HW 19

1. Death Tolls:

• Russia: over 20 million
  
• Poland: 6 million
  
• Germany: 4.2 million
  
• Great Britain: 388,000
  
• China: 2.2 million
  
• Japan: 2 million
  
• France: 600,000
  
• USA: 406,000

2. The USA benefited greatly from the war in terms of economy, since it provided the other Allies with supplies. This helped it become one of the world's new superpowers. Meanwhile, Britain was left with over £3000 million of debt.

3. Many millions of people were forced out of their homes after the war, particularly in Eastern Europe, where the USSR took over German-controlled areas. There was also a large amount of urban redevelopment, as cities that were destroyed in the war had to be rebuilt.

4. The United Nations was formed with the goal of maintaining world peace, and Russia and the United States became competing superpowers.

Why did the Allies win WWII? (Continued)

War Strategies in WWII

United States, Great Britain, Canada, New Zealand, Australia

• Defeat Germany first
• At the same time, the US will fight Japan in the Pacific
• Give aid to USSR to help against the Germans in the East (some debate on how much this helped)
  
• Attack through North Africa and move up through Italy
• US/GB launch an invasion into France, opening a second front
• Weakening Germany through bombing
• Securing N. Atlantic
  

Italy, Germany

• Germany conquers Europe + invades Great Britain
• Germany tries to make Great Britain surrender
• German army hopes to defeat USSR by Fall 1941 and begin colonizing it
• Italy and Germany try to go through North Africa to take the Middle East
• Germany tried to secure oil in the Caucusus Mountains

Japan

• Japan wanted to gain control of SE Asia
• Japan tried to avoid fighting both US and GB at the same time
• Preemptive strike in Hawaii
• Get resources in the Pacific
  

USSR

• Scorched Earth tactics
• Move the factories to safety
• Build up weapons
• Hold off until winter, counterattack

Turning Points

• Stalingrad (USSR vs. Germany)
  
• El Alamein (GB vs. Germany)
  
• Midway (US vs. Japan- Navy, intelligence)
  
• Battle of the Atlantic (US/GB vs. Germany- U-boats, Convoys)
  
• Kursk (Russia vs. Germany- Tanks)
  
• D-Day (US/GB vs. Germany- Largest amphibious assault in history- 9,500 planes, 4,600 ships, 176,000 soldiers)
  

Use of tanks, naval power and air power all changed dramatically since WWI and were all very important factors in the Allied victory in WWII.

HW 18

1. The Allies were able to gain a naval advantage over Japan by breaking Japanese codes, which allowed the Allies to be prepared for battles like the one at Midway. As a result, the Allies won the battle of Midway, which was a turning point in the war.
   
2. Like in the Western front, there was a large amount of aerial bombing in the East. Much of this bombing targeted civilian and industrial areas. The firebombing of various Japanese cities caused terrible damage and left many civilians dead.
   
3. A third reason is the use of the atomic bomb on Japan. The war was ended after the US dropped two atomic bombs targeting the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It is often argued that this method of winning the war was immoral and unnecessary, with some people saying that it was a war crime.
   

Why did the Allies win WWII?

Battle of North Atlantic (1940-1943, Allies win)
Air:

• Air cover for convoys
• Planes could sink submarines
• "Huff Duff"

Sea:

• Use of convoys
• Breaking the "Enigma" code
  

El Alamein/Operation Torch (1942, Allies win)
Air:

• British air bases in Egypt and Palestine
• Sank German supply ships
  

Land:

• Tank warfare
• Helped set up invasion of Italy
• Saved Middle East oil from Germans
  

Sea:

• Saved Suez Canal from Germans

Battle of Stalingrad (1942, Allies win)
Air:

• German effort to supply by air fails
  

Land:

• Very close house-to-house, room-to-room fighting
• Tank battle (USSR tanks encrcle the Germans)
  

Battle of the Coral Sea/Midway/Guadalcanal (1942, Allies win)
Air:

