AP European History Unit Eight: World War I and World War II

World War I

• Causes and Context:

  • Early 20th century saw a mix of imperialism, nationalism, and militarism.
  • Countries competed in military technologies (guns, poison gas, tanks, submarines).
  • Alliance System by Otto von Bismarck initially maintained peace.
  • Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914 escalated regional Balkan dispute to a global war.
  • Development of trench warfare due to advancements in military technology.

• End of World War I:

  • Treaty of Versailles (1919): Punished Germany by forcing admission of guilt and reparations payments.
  • Woodrow Wilson proposed the League of Nations, but U.S. Congress did not approve U.S. joining.

Dada Movement

• Origins:

  • Reaction to the losses and disillusionment post-World War I.
  • Emphasized irrationality and nonsense, rejecting logic and reason.

• Notable Works:

  • Marcel Duchamp's Fountain (1917), a signed urinal, symbolized the rejection of social norms.

The Russian Revolution

• Background:

  • Discontent with Tsarist political governance.
  • 1905 Revolution: Bloody Sunday incident led to Tsar Nicholas releasing the October Manifesto.
  • Manifesto intended to check Tsar's power with the Duma.

• The Bolshevik Revolution (1917):

  • Lenin and Bolsheviks overthrew the government due to poor WWI conditions.
  • Established a communist government with central economic planning.

Rise of Fascism and Totalitarianism

• Post-Treaty of Versailles:

  • Treaty exacerbated social/economic tensions, especially in Germany.
  • War Guilt Clause and reparations led to economic devastation in Germany.
  • Rise of the Nazi Party and Adolf Hitler's fascist rhetoric, leading to the Holocaust.

• Fascist Leaders:

  • Italy under Benito Mussolini and Russia under Joseph Stalin.
  • Both exploited post-war bitterness and suppressed dissent using military and secret police.

• Causation:

  • Economic crises led radical leaders to impose totalitarian regimes.
  • Nationalistic and imperialistic rhetoric preceded WWII.

World War II

• Causes:

  • German expansion under Nazi Party's lebensraum policy.
  • Annexation of Rhineland, Austria, Czechoslovakia—little opposition.
  • Invasion of Poland by Germany using blitzkrieg strategy prompted global conflict.

• War Dynamics:

  • Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria.
  • Allies: Britain, France, USSR, Belgium, United States.
  • Industrial arms race, nuclear war threats post-atomic bombings in Japan.

Timeline Highlights

• 1917: Russian Tsar removed; Bolsheviks rise.
• 1919: Treaty of Versailles signed.
• 1925: Mussolini gains power in Italy.
• 1933: Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany.
• 1945: WWII ends with Germany's and Japan's surrender.