World War II 1939–1945 Key Events As you read this chapter, look for the key events in the history of World War II. • Adolf Hitler’s philosophy of Aryan superiority led to World War II in Europe and was also the source of the Holocaust. • Two separate and opposing alliances, the Allies and the Axis, waged a worldwide war. • World War II left lasting impressions on civilian populations. The Impact Today The events that occurred during this time period still impact our lives today. • By the end of World War II, the balance of power had shifted away from Europe. • Germany and Japan’s search for expanded “living space” is comparable to nations fighting over borders today. • Atomic weapons pose a threat to all nations. World History—Modern Times Video The Chapter 19 video, “The Holocaust,” illustrates the horrors of Hitler’s Final Solution. 1939 Britain and 1936 France declare Germany signs war when separate pacts with Germany Italy and Japan invades Poland 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1935 1940 Hitler violates France falls Treaty of Adolf Hitler and Nazi to Germany Versailles officers in Paris, 1940 588 The Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington County, Virginia, depicts marines raising the American flag on Iwo Jima in February 1945. Atomic bomb dropped Self-Portrait with a on Hiroshima Jewish Identity Card by Felix Nussbaum, 1943 1945 HISTORY Japanese surrender 1942 after United States Nazi death camps drops atomic bombs Chapter Overview in full operation on Japan Visit the Glencoe World History—Modern Times Web site at 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 wh.mt.glencoe.com and click on Chapter 19– Chapter Overview to preview chapter information. 1941 1945 1946 United States Germany Churchill enters war after surrenders proclaims Japan attacks existence of Pearl Harbor “iron curtain” Soldiers and civilians in Europe celebrate VE-Day, Paris 589 Poster, c. 1938, which proclaims “One People, one State, one Leader!” After becoming dictator in 1933, Hitler often held large rallies to inspire the loyalty of Germans. Hitler’s Vision n February 3, 1933, Adolf Hitler met secretly with Why It Matters Germany’s leading generals. He had been appointed Ochancellor of Germany only four days before and was by World War II in Europe was clearly no means assured that he would remain in office for long. Hitler’s war. Other countries may Nevertheless, he spoke with confidence. have helped make the war possible by not resisting Germany earlier, Hitler told the generals about his desire to remove the before it grew strong, but it was “cancer of democracy,” create “the highest authoritarian state Nazi Germany’s actions that made leadership,” and forge a new domestic unity. All Germans the war inevitable. Globally, World would need to realize that “only a struggle can save us and War II was more than just Hitler’s that everything else must be subordinated to this idea.” The war. It consisted of two conflicts. youth especially would have to be trained and their wills One arose, as mentioned above, strengthened “to fight with all means.” from the ambitions of Germany in Hitler went on to say that Germany must rearm by institut- Europe. The other arose from the ing a military draft. Leaders must ensure that the men who ambitions of Japan in Asia. By 1941, were going to be drafted were not “poisoned by pacifism, with the involvement of the United Marxism, or Bolshevism.” Once Germany had regained its States in both conflicts, these two military strength, how should this strength be used? Hitler conflicts merged into one global world war. had an answer. Because Germany’s living space was too small for its people, it must prepare for “the conquest of new living History and You The decision space in the east and its ruthless Germanization.” by the United States to use atomic Even before he had consolidated his power, Hitler had a bombs against Japan led to the end clear vision of his goals. Reaching those goals meant another of World War II. Find two contrast- European war. Although World War I has been described as a ing views on the potential of nuclear total war, World War II was even more so. It was fought on a warfare today and analyze the scale unprecedented in history and led to the most widespread perspectives. human-made destruction that the world had ever seen. 590 Paths to War Guide to Reading Main Ideas People to Identify Reading Strategy • Adolf Hitler’s theory of Aryan racial Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Joseph Categorizing Information Create a chart domination laid the foundation for Stalin, Chiang Kai-shek listing examples of Japanese aggression aggressive expansion outside of and German aggression prior to the out- Germany. Places to Locate break of World War II. • The actions and