We've moved to... http://www.heritagecollegiate.ca/MrWilliams/History3201.html
Unit 03 - World War II
3.1.1
Pan-Germanism: German nationalist doctrine aiming at the union of all German-speaking peoples under German rule. Pan-Germanists were especially interested in the German groups in neighbouring countries, such as Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Switzerland, and Alsace.
Lebensraum: (living space), German goal of taking land in Europe to create more living space for Germans.
Anschluss : the union of Germany and Austria.
Sudetenland : German speaking region of Czechoslovakia that was given
to Germany ( Munich Agreement Sept. 1938) in order to avoid war.
Munich Agreement: agreement reached in September 1938 between Britain,
Germany, France and Italy in which Germany was given the Sudetenland in
Czechoslovakia in exchange for a promise of no further territorial aggression.
British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain announced that the pact secured
“peace in our time” . Hitler broke the promise.
Appeasement : giving into the demands of an enemy in order to avoid war.
Nazi-Soviet Pact: August, 1939 agreement between Germany and Soviet Union where each promised not to wage war against the other. Secretly they agreed to divide Poland when Germany conquered it.
this agreement also called the non-aggression pact shocked the world;
This agreement meant that Germany would not have to fight a two front war;
in essence it only delayed the inevitable clash between these bitter enemies.
3.1.2
The two main military alliances of World War II:
The Allied Powers
• The United States
• The Soviet Union
• Britain
The Axis Powers
• Germany
• Italy
• Japan
3.1.3
One of the most important political issues following WWI was how to keep world peace. Most European nations maintained a nationalist point of view, arguing that thy could pursue and protect their own national security through their own military power or by alliances. Following WWI Woodrow Wilson’s idealism spurred many nations to adopt the idea of global collective security. The basic idea that peace was a responsibility of all nations. Security for individual nations would be achieved through group solidarity. In theory no nation would attack another for fear of being punished by sanctions. The sanctions included :
• Moral Sanctions: World opinion would be used to encourage nations to behave
properly.
• Economic Sanctions: In theory nations who threatened international security would be cut off from trade by other nations.
• Military Sanctions: Involved the restricting of exporting weapons & other military technology to aggressive nations.
All of this would be carried out by the newly formed League of Nations (1920 - 1946).
Effectiveness of the League of Nations
After the League was formed in 1920 it was faced with solving international
disputes and experienced some minor successes. However without powerful nations
such as the U.S. and USSR it was difficult to control international
aggression.
Japanese occupation of Manchuria 1931: Manchuria in northern China was rich in minerals that Japan wanted. Japanese troops guarding the South Manchurian Railway) alleged that Chinese saboteurs attempted to blow up a section of the railway. Claiming they were protecting the railway Japan captured all the main cities of Manchuria. Chinese leader Chiang Kai-shek asked the League for help. In 1933 after a lengthy investigation the League condemned Japan and recommended that it withdraw from Manchuria. Japan ignored the League and simply withdrew. WHY ?
Italian invasion of Ethiopia/Abyssinia 1935: Part of Mussolini’s dream
of rebuilding the roman Empire involved capturing land in Africa. He settled on
Ethiopia. In 1935 Italian forces with modern tanks invaded Ethiopia which was
armed with old weapons and spears. Much of the world was outraged. Ethiopian
Emperor Haile Selassie begged the League for help. The League threatened
economic sanctions against Italy. When Mussolini threatened war if economic
sanctions on oil were imposed. The League backed down. Later Mussolini admitted,
“ If the League had extended economic sanctions to oil, I would have had to
withdraw from Ethiopia within a week.”
Germany’s rearmament in 1935 The League also failed to stop Germany’s rearmament in 1935, and occupation of the Rhineland in 1936.
Japan’s war with China in 1937 The League also failed to stop Japan’s all out war against China in 1937.
Conclusion : Never truly effective as a peace keeping organization, the lasting importance of the League lies in the fact that it provided the groundwork for the United Nations. This international organization formed after WWII learned from the mistakes of the League.
3.1.4
Hitler’s goal of German expansion in the 1930's was based on his goal to
establish Germany as the dominant power in Europe. To accomplish this goal he
needed to expand Germany for two reasons:
1.Hitler wanted to make Germany self-sufficient. Trade was not the answer
because that would make Germany dependent on others which would weaken Germany during times of war. Thus Germany would have to expand in order to obtain rich agricultural land and other valuable resources.
2.Hitler believed that Germany needed more lebensraum (living space) for its
expanding Aryan population. Hitler encouraged an increased birth rate among
Germans (future scientists, engineers, soldiers..). Thus Germany needed to
expand to accommodate its population.
3.1.5
France and Britain appeased Germany for a variety of reason during the 1930's :
1. In the 1930's the slaughter of a whole generation of young men in WWI was still fresh in the memories of most Europeans. As a result most leaders wanted
to avoid a repetition of such bloodshed and war.
2. The Western world was caught in the grip of the Great Depression. Most countries lacked the money to take care of their unemployed citizens. Rearmament and war preparations would only make matters worse.
3. Many right wing people Britain and France feared the growth of Communism. To them the strong anti-communist rantings of Hitler and Mussolini were a counter force to the spread of communism.
Hitler is Appeased:
1.1935: Hitler begins rearming Germany(increasing its army, navy and creating an air force known as the Luftwaffe).
2.March 1936 : Hitler moves the German army into the Rhineland and reclaims it for Germany.
3.March 1938 : Hitler moves to unite Germany and Austria (Anschluss). Under threat of German military action the Austrian Chancellor resigns and appoints the leader of the Austrian Nazi party in his place. The nazi leader invites Hitler to send in German troops to restore order by the next day Austria is part of Germany.
3.1.6
All 3 acts violate the Versailles Treaty but France and Britain do nothing due to the reasons stated earlier. Though each time Hitler is successful he becomes more powerful and bold.
The Failure of Appeasement: September 1938 : Hitler encourages German
speaking people in the Sudenten region of Czechoslovakia to demand self
government. When Czech. refuses Hitler plans an invasion. Before Hitler attacks
British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and French Premier Edouard Daladier
pressure Czech. to give this region to Hitler in order to avoid war. At the
Munich Conference in Sept. 1938, Hitler, Chamberlain, Daladier, and Mussolini
sign the Munich Pact, giving Germany the Sudentenland in return for Hitler’s
promise to make no more territorial demands.
Chamberlain returns to England stating “ I believe it (Munich Pact ) is peace
for our time”. Other leaders such as Winston Churchill feel appeasement only
delays the inevitable (war ).
March 1939 : Hitler breaks his promise in the Munich Pact and takes over the
rest of Czechoslovakia .
