World War 1

AKA “The Great War”

1914-1918
“Woe to the man who sets Europe ablaze, who first
throws a match into the powder barrel!” --German
general Moltke, 1890

[What were the causes of WWI? In what way did his

metaphor come true? In your opinion, was WWI
inevitable?]
 Identify the
long term and
short term
causes of
World War 1
Relative Peace
● Europe had had relative peace for some time
● First modern Olympics in 1896 - bringing people together
● Universal Peace Conferences of 1899 and 1907
○ First formal acknowledgements of international law, and how to conduct war and treatment of
prisoners
● Nobel Peace Prize established in 1901
Competing Predictions
“The future belongs to
peace” “I shall not live to see
- Frederic Passy, the Great War, but you
economist and first will see it”
winner of the Nobel - Otto von Bismarck
Peace Prize
But Danger Lurked in the Shadows
• While there was peace, there was also great distrust in Europe
• Treaties were signed pledging to defend each other
• Idea: to become such a powerful force that no one would DARE attack
• Reality: Just the Opposite
Long term causes
There were four M.A.I.N. reasons

● Militarism
● Alliances
● Imperialism
● Nationalism
Militarism
● Countries didn’t expect peace to last
● When war started they wanted to have the strongest
army
● Arms race - a competitive build up of armed forces -
took place, each country trying to become more
deadly than rivals
● As armies grew, countries grew more suspicious of
enemies
● Peace had been so long, people didn’t remember how
horrible war was
Militarism - Glorification of War
● War becomes Romantic
● Men now strive to go:
○ gallantly into battle
○ on their noble steed
○ Blaring Trumpets!
○ Cavalry Charges!
Alliances
● Alliances were agreements between countries to
support each other in war
● Series of agreements meant if 1 country went to war,
all of a sudden many others were dragged in...as
those were dragged in others were too…
● Two main alliances...
Triple Alliance
Germany, Italy, Austria-Hungary

● Germany and Austria-Hungary had shared

history and language
● Austria needed help dealing with the Balkans,
and Germany was the strongest army
● Italy bordered both, and wanted to be on their
side if anything went down
● All promised to support each other if any
were attacked
Triple Entente
Britain, France, Russia

● Entente is a less formal alliance

● Didn’t have a formal agreement to go to war if any
others were attacked, but it was implied
These alliances made countries feel more powerful and secure, but also made them
especially distrustful of countries not in their alliance
Fun Fact: All These Leaders were
Related
King George V of England, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, Kaiser Wilhelm II were all first
cousins!

King George V and his Kaiser Wilhelm II and

cousin, Tsar Nicholas II cousin George V
Imperialism
● Competition for overseas territory sparked rivalry
between countries
● Small conflicts between different groups further
ignited rivalries
● Imperialism also required big armies
● Britain and France solidified allyship
● Germany isolated and late - jealous of British and
French territory
Nationalism
● Nations encouraged pride in themselves
● Used propaganda to blame other countries for any problems
they faced
● Children were taught that a country’s army size determined
how good the country was
● Some groups wanted independence, and willing to fight for
it
Nationalism
• National Pride very strong for Germans and French
• French want Alsace and Lorraine back
• Russia : ideas called Pan-Slavism
• Felt as if they were the largest Slavic country
• Shared Nationality with others
• Needed to defend all Slavic people
• Serbia – young Slavic nation
Ethnic Nationalism
Nationalism
• Austria-Hungary feared extreme nationalist rebellions
• Ottoman Turks feel threatened by Serbia
• Serbian National State could take Turkish Lands
• 1912 – many Balkan States attack and take Turkish lands
• 1913 – Balkan States begin to feud over these lands
• Was all but the straw that broke the camel’s back
• Called the “Powder keg” of Europe
The Powder Keg Ignites
Serbia vs. Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary

