Rise of Hitler

  1. The Weimar Republic was overwhelmed by instability early on.
  2. There were assassinations & coups on the left and right.

b.  Cabinet Changes: There were 9 between 1919-1923

  1. French and Belgium pressure on Germany: claiming they failed to make the reparations payments called for at Versailles.
  2. Versailles: treaty that Germany was forced to sign after WWI
  3. 2 Effects of Versailles treaty: 1) reparations 2) lost land

II.  Adolph Hitler and the emergences of the National Socialist German Workers’ Party: AKA the Nazi party

  1. One of many small extremist political groups that arose in post – WWI Germany

b.  Hitler’s emergence: attraction of the party

  1. An Austrian by birth, Hitler served in the German army. He was in Munich when the war ended.

ii.  Political Career: he began his career as a speaker

c.  Nazi net of influence: speeches appealed to the people

  1. Hitler denounced the treaty of Versailles

ii.  Antisemetic program: Citizenship should be limited to those of German blood.

  1. Nazi’s attract National Attention

i.  Beer Hall Rebellion: Conspired to seize power/ Hitler was sent to prison as a result

  1. Hitler’s Ascension
  2. Nazi party began to do better in each election

b.  Reichstag building caught fire: foundation of the 3rd Reich

  1. Hitler blamed banned the Communist party.
  2. Hitler was sworn in as Chancellor in March 1933

i.  Enabling Act: time of emergency, this gave Hitler full powers

  1. Hitler became president & Chancellor
  2. President Hindenburg: died on Aug. 2, 1934
  3. The offices were consolidated, Hitler assumed both roles
  4. Fuhrer: He took the title of leader (of the Nazi party and of Germany)

The War Begins

I.  June 14, 1940: German troops occupy Paris

a.  Hitler Crushes Europe:

b.  Maginot Line:

i. Germany attacked from above, and then from behind.

ii.  In about 1 month France surrendered

c.  Battle of Britain

i. Britain had highly dedicated pilots.

ii.  The Blitz:

II.  Americans Respond

a.  Interventionalism:

b.  Isolationism:

c. Selective Service:

i. More than 1 million men were to serve for 1 year but only in the Western hemisphere.

ii.  Groundwork for a U.S. military capable of fighting a global war.

c.  Lend-Lease:

i. Conflict between Germany and America became heated.

d.  Atlantic Charter:

i. Resolved to create an international organization to protect the securities of all countries.

ii.  This was the founding of the UN:

III.  Japanese Threat Increases

a.  Alliance: Japan made an alliance with Germany and Italy

i. Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis:

b.  U.S. Responds:

c.  Yamamoto’s Plan:

Mobilizing the Home Front

I.  Building National Morale & 4 Freedoms:

1.  Freedom ______

2.  Freedom ______

3.  Freedom ______

4.  Freedom ______

b.  Office of Civilian Defense (OCD):

i. Helped by growing their own vegetables. “Victory gardens” produced 40% of all vegetables grown during the war.

ii.  Helped by collecting materials (ex. Newspaper, rubber, aluminum)

II.  Manufacturing War Machines

i. War Production Board (WPB):

ii.  WPB convinced factories to convert from civilian to military production.

iii.  Industrial production doubled

III.  Wartime Economy

a.  Gross national product (GNP):

i. GNP increased from 90.5 billion in 1939 to 211.9 billion in 1945

ii.  Inflation:

b.  Cutting Waste: American people now dealt with war needs.

c.  Rationing:

d.  Paying for a costly war:

i. Bonds:

ii.  Bonds helped to sell the war to the American public and reduced inflation.

IV.  Wartime Labor

a.  Labor Unions:

b.  New Workers (1940-1935):

i. Even though women were in the work force, Men got better positions and were paid more money

ii.  Women felt that war time opportunities were only temporary.

Japanese Internment Camps

I.  February 19, 1942: F.D.R. signed Executive order 9066.

a.  Purpose:

b.  Internment Camps:

c.  Locations:

II.  Where were the camps established?

a.  Pearl Harbor:

III.  Camps Conditions

a.  Conditions were overcrowded and poor

b.  Food:

c.  Nisei:

d.  Homes:

IV.  Legal Challenges to Internment

a.  Hirabayashi vs United States:

b.  Koremats vs United States:

V.  Closure of the Camps

a.  In 1944, 2 years after the signing of Executive order 9066, it was rescinded.

b.  Last Camp:

VI.  Government Apologies and Reparations

a.  Nisei:

b.  1968:

c.  1988:

VII.  Who else was in the camps?

a.  Though Japanese-Americans comprised the majority, thousands of Americans of German, Italian, and other European decent were in the camps.

b.  These people were classified as “enemy aliens”

c.  Government Apology: As of 2004 the government has not made a formal apology to those affected.

The United States at War

I.  December 7, 1941:

a.  Boost in the number of troops for several reasons:

i. Patriotism

ii.  Anger towards the axis

iii.  Desire for adventure

iv.  Joblessness

II.  Minorities in Uniform:

III.  The European Front

a.  The Soviet Union had signed a non-aggression pact with Germany in 1939.

i. Pact Broken:

ii.  Battle of Stalingrad:

b.  Allied Offensives

i. 1942:

ii.  General Erwin Rommel:

iii.  Invasion:

c.  September 1943:

d.  D-Day:

i. Largely successful due to the help of American industry

e.  U.S. feared triple peril:

i. Sonar technology:

ii.  Battle of the Bulge:

f.  The Holocaust 1945:

i. The Final Solution:

ii.  About 6 million Jewish men, women and children were massacred. This was about 2/3 of the total European Jewish population

iii.  About 6 million Slavs, Gypsies, Communists, homosexuals, and other civilians were also murdered.

g.  Victory in Europe:

i. Roosevelt died on April 12, 1945:

ii.  Hitler committed suicide on April 30th

iii.  May 7th Germany surrendered unconditionally

IV.  The Pacific Front

a.  Island hopping:

b.  Guadalcanal:

c.  The Atomic Bomb

i. 1st one codename “Little Boy”:

ii.  2nd atomic bomb:

iii.  August 14, 1945 Japan surrendered & WWII was over