• Use of aircraft carriers
  

Land:

• Fighting took place on the islands
  

Sea:

• US breaks Japanese secret codes
• Allies fought to take back Pacific islands
  

HW 17

1. Germany was fighting in too many different areas at once. Because it was not able to effectively focus its efforts on one front, it was forced to divide its power and fight in various places, including Italy, France, Russia, and Egypt.
2. Declaring war on America seems to have been a terrible mistake for Germany. Once America entered the war, it assisted Britain in the Battle of the Atlantic and the invasions of France and Italy.
   
3. The air war was another reason for Germany's defeat in World War II. Allied bombing had a great effect on Germany's ability to fight the war, causing civilian casualties, damaging Germany's trade and production, and eliminating its resources.
   

HW 16

A.

• Total war: large scale war and destruction, often targeting civilians as well as military forces
  
• Forced labor: People from German-occupied parts of Europe were used by the Germans for slave labor.
  
• Concentration camp: "Enemies of the state" in Germany were forced to live in terrible conditions in concentration camps.
  
• "The final solution": the Nazis' decision to exterminate all the Jews in Europe
  
• Ghettoes: sections of towns in which Jews were forced to live
  
• Extermination camps: Camps designed for the mass murder of Jews
  
• Partisans: armed resistance groups that fought against the Axis
  
• Guerrilla warfare: methods used by resistance groups to make Axis occupation difficult

B.

1. Chinese families in Sunkiang would have been forced to leave their homes because of the Japanese invasion.
   
2. French families would have had to flee from the Germans or live under their rule. They also had the option of participating in the Resistance.
   
3. A soviet aircraft factory worker would have been required to do much more work after the start of the war, building aircraft and bombs.
4. A Jewish person in Germany would have been put in a concentration camp by the Nazis and probably would have been killed as a part of the "final solution."
5. The son of a captured Yugoslav partisan would have likely been taken from his home and placed in a labor camp or children's camp.
   

HW 15

1. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor brought America into World War II and gave Japan control of the Pacific. Also, when America declared war on Japan, Germany declared war on America.
2. Midway Island saw a major naval battle between America and Japan in 1942. This battle exhibited a number of naval tactics as well as the use of aircraft carriers. It also showed how codes could be broken and used against those who created them. The American victory resulted in the destruction of much of Japan's navy, allowing the Allies to take back the Pacific.
3. The Allied victory at El Alamein in 1942 kept Germany out of Egypt and the Suez Canal, pushing it out of North Africa. It also prevented the Axis forces in Ukraine and the Middle East from joining, strengthening the grip of the Allies in that area.
4. The Russian victory at Stalingrad (1942-1943) stopped Germany's plans for the rest of its invasion of Russia and destroyed much of the Nazis' ideology, greatly boosting Russian morale, encouraging them to take back more territory, such as the city of Leningrad.
5. If Britain had continued to lose ships at such a high rate due to U-boats in the Battle of the Atlantic (1942-1943), it may not have been able to stay in the war.
6. The Allied bombing of German and Japanese cities caused large numbers of civilian casualties and made production difficult for the Axis. It also drew German aircraft away from the East, making it easier for Russia to invade Germany.

A.

• Second front: The war in the east, as opposed to the war in Europe.
• Area bombing: The tactic of bombing everything in a target area.
• The Allies: Countries that opposed the Axis. Included Britain, France, the United States, Russia, Australia, and Canada.
• Operation Torch: The British and American invasion of Morocco and Algeria.

B.

• Similar: It was likely hot and uncomfortable in both places. Both battles were Allied attacks on the Axis forces. Both battles involved brutal fighting.
  
• Different: El Alamein was in Egypt, where it was probably dry and flat, while New Guinea was probably humid and mountainous. Fighting in New Guinea probably involved a lot of guerrilla warfare, while the Battle of El Alamein was largely based around tanks.