Serbia
Short Term Cause: Assassination
● Franz Ferdinand was heir to Austrian-Hungarian
throne
● Visiting Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia
○ Bosnia was under Austrian rule, but home to many Slavs
● Assassinated during a parade by a Serbian
nationalist - mad that Serbia had been taken back
by Austria-Hungary
Short Term Cause: Assassination
● Franz Ferdinand was heir to Austrian-Hungarian
throne
● Visiting Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia
○ Bosnia was under Austrian rule, but home to many Slavs
● Assassinated during a parade by a Serbian
nationalist - mad that Serbia had been taken back
by Austria-Hungary
Retaliation
• Francis Joseph was astounded by the news
• Austrian Government saw this as reason to CRUSH Serbia
• Germany pledged its unconditional support
• Austria sent an Ultimatum
• End all anti-Austrian agitation and punish any Serbian official who was involved
in the murder plot
• Austria is also allowed to join in the Investigation
• Serbia did not agree to All of the terms…but most
• Because of the non-compliance of Serbia, Austria declared war on Serbia
• July 28, 1914
Alliances Kick in
• Serbia Turns to Russia For Help
• The great Protector of the Slavic States
• Russia Asks Kaiser Wilhelm to soften the
demands
• No response
• Russia Mobilizes
• Response:Aug 1, 1914 Germany declares
war on Russia
The French
• Russia Looked to France for help
• Many French saw the opportunity for retribution for themselves from the Franco-
Prussian War
• With doubts French leaders back Russia
• Germany told France “Stay Out”
• They said no
• Germany declares war on France
Schlieffen Plan
● Schlieffen Plan
● Plan by Alfred von Schlieffen’ - Germany defeats France in 6 weeks & then attack
Russia.

● Plan Fails. Why?

○ Germany met strong resistance in Belgium
○ Russia mobilized quicker than expected
● Germany abandoned plan.
Germany Invades Belgium
● Early August battle lines were hardening
● Britain and Italy – still uncommitted
● Italy wished to remain neutral for Now
● British had their minds made up for them by the Germans
Western Front, Attrition, and
Stalemate
● Western Front war turns into a long conflict along
the border between France and Germany
● Stalemate
○ A deadlock in which no side is able to defeat the other
● Trench warfare soon became a war of attrition
○ Wear down the enemy with slow but continual losses of
people, material, land
Italy Side Note
Trench Warfare
Over the top
No man’s land
Trench Warfare
Conditions in the trenches

French soldiers,
Lice
Burying the dead
New Technologies
• Air Power
• 1915: first use of airplanes on the battle-front
• German use of zeppelins
• Tanks
• 1916: first use of tanks on the battlefield
• Poison Gas (ammonia and mustard gasses)
• Submarines: German U-boats
• Howitzer
• Short cannon used to penetrate concrete
Poison Gas
Unexploded shells, containing deadly musterd gas,
still found in Belgian Houthulst Forest.
Flame throwers
Tanks
Howitzers
Animals in War
Western Front Battles
● Battle of Verdun
- French v. German
- Battle 11 months long
- 305,000 dead
- no gains

● Battle of Somme -
- Eng/Fre v. Germ.
- 1 mil. dead -
- Eng/French gained 5
miles of land
Eastern Front
● Russia suffers massive casualties
● Between 2.8-3.3 million Russians estimated to have
been killed
● Russia hadn’t industrialized
○ Army didn’t have enough food, clothing, blankets, weapons
MAIN Causes of War
● Primary sources: Identify which of the MAIN
causes each primary source is (note: it could be
more than 1!)
● Complete the graphic organizer
○ 1. Summarize the issue
○ 2. Give 1 quote as evidence
Monday April 25th Agenda
1. Finish the MAIN Cause worksheet front page
2. Discuss MAIN Causes
3. Outline paragraph
4. Work on research paper assignment
Count off 1-6
Simulation
1. Read through the world summary
2. Read through your country goals
3. Appoint 1 Secretary of State, 1 Assistant SoS, and 2
ambassadors
4. Create a country flag
5. Answer the country and world questions (On
Question 4 change Morovia to Penland)
6. Draft a proposal to the crisis

Tomorrow we work with each other to propose alliances

and solutions
What was the “Spark” That ignited
the War? Who was involved?
Write in complete sentences
Schlieffen Plan
● Schlieffen Plan
● Plan by Alfred von Schlieffen’ - Germany defeats France in 6 weeks & then attack
Russia.

● Plan Fails. Why?

