World War II

Canadian troops guarding captured German soldiers at Juno Beach after the Invasion of Normandy in 1944

History 20
Mr. Letkeman’s Class
 World War II

World War II, the largest war in human history, was fought between two
groups: The Allies and the Axis. The war itself lasted from 1939 to 1945, but the
effect of the war has lasted to this day. In our study of this monumental conflict,
we will divide the unit into three mini-sections: (1) The Background: The Rise of
Hitler and Nazi Germany, (2) The Holocaust, and (3) World War II.

The Background to World War II (1.5 weeks)

In this mini-section we will examine the global environment that set the stage for
World War II. We will look at the rise of the German totalitarian state as a
response to national humiliation and economic crisis (from the Treaty of
Versailles). Students will learn about the circumstances of Hitler’s rise to power,
his violation of the Treaty of Versailles, and Europe’s reluctance to enforce it
(appeasement).

The Holocaust (2 weeks)

In this mini-section we will learn about the Nazis’ racial policy concerning Aryan
and non-Aryan peoples. Many people wrongly believe that Hitler suddenly sent the
Jewish people to the concentration camps without warning. The truth of the
matter is that Hitler’s Nazi government began a process of Jewish discrimination
and segregation beginning in 1933, before eventually moving the Jews to the
concentration and extermination camps in 1938 until 1945.

World War II (3 weeks)

In this mini-section we will learn about the theatre of war from 1939 to 1945. We
will look at Hitler’s quest for European and world domination. We will examine the
Nazi-Soviet Pact, the Alliances (Allies and Axis) that emerged, Hitler`s Blitzkrieg
(“Lightning War”), the Battle for the Atlantic, Japan’s bombing of Pearl Harbour,
the Battle for the Pacific, D-Day, V.E. Day, the American atomic attack on
Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and Japan’s subsequent surrender.

Unit Vocabulary

Adolf Hitler – Fuhrer of Germany, leader of the Nazi Party, architect of the
Holocaust, and instigator of World War II.

Allies – The countries that opposed the Axis Powers in World War II. The
Allies were Britain (including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc), the Soviet
Union (Russia), United States, France, and many others.

Appeasement – A term applied to Neville Chamberlain (Britain’s Prime

Minister before WWII) with regard to his reluctance to hold Germany to the
terms of the Treaty of Versailles. Chamberlain tried to avoid war with
Germany by turning a blind eye to Germany’s violations of the Treaty.

Aryan – The term used by Hitler and the Nazis for white northern peoples
(descendents of the Germanic tribes of the Middle Ages). Hitler and the
Nazis considered Aryans to be the Master Race. It was the intention of the
Nazis to establish a master Aryan race to rule Germany and the world.

Atomic Bomb – A bomb that unleashes a catastrophic explosion by splitting

atoms. The Americans were the first nation in history to use atomic weapons
against an enemy (Japan).

Auschwitz (pro: “Owsh-vits”) – The name of a famous network of

concentration and extermination camps in German-held Poland. The gates
of the camps had a big sign that prisoners would read on the way in saying
“Arbeit Macht Frei” (“Work Will Free You”).

Axis Powers – Germany, Italy, and Japan.

Battle of Dieppe (pro: “Dee-Epp”) – In 1942 Canadian and British forces

(mostly Canadian) were sent to capture the French port of Dieppe. Their
goal was to prove it was possible and to gather intelligence from prisoners.
It was a disaster. In the end 3 367 Canadians were killed, wounded, or taken
prisoner.

Benito Mussolini – The fascist leader of Italy. Mussolini was an ally of

Hitler.

Blitzkrieg – A German word meaning Lightning War. It refers to a fast

mechanized (tanks, trucks, planes) invasion of countries that bordered
Germany between 1939-41. (Poland, France, Belgium, Holland, Luxemburg,
Denmark, Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia).

Concentration Camp – Political and ethnic prisoners were sent to these

prison camps to work and, eventually, to be exterminated.

Dachau (pro: “Dack-how”) – The name of a famous concentration camp in

southern Germany. The gates of the camp had a big sign that prisoners
would read on the way in saying “Arbeit Macht Frei” (“Work Will Free You”).

D-Day – Also known as The Invasion of Normandy. This was an assault on

the beaches of northern France in order to break into Fortress Europe (Nazi
controlled Europe) on June 6th, 1944. The British, the Americans, and the
Canadians participated in this massive beachhead (an assault on an enemy-
held beach). Each military was assigned a section of the beach. Canada’s
section was code-named “Juno”. The Canadian forces were one of the few
that day to actually accomplish their objective.

Fascism – Also known as a dictatorship. This form of government has one

person with total control. Criticism of the dictator is not allowed and often
results in imprisonment and death.

Final Solution (of the Jewish question) – Hitler wanted a racially pure
Germany and Europe. The problem he had was that there were millions of
people living in Germany and Europe that were not Aryan (i.e. Jews). His
final solution to this problem was to exterminate them in concentration
camps.

Fortress Europe – The Nazi forces had seized control of all parts of
continental Europe. The Allies were unable to get into Europe to fight the
Germans. It was as if Europe was a fortress.

Fuhrer (pro: “fure-er”) – A German word meaning ruler or leader. This is

how Hitler was referred to (“The Fuhrer”).
Gestapo – The Nazi secret police. They were specially placed above
German law by Hitler himself.

Hiroshima – The first Japanese city that the Americans dropped an atomic
bomb on.