Appeasement has failed, Britain and France realizing Hitler has fooled ( his
word could never be trusted )them pledge to support Poland, and warn that an
invasion of Poland will mean war.
3.1.7
“We must always demand so much that we can never be satisfied.”
Hitler on his strategy at Munich
“In spite of the hardness and ruthlessness I thought I saw in his [Hitler’s] face, I got the impression that here was a man who could be relied upon when he had given his
word.”
Neville Chamberlain, prior to the Munich Conference
"We, (Hitler & Chamberlain ) are resolved that consultation (discussion) shall be the method our two countries use to deal with differences so that we may ensure the pace of Europe."
Neville Chamberlain, 1938
“England has been offered a choice between war and shame. She has chosen shame and will get war.”
Winston Churchill, September 1938
3.1.8
Hitler’s success in foreign policy encouraged him to take another gamble and
go for Poland.
The dispute was over Danzig and the Polish Corridor both of which had belonged to Germany prior to 1919.
The predominant German population of the Polish Corridor pushed to be reunited with Germany. Hitler ordered his generals to prepare invasion plans.
Could he win these areas through bluff again like he had Czechoslovakia ???
3.1.9
This time the British and French realizing they had been fooled at Munich, no
longer trusted Hitler and pledged to support Poland. It was a warning that
further expansion would be opposed.
3.2.1
Blitzkrieg: German term for “lightning war”. The use of swift massive strikes from the air coupled with rapid tank invasions on the ground.
Phoney War: period of time from Oct. 1939 to April 1940 when there was a lull in fighting.
Maginot Line: elaborate set of defensive fortifications, built by the French, along the French German border.
Kamikazes: The suicide missions of Japanese air force pilots who crashed their aircraft into enemy targets during World war II.
3.2.2
German Successes Early in WWII
Poland was pleased tom learn that France and Britain would help defend Poland
against German attack. Germany could now be defeated. Within 4 weeks Poland was
crushed at the cost of just 8000 German dead. The British and French had hardly
fired a shot.
What had happened ?
The answer is Blitzkrieg . The principle behind this strategy was that the best way to defeat an enemy is to throw a massive assault against the enemies weakest point and cut them off from all supplies and communication.
This was achieved by:
First enemy headquarters and communications were bombed by artillery and bombers. Parachutists dropped behind enemy lines to cause panic.
Second tanks and infantry punch a hole in the weakest part of the enemy
frontline encircling enemy strong points.
Third troops following up cut the enemy off from reinforcements thus forcing
surrender.
3.2.3
See “Battle of Britain” below.
3.2.4
Key Battles of World War II
Dunkirk
On May 20 German troops on the invasion of France began to push north along the coast. By May 26, the British and French were pushed into a narrow beachhead around Dunkirk. The Belgian king, Leopold III, surrendered his army the next day. Destroyers and smaller craft of all kinds rescued 338,226 men from Dunkirk in a heroic sea lift that probably would not have succeeded if the German Commander, General Gerd von Rundstedt, had not stopped the tanks to save them for the next phase of the War.
The Battle of Britain
In the summer of 1940, Hitler dominated Europe his one remaining active enemy—Britain, under a new prime minister, Winston Churchill—vowed to continue fighting. Whether it could was questionable. The British army had left most of its weapons on the beaches of Dunkirk.The Germans hoped to defeat the British by starving them out. In June 1940 they undertook the Battle of the Atlantic, using submarine warfare to cut the British overseas lifelines. Invasion was the quick way to finish off Britain, but that meant crossing the English channel; Hitler would not risk it unless the British air force could be neutralized first.
As a result, the Battle of Britain was fought in the air, not on the beaches. In August 1940 the Germans launched daylight raids against ports and airfields
and in September against inland cities. The objective was to draw out the
British fighters and destroy them. The Germans failed to reckon with a new
device, radar, which greatly increased the British fighters' effectiveness.
Because their own losses were too high, the Germans had to switch to night
bombing at the end of September. Between then and May 1941 they made 71 major
raids on London and 56 on other cities, but the damage they wrought was too
indiscriminate to be militarily decisive. On September 17, 1940, Hitler postponed the invasion indefinitely, thereby conceding defeat in the Battle of Britain.
Operation Barbarossa
Germany invaded the USSR on June 22, 1941,with more than 3 million troops. The Soviet army had 2.9 million troops on the western border and outnumbered the Germans by two to one in tanks and by two or three to one in aircraft. German Success Hitler and his generals had agreed that their main problem was to lock the Soviet army in battle and defeat it before it could escape into the depths of the country. To Hitler, the land and resources of the Ukraine and the oil of the Caucasus were most important. German plans indicated a victory in about ten weeks, which was significant because the Russian summer was the ideal time for fighting in the USSR.Churchill offered the USSR an alliance, and Roosevelt promised lend-lease aid, but after the first few days, both believed everything would be over in a month or so. By the end of the first week in July Germany had 290,000 prisoners and by August 5, having crossed the Dnieper River, the last natural barrier west of Moscow they had another 300,000 Russian prisoners. On reaching Smolensk, the German army had covered more than two-thirds of the distance to Moscow.
Hitler’s Change of Plan
Russia was doing exactly what the German generals had wanted, sacrificing
enormous numbers of troops and weapons to defend Moscow. Hitler, however, was
not satisfied, and over the generals' protests, he ordered Army Group Centre to
divert the bulk of its armour to the north and south to help the other two army
groups attacking Stalingrad and Leningrad, thereby stopping the advance toward Moscow. On September 8 German Army Group North cut Leningrad's land connections and, together with the Finnish army brought the city under siege. On September 16 Army Group South closed a gigantic encirclement east of Kiev that brought in 665,000 prisoners. Hitler then decided to resume the advance toward Moscow and ordered the armour be returned to Army Group Centre.
The Attempt to Take Moscow
After a standstill of six weeks, Army Group Centre resumed action on October
2. Within two weeks, it completed three large encirclements and took 663,000
prisoners. Then the fall rains set in, turning the unpaved Russian roads to mud
and stopping the advance for the better part of a month. In mid-November, the
weather turned cold and the ground froze. Hitler and the commander of Army Group Centre, Field Marshal Fedor von Bock, faced the choice of having the armies dig in where they were or sending them ahead. Wanting to finish the 1941 campaign with some sort of a victory at Moscow, they chose to move ahead. In the second half of November Bock aimed two armoured spearheads at Moscow. Just after the turn of the month, one of those, bearing in on the city from the northwest, was less than 32 km away. The other, coming from the south, had about 65 km still to go. The panzer divisions often covered such distances in less than a day, but the temperature was falling and neither the men nor the machines were outfitted for extreme cold. On December 5 the generals commanding the spearhead armies reported that they were stopped: The tanks and trucks were freezing up, and the troops were losing their will to fight.
