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SA 3.5 - All Focus Questions for Chapter 25 - "The Crisis Deepens - World War II" (p. 592 - 614)
1. p. 593 - 596 - Retreat from Democracy: Dictatorial Regimes - "What are the characteristics of
totalitarian states, and to what degree were these characteristics present in Fascist Italy, Nazi
Germany, and Stalinist Russia? To what extent, if any, was Japan a totalitarian state?"
A totalitarian state greatly extends the functions and power of the central state. They expected the
active loyalty and commitment of citizens to the regime's goal. They don't only desire to control the
economic, political, and social aspects of life, but the intellectual and cultural aspects as well. It is usually
to be held by a single leader and a single party.
Benito Mussolini, by 1926, established the institutional framework for a Fascist dictatorship.
Many laws were made and changes in government were applied. The most noticeable feature of his
totalitarian attitude/goals were that he banned all anti-Fascist parties and made himself the "Il Duce", the
leader of Italy. He admitted and said it himself: "Fascism is a totalitarian, and the Fascist State, the
synthesis and the unity of all values, interprets, develops, and gives strength to the whole life of the
people."
The Nazis of Germany acted quickly to bring all institutions under their control. The civil service
was purged of Jews and democratic elements, concentration camps were established for opponents of the
new regime, trade unions were dissolved, and all political parties except the Nazis were abolished. By the
end of summer of 1933, Hitler and the Nazis had established the foundations for a totalitarian state.
Stalin strengthened the party bureaucracy under his control. Stalin's desire for sole control of
decision making also led to purges of the Old Bolsheviks. Between 1936 and 1938, the most prominent
Old Bolsheviks were put on trial and condemned to death. During this same time, Stalin undertook a
purge of many types of people. Estimates are that eight million Russians were arrested; millions were sent
to forced labor camps in Siberia from which they never returned.
For Japan's side, the influence of the military and extreme nationalists over the government
steadily increased. National elections continued to take place, but cabinets were dominated by the military
or advocates of Japanese expansionism. The ring leaders were quickly tried and convicted of treason, but
under conditions that further strengthened the influence of the military. Although totalitarian states have a
single leader and a single party, the one of Japan was led by a single party only.
2. p. 596 - 599 - The Path to War - "What were the underlying causes of WWII, and what specific
steps taken by Nazi Germany and Japan led to war?
Hitler, having smashed the parliamentary state, felt the real task that was at hand: to develop the
"total state". His goal was the development of an Aryan racial state that would dominate Europe and
possibly the world for generations to come. His wishes were what caused a global warfare. Invading two
countries (Austria and Czechoslovakia), he proceeded on to planning an invasion of Poland - to preclude
an alliance between the West and the Soviet Union, which would open the danger of a two-front war,
Hitler negotiated his own nonaggression pact with Stalin and shocked the world with its announcement on
August 23, 1939. The treaty with the Soviet Union gave Hitler the freedom to attack Poland. On
September 1, German forces invaded Poland; two days later, Britain and France declared war on
Germany.
For the Japanese's side, after fighting the Chinese and joining with Nazi Germany, caught
attention of the United States. When Japan demanded the right to occupy airfields and exploit economic
resources in French Indochina in the summer of 1940, the US warned the Japanese that it would cut off
the sales of oil and scrap iron unless Japan withdrew from the area and returned to its borders. After much
debate, Japan decided to launch a surprise attack on the American and European colonies.
3. p. 599 - 604 - World War II - "What were the main events of WWII in Europe and in Asia"?
There are many significant events in WWII that we have to take note of. But, the most important
in Europe was the division of Poland between Germany and the Soviet Union. A part in history indicated
earlier on number 2., Hitler negotiated his own nonaggression pact with Stalin and shocked the world
with its announcement on August 23, 1939. The treaty with the Soviet Union gave Hitler the freedom to
attack Poland. On September 1, German forces invaded Poland; two days later, Britain and France
declared war on Germany.
On the other hand, the most important in Asia was the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The
US's B-29 heavy bombers carried the two atomic bombs that would end World War II itself - after careful
planning and the US asking for Japan's surrender, the Japanese were consistent to the point two of the
only nuclear weapons used for warfare in history were dropped on civilian filled cities.
4. p. 604 - 606 - The New Order - "What was the nature of the new orders that Germany and
Japan attempted to establish in the territories they occupied?"
Hitler was merciless on his ways on "Germanizing" every nearby colony. The leader of the
schutzstaffel (guard squadrons in English, and known as the SS), Heinrich Himmler, was appointed by
Hitler to evacuate the inferior Slavic people and replace them with Germans. Of course, civilian
displacement isn't the worst they have done - no aspect of the Nazi new order was more terrifying than the
deliberate attempt to exterminate the Jews of Europe. At this point, it'll be useless to explain how he
treated them - this part of history is well known to everyone. Virtually 90% of the Jewish populations of
Poland, the Baltic countries, and Germany were exterminated.