○ Germany met strong resistance in Belgium
○ Russia mobilized quicker than expected
● Germany abandoned plan.
Attrition and Stalemate
● Stalemate
○ A deadlock in which no side is able to defeat the other
● Trench warfare soon became a war of attrition
○ Wear down the enemy with slow but continual losses of
people, material, land
New Technologies
• Air Power
• 1915: first use of airplanes on the battle-front
• German use of zeppelins
• Tanks
• 1916: first use of tanks on the battlefield
• Poison Gas (ammonia and mustard gasses)
• Submarines: German U-boats
• Howitzer
• Short cannon used to penetrate concrete
Animals in War
Western Front Battles
● Battle of Verdun
- French v. German
- Battle 11 months long
- 305,000 dead
- no gains

● Battle of Somme -
- Eng/Fre v. Germ.
- 1 mil. dead -
- Eng/French gained 5
miles of land
Eastern Front
● Russia suffers massive casualties
● Between 2.8-3.3 million Russians estimated to have
been killed
● Russia hadn’t industrialized
○ Army didn’t have enough food, clothing, blankets, weapons
Total War
Total War
- all people & resources devoted to war effort
- conscription - the draft
- censorship of the press
- propaganda - spreading of ideas to promote a cause or damage an opposing cause
WORLD War
U.S. Involvement
● Lusitania sunk by German U-boat
● Unpaid loan to France and Britain
● The Zimmerman Telegram: Germany would
help Mexico regain territory lost to the U.S.
● U.S. declares war April 6th, 1917. The vote
was 90-6 in the Senate, and 373-50 in the
House.
Trench Warfare and New
Technology Reading
Which Country Was to Blame for
Starting
Finish the sentence: World War 1?

______ caused World War 1 because _________

Destruction of the War

Village of Esnes in France

The Big 3 (Italy doesn’t count)

Woodrow Wilson David Lloyd-George Great

USA Britain

Georges Clemenceau France

Goals: France
1. Security
2. Revenge
3. Reparations

France had been hit particularly hard during the war and
wanted revenge

Thought Germany should pay

Make sure Germany could not invade France in the future

Goals: Great Britain
● Publicly talked up punishing Germany
● Privately knew GB needed to trade with Germany
● Cared more about preventing communism from spreading
out of Russia
○ Strong German army could help with that…
Goals: United States
● Fairness
● Some blame to Germany, but not too much - didn’t want
Germany to be resentful (cough foreshadowing cough)
● League of Nations - international organization that would
settle disputes
● Didn’t really have the support of the American people
It begins with the end
● The Treaty of Versailles set the stage for
totalitarianism and World War 2
○ Totalitarianism is when a single dictator and their party has
complete control over every aspect of people’s lives, there is
no opposition
 Germany is the BRAT
The rest of the world places the blame for World War 1 completely on Germany

In the treaty they have to:

● Accept Blame for the war. Accepting blame justified the other punishments
● Pay Reparations 6.6 million pounds (roughly $480 billion in today’s money)
● Germany could only have 100,000 people in the Army, and only 6 ships in Navy.
No troops in the Rhineland
● Germany lost Territory
How do you think Germany
responded
Write 3-4 sentences to the Treaty?
“I think Germany responded…”
Kid in a Candy Store
A mother took her 5 year old son into a candy store. The boy asked his mother if
he could have some candy, and she said he couldn’t. So the boy cried and threw a
tantrum, and demanded some candy. The mother didn’t want people to stare, so
she bought some candy. The boy ate the candy and asked the mother for more.
His mother said no, and he started to cry again.

What should the mother do? Why?

 The Second World War:
Predicting European Responses

To accompany TCI activity

WH - 4.2
Recap Treaty of Versailles: BRAT
 1924/5 – Dawes Plan & Locarno Treaty

k
1933 – Hitler becomes Chancellor
1935 – Germany begins to re-arm
and rebuild military
1935 – Mussolini invades Ethiopia;
League of Nations?
1936 – Germany occupies
demilitarized Rhineland
1936 – Hitler & Mussolini back Franco
in Spanish Civil War
1936 – Rome-Berlin Axis
1936 – Anti-Comintern Pact
A 1943 German propaganda
booklet, explains among other
things: "Scholars today do not
agree on the racial origins of the
Japanese people. It is important
to know that the present racial
composition of the Japanese
people has been fixed since about
the time of Christ.“ The samurai
are also mentioned favorably.
http://www.calvin.edu/academic/cas/gpa/japan.htm
1937 – Japan invades
China
1938 – The Anschluss
1938 – Hitler occupies the
Sudetenland
Draw Axis Advance
 Event 1: The
Czechoslovakia Crisis
Event 2: The Munich Pact
 Quotes: Chamberlain vs. Churchill

“ I believe it is peace for our time… peace with honor.”