Counter Offensive
Stalin, who had stayed in Moscow, and his commander at the front, General Zhukov, had held back their reserves. Many of them were recent recruits, but some were hardened veterans. All were dressed for winter. On December 6 They counterattacked, and within a few days, the German spearheads were rolling back and abandoning large numbers of vehicles and weapons, rendered
useless by the cold. On Stalin's orders, the counterattack quickly became a
counteroffensive on the entire front. The Germans had not built any defense
lines to the rear and could not dig in because the ground was frozen hard as
concrete. Some of the generals recommended retreating to Poland, but on
December 18 Hitler ordered the troops to stand fast wherever they were.
Thereafter, the Russians chopped great chunks out of the German front, but
enough of it survived the winter to maintain the siege of Leningrad, continue
the threat to Moscow, and keep the western Ukraine in German hands.
Battle of El Alamein
Italian forces and the Nazi Afrika Korps entered Egypt in a drive for the Suez Canal in June 1942. The British 8th Army held fast at El Alamein, about 60 miles southwest of Alexandria. On October 23 British infantry cut through the Axis lines in a bayonet charge that opened the way for an armoured breakthrough. The attack forced the Axis back 1,300 miles across the desert.
Battle of Stalingrad
On July 28 Stalin issued his most famous order of the war, “Not a step back!” While threatening severe punishment for defeatists, he called on the troops to fight a “patriotic” war for Russia.. In late August he called on his two best Generals Vasilyevsky and Zhuchov to deal with the situation at Stalingrad. They proposed to wear the enemy down by locking its troops in a bloody fight for the city while they assembled the means for a counterattack. The German advances to Stalingrad and into the Caucasus had added about 1100 km to their line. No German troops were available to hold that extra distance, so Hitler had to use troops contributed by his allies Romania, Italy and a Hungary Serious weaknesses existed in these armies. On the morning of November 19, in snow and fog, Soviet army hit the Romanians west and south of Stalingrad. Within three days the Soviets had encircled most of the German Sixth Army, about half of the Fourth Panzer Army, and a number of Romanian units. Hitler ordered the Sixth Army to hold the pocket and promised air support which never arrived. The Sixth Army was doomed if it did not attempt a breakout, which Hitler refused to permit. The Russians pushed in on the pocket from three sides in January 1943, and the head of the Sixth army General Paulus surrendered on January 31. The battle cost Germany about 200,000 troops. In the aftermath of Stalingrad the Germans were forced to retreat from the Caucasus and back approximately to the line from which they had started the 1942 summer offensive.
Battle of Midway Midway was a decisive naval engagement of World War II, which gave the United States sea power over the Japanese. It was fought in June 1942 near the Midway Islands by Japanese and U.S. aircraft carriers. The victory at Midway terminated a major Japanese attempt to capture the islands as a possible prelude to an invasion of Hawaii. The success of the operation, only a month after the important but indecisive Battle of the Coral Sea, effectively tipped the balance of sea power in the Pacific Ocean in favor of the United States.
The Battle of Coral Sea Coral Sea major naval and air engagement of World War
II, fought by American and Japanese forces. The battle marked a turning point in
the war because it effectively checked the Japanese advance to the south. The
Japanese, already in command of a vast area in the Pacific region, were looking
to Australia as their next conquest and were trying to move into position for an
invasion. A Japanese offensive to this effect was begun on May 4 with the seizure by one Japanese naval force of the port of Tulaghi in the Solomon Islands, while a second and larger force steamed southeast of New Guinea. Two American task forces joined to oppose the Japanese moves. On May 4, American carrier-based bombers and torpedo planes inflicted severe damage on the Japanese vessels at Tulaghi. The American fleet then moved to intercept the second Japanese naval force. American carrier-based planes caused the Japanese to retire with heavy losses, making this engagement the first naval battle in history in which ships of both sides did not encounter one another directly.
Normandy Invasion (D-Day) On June 6, 1944, D-Day, the U.S. First Army and the
British Second Army established beachheads in Normandy, on the French channel
coast. The German resistance was strong, and the footholds for Allied armies
were not nearly as good as they had expected. Nevertheless, the powerful
counterattack with which Hitler had proposed to throw the Allies off the beaches
did not materialize, neither on D-Day nor later. Enormous Allied air superiority
over northern France made it difficult for Rommel, who was in command on
the scene, to move his limited reserves. Moreover, Hitler became convinced
that the Normandy landings were a feint and the main assault would come
north of the Seine River. Consequently, he refused to release the divisions he
had there and insisted on drawing in reinforcements from more distant areas. By
the end of June, Eisenhower had 850,000 men and 150,000 vehicles ashore in
Normandy
3.2.5
In the summer of 1937 Japan attacked and soon occupied most of China. The League of Nations condemned Japan but took no action. So in 1939 the United States imposed economic sanctions (stopped trading) which seriously affected Japanese industries that depended on American petroleum, steel, iron and industrial machinery. In 1940 Japan occupied part of Indochina. The United States warned Japan against further aggression and reinforced these warnings by stationing its Pacific Fleet in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. In 1941 U.S. President Roosevelt imposed further economic sanctions on aviation fuel, iron and scrap metal. In July 1941, Japan responded to these sanctions by announcing the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere which called for Japanese control of all resources in Southeast Asia. Roosevelt responded in July freezing all Japanese assets in the U.S. and by ending all trade between the U.S. and Japan. Relations between the two countries was at an all time low. Japanese leaders faced the choice: to negotiate or fight. Japan choose to fight and began plans for an attack at Pearl Harbor.
3.2.6
Japan had hoped that the attack at Pearl Harbor would be the first step
in developing an empire in Asia, however the U.S. quickly recovered. Within a year American industry had all the damaged vessels back in service fighting against the Japanese. The size of the American fleet and the number of personnel, combined with more advanced technology and a faster rate of production, helped the Americans drive the Japanese from their possessions in he Pacific.
3.2.7
Draw conclusions about how the American entry into world War II affected the war’s outcome.
3.2.8
Judge whether or not the dropping of atomic bombs on Japan was justified.
3.2.9
Describe the tragedy of war with reference to each:
The Holocaust
Allied bombing of Dresden
Japanese treatment of prisoners of war
3.3.1
Atlantic Charter : In 1941 U.S. President Roosevelt and British Prime
Minister Winston Churchill announced the Atlantic Charter, which set forth
Allied goals for World War II and the postwar period. The two nations pledged to
respect “the right of all peoples to choose the form of government under which
they will live” and promised a free world without war, after the final
destruction of Nazi tyranny.