The Japanese were also merciless at the time, too. Although they did promise their colonies that
they'll establish independent governments under Japanese tutelage, and they still eventually establish
them in Burma, the Dutch East Indies, Vietnam, and in the Philippines. But sooner or later, the Japanese
exploitive nature soon showed itself - exploiting resources and mistreating the colonized. Examples of
these were them mistreating the Koreans - 800,000 being sent to Japan for forced labor, tens of thousands
of Korean and Filipino women becoming prostitutes, and mistreating the prisoners of war for railways
and to help the war effort. Rebellions weren't allowed and were provoked by their arrogance and
contempt for local customs. Their techniques on colonization is a mix of good and bad, but the good only
being a teaspoon of salt in a big bowl of soup.
5. p. 606 - 610 - The Home Front - "What were conditions like on the home front for the major
belligerents in WWII?"
On the topic of civilian conditions, the country that lost a battle would have the civilians suffering
the most. The initial defeats of the Soviet Union led to drastic emergency mobilization measures that
affected the civilian population. Leningrad, for example, experienced 900 days of siege, during which its
inhabitants became so desperate for food that they ate dogs, cats, and mice. For the Germans, the civilian
men worked as factory workers. Hitler's architect, Albert Speer, was made minister for armaments and
munitions in 1942. But Speer's urgent plea for a total mobilization of resources for the war effort was
refused by Hitler on account of his fear of civilian morale problems that would undermine the home front.
He refused any dramatic cuts in the production of consumer goods. But, when he wanted to do so at 1941,
it was already too late. Wartime Japan, though, encouraged their citizens to sacrifice their resources, and
sometimes their lives, for national cause. The system cultivated in the final years of the war, when young
Japanese were encouraged to volunteer to serve as kamikazes.
Regarding women, Soviet women played a major role in the war effort. Women and girls were
enlisted for work in industries, mines, and railroads. Overall the number of women working in industry
increased almost 60 percent. In addition, the Soviet Union was the only country in WWII to use women
as combatants - they functioned as snipers and crews in bomber crews. Hitler, though, resisted female
employment. Nazis say that women are essential to the house and are "the eternal mother of our people,
and also the working and fighting comrade of the man". The Japanese had the same ideals of Hitler, too -
General Hideki Tojo says "the weakening of the family system would be the weakening of the nation - we
are able to do our duties because we have our wives and mothers at home."
But as for civilian bombing, it most of the time just collapses to horrible conclusions. But that's
most of the time, of course. For the British, it was a boost in morale. Beginning in early September 1940,
the German Luftwaffe subjected London and many other British towns and cities to nightly air raids,
making the German air raids a national experience. Londoners took the first heavy blows but kept up their
morale, setting the standard for the rest of the British population. The British bombed them back at 1942
as advised by Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and the Germans suffered a fiery terror; growing
shortages of food, clothing, and incendiary bombs which set firestorms killing as many as 35,000
inhabitants and refugees. But the Allied strategic bombing survey revealed that the production of war
material actually increased.
But the bombing of Japan's Hiroshima and Nagasaki is a completely different story. Opening the
doors to the nuclear age of warfare and devastating the world in a way that is more than imaginable is
certainly something that will put your morale down, regardless of what position you are in.
6. p. 610 - 614 - Aftermath of the War - "What were the costs of WWII? How did the Allies'
visions of the post war differ, and how did these differences contribute to the emergence of the
Cold War?"
The costs of WWII were astounding. At least 21 million soldiers died. Civilian deaths were even
greater, going almost twice of that of the military - 40 million. Of these, more than 28 million were
Russian and Chinese. Millions have been displaced as well - Europe alone had 30 million displaced
persons. Everywhere cities lay in rubble. The total monetary cost of the war had been estimated at $4
trillion. The Allies' visions of the post war were Stalin's thoughts on a free elections in eastern Europe.
This caused serious rifts between the Americans and the Soviets. Stalin says himself that "A freely elected
government would be anti-Soviet, and that we cannot allow."
The deep mistrust between the two caused conflicting ideologies. Winston Churchill declared that
"an iron curtain" had "descended across the continent", dividing Germany and Europe into two hostile
camps. Stalin branded Churchill's speech a "call to war with the Soviet Union." Just a few months after
the war has ended, another one erupts. The world seemed once again to be bitterly divided.
Sources:
Cengage Learning: The Essential World History - Sixth Edition (Philippine edition) - Jackson J.
Spielvogel, William J. Duiker