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• Which war? • Russo-German War? Anglo-German War? Anglo-American/…

- - - - • We’ll explore the rise of far right parties, that are exploiting race and a unified national identity to gain political power, across Europe, Americas, Asia
        
        • We’ll take a look at the long term causes of the war in the West first (then the East), starting with Germany:
        
        • “Sonderweg” or “Special Path” of Germany – mid 19th century Germany never really transitioned to a full democracy- they embarked on their own way
        
        1.) Political/ Cultural Causes - GERMANY:
        
        Germany had an incomplete path to democracy
        
        Once Germany is unified in 1870-71, in a series of wars, once Germany was a unified state, they maintained a constant trade in power at the top of the German social structure
        
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        • Germany was a militarized state before WWI – death of Bismark and his loss of power
        • Bismarck wanted to avoid imperialism- wanted to focus on Europe – if Germany tries to project its power in Asia or Africa, it will bring us into conflict w/ France or Britain – he was right
        
        • Culturally dynamic – rising industrial power and middle class elites – very aware and proud that Germany was a newly unified nation – characterized Germany in the 1870s
        
        Believed that
        Germany should expand not only in Europe, but also into Asia and Africa
        
        • Here, we see the power of Imperialism – intrinsically racist and a prime contributor of WWI and WWII
        • Germany wants an Empire – Social Darwinism is prominent globally – applying this idea to countries – Eugenics is popular (inherent superiority)
        
        • All the things that the Nazis did already manifested itself in global ideologies such as these- they just amplified these things to level “x” – logical conclusion was to just kill people
        
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- - - - • Japan dominant power in Asia – Germany central power in central Europe
- - - - WWII begins in September of 1939.
- - - - 230k people – massacred by the Soviets/ KGB planted new trees to try and hide it. DIRECT ORDER FROM STALIN
        
        Because Germany and Stalin were now friends, any reference to ‘fascism as the enemy’ disappeared from Soviet newspapers. German communists who had fled the Nazis and went to the Soviet Union were arrested and sent back to Germany where they were executed. Murderous.
        
        Because Germany and Stalin were now friends, any reference to ‘fascism as the enemy’ disappeared from Soviet newspapers. German communists who had fled the Nazis and went to the Soviet Union were arrested and sent back to Germany where they were executed. Murderous.
- - - - British: 3x as many men killed in WWI than WWII. Chamberlain’s policy: “We will meet German demands and grievances without asking for firm reciprocal advantages.” We only ask for “mutual understanding.” He also encourages a defensive strategy (which actually encouraged Hitler).
        
        He decided that Britain would use its air force as main defense (it’s an island) easier to defend with fighter planes. His policy was referred to as appeasement (not asking for anything in return).
        
        For Chamberlain, the objective was to maintain peace. He also convinced the French this. The sacrifice of Czechoslovakia was the only way to avoid war. This set up the “Munich Meetings.” The last meeting was the basis for the Munich agreement. Chamberlain returned to England as a hero, avoiding a repeat of WWI. “I believe it is peace in our time.” Churchill – “beginning of the reckoning.”
- - - - the German Social Democratic Party, for example, they actually, once their goals were met, in terms of wages and working conditions, they tended to be pretty conservative and they're more focused on their direct immediate needs.
- - - - And then the middle class of Germany (who had actually led a revolution in 1848, for a constitutional monarchy and failed.) was essentially bought off by Bismarck, he actually in a way he bribed them, he promised them prosperity, if they would lessen their political demands
        
        They were bought off by the promise of prosperity, and by Bismarck's appeals to fear, Bismarck used the fear of socialism, and the working class and lower class peoples to manipulate to the German middle class. And it worked.
- - - - 1.) Stalin knows that it will buy time for Russia in the event of a war with Germany.
      - 2.) By a secret component of the non-aggression pact, Russia will take half of Poland – which will create a buffer state in case of war with Germany (kind of like the Rhine with the French)
      - 3.) Stalin pledged to avoid a war between which, “Imperialist countries like Germany, France, and Great Britain are involved in/ hopes that they go to war – Russia emerges unscratched
      - 4.) Had nobody to turn to- nobody else wanted sign an alliance w/ Russia

It did seem that the Allies might stop Hitler.  There’s an opportunity in 1935.  At this time, Mussolini is not Hitler’s friend yet, he’s actually concerned about Hitler (he knows that Hitler wants to annex Austria, which is at the Italian border).