Sphere of Influence: Refers to a major power’s domination over a geographic
area.
Nuremburg Trials: Public trials of former Nazi leaders at the end of
World War II. The charges included waging aggressive war and crimes against
humanity.
3.3.2
Almost from the beginning of World War II the Allied leaders, Roosevelt,
Churchill and Stalin met to plan strategy and discuss post war policy.
Yalta: At Yalta in February, 1945 Churchill, Roosevelt & Stalin agreed
that Germany would be temporarily be divided into three zones, with Britain, the
United States and the Soviet Union each controlling a zone. The former German
capital Berlin, deep in the Soviet zone, would also be divided into three zones.
The key issue was the future of Eastern Europe, particularly Poland. Soviet
troops occupied most of the region and Stalin was determined that the Eastern
Europe countries of Poland Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Romania have pro-Soviet governments. He wanted control of these countries as a buffer zone to protect Russia from invasion.When Soviet troops freed Poland from Germany Stalin installed a pro Soviet government called Lublin Poles. Roosevelt and Churchill were reluctant to allow Poland to fall under Soviet control, Britain had entered WW II to guarantee Poland’s independence. When Germany conquered Poland, a government in exile was formed in London called the London Poles. Poland would be a test case for the future of all eastern Europe. American and British recognition of Soviet control would signal Stalin’s right to establish a sphere of influence in all Eastern Europe.At the insistence of Roosevelt and Churchill, Stalin pledged that free elections would be held in Eastern European countries as soon as possible. However Stalin left Yalta believing Soviet domination in Eastern Europe would not be challenged.
3.3.3
Define the term buffer zone.
Explain why the former allies, the Soviet Union and the West (Britain
and the United States) had opposing views about the future of Poland.
3.3.4
Potsdam: Between July 17 & August 17 1945 the last wartime conference was held at Potsdam. Stalin met with U.S. President Harry Truman (Roosevelt had died) and British Prime Minister Clement Atlee (Churchill lost election). Like Yalta there were agreements and disagreements. It was agreed that all Nazi institutions would be dismantled and Nazi war criminals would be tried and punished. Reparations would be paid in machinery, the Soviets had the right to take what they wanted from the Eastern sector and 35% from the western sector. They could not agree on the future of Germany so the “temporary arrangement” to divide Germany and Berlin remained in effect. There was disagreement on the question of Poland. The West wanted to reinstate the London Poles while Stalin would only recognize the Lublin Poles who were already in place. The western powers finally backed down and accepted Soviet control of Poland. The disagreements at Yalta and Potsdam provided a glimpse into the Cold War to come. The American/West view was that Soviet control of Eastern Europe was temporary. The Soviet view was that Eastern Europe was now in its sphere of influence.
3.3.5
President Truman saw things in black and white terms, with little room for
compromise. As a result he adopted a “get tough” attitude with the Soviets. He
believed the Soviets were acting like a bully in Europe and should be made to
mend its ways. Unlike Roosevelt, Truman was highly suspicious of the Soviets and
had no intention of working closely with Stalin like Roosevelt. This new approach towards the Soviets increased tensions. In August 1945 the United states ended WWII by dropping atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The atomic bomb became a source of tension for several reasons:
1. Truman had not told Stalin that the U.S. intended to drop these on Japan.
2. The U.S. refused to share the secret of how to make such a bomb.
3. Stalin was convinced the U.S. would use the bomb to win worldwide power.
4. Stalin ordered his scientists to develop an atomic bomb.
The U.S. felt threatened by this.
3.3.6
United Nations
One of the allies' goals during WWII was to create an international organization to ensure global collective security. Thus the United Nations was created in October 1945.
Its purpose was to:
1. maintain international peace & settle disputes
2. develop equal rights & national self determination
3. solve social, economic & humanitarian problems
Some of the basic principles of the United Nations were :
1. the equality of all members
2. all members fulfill its UN obligations
3. settle disputes peacefully
4. refrain the use of force against any state
5. help the UN in any action it undertakes
The League of Nations had been too weak to stop aggression because major
powers were unwilling to give up their self interest to such an international
organization. President Roosevelt was determined to make the United Nations a
strong organization by ensuring that all major powers be involved. To ensure
American commitment the headquarters were put in the United States.
The main problem was how to accommodate the national self interest of
large& small powers. What was needed was a formula that would give major
powers a greater role in the United nations while still recognizing the need of
all countries to have a voice. The solution was to divide the UN into two parts
: The General Assembly in which each country had one vote and the Security
Council controlled by the major powers.
The structure of the United Nations presented some challenges:
General Assembly:
• All members met in the assembly to present their positions on issues.
• Each country has 1 vote, most decisions are reached by a simple majority.
• On questions of peace or expulsion of a member, a majority of 2/3's is required.
• Critics say the General Assembly is an ineffective “talk shop” where nations simply play politics.
Security Council:
The real power behind the UN is the Security Council,
which is made up of 2 groups:
• Five permanent members : China, France, Britain, Russia and the United States. Permanent members have veto power which is the right to stop any UN action.
• Ten non-permanent members : elected for two year terms
The major responsibility of the security Council is to maintain peace and security. It can order a ceasefire, impose economic sanctions and authorize the use of military force against an aggressor.
Critics point out that the veto power of the permanent members is a weakness
of the UN. They argue that countries will use the veto to block any UN action
that is not in their self interest. During the Cold War the Security Council was
often deadlocked as the U.S. and Soviets often used the veto against each
other.
It must be pointed out that the veto power ensured the continuing commitment
of all major powers and that there has been no large scale wars since its
creation.
“Our instrument and our last hope is the United Nations, and I see little
merit in the impatience of those who would abandon this imperfect instrument
because they dislike our imperfect world.”
John F. Kennedy, 1962
“At the UN everybody wins a few, loses a few, settles for half a loaf. No one, not the U.S., not the USSR, not Japan, not China, not India can get away with playing the Big Bully or the Lone Ranger.“
India’s Ambassador to the UN, 1985
Pan-Germanism: German nationalist doctrine aiming at the union of all German-speaking peoples under German rule. Pan-Germanists were especially interested in the German groups in neighbouring countries, such as Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Switzerland, and Alsace.
Lebensraum: (living space), German goal of taking land in Europe to create more living space for Germans.
Anschluss : the union of Germany and Austria.
Sudetenland : German speaking region of Czechoslovakia that was given
to Germany ( Munich Agreement Sept. 1938) in order to avoid war.