-- Chamberlain, Oct. 1938

Vs.

“We have sustained a defeat without a war.”

-- Churchill, Oct., 1938

[Who was right? Why? What happened?]

Event 3: Invasion of
Poland
Political Cartoon
Political Cartoon
Event 4: Invasion of France
Draw Axis Advance
Event 5:
Battle of
Britain
The Blitz
 Event 6:
Invasion of the
Soviet Union
Draw Axis Advance
1942 German Occupation
German Occupation 1942
Event 7: Operation Overload
same
Map Invasions
Stations Activity
Agenda 5/3
1. Read the Hitler speech and answer the questions - 25 minutes
a. Remember to annotate and highlight
2. Discuss as a table - 5 min
3. Go over as a class - 5 min
4. Work on research project
After World War 1
Many people in colonies in Africa and the Middle East helped the Allies during World War
1.

How do you predict they would expect to be treated after the war?
Big Question
How did nationalism contribute to changes in Africa and the Middle East following World
War 1?

Key terms:

Apartheid

Pan-Africanism

Negritude movement

Pan-Arabism

Balfour Declaration
Resisting Colonial Rule in Africa
● By WW1 nearly all of Africa was a European colony
○ Europeans forced Africans off land, collected high taxes, limited travel
● More than 1 million Africans fought for their colonial rulers during World War 1
○ Expected to gain some equality by fighting
● It didn’t happen, Europeans tightened their grip
● For example, established systems of segregation like apartheid in South Africa
Africa for Africans
● In response, a movement known as Pan-Africanism grew
● Focused on the unity of Africans and people of African descent
around the world
● 1919 in Paris (same time as the Allies holding their peace
conference) the first Pan-African conference
● Delegates from African colonies, West Indies, and U.S. demanded
Europe establish rights for Africans
○ They were ignored
Broken Promises
As a table: have you ever experienced a broken
promise? Maybe a parent or friend?

What did it feel like?

Is there any way to make up for it?

How does it affect the relationship?

Middle East During WW1
● Great Britain promised Arab independence if they
joined the fight against the Ottoman Empire
● A year later WW1 Allies signed the Sykes-Picot
agreement
○ Agreed to split the Ottoman Empire up
○ Decided by Great Britain and France
● A year AFTER that the British government promised
Palestine as a Jewish home
● They essentially promised this land to three different
groups
Primary Sources
You have 5 documents

Documents 1-3: Pick ONE and complete the “Tweet this” assignment

Documents 4-5: Pick ONE and complete the SOAPSTONE

Election Today!
We are going to vote for a classroom leader - Il Supremo

This person will have complete control over the class

What we study, how much work we do, kicking people out

Please silently fill out your ballot and return it to the bin
Election Results
● Was this democratic?
● What type of government holds these type of elections?
● Any examples?
● How do you think this type of government comes to power?
Democracies Between the Wars
“In the aftermath of World War 1, many observers believed that a new age of democratic
government had dawned. All of the new states of Central and Eastern Europe had become
democracies. In East Asia, Japan also appeared to be making the transition to democracy.
But during the 1920’s the democratic flame began to flicker, and in the 1930’s it
threatened to die out almost completely. Instead of an age of democracy, the interwar
years, to a large extent, became an era of dictatorship.

- Michael J. Lyons, World War II: A Short History

Count off 1-4
Sit with your groups

You are going to read about one of these countries.

As you read together, highlight important ideas, words, and concepts.