Class Notes 12/10

Strategies/Practices

3 Air

• Strategic/Area Bombing
• Tactical Bombing
• Formations

2 Naval

• U-boat packs
• Aircraft Carriers
  

1 Question

• What was the strategic value of battleships?

Pearl Harbor

• Dec. 7th 1941
• Preemptive attack surprises the US Navy
  
• 4 Aircraft Carriers were preserved
• Brings US into the war
• Germany declares war on the US
• War becomes global

Battle of the Atlantic

• 1940-1943
• German Submarines versus American + British Navy + Air Force
• German Strategy: starve Britain into submission
• German Tactic: use U-boats
• Convoy systems
  

Comparing and Contrasting Sources

Compare/Contrast the views expressed by Bob Stewart and Robert Mcnamara on Aerial bombing during World War II.

There were a number of similarities between the views of Captain Bob Stewart and former US Defense Secretary Robert Mcnamara on the practice of aerial bombing in World War II. Both people were greatly involved in the fighting of World War II, and they seemed to agree afterward that what they were doing was immoral. They both pointed out that, although there were some military targets designated for aerial bombing missions, those targets were surrounded by areas occupied by civilians, which resulted in large numbers of civilian deaths. There seemed to be a general agreement that this type of area bombing could easily be declared a war crime. Similarly, both men seemed to think that the use of the atomic bomb on Japan was unnecessary, with Captain Stewart even claiming that it was the true beginning of the Cold War. Mcnamara and Stewart both seem to be strictly anti-war. The Fog of War, a documentary film showing some of Mcnamara's thoughts on World War II, presented the amount of destruction due to firebombing in Japan in a shocking way to convey the negative effects of war.

At the same time, there are many differences between the views expressed by the two sources. Mcnamara seems to be convinced that aerial bombing during World War II was very effective and that it was one of the most important practices of the war. Captain Stewart, on the other hand, argued that bombing was not particularly effective and was largely unnecessary. This disagreement may have been caused by the different roles the two men had in fighting the war; Mcnamara did not do any direct fighting but had a more strategic perspective of World War II, while Captain Stewart was a bomber pilot who was more closely involved in the fighting. Mcnamara likely had a larger scale view of the war and thought that the bombing served its purpose on that scale. Captain Stewart, being the one actually doing the bombing, may not have thought that what he was doing was enough to win the war. In addition to this, Mcnamara's view of the war was largely based on the Pacific front, while Captain Stewart only served against Germany.

Primary Source OPVL Excercise

1. Source A: Captain Bob Stewart's presentation provided the class with a first-hand account of WWII, which he experienced as an American bomber pilot. The purpose of the presentation was to help inform students about WWII and to convey his views on the ethics and effectiveness of aerial bombing. Capt. Stewart spoke about the war from a very personal perspective, which naturally has a number of strengths and weaknesses. The fact that he experienced the war himself gives him a large amount of credibility on the topic, at least when he was discussing the part of the war he was involved in. He was also able to share very specific stories and examples of things that happened, while people who simply did research on the war after it happened likely know only general stories. However, Capt. Stewart's personal account may also be limited for several reasons. The events he spoke about took place a very long time ago, so his memory of some events may not have been completely accurate. In addition to this, his views and claims about the war as a whole, outside of the topic of aerial bombing, may be debatable as he was not directly involved with them. Capt. Stewart also had a clear anti-war mentality and strongly believed that aerial bombing was not particularly effective, and that the use of the atomic bomb was unnecessary.
2. Source B: The Fog of War is a documentary film which portrays the thoughts of Robert Mcnamara, who was the United States Secretary of Defense during World War II. This film, produced in 2003, was meant to inform people about the practices of war and to convey Mcnamara's views on war. Mcnamara's role in the war brings with it certain values and limitations. One value is the fact that he was a very important figure during World War II, and as such he knows much about the strategies and practices that were developed and used during World War II. He also has credibility when he discusses his knowledge of the statistics of the war, such as the results that were shown of the firebombing of Japan. Another area he is likely to know about is the people involved the leadership of the various countries involved in the war, as he was one of them himself. One limitation may be that, because Mcnamara was not directly involved the fighting the war, he may have only a general idea of what the process of aerial bombing was actually like. World War II seems to have also had an emotional effect on Mcnamara, making him very anti-war. This may have altered his views on the effectiveness of aerial bombing.
   

