Hy 1020 Western Civilization II 1 Unit VI Study Guide World

Hy 1020 Western Civilization Ii 1unit Vi Study Guideworld War Ii Re

Hy 1020 Western Civilization II 1 UNIT VI STUDY GUIDE World War II & Redefining the West after World War II Learning Objectives Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to: 1. Identify the expectations concerning war in the 1920s and 1930s. 2. Describe how European hopes and fears led to armed conflict in both Europe and Asia. 3. Explain how Nazi Germany conquered the continent of Europe by 1941. 4. Discuss why the Allies won in 1945. 5. Explain how and why the war against the Jews took place and what its consequences were. 6. Discuss what total war meant on the home front. 7. Explain why and how the world moved from World War II to the Cold War. 8. Discuss the impact of decolonization and the Cold War on the global balance of power. 9. Identify the patterns that characterized the history of the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe after the death of Stalin. 10. Describe the patterns that characterized the history of Western Europe in the 1950s and 1960s. Unit Lesson Twenty years after the end of World War I, Europe and the world were again engulfed in total war. The immediate cause was Hitler’s desire for a German empire in Eastern Europe, but there were other, longer-term factors that explain the origins of the war. The origins of the Second World War are tied to the settlements of the first. The treaties signed after 1918 created a fragile peace for three reasons. First, redrawing the map of central and Eastern Europe did not fulfill the nationalist ambitions of all groups. Second, the League of Nations was too weak to be the basis of a new international order. Third, the peace settlements created new resentments among both the winners and the losers. The Great Depression increased international instability as the various countries used tariff barriers to protect their economies, and some political leaders saw territorial expansion as a solution to their economic problems. In the face of the democracies’ passivity, Hitler made his first moves, withdrawing Germany from the League of Nations in 1933 and openly violating the terms of the Treaty of Versailles in 1935 by rearming Germany. In 1936, Hitler signed an alliance with Italy, creating the Rome-Berlin Axis. Hitler again violated the Treaty of Versailles in 1936 by sending troops into the Rhineland and again in 1938 by annexing Austria to Germany, in a move called the Anschluss. In neither case did France or Britain act against Germany. Early German military successes were the result of a new technology of modern offensive warfare that utilized a mobile, mechanized offensive force. Hitler’s plan for a German empire–the Third Reich–in Europe centered on the conquest of the Soviet Union. Japanese expansionism brought the United States into the war, providing a crucial advantage in industrial production for the Allies. By the start of 1943, the Allies were on the road to a victory that came primarily from American and Soviet industrial supremacy and the Allies’ superior military strategy. The war ended with Europe facing an uncertain future in a radically changed world. It also deepened the commitment of the West to democracy; although, the war had not been simply a conflict between democracy and Nazism. The Soviet Union was victorious in Eastern Europe, and that set the stage for the Cold War that would soon emerge. Moreover, World War II called into question the West’s assumptions of superiority based on advances in technology and science, as those advances had unleashed both the horrors of the Holocaust and the atom bomb. As the era of the European empires came to an end in the 1960s, the United States and the Soviet Union vied for influence over the newly independent states, and, so, Cold War concerns became entangled with nationalist independence struggles. The European nations hoped to use their empires to enhance their power in the new international order, and they regarded their empires as economically crucial in the hard times that followed World War II. However, that war had strengthened the nationalist independence movements in the colonies. Decolonization was often entangled with the Cold War, which only became hot in developing countries where superpower rivalries intersected with nationalist conflicts. Cold War concerns helped shape postwar society in Western Europe. Europe’s economies further integrated, and political centrism became the chief characteristic of political life. More importantly, material prosperity returned to Western Europe. Economic prosperity brought the import of non-European goods and pulled immigrants and women into the workforce. Affluence permitted more young people to pursue higher education as well. One of the most important cultural trends of postwar Europe was the increasing influence of the United States on European culture. The United States dominated scientific research and popular culture. Unprecedented prosperity allowed higher education systems to expand, and by the later 1960s, university campuses were becoming the center of powerful political protests and demonstrations. Much of this discontent focused on the ideas of the New Left, which declared that ordinary people possessed little power and warned that expanding state and corporate power threatened the individuality and independence of the ordinary citizen. Student protestors, influenced by New Left thinkers, demanded the right of ordinary people to participate in the structures that determined their lives. The Cold War was an ideological encounter. The Soviet Union’s claims to being democratic, and communist reformers’ hopes of social justice and political equality, might develop, were crushed along with the Prague Spring. Meanwhile, democracy took firm root in Western Europe, but the idea that Europe was truly democratic was challenged by the protests of the late 1960s. Supplemental Reading Supplemental Readings are provided in the below links:  Timeline of the Soviet Union (BBC)  Khrushchev biography (PBS)  Wilson Center Digital Archive 22. Structuralism 23. The Resistance 24. Third Reich 25. Third World 26. Truman Doctrine 27. Vichy regime 28. Warsaw Pact  Submit Assignment 3: (Read the Theory in Action on page 123. Write a 7 page paper in APA format.) The research paper should include the following sections. You will also need to create a sample Balance Scorecard to support your research and recommendations. Cover page Introduction – (Thesis statement and Purpose of paper) Background – Background and History on the concept Discussion – Discuss current issues, innovation, and future use. Support the topic with any necessary sources. Be sure to include in-text citations. Conclusion – Summary of main points References – Formatted using APA

Paper For Above instruction

The aftermath of World War II marked a profound transformation in the geopolitical landscape and societal structures of the Western world and beyond. This paper aims to explore the causes, developments, and consequences of World War II, along with how the war reshaped the West, the onset of the Cold War, and the subsequent decolonization and political shifts across Europe and the world. Through an analysis of the wartime strategies, ideological confrontations, and postwar economic and political developments, it underscores the complex interplay of nationalism, technological innovation, ideological rivalries, and economic policies that defined the mid-twentieth century.