Teaching Groups
At least 1 representative from each reading

Answer the questions and share the information about your regime

Everyone should fill out the graphic organizer

Thoughts?
● What were the similarities among these regimes?
● What were the differences?
○ What was unique about Japan?
● How did Italy’s fascism and Germany’s Nazism differ?
● Why do you think these regimes had so much support?
Paragraph
Do you think a totalitarian state could arise in the United States? Why or why not?
Brain Dump What do you know about World War 2?
 Reminder: Germany Blamed
Treaty forced them to:

● Accept Blame for the war. Accepting blame justified the

other punishments
● Pay Reparations 6.6 million pounds (roughly $480 billion
in today’s money)
● Germany could only have 100,000 people in the Army,
and only 6 ships in Navy. No troops in the Rhineland
● Germany lost Territory
German Response
● The German economy was crushed, and the Great
Depression a few years later hurt it even more
● People unemployed, no money, and blamed the rest of
Europe
● Angry and embarrassed at losing territory they thought
belonged to them
● Government falling apart
● Opportunity for a new leader to seize power
Hitler’s Rise to Power
Hitler: Origin Story
● Hitler fought in World War 1 - he won 5 medals
● Heartbroken by surrender - became an extreme
nationalist
● Felt the army was betrayed by the public and politicians
● After war joined the German Workers Party, quickly rose
the ranks
○ Name changed to the National Socialist German Workers Party
aka Nazis
● Arrested trying to lead a rebellion
Failed Art
Hitler: Origin Story
● While in prison he wrote Mein Kampf (“My Struggle”)
detailing his political ideology and racial beliefs
● Book was popular, and made him a popular politician
promising to make Germany a great nation again
● By 1932 the Nazi party had 30% of the national vote
● Bringing glory back to Germany
● Blamed Jews and Communists for all of Germany’s
problems
 Rise of Hitler 3. German economy tanks. People lose jobs,
1.Germany had to pay reparation due to the money becomes worthless, things become
Treaty of Versailles…but France had taken expensive
the German land that made the most money

4. Turn to a leader who

promised to fight the
2. Decide to just print up a bunch of money Treaty of Versailles and
to pay France fix their problems
German Money
Totalitarian, Fascist Leader of the
Nazi Party
Broke the Treaty of
Versailles by building up
Believed that the
Germans were a
superior race
the military...this gives
people lots of jobs in (Aryan Race) and
factories had right to rule
those inferior
Everyone had a job
under Hitler and was
getting paid. Brought Took away rights
the economy up and from Germans
made it strong again that were Jewish
with the
Nuremberg Laws
Used secret police (more on that later
(Nazi SS) to hunt with the
down anyone against Holocaust)
him
What is Fascism
Fascist Leaders

Benito Mussolini, “Il Duce”

Leader of Italy
Takes power with his followers,
the Black Shirts
Germany and
Italy have an
alliance
Seizing power
● In 1933 Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany
● A few weeks later the German Parliament, called
the Reichstag, burned down
● Hitler blamed communists and used this event to
seize more power
○ Outlawed opposition parties
○ Suspended individual rights
○ Set the stage for total power
● Evidence suggests his party actually set the fire - a
term called “false flag”
 Breaking the Treaty
● Hitler starts breaking the Treaty of Versailles
● 1936 - puts military troops back in the Rhineland
● 1938 takes Sudetenland
● Europe is concerned, leaders meet and agree to the Munich
Pact
● Great Britain, France, and others offer appeasement (giving
someone something so they leave you alone) and giving
Germany more land
● Showed Hitler that he could do whatever he wanted
Deal with the Soviets
● August 1939
● Soviet Union and Germany agree not to fight each
other
● Non-Aggression pact
German Blitzkrieg
● After appeasement Germany sets sights on all of
Europe
● Invade Poland, violating the Munich Agreement
● Britain, France (Allies) declare war
● Germany uses blitzkrieg (lightning) to overwhelm
opponents
● Quickly begin winning territory and overwhelming
allies
Who’s Fighting
Allies Axies

VS agreed to not
interfere in
each other’s
territory
expansion and
fight
communism as
part of the
Rome-Berlin-
Tokyo Axis
Turning Point 1: Stalingrad
● Hitler gets greedy and wants the Soviet Union’s natural
resources. Also, he hates communism.
● Breaks the Nazi-Soviet Pact
● Why is this important? USSR joins the Allies and they are
able to start making the German’s retreat
● Average Life span of a Russian soldier during Stalingrad -
24 hours
● 2 million total casualties
Who’s Fighting
Allies Axies

VS
Turning Point #2: Pearl Harbor
● Japanese surprise attack the United States at Pearl Harbor.