ambitions of Japan Rhineland, Sudetenland, Manchukuo Japanese Aggression German Aggression and Germany paved the way for the Preview Questions outbreak of World War II. 1. What agreement was reached at the Key Terms Munich Conference? demilitarized, appeasement, sanction 2. Why did Germany believe it needed more land? Preview of Events ✦1931 ✦1932 ✦1933 ✦1934 ✦1935 ✦1936 ✦1937 ✦1938 ✦1939 1931 1936 1937 1938 1939 Japanese forces Hitler and Mussolini Japanese seize Hitler annexes World War II invade Manchuria create Rome-Berlin Axis Chinese capital Austria begins Voices from the Past After the leaders of France and Great Britain gave in to Hitler’s demands on Czecho- slovakia in 1938, Winston Churchill spoke to the British House of Commons: I will begin by saying what everybody would like to ignore or forget but which must“ nevertheless be stated, namely, that we have sustained a total and unmitigated defeat. And I will say this, that I believe the Czechs, left to themselves and told they were going to get no help from the Western Powers, would have been able to make better terms than they have got. We are in the presence of a disaster of the first magnitude which has befallen Great Britain and France. And do not suppose that this is the end. This is only the beginning of the reckoning.” —Parliamentary Debates, London, 1938 Churchill believed that Hitler’s actions would lead to another war. He proved to Winston Churchill be right. The German Path to War World War II in Europe had its beginnings in the ideas of Adolf Hitler. He believed that Germans belonged to a so-called Aryan race that was superior to all other races and nationalities. Consequently, Hitler believed that Germany was capable of building a great civilization. To be a great power, however, Germany needed more land to support a larger population. Already in the 1920s, Hitler had indicated that a Nazi regime would find this land to the east—in the Soviet Union. Germany therefore must prepare for war with the Soviet Union. Once the Soviet Union had been conquered, according to Hitler, its land would be resettled by German peasants. The Slavic peoples could CHAPTER 19 World War II 591 be used as slave labor to build the Third Reich, an demilitarized Rhineland but would not act without Aryan racial state that Hitler thought would domi- British support. nate Europe for a thousand years. Great Britain did not support the use of force against Germany, however. The British government The First Steps After World War I, the Treaty of Ver- viewed the occupation of German territory by Ger- sailles had limited Germany’s military power. As man troops as a reasonable action by a dissatisfied chancellor, Hitler, posing as a man of peace, stressed power. The London Times noted that the Germans that Germany wished to revise the unfair provisions were only “going into their own back garden.” of the treaty by peaceful means. Germany, he said, Great Britain thus began to practice a policy of only wanted its rightful place among the European appeasement. This policy was based on the belief states. that if European states satisfied the reasonable On March 9, 1935, however, Hitler announced the demands of dissatisfied powers, the dissatisfied creation of a new air force. One week later, he began powers would be content, and stability and peace a military draft that would expand Germany’s army would be achieved in Europe. from 100,000 to 550,000 troops. These steps were in direct violation of the Treaty of Versailles. New Alliances Meanwhile, Hitler gained new France, Great Britain, and Italy condemned Ger- allies. Benito Mussolini had long dreamed of creat- many’s actions and warned against future aggressive ing a new Roman Empire in the Mediterranean, and, steps. In the midst of the Great Depression, however, in October 1935, Fascist Italy invaded Ethiopia. these nations were distracted by their own internal Angered by French and British opposition to his problems and did nothing further. invasion, Mussolini welcomed Hitler’s support. He Hitler was convinced that the Western states had began to draw closer to the German dictator. no intention of using force to maintain the Treaty of In 1936, both Germany and Italy sent troops to Versailles. Hence, on March 7, 1936, he sent German Spain to help General Francisco Franco in the Spanish troops into the Rhineland. The Rhineland was part Civil War. In October 1936, Mussolini and Hitler made of Germany, but, according to the Treaty of Versailles, an agreement recognizing their common political and it was a demilitarized area. That is, Germany was economic interests. One month later, Mussolini spoke not permitted to have weapons or fortifications there. of the new alliance between Italy and Germany, called France had the right to use force against the Rome-Berlin Axis.