Bellringer

Write down what you remember about WWI and the Treaty of Versailles.

*Make sure you write the date and answer in a complete sentence!
 CHAPTER 20: A World in
Flames
Lesson 1: The Origins of World War
II
 The Rise of Dictators
The Treaty of Versailles
Massive Reparations
● The Allies blamed Germany for World War I and wanted to punish the country.
● They demanded that Germany pay $33 billion in reparations to the Allies.
Military Limitations
● The treaty reduced the size of Germany’s armed forces and prohibited them
from crossing west of the Rhine River.
Territory Reductions
● German territory was divided to reestablish Poland, giving it access to the
Baltic Sea.
● In addition, territories were seized in the west by France and in the south to
help create Czechoslovakia.
 Italy
● 1919: Benito Mussolini started the Fascist movement in Italy.
○ Fascism is a political system headed by a dictator that calls for extreme
nationalism and often racism and no tolerance of opposition
● Mussolini promised to protect Italy from communism and restore prosperity.
● 1922: Mussolini threatened to march on Rome with the Fascist militia known
as the Blackshirts.
● The king appointed Mussolini premier.
● Mussolini assumed the title of Il Duce, meaning “The Leader” and set about
pressing a Fascist agenda.
 USSR
● 1922: The Communist Party declared the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
following the Russian Revolution.
● 1924: Joseph Stalin took power following the death of Communist leader
Vladimir Lenin.
● Stalin imposed a series of Five-Year Plans designed to industrialize the
country and encourage economic growth.
● He combined family farms and turned them into collectives, or
government-owned farms
● Wages for all declined sharply
● Stalin held absolute power and sought to eliminate all political and social
opposition
● Nearly 2 million people were imprisoned in concentration camps by 1935
 Germany
● The Nazi Party, led by Adolf Hitler, demanded an end to conditions imposed
by the Treaty of Versailles and sought to expand German territory.
● 1923: Nazis marched on city hall in Munich in an attempt to seize power.
● Hitler was arrested, and the party was banned.
● In prison, Hitler wrote Mein Kampf (“My Struggle”), in which he claimed that
Germans belonged to a master race called Aryans and that Slavic and Jewish
peoples were inferior.
 Germany Cont.
● Once out of prison, Hitler pursued political power. Economic depression often
results in support for more radical parties.
● 1932: The Nazi Party held the most seats in the Reichstag, or German
Parliament.
● 1933: Hitler was appointed chancellor and called for new elections.
● 1934: Hitler gave himself the title of Der Führer, or “The Leader.”
 Japan
● The Japanese military blamed the country’s economic woes on government
corruption.
● Japan imported most of its resources and faced high tariffs as a result of
global depression.
● The military pushed for territorial expansion to acquire more resources.
● 1931: Japan invaded Manchuria in northern China. In response to U.S. pressure,
Emperor Hirohito ordered troop withdrawals, but Minister of War Hideki Tōjō
refused.
● 1937: Japan invaded Nanjing, killing as many as 300,000.
● 1941: Tōjō became prime minister.
 German Violations of the Treaty and
Expansion
● 1935: Hitler initiated draft to expand Germany's army and build a new air
force.
● 1936: Hitler ordered the German military to occupy the Rhineland, a stretch
of German territory that had been demilitarized under the treaty.
● 1937: Hitler called for the reunification of German-speaking peoples.
● March 1938: Hitler invaded Austria and announced Anschluss, or unification,
of Austria and Germany.
 German Violations of the Treaty and
Expansion
● September 1938: Representatives of Britain, France, Italy, and Germany met
at the Munich Conference to resolve German claims to the Sudetenland, a
region in Czechoslovakia. In exchange for peace, the Sudetenland was
ceded to Germany. This policy became known as appeasement.
● March 1939: Despite promises, Hitler invaded and divided Czechoslovakia
 Movement Toward War
● March 1939: Hitler demanded the return of Danzig, Poland, to German control.
With British and French support, Poland refused.
● Summer 1939: Hitler prepared to invade Poland and entered negotiations with
the USSR to prevent doing battle on two fronts.

● August 23, 1939: Stalin agreed to a nonaggression treaty with Hitler. Germany
and the USSR signed the Nazi-Soviet Pact. Stalin believed conflict among
Europe’s capitalist nations would benefit the USSR. Hitler also promised to
divide Poland between Germany and the USSR.
 Blitzkrieg
● September 1939: Germany invaded Poland in a powerful, swift attack known
as blitzkrieg, meaning “lightning war.” While the army attacked across land,
the Luftwaffe, or German air force, bombed cities, railroads, bridges, and
other key targets from above. Meanwhile, the USSR invaded from the east.
Within weeks, the country was divided between Germany and the USSR.