● Why? The U.S. stopped trading war supplies to Japan after

they invaded China AND Japan felt the U.S. was a threat to
the safety of their Pacific empire

● Why is this important? Brings the U.S. into WWII

Who’s Fighting
Allies Axies

VS
Turning Point 3: Italy KO’d
Allies invade Italy from the South. Italians
surrender and rebel against Mussolini.

Why is this important? Hitler has to send

more forces to protect Italy from the Allies,
stretching his forces thinner
Remember Mussolini, the Italian fascist leader from earlier?
After the people rebelled against him, they executed him in
the street, then hung his body from a lamp post.
 Who’s Fighting
Allies Axies

VS

Italian resistance
Turning Point #4: D-Day, June 6
1944
Allied invasion of France at Normandy beach

The Allies (U.S., France, Great Britain) had to break

back into Europe to fight Germany

Why is this important? Allies break through, free

France, and Germany starts retreating. This is the
beginning of the end for Germany!
 Hitler’s military was spread out too much. Fighting
the Allies in a 3-Front war (Soviet Union in the East, Very little oil. This meant that
US/England/France in the West and South most planes and tanks were not
able to be used at all!

Nazi Germany
surrenders on May 7,
Factories were bombed! Couldn’t produce
Reasons Nazi Germany 1945! War in Europe is
much supplies to fight
over.
loses World War II
The War is Over!!!
Oh wait that’s right
War in asia
● Great Depression made Japanese people distrustful of
government
● Supported a stronger military
● General Tojo takes control, Emperor becomes just a
figurehead
● Plan to fix their country by creating an overseas empire
● Japan and China at war since 1936 over territory
Sino-Japanese War
● Japanese army quickly beats Chinese army
● Japan captured most of the north, Chinese government retreats
● Japan commits massacres in Nanjing in 1937
● 100,000-300,000 civilians murdered
● 20,000 people raped
● Men beheaded and murdered in the streets
● Japanese press amplified it - covering “contests” between
Japanese soldiers
● Viewed the Chinese as “less than human”
Japan and United states
● United States and Russia side with China
● Trade restrictions and oil embargoes on Japan, further
hurting the economy
● Japan knew they would have to fight, decided to use act
of surprise
● Launched a surprise attack on the United States in
December 1942 to bring the United States into the war,
and make a true World War
Island Hopping
Island-hopping!
Strategy of “hopping” (taking
over) one island at a time
getting closer to Japan

Japan loses strength and

resources with every island lost

STARTS HERE!
(at Pearl Harbor)
 U.S. Decision
Invasion? Bomb?

OR

900 American soldiers were dying a day on average fighting Japan,

need to do a D-Day Normandy style of invasion, and Japanese
showed they would never surrender. The Battles of Iwo Jima and Save many American lives by not
Okinawa proved how Japan would not give up and caused major
going into battle, but thousands of
deaths for the American military
Japanese civilians would die
U.S. Chooses Bomb
Bomb #1: Bomb #2:

Location-Hiroshima Location-Nagasaki

Date-August 6, 1945 Date-August 9, 1945

Kills 70,000 people Kills 40,000 people

Japan does not surrender

Japan surrenders on on September 2, 1945 and

World War II is officially over
Before the Bomb

After the Bomb

 *The Atomic bombs
killed an initial 110,000
Japanese, but this
does not include the
many that will die due
to radiation sickness

The “shadow”
of an atomic
bomb victim
In the End
The Axis Powers were officially defeated, but due to the large amount of
damage in Europe, most countries lost a lot of power

Two countries that emerge as the most powerful after WWII: United
States and Soviet Union

These two nations will control world affairs for the next 45 years in the
COLD WAR!!(we’ll get to that…)
Do all humans
have rights?
Profile of a Victim - 10 min
Read about one of the victims

Highlight the major events that impacted that person’s life during the Holocaust

Share a brief biography of your person with your table

The Holocuast
What we will learn:

- What was the Holocaust

- How and why did it happen?
KWL - 5 min
Fill in the first two columns of the chart

What do you know about the Holocaust right now

What do you think you will, or want to, learn

At the bottom, write your own definition of the Holocaust.