Holocaust – The name given to the Nazis’ systematic slaughter of 6 million

Jews in concentration camps. Some historians believe that this term should
also include the millions of Romani, Gypsies, Disabled, Homosexuals,
Jehovah’s Witnesses, and other political and religious prisoners murdered in
the camps.

Japanese Internment – In the United States and Canada, citizens of

Japanese descent were arrested and put into prison camps for the duration
of the War. The Canadian government officially apologised to Japanese-
Canadians for this injustice in 1988. The Americans did the same one month
later.

Nagasaki – The second Japanese city that the Americans dropped an atomic
bomb on.

Nazi – A contraction of the German word Nationalsozialistische. This word

means National Socialist.

Nazi-Soviet Pact – Adolf Hiter and Josef Stalin made a non-aggression pact
with each other. A secret part of this pact was an agreement to jointly
invade Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Czechoslovakia, Romania, and
Finland - and then divide them up between their two countries.

Night of Broken Glass (German: Kristallnacht) – On November 9-10,

1938 Nazi Storm-troopers attacked Jewish homes, synagogues, and
businesses by burning buildings and smashing out windows with
sledgehammers. Ninety-one Jews were killed, and 30 000 Jewish men (a
quarter of the male Jewish population) were taken to concentration camps.
This event is viewed by historians as the beginning of Hitler’s Final Solution.

Night of the Long Knives – June 30th to July 2nd, 1934 the Nazi government
rounded up a number of Nazi party officials who had angered Hitler or
disagreed with him. They were executed.

Normandy – Northern France.

Pearl Harbour – On December 7th, 1941 the Empire of Japan bombed Pearl
Harbour (an American base in Hawaii). The next day the United States
declared war on Japan and entered World War II.

Swastika – The symbol adopted by the Nazi Party and Nazi Germany. It
stood for the struggle of the Aryan Race. The symbol itself predates Nazi
Germany by 3 000 years in Asia and the Middle East.

Third Reich (pro: “Rike”) – The common name for the country of Germany
during Nazi rule. The term Reich is a German word that means “empire”.
The German Empire of the Middle Ages was the First Reich, the German
Empire before and during World War I was the Second Reich, and Hitler’s
new empire was the Third Reich.

Totalitarianism – A police state that controls every aspect of its citizens’

lives. Citizens are told how to dress, how to speak, and what to believe. The
Totalitarian states of the 1930’s were Stalin’s Soviet Union, Mussolini’s
Fascist Italy, and Hitler’s Nazi Germany.

V.E. Day – This stands for “Victory in Europe Day”. On May 8th, 1945 the
Germans unconditionally surrendered to the Allies. Hitler committed suicide
by shooting himself.

William Lyon Mackenzie King – The Canadian Prime Minister during World
War II. Trivia Alert He is the one on the $50 bill.:

Winston Churchill – The famous and witty British Prime Minister during
World War II.

Grading

Each mini-section of this unit will have a reading requirement, an assignment, and a
test. The World War II unit will be concluded with a summative unit project in
place of a unit test.

I. The Rise of Hitler and Nazi Germany (25%)

A. Reading Requirement #1
 B. Hitler Biographical Pamphlet

C. Mini-Unit Quiz #1

II. The Holocaust (25%)

A. Reading Requirement #2

B. “Who is Innocent?” Dialectic Essay

C. Mini-Unit Quiz #2

III. World War II (25%)

A. Reading Requirement #3

B. Reading Requirement #4

C. D-Day Assignment

IV. World War II Project Fair (25%)

-Partners will select a topic, research it, create a display of their findings, and
present their topic to onlookers in the library during the project fair. Partners will
select one of these topics on a first-come, first-serve basis. There will be no
repeats. Please see the next page for project options.
Make a Video Display (complete with captions, music, images or video) on an
important aspect, event, or battle of WWII. The topic must be approved by Mr.
Letkeman.

Make a Biographical Display on Adolf Hitler

Make a Display on the Holocaust

Make a Display on the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United
States

Create a Display on the role of the Canadian Air Force in the Battle for Britain

Make a Display on the Bombing of Pearl Harbour and the American involvement in
WWII

Make a Model and/or Display of the Battle of the Bulge and Canadian involvement in
it.

Make a Model and/or Display of the Canadian role in the Invasion of Normandy (D-
Day)

Make a Display on the liberation by the Canadian Forces of German-held Holland

Make a Display on the Canadian involvement in the Battle of Scheldt (Belgium)

Make a Display on Canadian prisoners-of-war or POW’s (captured both by the

Germans and the Japanese in WWII)

Create a Display on Canada’s First Nations veterans of WWII

Make a Display on the Battle of the Gulf of St. Lawrence (German u-boats vs.
Canadian Navy and Air Force in Eastern Canada)

Make a Display of the Canadian defeat in the Battle of Dieppe

Make a Display about Canadian and American involvement in the Aleutian Islands
Campaign

Make a Display on Japanese Internment in Canada during WWII.

Make a Display on the Canadian Defence of Hong Kong Against the Japanese (the
first action Canada saw in WWII).

Make a Display on Hitler’s Blitzkrieg between the years of 1939-1941.

Make a Display about the sinking of the German warship, The Bismarck in the
context of the Battle of the Atlantic.
Make a Display on the Secret Inventions and War Technology of the Germans in
WWII.

Make a Display on Canadian War Brides of WWII.

Make a Display on P.O.W. camps in Canada during World War II.