● May 1940: Hitler began a new blitzkrieg, invading the Netherlands,

Luxembourg, and Belgium. British and French troops rallied to defend Belgium,
but German forces swept through French lines into northern France.
 Blitzkrieg
● June 1940: The Allied forces of Britain and France became trapped in Belgium.
The Nazis pressed the Allies toward the English Channel but stopped before
they reached Dunkirk. Allied forces successfully evacuated from Dunkirk.
Meanwhile, German forces overwhelmed France.
● June 22, 1940: France surrendered. Hitler installed Marshal Philippe Pétain as
leader of the new Vichy government
 French and British Defiance
● Charles de Gaulle refused to acknowledge French surrender. He led the
French resistance forces to Algiers, where the forces of Free France
continued to fight.
● Winston Churchill declared that Britain would not surrender to German
aggression.
● The Luftwaffe began a bombing campaign against Britain and fought the
British Royal Air Force. Following the Battle of Britain, Hitler abandoned the
planned invasion of the island.
Bellringer
After WWI, what did the US want? What has been going on in the US since WWI?

*Write the date. Answer in a complete sentence.

 CHAPTER 20: A World in
Flames
Lesson 2: From Neutrality to War
 American Neutrality
War Fatigue
● World War I had cost the United States many lives and a great deal of money.
● Many Americans did not understand what purpose World War I had served
and did not want to get involved in another world war.
International Debt
● Former allies from World War I had not repaid much of the war debt owed to
the United States. Internationalism seemed costly.
 Nye Committee
● Led by Senator Gerald Nye, Republican from North Dakota, the committee
reported that many arms manufacturers had profited greatly from World War I.
● This led many Americans to think that they fought in World War I to benefit
arms companies and disinclined them to support World War II.
 Neutrality Acts
● 1935: In response to the findings of the Nye Committee, this first act
prohibited Americans from selling arms to countries at war.
● 1936: Following the onset of the Spanish Civil War, this act prohibited
Americans from selling arms to either side fighting in a civil war.
● 1937: After Germany, Italy, and Japan allied as the Axis Powers, this act again
banned the sale of arms to countries at war. It also required U.S. companies to
sell nonmilitary supplies to warring countries only on a cash-and-carry basis to
prevent attacks on U.S. ships and ensure payment.
 Roosevelt’s Internationalism
● During the 1930s, Roosevelt was focused on leading the United States out of
the Great Depression with his New Deal legislation.
● However, Roosevelt supported internationalism, believing that international
trade generated prosperity and encouraged peaceful resolution to conflicts.
● Roosevelt opposed but did not veto the Neutrality Acts.
● Roosevelt authorized the sale of arms to China when Japan invaded the
country in 1937. He claimed the Neutrality Acts did not apply because Japan
had not declared war on China.
 Neutrality Tested
● First three acts were passed in 1935, 1936, and 1937. They prohibited the sale
of arms to countries at war.
● 1939: Neutrality Act allowed the sale of weapons on a cash-and-carry basis
only.
● Spring 1940: Roosevelt approved a Destroyers-for-Bases deal with Britain.
Britain received 50 old U.S. destroyers in exchange for the right to build
American bases on British soil.
● July 1940: Congress authorized Roosevelt to begin an embargo against Japan
 Neutrality Tested
● March 1941: Congress passed the Lend-Lease Act, allowing U.S. companies to
lend or lease arms to countries deemed “vital to the defense of the United
States.”
● April 1941: Roosevelt declared the western half of the Atlantic Ocean to be a
Hemispheric Defense Zone, and ordered the U.S. Navy to disclose the
location of any German submarines in the zone to the British.
● August 1941: Roosevelt and Churchill signed the Atlantic Charter, committing
the United States and Britain to postwar security, peace, free trade, and
freedom of the seas.
 Embargo on Japan
● 1939: As Britain moved its forces to the Atlantic, it left its colonies along the
Pacific vulnerable to attack from Japan. Japan had embarked on expansionist
policies to gain more resources.
● 1940: Roosevelt restricted the sale of strategic materials, such as airplane fuel
and scrap iron, to pressure Japan to pull out of China and to deter Japan from
invading British colonies. Japan responded by joining the Axis Powers.
 Embargo on Japan
● 1941: The United States granted lend-lease aid to China to keep Japan
bogged down there, but Japan continued with its plans to invade French
holdings in Indochina.
● 1941: The United States froze Japanese assets, stopped oil shipments to
Japan, and sent additional forces to the Philippines.
● 1941: Japan responded by planning an invasion of French, British, and Dutch
colonies. Japan also planned to attack Pearl Harbor and the Philippines.
 Pearl Harbor
● December 7, 1941: Japan attacked the Pearl Harbor naval base in Hawaii.
● U.S. forces had been anticipating a Japanese attack—but not on Pearl Harbor
because of its great distance.
● The attack killed 2,403 Americans and destroyed or severely damaged
numerous battleships and other naval vessels.
● The next day, Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war
○ Senate voted 82/0 and House voted 388/1
 Germany Declares War
● Hitler hoped US forces would be focused on the Pacific front after the
Japanese attack
● He expected the US to enter the European war because of German submarine
attacks
● The US kept their attention on Germany, and instead fought Japan using the
Navy
● Hitler assumed Japan would defeat the US, and if he helped them they would
in turn help Germany against the Soviet Union
● Germany and Italy declared war on the US on December 11, 1941
Bellringer
Describe the shift from American neutrality to involvement in WWII.