Share together, come up with a table definition

The Holocaust
The systematic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of approximately six million
European Jews by the Nazi regime and its collaborators in the years leading up to and
during World War II. During the era of the Holocaust (1933-1945), German authorities
also targeted other groups because of their perceived “racial inferiority.” Roma (Gypsies),
disabled persons, and some of the Slavic peoples (Poles, Russians, others). Other groups
were persecuted on political, ideological, and behavioral grounds, among them
Communists, Socialists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and LGBTQ peoples.
Read your Assigned Article
Highlight the main ideas and important terms

Share with someone at your desk with the other article

Write down 3 bullet points of the most important information from each article
Who is Responsible for the
Atrocities offor wartime
Are individuals responsible the atrocities
Holocaust?
if they have obeyed the laws of their
nation?

Write down 3-4 sentences:

“I believe ___ is responsible because…”

“Individuals who follow orders are ____ because_ __”

End of the War - Yalta and Potsdam
● Yalta Conference
○ U.S., U.K., and USSR agree to accept an unconditional German
surrender
○ Demilitarize Germany
○ Remove all traces of the Nazi party from Germany
● Potsdam Conference
○ All German territory captured during the war returned
○ German industry for military production dismantled
○ Austria and Germany divided into zones of military occupation
What to do with the Nazis
 Nuremberg Trials
● First international tribune to put individuals on trial for actions they committed during
a military conflict
● Why trials (and not immediate executions)?
○ Create a precedent in international law- Wanted to send a message to potential
future Hitlers
○ Create moral precedents- Did not want to descend to the Nazis’ level, but
wanted to have the perpetrators be found guilty through due process
○ Collate (collect and combine) historical record- Nazis’ massive paper trail would
become a record for historians, teachers, and future generations
The Charges
● Crimes Against Peace: planning,
preparation, initiation or waging of a
war of aggression OR participation in
a common plan for the
accomplishment of the following
crimes
● War Crimes: violations of the laws/
customs of war, including murder, use
of slave labor, ill-treatment of
prisoners of war, theft of private
property, deliberate destruction of
civilian areas
● Crimes against Humanity: murder,
enslavement, deportation, torture,
rape, and other inhumane acts
committed against any civilian
population
Herman Göring
Results
● 12 Nazis were sentenced to death / 1 committed suicide / 1 was mentally unfit
● 3 got life in prison
● 4 got terms ranging from 10-20 years
● 3 were acquitted
● Some moved to US / some got killed in Germany / some went to S. America
 Trial Criticisms
● The defendants did not have a say in the selection of the judges and could not appeal
the appointment of any of the justices
● Defendants were prosecuted for charges that had never before been legally defined
● Many claimed that the charges were created after they were committed
● Victor’s Justice
○ The Allies were accused by some of being as guilty of certain war crimes as the Nazis they put on trial
○ The Soviets committed atrocities against the Eastern European nations they occupied, and launched an
aggressive war of conquests
○ The United States interned thousands of innocent Japanese Americans…startlingly reminiscent of Nazi
prison camps
On Trial: Julius Streicher
● Julius Streicher was a newspaper owner
● Owned Der Sturmer
● Published obscene, antisemitic, racist depictions
● Called for the extermination of Jews
● Readership exceeding 500,000
 On Trial: Julius Streicher, the
Charges
Count Two: Crimes against Peace Planning, preparation, initiation or waging of a war of aggression;
or war in violation of international agreements; or participation in a conspiracy to commit war crimes
or crimes against humanity.

Count Four: Crimes against Humanity Murder, extermination, enslavement, deportation and other
inhumane acts committed against any civilian population before or during the war; persecution on
political, racial or religious grounds, whether or not in violation of the domestic law of the country
where perpetrated.
On Trial: Julius Streicher
● Read through the evidence - from both the prosecution and
defense
● For each piece of evidence write down the most compelling
fact
● Finally, would you find him guilty or innocent?
○ Why?
Holocaust
What do you know?

What do you want to know?

What do you wonder?

Jewish life in germany 1920s 30s
https://www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/gallery/pre-war-jewish-life-eastern-europe

Pick 1 picture and answer:

1) This picture reminds me of _____ (story/book/movie etc) because ___

2) I identify with this photo because of something in my life
3) What I see makes me think about _____