German inflation
German inflation was an effect of World War 1’s Treaty of Versailles. In the Treaty of Versailles the Allies forced Germany to pay reparations for the war and took away almost all means of paying it back. This resulted in many people being without work and not being able to support their families. The new government wanted to help support their citizens with finical support so they began printing more money. By printing more money Germany’s currency quickly lost its value resulting in prices drastically increasing. This led to people not being able to afford firewood so the burned stacks of money instead.
Fascism
A form of Government where the people are controlled by a dictator who they are not allowed to disagree with. Fascism was the result of Hitler’s uprising.
Rise of Adolf Hitler
Hitler’s rise to power started with beer halls and him recruiting supporters. He along with his supporters tried to take over the government but were imprisoned and sentenced to five years in prison. Hitler was released early due to a sympathetic judge. He then decided that he would need to come to power legally and joined the German Socialist which he transformed into the Nazi party. His book, Mein Kampf, written while in prison was his basic plans and ideas which appealed to many. The Depression gave Hitler a chance to gain more supporters who needed a future to hope for. The Nazi party steadily gained more seats in their parliament and President Hindenburg, needing a successor, appointed Hitler as Chancellor. Hindenburg believed Hitler could be controlled and that he would lead Germany out of the political and economic crisis. Hitler quickly started taking steps toward a dictatorship.
Try to Beat ‘da Bomb in this game about Hitler’s rise to power with the link provided below:
http://www.schoolhistory.co.uk/games/beatdabomb/bomb_riseofhitler.htm
The Great Depression
The Great Depression lasted from 1929-1939 and it was when the economy plummeted. It all began after the stock market crashed in October of 1929. It caused Wall Street to wipe out millions of investors. Failing companies started firing people causing the unemployment rate to increase. Industrial output also declined tremendously. 13 to 15 million Americans were unemployed by 1933. During this, Franklin D. Roosevelt won the presidential election and immediately took action. He created many job opportunities and helped lessen the effects of the Great Depression.
Axis
The alliance opposing the Allies in World War II; included Germany, Italy and Japan. Major battles won include: The Battle of Britain, June 1940, Operation Barbarossa, June 1941, The Battle of Midway, June 1942, and El Alamein, October 1942
Appeasement
Avoid someones anger by obeying their demands. Appeasement was significant in World War II because it allowed Hitler to continue invading other countries, in regards to the Munich Agreement.
If you want to laugh and understand appeasement watch this Little Hitler video with the link provided below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-axJTzj0VU
World War II
Blitzkrieg
Blitzkrieg means “lightning war” and was used by Germany in World War 2. The idea is you surprise attack and use the most destructive weapons first in hopes of ending the conflict quickly. This was first tested on the French armies in WWII Germany succeeded in pushing them back to the beaches of Dunkirk where the british had to come and help evacuate them.
Charles de Gaulle
Started as a French soldier in World War I, and then an exiled leader, and finally became the president of the Fifth Republic from 1959 to 1969. His position as president gave him a tenacious drive that later influenced his political career. At the start of WWII, he led a tank brigade, and was temporarily nominated the brigadier general of the 4th Armored Division in May of 1940. He then became the undersecretary for defense and war for a French leader by the name of Paul Reynaud in June of 1940.
Battle of Britain
In 1940, Germany and Britain air forces fought in the skies above the United Kingdom, stuck in the largest sustained bombing campaign to date. This battle became a significant turning point of World War II. Germany ended the battle when their Luftwaffe failed to gain air superiority over the Royal Air Force despite months of targeting Britain’s air bases.
Pearl Harbor
The Pearl Harbor attack was a surprise attack on America’s naval base at Pearl Harbor by the Japanese. This ultimately brought the United States of America into World War 2. The attack was a huge disaster but it unified the American public together and erased all earlier ideas of neutrality. Over 2,300 men were killed in this attack on an unprepared country.
Anne Frank
Anne Frank (1929-1945) was born in Frankfurt, Germany. Her and her family lived in Amsterdam during WWII and the Holocaust, when they went into hiding. During her hiding she wrote about her experiences. These experiences were journaled and called “The Diary of Anne Frank.” For two years they hid from Nazis persecuting Jews. At the age of 15 she was found and sent to the camps and this camp is the location of her death.
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad lasted from July 17, 1942-February 2, 1943. This battle stopped the German’s advance into the Soviet Union. Casualties of military and civilians due to this battle is nearly 2 million and this was one of the bloodiest battles in history. This ended in favor of the Allies and stopped the German’s advance into the Soviet Union and provided a much needed morale booster for the Allies.
D-Day Invasion
The D-Day Invasion was an invasion by the Allies on to Normandy also called “Operation Overlord”. The Allies attacked on June 6,1944 invading Western Europe on five separate beaches in Normandy, France. This was one of the most celebrated and well known days of World War 2
Auschwitz
Auschwitz was the largest Nazi concentration and death camp. The Nazis bulldozed this area and forced people to move. It was located in Southern Poland and opened in 1940. Jewish people and other enemies of the Nazis were exterminated here, some in gas chambers and others during slave labor. Some prisoners were even used as subjects for medical experiments. During WWII, more than 1 million people died at Auschwitz.
To explore the evolution of Auschwitz and its three camps please enjoy the interactive map provided in the link below:
http://www.pbs.org/auschwitz/maps/#
Final Solution
The “Final Solution” was the Nazi’s plan to cleanse Germany of all Jews. The “Final Solution” had many stages all leading to the final cleansing of Jews. One of the first stages was propaganda and state-enforced racism. At the time of the German invasion of the Soviet Union the Nazis began using mobile killing squads to kill Jewish people. The Nazis started deporting Jews to six main extermination camps. These extermination camps were designed to effectively murder millions of people.
Hiroshima and Nagasaki Bombings
Hiroshima and Nagasaki were both cities in Japan that were bombed during WWII by the United States. On August 6, 1945 at 2:45 a.m., an atomic bomb equivalent to 20,000 tons of TNT was dropped on Hiroshima and killed tens of thousands in this city. A B-29 bomber, the Enola Gay carried this bomb called the “Little Boy.” The bomb exploded 1,900 feet above the city and it caused a mushroom cloud to appear approximately 40,000 feet in height. Two-thirds of Hiroshima was destroyed and shadows imprinted on buildings and hard surfaces. Approximately 70,000 died immediately and another 70,000 died later from radiation five years later. Three days later on August 9, 1945 the U.S. bombed Nagasaki giving the Japanese no time to surrender. At 11:02 a.m., the atomic bomb, “Fat Man,” was dropped and exploded 1,650 feet above the city. Approximately 40% of Nagasaki was destroyed, but luckily for the citizens, the terrain prevented the bomb from doing as much damage. Approximately 70,000 people died by the end of the year though.