*Write the date and answer in a complete sentence

CHAPTER 20: A World in
Flames
Lesson 3: The Holocaust
 Anti-Semitism
● The Holocaust refers to the Nazi effort to exterminate the Jewish population
of Europe during World War II. Hitler and the Nazis viewed Jews as an inferior
race of people and blamed them for World War I and the economic
devastation that followed.
● During the Holocaust, the Nazis killed nearly 6 million Jewish people.
● They also killed millions of other people, including those who opposed their
rule. The Roma (formerly known as Gypsies), homosexual individuals, and
Slavic peoples were all victims.
 Nuremberg Laws
1935
● Laws strip German Jews of citizenship and prohibit Jews from marrying
Germans.
● Another law prohibits Jews from voting or holding public office.
● Yet another law requires Jews with German names to adopt names
considered Jewish, and officials begin marking Jewish passports with a red
“J.”
 Nuremberg Laws
1936
● Jews are barred from working as civil servants, teachers, journalists, farmers,
and actors.
1938
● Jews are barred from practicing law and medicine or owning businesses.
Jewish Resilience
● Despite such laws, many Jews remained in Germany, where they had made
their home. They believed that, in time, conditions would improve.
 Kristallnacht or The Night of Broken
Glass
Assassination
● On November 7, 1938, Herschel Grynszpan, a Jewish refugee, killed a German
diplomat in Paris in response to the deportation of Polish Jews from Germany
to Poland.
Response
● Hitler staged retaliatory attacks against Jews that would seem like a reaction
to news of the murder.
 Kristallnacht or The Night of Broken
Glass
Night of Broken Glass
● On November 9, violence broke out against Jewish peoples in Austria and
Germany.
● More than 90 Jews were killed. Thousands of businesses and hundreds of
synagogues were destroyed.
● The night became known as Kristallnacht, or “night of broken glass.”
Ongoing Persecution
● After Kristallnacht, Germany’s secret police, called the Gestapo, arrested
30,000 Jewish men.
● Only those who relinquished their property and emigrated were released.
● Insurance money owed to Jewish business owners went to the government
instead.
 Jewish Refugees
Escape
● From 1933 to 1939, a quarter of a million Jews fled Nazi-controlled Germany.
● Among these were Anne Frank and her family, who fled to the Netherlands.
● Unfortunately, the Nazis later took control of the Netherlands, too, and she
and her family were found after two years spent in hiding and sent to an
extermination camp.
 Jewish Refugees
United States
● Many Jews tried to immigrate to the United States.
● After Germany invaded Austria, thousands of European Jews applied every
day for U.S. visas.
● Most were denied. U.S. immigration law prohibited immigrants who would
become a public burden.
● Because Germany barred Jews from taking more than a small amount of
money out of the country, U.S. officials applied this standard to Jews, and
most were refused on the basis of becoming public burdens.
● The law also allowed only 150,000 immigrants each year, and had fixed
quotas for specific countries.
● The Great Depression and anti-Semitic attitudes did not encourage the U.S.
government to change these laws.
 Jewish Refugees
International Response
● Officials from the United States and countries in Europe and Latin America
met in 1938.
● Though they expressed regret that they could not take in more Jewish
refugees, they did not change their laws.
Turned Away
● Thousands of Jews fled on ships to the United States and countries in Latin
America with forged and illegal visas.
● These countries refused to admit them, and they were returned to Germany
and German-occupied lands.
 Jewish Refugees
U.S.S. St. Louis
● Nearly a thousand Jews were aboard the U.S.S. St. Louis when it docked in
Cuba in 1939.
● With improper documentation, the refugees were refused entry into Cuba.
● The ship went on to U.S. waters, where it circled the coast of Florida for
several days before the U.S. government denied it entry.
● The ship was forced to return to Europe, where its Jewish passengers were
returned to their countries of origin.
 The Final Solution
Wannsee Conference
● In 1942 Nazi leaders met to devise a more efficient method of exterminating
the Jewish population.
● They decided to capture Jews from German-controlled territory and transport
them to camps. Healthy persons taken to concentration camps would work
until they no longer could.
● Young children, elderly persons, the sick, and others who could not work were
separated on arrival and taken to adjacent extermination camps where they
were killed.
 The Final Solution
The Camps
● The Nazis operated hundreds of concentration and extermination camps
throughout German-controlled lands.
● Each camp housed thousands of prisoners.
● Auschwitz could hold as many as 100,000.
● Its gas chambers could kill 2,000 people at a time.
● About 1.6 million people were executed at Auschwitz alone, including
300,000 non-Jewish individuals.

● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5lii4jGN-A