Munich Agreement: agreement reached in September 1938 between Britain,
Germany, France and Italy in which Germany was given the Sudetenland in
Czechoslovakia in exchange for a promise of no further territorial aggression.
British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain announced that the pact secured
“peace in our time” . Hitler broke the promise.
Appeasement : giving into the demands of an enemy in order to avoid war.
Nazi-Soviet Pact: August, 1939 agreement between Germany and Soviet Union where each promised not to wage war against the other. Secretly they agreed to divide Poland when Germany conquered it.
this agreement also called the non-aggression pact shocked the world;
This agreement meant that Germany would not have to fight a two front war;
in essence it only delayed the inevitable clash between these bitter enemies.
3.1.2
The two main military alliances of World War II:
The Allied Powers
• The United States
• The Soviet Union
• Britain
The Axis Powers
• Germany
• Italy
• Japan
3.1.3
One of the most important political issues following WWI was how to keep world peace. Most European nations maintained a nationalist point of view, arguing that thy could pursue and protect their own national security through their own military power or by alliances. Following WWI Woodrow Wilson’s idealism spurred many nations to adopt the idea of global collective security. The basic idea that peace was a responsibility of all nations. Security for individual nations would be achieved through group solidarity. In theory no nation would attack another for fear of being punished by sanctions. The sanctions included :
• Moral Sanctions: World opinion would be used to encourage nations to behave
properly.
• Economic Sanctions: In theory nations who threatened international security would be cut off from trade by other nations.
• Military Sanctions: Involved the restricting of exporting weapons & other military technology to aggressive nations.
All of this would be carried out by the newly formed League of Nations (1920 - 1946).
Effectiveness of the League of Nations
After the League was formed in 1920 it was faced with solving international
disputes and experienced some minor successes. However without powerful nations
such as the U.S. and USSR it was difficult to control international
aggression.
Japanese occupation of Manchuria 1931: Manchuria in northern China was rich in minerals that Japan wanted. Japanese troops guarding the South Manchurian Railway) alleged that Chinese saboteurs attempted to blow up a section of the railway. Claiming they were protecting the railway Japan captured all the main cities of Manchuria. Chinese leader Chiang Kai-shek asked the League for help. In 1933 after a lengthy investigation the League condemned Japan and recommended that it withdraw from Manchuria. Japan ignored the League and simply withdrew. WHY ?
Italian invasion of Ethiopia/Abyssinia 1935: Part of Mussolini’s dream
of rebuilding the roman Empire involved capturing land in Africa. He settled on
Ethiopia. In 1935 Italian forces with modern tanks invaded Ethiopia which was
armed with old weapons and spears. Much of the world was outraged. Ethiopian
Emperor Haile Selassie begged the League for help. The League threatened
economic sanctions against Italy. When Mussolini threatened war if economic
sanctions on oil were imposed. The League backed down. Later Mussolini admitted,
“ If the League had extended economic sanctions to oil, I would have had to
withdraw from Ethiopia within a week.”
Germany’s rearmament in 1935 The League also failed to stop Germany’s rearmament in 1935, and occupation of the Rhineland in 1936.
Japan’s war with China in 1937 The League also failed to stop Japan’s all out war against China in 1937.
Conclusion : Never truly effective as a peace keeping organization, the lasting importance of the League lies in the fact that it provided the groundwork for the United Nations. This international organization formed after WWII learned from the mistakes of the League.
3.1.4
Hitler’s goal of German expansion in the 1930's was based on his goal to
establish Germany as the dominant power in Europe. To accomplish this goal he
needed to expand Germany for two reasons:
1.Hitler wanted to make Germany self-sufficient. Trade was not the answer
because that would make Germany dependent on others which would weaken Germany during times of war. Thus Germany would have to expand in order to obtain rich agricultural land and other valuable resources.
2.Hitler believed that Germany needed more lebensraum (living space) for its
expanding Aryan population. Hitler encouraged an increased birth rate among
Germans (future scientists, engineers, soldiers..). Thus Germany needed to
expand to accommodate its population.
3.1.5
France and Britain appeased Germany for a variety of reason during the 1930's :
1. In the 1930's the slaughter of a whole generation of young men in WWI was still fresh in the memories of most Europeans. As a result most leaders wanted
to avoid a repetition of such bloodshed and war.
2. The Western world was caught in the grip of the Great Depression. Most countries lacked the money to take care of their unemployed citizens. Rearmament and war preparations would only make matters worse.
3. Many right wing people Britain and France feared the growth of Communism. To them the strong anti-communist rantings of Hitler and Mussolini were a counter force to the spread of communism.
Hitler is Appeased:
1.1935: Hitler begins rearming Germany(increasing its army, navy and creating an air force known as the Luftwaffe).
2.March 1936 : Hitler moves the German army into the Rhineland and reclaims it for Germany.
3.March 1938 : Hitler moves to unite Germany and Austria (Anschluss). Under threat of German military action the Austrian Chancellor resigns and appoints the leader of the Austrian Nazi party in his place. The nazi leader invites Hitler to send in German troops to restore order by the next day Austria is part of Germany.
3.1.6
All 3 acts violate the Versailles Treaty but France and Britain do nothing due to the reasons stated earlier. Though each time Hitler is successful he becomes more powerful and bold.
The Failure of Appeasement: September 1938 : Hitler encourages German
speaking people in the Sudenten region of Czechoslovakia to demand self
government. When Czech. refuses Hitler plans an invasion. Before Hitler attacks
British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and French Premier Edouard Daladier
pressure Czech. to give this region to Hitler in order to avoid war. At the
Munich Conference in Sept. 1938, Hitler, Chamberlain, Daladier, and Mussolini
sign the Munich Pact, giving Germany the Sudentenland in return for Hitler’s
promise to make no more territorial demands.
Chamberlain returns to England stating “ I believe it (Munich Pact ) is peace
for our time”. Other leaders such as Winston Churchill feel appeasement only
delays the inevitable (war ).
March 1939 : Hitler breaks his promise in the Munich Pact and takes over the
rest of Czechoslovakia .
Appeasement has failed, Britain and France realizing Hitler has fooled ( his
word could never be trusted )them pledge to support Poland, and warn that an
invasion of Poland will mean war.
3.1.7
“We must always demand so much that we can never be satisfied.”
Hitler on his strategy at Munich
“In spite of the hardness and ruthlessness I thought I saw in his [Hitler’s] face, I got the impression that here was a man who could be relied upon when he had given his
word.”
Neville Chamberlain, prior to the Munich Conference
"We, (Hitler & Chamberlain ) are resolved that consultation (discussion) shall be the method our two countries use to deal with differences so that we may ensure the pace of Europe."
