Name: ______Rise of Fascism & World War Two Document Questions

Document 1

  1. According to Mussolini (but in your own words), what does Fascism say is the role(s) of the State?
  2. How does it go about achieving it?
  3. What responsibilities do people in the State have under Fascism?
  4. What does Fascism say about the goal of Pacifism? What alternative does it offer? Why?
  5. Explain the role/goal of private industry in the State under Fascism? How will this be achieved?
  6. Read the Fascist Decalogue. Briefly list (in your own words) what is demanded of you to be a good Fascist in Italy.

Document 2

  1. What economic problems were of great concern to Germany?
  2. How/why do you think Hitler blamed these problems on the Allied governments?

Document 3

  1. What are Hitler’s thoughts on Germany’s post-war government, the Weimar Republic?
  2. What does Hitler say is the ultimate goal of the Nazi Party? Why?

Document 4a

  1. What did he mean by Lebensraum?
  2. What would be the consequences if German didn’t seek it?
  3. What/Where were they targeting to achieve it?

Document 4b

  1. Could non-Germans be Germanized? Why?
  2. What was to be done with them?

Document 4c

  1. What comparisons does Hitler make between Slavs and Germans?
  2. What is he advocating Germany do and how should it be accomplished?

Document 5

  1. What is Hitler doing that he considers God’s work? Why must this be done?
  2. What form does Hitler suggest the Jew represents?
  3. Why does Hitler say Jews want their own “sovereign rights” as an independent country? (What will they do once they have one?)
  4. What does Hitler mean when he says Jews are targeting the “white race” and “poisoning other individuals?” For what purpose does he say they are doing this?
  5. What does Hitler say is needed to tackle this problem?
  6. What does he suggest that may have resulted in a different outcome for WW1?
  7. Why do you feel the Nazis were targeting German children in The Poisonous Mushroom?

Document 6a

  1. How did the Nazis define a German citizen, and what was one afforded by the gov’t?

Document 6b

  1. What needed to be done to safeguard the survival of Germans?
  2. List things that were forbidden by Jews.
  3. Why do you think #3 is so specific about the age?
  4. What were punishments for violating marriage laws?

Document 6c:

  1. List additional things forbidden to Jews.
  2. What rights did Jewish war vets have? What were their restrictions?
  3. How would you describe the manner in which the Nazis try to define who is a Jew? Explain.

Document 7a

  1. What is Anschluss?
  2. For what reasons did Hitler want it?
  3. What is peculiar about the ballot? Why do you suppose it was designed this way?

Document 7b

  1. How did Hitler rationalize taking the Sudetenland?
  2. Why did he say mediations failed?
  3. Why do you think Hitler talks about the resurgence of his army in this speech?

Document 7c

  1. What was agreed to at the Munich Agreement, and between whom?
  2. Why do you think Chamberlain is viewed so poorly through the lens of history? What do you think was his most erroneous claim in either of his comments?
  3. What lesson do you think nations should learn from Chamberlain and the Munich Agreement?

Document 8

  1. Which articles in the non-secret portion were directly violated when Hitler launched Operation Barbarossa?
  2. What was to become of the Baltic States and Poland in the secret portion?

Document 9a

  1. Hitler signed an order enacting euthanasia. What does this term mean? Was compassion his intention of doing this? Explain why/why not.

Document 9b & 9c

  1. Who were the next targets of Euthanasia? Why these groups?

Document 9d

  1. What was going on at the Hadamar facility? What was the purpose of the busses?

Document 9e

  1. What proof does the Bishop offer to prove Operation T4 was not secret?
  2. What does Himmler plan to do about the public knowing of this program?

Document 10a and 10b

  1. What was Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels urging Nazi officials to do? And not to do?
  2. Why was he urging this?
  3. How did he modify his remarks? Why do you think he made this change?
  4. What do you notice about the reaction of some of the non-Jewish onlookers? (top left)
  5. How were Jews further punished besides having businesses, homes, and temples destroyed?

Document 11

  1. Belzec in Poland was an extermination camp. How did they differ from concentration camps?
  2. What were newly arrived passengers being told as to why to strip naked?
  3. What were the men told they’d be doing after showering? Women?
  4. Why do you think they were lied to if they were just going to die anyway?
  5. Gerstein said though some were fooled, many were not. Why weren’t most of them fooled? (What gave it away)?

Document 12

  1. Why do you think the Japanese specifically searched for Chinese police, firemen, and former soldiers?
  2. What methods were used to kill Chinese prisoners?

Document 13

  1. The Philippine Islands were attacked the same day as Pearl Harbor.
  2. What did the Japanese do in the Philippines that they hadn’t done at Pearl Harbor?
  3. What happened to the Philippines by April 9th, 1942 that hadn’t happened at Pearl Harbor?
  4. How many total prisoners were taken? Of that number, how many were Americans?
  5. How long was their forced journey in what became known as the Bataan Death March?
  6. How many U.S. POWs died?
  7. In Testimonial A, what did the Japanese do to the air force captain?
  8. In Testimonial B, what happened to the prisoner’s canteen? What was it used for?
  9. In Testimonial C, what happened to prisoners who fell from exhaustion?
  10. In testimonial D, what were the conditions in the prisons?
  11. In Testimonial E, what happened to the Scouts?

Document 14a, 14b, and 14c

  1. Why would the U.S. warn the Japanese with leaflets that they were going to get bombed?
  2. What was the determining factor as to why Truman chose to use the atomic bombs?
  3. In trying to take out military targets in big cities, they knew there would also be massive civilian deaths including people in hospitals, daycares, and schools. In your opinion, was the use of these weapons justified? Please be specific and provide a strong explanation.