Questions (HW 13)

1. Why do you think the abort rate was so high early in the war?
   
2. What was the reaction of the pilots when LeMay said that anyone who aborted would be court marshaled?
3. What was your perspective at the time on the war as a whole? Has it changed at all since then?
   

Class Notes 12/3

Strategic Bombing:

Why was the abort rate so high?

Curtis LeMay- in charge of US strategic bombing, believed in total war

LeMay stated that anyone who aborted would be court marshaled. Abort rate decreases, productivity goes up.

Women worked in factories to build bomber planes. Factories had previously been used to make things like automobiles.

US worked with China against Japan. Using China as a base was inefficient, so the US decided to take back islands from Japan.

March 1945: Tokyo was firebombed, 100,000 dead, 50 square miles were burned

Population of approximately 50% of 67 Japanese Cities killed

"If we lost the war, we'd be tried as war criminals."

Class Notes 12/2

Wolf packs (groups of U-boats)
Atlantic, or Aim of Britain to keep shipping open
Royal Navy, or Royal Oak (British battleship sunk by a U-boat at Scapa Flow)

Allied convoys, or American aid
Torpedoes (used by U-boats to sink ships)

Submarines (U-boats), or Seeking/Sinking the Bismarck
Enigma (German coding machine; codes were broken by Allies)
Aircraft, or Air cover (limited by the "Black Gap")

HW 11

A.

1. The white cliffs represent Britain, the sinking boat represents the Royal Navy, the lion may be symbolic of the United States, the captain is Churchill, and the sharks are the German U-boats.
2. The sharks are biting off parts of the lion, which may represent Germany's plans to defeat the US using U-boats.
   
3. The German cartoonist may have been trying to make the point that Germany would win the Battle of the Atlantic even though Britain had the aid of the US.
   
4. It does not seem like the cartoonist was accurate. While the U-boats were very effective at first, the Allies eventually developed ways to fight back against them.

B.

• The Nazi-Soviet Pact stated that Russia and Germany would not attack each other when both countries invaded different parts of Poland.
• Operation Barbarossa was the massive German invasion of the USSR.
• Scorched-earth policy refers to destroying things so that the enemy cannot use them.
  
• Neutrality is the decision to not join either side of a conflict.
• Lend-Lease aid refers to America's trade with countries involved in the war.
  
• The Tripartite Axis Pact was the alliance between Germany, Italy, and Japan.
• The United Nations was created as a result of WWII, replacing the League of Nations as an international organization.
• WWII was a global-war because it involved countries from North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia.
  
• U-boats were German submarines used to attack the Allies' ships.
• Convoys were large groups of ships that were protected by the navy.
• The Battle of the Atlantic was the battle between the Allies and the German U-boats.

A.

• Second front: The war in the east, as opposed to the war in Europe.
• Area bombing: The tactic of bombing everything in a target area.
• The Allies: Countries that opposed the Axis. Included Britain, France, the United States, Russia, Australia, and Canada.
• Operation Torch: The British and American invasion of Morocco and Algeria.

B.

• Similar: It was likely hot and uncomfortable in both places. Both battles were Allied attacks on the Axis forces. Both battles involved brutal fighting.
  
• Different: El Alamein was in Egypt, where it was probably dry and flat, while New Guinea was probably humid and mountainous. Fighting in New Guinea probably involved a lot of guerrilla warfare, while the Battle of El Alamein was largely based around tanks.