Neville Chamberlain, 1938
“England has been offered a choice between war and shame. She has chosen shame and will get war.”
Winston Churchill, September 1938
3.1.8
Hitler’s success in foreign policy encouraged him to take another gamble and
go for Poland.
The dispute was over Danzig and the Polish Corridor both of which had belonged to Germany prior to 1919.
The predominant German population of the Polish Corridor pushed to be reunited with Germany. Hitler ordered his generals to prepare invasion plans.
Could he win these areas through bluff again like he had Czechoslovakia ???
3.1.9
This time the British and French realizing they had been fooled at Munich, no
longer trusted Hitler and pledged to support Poland. It was a warning that
further expansion would be opposed.
3.2.1
Blitzkrieg: German term for “lightning war”. The use of swift massive strikes from the air coupled with rapid tank invasions on the ground.
Phoney War: period of time from Oct. 1939 to April 1940 when there was a lull in fighting.
Maginot Line: elaborate set of defensive fortifications, built by the French, along the French German border.
Kamikazes: The suicide missions of Japanese air force pilots who crashed their aircraft into enemy targets during World war II.
3.2.2
German Successes Early in WWII
Poland was pleased tom learn that France and Britain would help defend Poland
against German attack. Germany could now be defeated. Within 4 weeks Poland was
crushed at the cost of just 8000 German dead. The British and French had hardly
fired a shot.
What had happened ?
The answer is Blitzkrieg . The principle behind this strategy was that the best way to defeat an enemy is to throw a massive assault against the enemies weakest point and cut them off from all supplies and communication.
This was achieved by:
First enemy headquarters and communications were bombed by artillery and bombers. Parachutists dropped behind enemy lines to cause panic.
Second tanks and infantry punch a hole in the weakest part of the enemy
frontline encircling enemy strong points.
Third troops following up cut the enemy off from reinforcements thus forcing
surrender.
3.2.3
See “Battle of Britain” below.
3.2.4
Key Battles of World War II
Dunkirk
On May 20 German troops on the invasion of France began to push north along the coast. By May 26, the British and French were pushed into a narrow beachhead around Dunkirk. The Belgian king, Leopold III, surrendered his army the next day. Destroyers and smaller craft of all kinds rescued 338,226 men from Dunkirk in a heroic sea lift that probably would not have succeeded if the German Commander, General Gerd von Rundstedt, had not stopped the tanks to save them for the next phase of the War.
The Battle of Britain
In the summer of 1940, Hitler dominated Europe his one remaining active enemy—Britain, under a new prime minister, Winston Churchill—vowed to continue fighting. Whether it could was questionable. The British army had left most of its weapons on the beaches of Dunkirk.The Germans hoped to defeat the British by starving them out. In June 1940 they undertook the Battle of the Atlantic, using submarine warfare to cut the British overseas lifelines. Invasion was the quick way to finish off Britain, but that meant crossing the English channel; Hitler would not risk it unless the British air force could be neutralized first.
As a result, the Battle of Britain was fought in the air, not on the beaches. In August 1940 the Germans launched daylight raids against ports and airfields
and in September against inland cities. The objective was to draw out the
British fighters and destroy them. The Germans failed to reckon with a new
device, radar, which greatly increased the British fighters' effectiveness.
Because their own losses were too high, the Germans had to switch to night
bombing at the end of September. Between then and May 1941 they made 71 major
raids on London and 56 on other cities, but the damage they wrought was too
indiscriminate to be militarily decisive. On September 17, 1940, Hitler postponed the invasion indefinitely, thereby conceding defeat in the Battle of Britain.
Operation Barbarossa
Germany invaded the USSR on June 22, 1941,with more than 3 million troops. The Soviet army had 2.9 million troops on the western border and outnumbered the Germans by two to one in tanks and by two or three to one in aircraft. German Success Hitler and his generals had agreed that their main problem was to lock the Soviet army in battle and defeat it before it could escape into the depths of the country. To Hitler, the land and resources of the Ukraine and the oil of the Caucasus were most important. German plans indicated a victory in about ten weeks, which was significant because the Russian summer was the ideal time for fighting in the USSR.Churchill offered the USSR an alliance, and Roosevelt promised lend-lease aid, but after the first few days, both believed everything would be over in a month or so. By the end of the first week in July Germany had 290,000 prisoners and by August 5, having crossed the Dnieper River, the last natural barrier west of Moscow they had another 300,000 Russian prisoners. On reaching Smolensk, the German army had covered more than two-thirds of the distance to Moscow.
Hitler’s Change of Plan
Russia was doing exactly what the German generals had wanted, sacrificing
enormous numbers of troops and weapons to defend Moscow. Hitler, however, was
not satisfied, and over the generals' protests, he ordered Army Group Centre to
divert the bulk of its armour to the north and south to help the other two army
groups attacking Stalingrad and Leningrad, thereby stopping the advance toward Moscow. On September 8 German Army Group North cut Leningrad's land connections and, together with the Finnish army brought the city under siege. On September 16 Army Group South closed a gigantic encirclement east of Kiev that brought in 665,000 prisoners. Hitler then decided to resume the advance toward Moscow and ordered the armour be returned to Army Group Centre.
The Attempt to Take Moscow
After a standstill of six weeks, Army Group Centre resumed action on October
2. Within two weeks, it completed three large encirclements and took 663,000
prisoners. Then the fall rains set in, turning the unpaved Russian roads to mud
and stopping the advance for the better part of a month. In mid-November, the
weather turned cold and the ground froze. Hitler and the commander of Army Group Centre, Field Marshal Fedor von Bock, faced the choice of having the armies dig in where they were or sending them ahead. Wanting to finish the 1941 campaign with some sort of a victory at Moscow, they chose to move ahead. In the second half of November Bock aimed two armoured spearheads at Moscow. Just after the turn of the month, one of those, bearing in on the city from the northwest, was less than 32 km away. The other, coming from the south, had about 65 km still to go. The panzer divisions often covered such distances in less than a day, but the temperature was falling and neither the men nor the machines were outfitted for extreme cold. On December 5 the generals commanding the spearhead armies reported that they were stopped: The tanks and trucks were freezing up, and the troops were losing their will to fight.
Counter Offensive
Stalin, who had stayed in Moscow, and his commander at the front, General Zhukov, had held back their reserves. Many of them were recent recruits, but some were hardened veterans. All were dressed for winter. On December 6 They counterattacked, and within a few days, the German spearheads were rolling back and abandoning large numbers of vehicles and weapons, rendered
useless by the cold. On Stalin's orders, the counterattack quickly became a
counteroffensive on the entire front. The Germans had not built any defense
lines to the rear and could not dig in because the ground was frozen hard as
concrete. Some of the generals recommended retreating to Poland, but on
December 18 Hitler ordered the troops to stand fast wherever they were.
