Ari Gilder, 2-406!
1. What was meant by the “New Order”?
The “New Order” devised by Hitler was his plan for controlling the entire continent of Europe. He wished to organize all of Europe into one unified government which controlled politics and economics. This government would be dominated by the “Aryan race” and its center of operations would be in Berlin, Germany. The New Order also brought about the “Final Solution to the Jewish Problem” – Hitler’s extermination of the Jews of Europe.
2. What role did the Soviet Union play in the “New Order”?
The Soviet Union was responsible for supplying Germany with all needed resources in carrying out their plan to achieve the “New Order.” The Soviet Union would supply food and raw materials, despite the fact that rerouting the food production of the Soviet Union to Germany would starve many millions of people. Hitler knew about this consequence and simply let it pass by, carelessly, since the Slavs were of no importance to him and the superior Aryan race.
3. Explain the significance of the following battles or terms:
· Stalingrad – during the summer of 1942, the Germans were able to push the Soviet front all the way back to Stalingrad. This was the site of battle that last six months. The Soviet forces defended their city valiantly. In November of 1942, the Soviet army began to launch a counterattack upon the German forces, eventually forcing the remnants of the German army there to surrender in January 1943. This battle was a significant turning point in the war, as the Germans never fully recovered from their losses.
· El Alamein – In the late summer of 1942, British troops came under attack by the Germans in El Alamein, in North Africa. The Allies rushed to provide reinforcements, and began to push the German forces towards the west. In November of 1942, American and British troops in Morocco began to push the German forces towards the east. The German army was trapped in Tunisia with Allied armies on both sides, leaving them no choice but to surrender. This was also a turning point in the war, since Italy’s empire in Africa crumbled and the French colonies were restored.
· Battle of Midway Islands – The Japanese had attempted to extend their influence eastward by invading the Midway Islands. The Americans were able to defeat the Japanese in June 1942 with ships and carriers. This was a turning point for the US Navy in preventing the spread of the Japanese in the Pacific, as well as inflicting damage upon the Japanese navy.
· “Island Hopping” – A strategy adopted by the Allied forces in 1943. The Allies began to take the offensive in the Pacific Ocean against the Japanese. Only certain Japanese-controlled islands were captured by the Allies, while other islands were left alone to struggle from lack of supplies.
· Normandy/D-Day – The Allies had surmounted a large invasion of Europe, with troops landing on the northern French peninsula of Normandy. Over 1 million troops had landed there on June 6, 1944, known as D-Day. When the Germans found out the location of the Allies’ landing, they rushed to counter it, but were severely outnumbered. The fighting eventually broke out into north France. By September of that year, the Allies had reached the Siegfried Line, the strongly fortified west-German frontier. This massive campaign severely weakened the German forces and would eventually be their downfall.
4. What did the “Big Three” agree to at the Yalta Conference? At Potsdam?
At the Yalta Conference, Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin, or the “Big Three,” had agreed to divide Germany temporarily and occupy it with Allied troops. Those areas that were liberated from German control would have democratically elected governments. Also, the Soviet Union would assist in the war against Japan. In return, they would receive several Japanese territories that were captured. At the Potsdam Conference, Roosevelt was replaced by Truman, and Churchill was replaced by Attlee. There, the Big Three agreed to control and occupy Germany, as well as issue an ultimatum to Japan, demanding their unconditional surrender. When Japan had rejected the ultimatum, the Big Three had agreed to employ their secret weapon – the atomic bomb.
5. Based on the section entitled “Attack on Japan” and “Japanese Surrender” do you think that the use of the atomic bomb was justified? Explain.
The dropping of the atomic bomb is quite a controversial issue, and is even moreso nowadays. However, I think that the use of the atomic bomb at Hiroshima was in fact justified, since Japan had quite a few chances to surrender peacefully. My opinion only comes from the presumption that the Big Three had given Japan an ample warning of what they would do, or at least the magnitude of the power they held in their hands. If they hadn’t, which I do not know, then I would reconsider my thoughts to say that it was unfair to shock the Japanese with such a powerful weapon, that had such powerful effects. Either way however, I do not believe that the dropping at Nagasaki was justified at all. The Japanese were amply devastated by one nuclear weapon, was it imperative that another one be used? When you punish someone, you do it and give them the opportunity to submit and apologize, not continue doing it. However, I do understand the Big Three’s logic in sending in both without any chance for Japan to change its mind; Japan did indeed have many chances to give up, but they insisted to keep fighting and use greater force. All this is without even taking into account the bombing of Pearl Harbor. If you do take that into account, I will say that regardless of warning or not, the Hiroshima bombing was justified.