti-Semitism to appeal to lower class German speakers in Vienna → worked on Hitler

German Worker’s Party evolve into National Socialist German workers Party in 1920 → Nazi Party

● Nationalist● Anti-Marxism● Anti-Capitalism● Anti-Semitism

Political Parties Before the Nazis Social Democratic Party Platform (SPD)

● We are committed to maintaining the Republic and a policy

that will allow Germany to take its rightful place among the

free governments of Europe.

● We will support the present German Republic so that

freedom, democracy, and justice will live in the hearts of our

German countrymen.

● We will honor all of Germany’s obligations, political and

financial, in order that Germany’s honor and respect will

not be decreased in the eyes of the world.

● We plan to create more jobs by undertaking an extensive

program of public works.

● We will cut government expenditures to lower taxes.

● We believe in the right of those who disagree with the party to

speak and write on those issues without interference.

Communist Party Platform (KPD)

We are committed to the overthrow of the presently existing,

oppressive Republic and all of its economic and social institutions. We

favor:

● The abolition of private property.

● The establishment of land reform programs, so that the

government can take over the land and distribute it for the

common good.

● Government ownership of all industrial productive forces, so

that they can be run for the benefit of the people rather than the

capitalists.

To the German people: The cause of your misery is the fact that

French, British, and American capitalists are exploiting German

workers.

Weimar Republic By 1920s, Germany led by coalition of multiple parties in Reichstag under the new democratic government called the Weimar Republic

● 1928: Nazi Party got 9th place (2.6% vote)

The Great Depression turning point because:

● Use propaganda to show Weimar Republic ineffective and need to return to German Empire

● Propaganda effective because by 1932 Nazis in 1st place, but communists still in 3rd place so goal was to build a coalition against them

1933: Enabling Act gave Hitler dictatorial power for 4 years

● July: Nazis only legal party

Nazi Party Platform

1. A union of all Germans to form a great Germany on the basis of the right to self-determination of peoples

2. Abolition of the Treaty of Versailles

3. Return lands lost in World War I and colonies to give German adequate living space

4. German blood as a requirement for German citizenship. No Jew can be a member of the nation.

5. Non-citizens can live in Germany only as foreigners, subject to the law of aliens

6. Only citizens can vote or hold public office

7. The state ensures that every citizen live decently and earn his livelihood. If it is impossible to provide food for the

whole population, then aliens must be expelled

8. Guarantee for jobs and benefits for workers

9. No further immigration of non-Germans. Any non-German who entered Germany after August 2, 1914, shall leave

immediately

10. A through reconstruction of our national system of education. The science of citizenship shall be taught from the

beginning

11. That German citizens and owners must publish all newspapers in the German language

12. Eliminate the Marxist threat.

Eric von RonheimHe’s the head of a Frankfurt textile factory, is very concerned about the depression. Sales are

down and so are profits. If only Germany had not been treated so ruthlessly at Versailles, he

argues, the nation would be far better off. Instead the government has had to impose heavy

taxes to pay reparations to its former enemies. As a result, Germans are overtaxed with little

money to spend on textiles and other consumer goods. The worldwide depression has made

matters worse by eliminating possible foreign markets for German products. Even if the

depression were over, Ronheim does not think taxes would come down because of reparation

payments.

Ronheim considers the Communists a serious threat to Germany. He fears that if they set up a

government like the one in the Soviet Union, capitalists like him would receive no mercy from

the workers. He also thinks that Germany would become subservient to its old enemy, the

Soviet Union.

Events of WWII

WWII Google Presentation See WWII Google Presentations

End of WWII

Reasons for Allied Victory 1. American and British industrial, scientific, and technological power2. Cooperative military efforts under the strong leadership of individuals such as

Churchill3. Resistance of civilians 4. Military commitment of the USSR

USSR During WWII

Stalin’s militarism and economic modernization of the USSR came at high price

● Ex: Liquidation of the kulaks (landowning peasants) - deport these richer peasants, collectivize farms and put land under state control ○ Devastating famine in the Ukraine

● Ex: Great Purges of political rivals and “enemies of the state”○ Creation of oppressive political system → Gulags (work camps) and secret police

(KGB)

Effects of WWII 20th century characterized by large scale suffering caused by warfare and genocide but also brought about improvements in standard of living because expansion of social welfare programs

Demographic

● Decimated a generation of Russian and German men and millions dead targeted by Nazis● Forced large scale migrations

Technology

● Mass production of new food and technologies● Industrial efficiency increased disposable income and created a consumer culture about

domestic comforts like electricity, indoor plumbing, plastics, and synthetic fibers● New communication and transportation multiplied connections between people

transforming daily life contributing to proliferation of ideas and globalization○ Radio

Far more civilians than soldiers died in WWII

Refugee Movements Post WWII

Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

Berlin