Thereafter, the Russians chopped great chunks out of the German front, but
enough of it survived the winter to maintain the siege of Leningrad, continue
the threat to Moscow, and keep the western Ukraine in German hands.
Battle of El Alamein
Italian forces and the Nazi Afrika Korps entered Egypt in a drive for the Suez Canal in June 1942. The British 8th Army held fast at El Alamein, about 60 miles southwest of Alexandria. On October 23 British infantry cut through the Axis lines in a bayonet charge that opened the way for an armoured breakthrough. The attack forced the Axis back 1,300 miles across the desert.
Battle of Stalingrad
On July 28 Stalin issued his most famous order of the war, “Not a step back!” While threatening severe punishment for defeatists, he called on the troops to fight a “patriotic” war for Russia.. In late August he called on his two best Generals Vasilyevsky and Zhuchov to deal with the situation at Stalingrad. They proposed to wear the enemy down by locking its troops in a bloody fight for the city while they assembled the means for a counterattack. The German advances to Stalingrad and into the Caucasus had added about 1100 km to their line. No German troops were available to hold that extra distance, so Hitler had to use troops contributed by his allies Romania, Italy and a Hungary Serious weaknesses existed in these armies. On the morning of November 19, in snow and fog, Soviet army hit the Romanians west and south of Stalingrad. Within three days the Soviets had encircled most of the German Sixth Army, about half of the Fourth Panzer Army, and a number of Romanian units. Hitler ordered the Sixth Army to hold the pocket and promised air support which never arrived. The Sixth Army was doomed if it did not attempt a breakout, which Hitler refused to permit. The Russians pushed in on the pocket from three sides in January 1943, and the head of the Sixth army General Paulus surrendered on January 31. The battle cost Germany about 200,000 troops. In the aftermath of Stalingrad the Germans were forced to retreat from the Caucasus and back approximately to the line from which they had started the 1942 summer offensive.
Battle of Midway Midway was a decisive naval engagement of World War II, which gave the United States sea power over the Japanese. It was fought in June 1942 near the Midway Islands by Japanese and U.S. aircraft carriers. The victory at Midway terminated a major Japanese attempt to capture the islands as a possible prelude to an invasion of Hawaii. The success of the operation, only a month after the important but indecisive Battle of the Coral Sea, effectively tipped the balance of sea power in the Pacific Ocean in favor of the United States.
The Battle of Coral Sea Coral Sea major naval and air engagement of World War
II, fought by American and Japanese forces. The battle marked a turning point in
the war because it effectively checked the Japanese advance to the south. The
Japanese, already in command of a vast area in the Pacific region, were looking
to Australia as their next conquest and were trying to move into position for an
invasion. A Japanese offensive to this effect was begun on May 4 with the seizure by one Japanese naval force of the port of Tulaghi in the Solomon Islands, while a second and larger force steamed southeast of New Guinea. Two American task forces joined to oppose the Japanese moves. On May 4, American carrier-based bombers and torpedo planes inflicted severe damage on the Japanese vessels at Tulaghi. The American fleet then moved to intercept the second Japanese naval force. American carrier-based planes caused the Japanese to retire with heavy losses, making this engagement the first naval battle in history in which ships of both sides did not encounter one another directly.
Normandy Invasion (D-Day) On June 6, 1944, D-Day, the U.S. First Army and the
British Second Army established beachheads in Normandy, on the French channel
coast. The German resistance was strong, and the footholds for Allied armies
were not nearly as good as they had expected. Nevertheless, the powerful
counterattack with which Hitler had proposed to throw the Allies off the beaches
did not materialize, neither on D-Day nor later. Enormous Allied air superiority
over northern France made it difficult for Rommel, who was in command on
the scene, to move his limited reserves. Moreover, Hitler became convinced
that the Normandy landings were a feint and the main assault would come
north of the Seine River. Consequently, he refused to release the divisions he
had there and insisted on drawing in reinforcements from more distant areas. By
the end of June, Eisenhower had 850,000 men and 150,000 vehicles ashore in
Normandy
3.2.5
In the summer of 1937 Japan attacked and soon occupied most of China. The League of Nations condemned Japan but took no action. So in 1939 the United States imposed economic sanctions (stopped trading) which seriously affected Japanese industries that depended on American petroleum, steel, iron and industrial machinery. In 1940 Japan occupied part of Indochina. The United States warned Japan against further aggression and reinforced these warnings by stationing its Pacific Fleet in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. In 1941 U.S. President Roosevelt imposed further economic sanctions on aviation fuel, iron and scrap metal. In July 1941, Japan responded to these sanctions by announcing the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere which called for Japanese control of all resources in Southeast Asia. Roosevelt responded in July freezing all Japanese assets in the U.S. and by ending all trade between the U.S. and Japan. Relations between the two countries was at an all time low. Japanese leaders faced the choice: to negotiate or fight. Japan choose to fight and began plans for an attack at Pearl Harbor.
3.2.6
Japan had hoped that the attack at Pearl Harbor would be the first step
in developing an empire in Asia, however the U.S. quickly recovered. Within a year American industry had all the damaged vessels back in service fighting against the Japanese. The size of the American fleet and the number of personnel, combined with more advanced technology and a faster rate of production, helped the Americans drive the Japanese from their possessions in he Pacific.
3.2.7
Draw conclusions about how the American entry into world War II affected the war’s outcome.
3.2.8
Judge whether or not the dropping of atomic bombs on Japan was justified.
3.2.9
Describe the tragedy of war with reference to each:
The Holocaust
Allied bombing of Dresden
Japanese treatment of prisoners of war
3.3.1
Atlantic Charter : In 1941 U.S. President Roosevelt and British Prime
Minister Winston Churchill announced the Atlantic Charter, which set forth
Allied goals for World War II and the postwar period. The two nations pledged to
respect “the right of all peoples to choose the form of government under which
they will live” and promised a free world without war, after the final
destruction of Nazi tyranny.
Sphere of Influence: Refers to a major power’s domination over a geographic
area.
Nuremburg Trials: Public trials of former Nazi leaders at the end of
World War II. The charges included waging aggressive war and crimes against
humanity.
3.3.2
Almost from the beginning of World War II the Allied leaders, Roosevelt,
Churchill and Stalin met to plan strategy and discuss post war policy.
Yalta: At Yalta in February, 1945 Churchill, Roosevelt & Stalin agreed
that Germany would be temporarily be divided into three zones, with Britain, the
United States and the Soviet Union each controlling a zone. The former German
capital Berlin, deep in the Soviet zone, would also be divided into three zones.