Introduction

The purpose of this paper is to examine the profound impact of World War II on the political, social, and economic fabric of the Western world and to analyze how the war’s aftermath set the stage for the Cold War, decolonization, and global geopolitical realignments. The central thesis posits that the war was not merely a conflict over territory or ideology but a turning point that fundamentally redefined the international order, social structures, and ideological beliefs of the 20th century.

Background

The roots of World War II stem from the unresolved tensions and political destabilization following World War I. The Treaty of Versailles (1919) sought to impose penalties and territorial adjustments on Germany but failed to create a durable peace. The carved-up borders in Central and Eastern Europe did not satisfy nationalist aspirations, fostering resentment and instability. Meanwhile, the League of Nations proved ineffective in preventing aggression, notably during the Japanese invasions and Hitler’s territorial ambitions. The Great Depression further destabilized the global economy, encouraging territorial expansion as a means of economic salvation and exacerbating international tensions. Hitler’s rise to power in Germany, marked by aggressive rearmament and territorial annexations, was facilitated by these unstable conditions, setting the stage for conflict.

Discussion

The war unfolded through a combination of technological innovations, including blitzkrieg tactics used by Nazi Germany and the extensive use of mechanized forces that revolutionized warfare. The Axis powers’ initial successes resulted from rapid, mechanized advances and strategic coordination. The conflict expanded geographically, involving Asia through Japanese expansionism, which drew the United States into the war after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. Allied strategies relied heavily on the industrial and military superiority of the United States and the Soviet Union, culminating in significant victories in Europe and the Pacific by 1943-1945.

One of the war’s darkest chapters was the Holocaust, orchestrated by Nazi Germany, which aimed to annihilate the Jewish population of Europe—the "Final Solution." This genocide resulted in the murder of six million Jews and countless other victims, representing one of history’s most horrific crimes. The war also introduced the atomic bomb, which abruptly ended the war in the Pacific and shifted the global balance of power.

Post-war, the geopolitical landscape was radically altered. Europe faced devastation and economic upheaval, prompting initiatives like the Marshall Plan, which aimed to rebuild and stabilize European economies. The division between the Soviet-led Eastern bloc and the Western democracies crystallized into the Cold War, characterized by ideological rivalry, nuclear arms race, and political tensions.

The Cold War profoundly influenced global politics, with the United States adopting policies of containment to prevent the spread of communism, exemplified by the Truman Doctrine and NATO alliances. Decolonization also accelerated during this period, as many colonies sought independence, often entangling these struggles with Cold War rivalries. These geopolitical shifts led to new configurations of power, with the emergence of the Third World as a battleground for influence between superpowers.

In Europe, economic recovery was driven by integration efforts such as the European Economic Community, laying the groundwork for the European Union. Politically, Western Europe experienced a shift toward centrism and prosperity, while cultural exchanges with the United States increased, influencing social and political trends, including protests and the rise of the New Left in the 1960s. These movements challenged existing political norms and called for more democratic participation, criticizing the concentration of power in state and corporate sectors.

Conclusion

The aftermath of World War II was characterized by a complex reordering of the global order driven by technological advances, ideological conflicts, and economic recovery efforts. The war’s horrors, particularly the Holocaust and nuclear destruction, underscored the necessity for international cooperation and control of destructive technology. The Cold War emerged as an ideological and geopolitical contest between the United States and the Soviet Union, shaping international relations for nearly half a century. Decolonization and regional conflicts further transformed the ideological landscape, leading to the rise of new independent nations and shifting global influence. This period of reconstruction and rivalry fundamentally reshaped the political, economic, and cultural landscape of the modern world, emphasizing the importance of diplomacy, cooperation, and human rights in the pursuit of peace and stability.

References

• Abrams, E. (1993). The Impact of the Holocaust. Yale University Press.
• Gaddis, J. L. (2005). The Cold War: A New History. Penguin Press.
• Kershaw, I. (2015). Hitler: A Biography. W. W. Norton & Company.
• Leffler, M. P. (1992). A Preponderance of Power: National Security, the Truman Presidency, and the Cold War. Stanford University Press.
• Millett, A. R., & Murray, W. (2010). A War to Be Won: fighting the Second World War. Harvard University Press.
• Roberts, G. (2004). The geopolitics of decolonization. Routledge.
• Shirer, W. L. (1960). The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. Simon & Schuster.
• Ulam, A. B. (1989). The Cold War: A New History. HarperCollins.
• Woods, C. (2003). The Globalizers: The IMF, the World Bank, and Their Borrowers. Cornell University Press.
• Young, C. (1996). The Post-Cold War World: Turbulence and Change in World Politics Since the Cold War. Polity Press.