Online Textbook for History 1112

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this lesson, students should be able to:

• Summarize the hegemony of the European powers from 1880 to 1914, recognizing the competition for new territory and political sway that preceded World War I.
• Recognize the new role of the United States in world affairs after the Spanish-American War of 1898, in which America emerged victorious.
• Note the influence and effect on Europe of the Russo-Japanese War in 1904-05, which ended in Russia’s defeat. 
• List and analyze the many causes of World War I, from the complex system of alliances to the ethnic differences in Europe.
• Describe the major battles and pattern of warfare in World War I and how the entrance of the United States into the conflict shifted the balance of power.
• Explain the importance of the “homefront” in the war and examine the moving artistic and literary pieces created during World War I.
• Detail the terms of the peace treaty at Versailles and the effects of severe reparations that contributed to the economic collapse of Germany and worldwide economic depression.   
• Explain the meaning of fascism and describe the rise of this form of government in Spain, Italy, and Germany after World War I. 
• Describe the formation of the Axis powers and their acquisition of new territories as other nations such as Britain sought to prevent another global war. 
• Provide details on major battles, strategies, and events of World War II, including efforts on the homefront, resistance work behind Axis lines of power, and the entry of the United States into the war in December 1941.
• Explain the Holocaust, an organized and systematic effort to destroy Jews and other persons, and how an event of such horror could occur.
• List new inventions and technology that was employed in World War II, including the atomic bomb and the ethical issues surrounding its use.
• Summarize the peace accords between the Allies and Axis powers at the conclusion of World War II, and detail how the seeds of the Cold War emerged from these peace accords.

Terms to Know

Thought Questions

1. Describe the major causes of World War I, taking an international perspective. How did the "world map" change as a result of the war? Be sure to detail the complex system of political alliances that contributed to the war.
2. 2. Describe the key points of the armistice agreements that ended World War I. Were these settlements too harsh in the treatment of the Central Powers? Why or why not? What were some of the immediate problems of the settlements? 
3. Explain the concept of fascism and why the takeover of Europe by fascist powers eventually drew the US into World War II.
4. How did advances in technology aid the war effort? Why did technology advance so rapidly in World War II? Give specific examples. 
5. Describe the Allied initiative in the North African and European theater, giving specifics on battles and tactics. Be sure to note details on the Battle of Britain, the Allied invasions of Italy and France, and the final days of the war in Europe.
6. How were the Nazis able to take such complete control of all culture in Germany, to the extent that those outside the Nazi party faced brutal treatment? How were the Nazis able to convince Germans and members of the Nazi party to commit such atrocities?
7. Describe the key events of the Russian Revolution. What were the immediate political outcomes? What was the impact of the Bolshevik phase of the revolution? How did the Russian Revolution change Russia in World War I and the role of the Soviet Union in World War II?

Discussion Questions

1. Read the World War I PowerPoint and focus on the poetry. Compare and contrast Rupert Brooke's work (he died in 1915) with that of Wilfred Owen (died in 1918) and Siegfried Sassoon (died in 1967). Why is Brooke's work more hopeful, while that of Owen and Sassoon is more grim and depressing? How do these poets use imagery to appeal to the senses?
2. Read the Zimmerman Telegram (link in syllabus). Was it sufficient justification to involve the US in World War I? Explain why or why not, justifying your answer with clear examples.
3. As explained in the Fourteen Points, what sort of post-war world did Wilson envision?
4. Winston Churchill was renowned for the speeches he gave to rally and inspire the people of Great Britain. What does he say in "Their Finest Hour" that you would find inspiring if your country was inches away from falling into the hands of Nazi Germany?
5. Consider the language Himmler uses in speaking of the "Final Solution" and the Holocaust. How did he frame the Jewish people in the context of his plans to eliminate them? Consider his language and metaphors in your answer. (The audio is frankly terrifying).
6. What occurred during the “Rape of Nanking”? Were the behaviors of the Japanese soldiers towards the Chinese similar in some ways to how the Nazi soldiers treated the Jews? Explain your answer with several examples. 

Further Explorations

The following websites may be useful to you in finding terms, studying for exams, and expanding your knowledge of this lesson's content. 

World War I

• Timeline of World War I
• Poetry of World War I
• Trenches on the Web: An Internet History of The Great War. 
• The First World War  from the British national archives.
• The Great War in Numbers, and sorted casualty figures.
• BBC World War One page.
• Gas warfare: Trenches on the Web
• Photos of the Great War
• The Doughboy Center: the story of the American Expeditionary Forces.
• Project Facade is a look at pioneering facial reconstruction.  
• Specifications on the M1917, which is the American version of the French Renault FT-17.
• The Aerodrome: Aces and Aircraft of World War One.
• WWI Aviation page.
• Timeless Voices of Aviation: Collecting first-person oral history recordings from individuals who have impacted aviation.
• Waterfront Pictures presents two documentaries: 
  • War Birds: Diary of an Unknown Aviator 
  • Lafayette Escadrille. 
• World War I Document Archive
• First World War Official Histories.
• Memoirs, Memorials and Remembrances
• History 119th Infantry, 60th Brigade, 30th Division, U. S. A. Operations in Belgium and France, 1917-1919 
• Music of the Great War.  A midi site with lyrics.
• Slang from the Great War 
• Slang from the Australian Imperial Force.
• Legends and Traditions of the Great War
• The amazing story of WWI Choctaw code-talkers
• "Diggers" and "Doughboys"
• Article: World War One: Misrepresentation of a Conflict.
• Monuments, Memorials, and Cemeteries of the AEF.
• Australian War Memorial home page features extensive information, data, and articles.
• Canadian Virtual War Memorial
• In Flanders Fields Museum

World War II

•  Timeline of World War II
• Timeline of Atomic Bomb Development
• Hyperwar: a hypertext history of the Second World War.
• The Sixth Army Special Reconnaissance Unit, also known as the Alamo Scouts, was a special operations force in the Pacific Theater.
• The Drop Zone: oral histories, e-histories, and photos, by and about America's elite units of WWII.
• Feldgrau.com: Research on the German forces from 1918 -1945.
• Battle of Guadalcanal
• Several American Indian tribal languages were used as codes. 
  • The Navajo Codetalkers are best known, but other Native American nations also contributed. 
• Patton's "Big Speech," delivered June 5, 1944, with commentary.
• Timeless Voices of Aviation: Collecting first-person oral history recordings from individuals who have impacted aviation.
• The story of the Indianapolis tragedy at History.com
• The bombings of (among others) 
  • Hamburg 
  • Dresden
  • Tokyo 
  • Kobe created firestorms 
• US Holocaust Museum
• Holocaust History Project
• Teaching About the Holocaust (University of South Florida)
• About the Holocaust
• The Internet History Sourcebook: The Holocaust

NOTE: From time to time, these web pages may "disappear." Please send an email to library@ega.edu if you find broken links, so they may be replaced.