The key issue was the future of Eastern Europe, particularly Poland. Soviet
troops occupied most of the region and Stalin was determined that the Eastern
Europe countries of Poland Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Romania have pro-Soviet governments. He wanted control of these countries as a buffer zone to protect Russia from invasion.When Soviet troops freed Poland from Germany Stalin installed a pro Soviet government called Lublin Poles. Roosevelt and Churchill were reluctant to allow Poland to fall under Soviet control, Britain had entered WW II to guarantee Poland’s independence. When Germany conquered Poland, a government in exile was formed in London called the London Poles. Poland would be a test case for the future of all eastern Europe. American and British recognition of Soviet control would signal Stalin’s right to establish a sphere of influence in all Eastern Europe.At the insistence of Roosevelt and Churchill, Stalin pledged that free elections would be held in Eastern European countries as soon as possible. However Stalin left Yalta believing Soviet domination in Eastern Europe would not be challenged.
3.3.3
Define the term buffer zone.
Explain why the former allies, the Soviet Union and the West (Britain
and the United States) had opposing views about the future of Poland.
3.3.4
Potsdam: Between July 17 & August 17 1945 the last wartime conference was held at Potsdam. Stalin met with U.S. President Harry Truman (Roosevelt had died) and British Prime Minister Clement Atlee (Churchill lost election). Like Yalta there were agreements and disagreements. It was agreed that all Nazi institutions would be dismantled and Nazi war criminals would be tried and punished. Reparations would be paid in machinery, the Soviets had the right to take what they wanted from the Eastern sector and 35% from the western sector. They could not agree on the future of Germany so the “temporary arrangement” to divide Germany and Berlin remained in effect. There was disagreement on the question of Poland. The West wanted to reinstate the London Poles while Stalin would only recognize the Lublin Poles who were already in place. The western powers finally backed down and accepted Soviet control of Poland. The disagreements at Yalta and Potsdam provided a glimpse into the Cold War to come. The American/West view was that Soviet control of Eastern Europe was temporary. The Soviet view was that Eastern Europe was now in its sphere of influence.
3.3.5
President Truman saw things in black and white terms, with little room for
compromise. As a result he adopted a “get tough” attitude with the Soviets. He
believed the Soviets were acting like a bully in Europe and should be made to
mend its ways. Unlike Roosevelt, Truman was highly suspicious of the Soviets and
had no intention of working closely with Stalin like Roosevelt. This new approach towards the Soviets increased tensions. In August 1945 the United states ended WWII by dropping atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The atomic bomb became a source of tension for several reasons:
1. Truman had not told Stalin that the U.S. intended to drop these on Japan.
2. The U.S. refused to share the secret of how to make such a bomb.
3. Stalin was convinced the U.S. would use the bomb to win worldwide power.
4. Stalin ordered his scientists to develop an atomic bomb.
The U.S. felt threatened by this.
3.3.6
United Nations
One of the allies' goals during WWII was to create an international organization to ensure global collective security. Thus the United Nations was created in October 1945.
Its purpose was to:
1. maintain international peace & settle disputes
2. develop equal rights & national self determination
3. solve social, economic & humanitarian problems
Some of the basic principles of the United Nations were :
1. the equality of all members
2. all members fulfill its UN obligations
3. settle disputes peacefully
4. refrain the use of force against any state
5. help the UN in any action it undertakes
The League of Nations had been too weak to stop aggression because major
powers were unwilling to give up their self interest to such an international
organization. President Roosevelt was determined to make the United Nations a
strong organization by ensuring that all major powers be involved. To ensure
American commitment the headquarters were put in the United States.
The main problem was how to accommodate the national self interest of
large& small powers. What was needed was a formula that would give major
powers a greater role in the United nations while still recognizing the need of
all countries to have a voice. The solution was to divide the UN into two parts
: The General Assembly in which each country had one vote and the Security
Council controlled by the major powers.
The structure of the United Nations presented some challenges:
General Assembly:
• All members met in the assembly to present their positions on issues.
• Each country has 1 vote, most decisions are reached by a simple majority.
• On questions of peace or expulsion of a member, a majority of 2/3's is required.
• Critics say the General Assembly is an ineffective “talk shop” where nations simply play politics.
Security Council:
The real power behind the UN is the Security Council,
which is made up of 2 groups:
• Five permanent members : China, France, Britain, Russia and the United States. Permanent members have veto power which is the right to stop any UN action.
• Ten non-permanent members : elected for two year terms
The major responsibility of the security Council is to maintain peace and security. It can order a ceasefire, impose economic sanctions and authorize the use of military force against an aggressor.
Critics point out that the veto power of the permanent members is a weakness
of the UN. They argue that countries will use the veto to block any UN action
that is not in their self interest. During the Cold War the Security Council was
often deadlocked as the U.S. and Soviets often used the veto against each
other.
It must be pointed out that the veto power ensured the continuing commitment
of all major powers and that there has been no large scale wars since its
creation.
“Our instrument and our last hope is the United Nations, and I see little
merit in the impatience of those who would abandon this imperfect instrument
because they dislike our imperfect world.”
John F. Kennedy, 1962
“At the UN everybody wins a few, loses a few, settles for half a loaf. No one, not the U.S., not the USSR, not Japan, not China, not India can get away with playing the Big Bully or the Lone Ranger.“
India’s Ambassador to the UN, 1985
Unit 03 - Web Videos
Watch Mojo - World War II: The Rise of Hitler - Biography
Watch Mojo - World War II: How Did It Start?
Watch Mojo - World War II: Which Countries Fought?
Biography.com - Battle of Britain
Watch Mojo - World War II: Attack on Pearl Harbor - History
Watch Mojo - World War II: Important Battles
Watch Mojo - World War II: Tactics, Weapons and the Holocaust
Watch Mojo - World War II: Nuclear Bombings of Japan
Watch Mojo - World War II: How Did It End?
Watch Mojo - World War II: The Aftermath
Watch Mojo - History of World War II: The Camps
Watch Mojo - World War II: How Did It Start?
Watch Mojo - World War II: Which Countries Fought?
Biography.com - Battle of Britain
Watch Mojo - World War II: Attack on Pearl Harbor - History
Watch Mojo - World War II: Important Battles
Watch Mojo - World War II: Tactics, Weapons and the Holocaust
Watch Mojo - World War II: Nuclear Bombings of Japan
Watch Mojo - World War II: How Did It End?
Watch Mojo - World War II: The Aftermath
Watch Mojo - History of World War II: The Camps