Unit 8: The Second World War and the New World Order
By the late 1930s, anti-democratic governments in Europe and Asia were beginning to threaten the security of surrounding states. Nazi Germany occupied parts of Czechoslovakia and Austria in 1938. Great Britain and France declined to challenge German actions, fearing that a firm stance against Germany might provoke a new European war. The following year, Germany invaded Poland and set in motion a chain of events that led to the outbreak of World War II. In the Pacific, Japanese forces continued to expand their hold on China and the military prepared invasion plans for European colonies in Southeast Asia. Meanwhile, the United States chose to remain isolated from the growing conflict, as it had done during much of World War I.
America entered the war in December of 1941, following a surprise Japanese attack on American military forces in Hawaii. American troops joined British and French forces and began to prepare for an invasion of Nazi occupied Europe. In the Pacific, American and allied forces eventually checked Japanese military expansion and began to go on the offensive. Like the First World War, World War II was a global war and critical battles were fought across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Pacific.
In this unit, we will examine the global impact of the World War II and look at why the United States and the Soviet Union emerged as economic, political, and military superpowers following the conflict. We will also examine how the war reshaped political, economic, and social life in Europe and Asia and led to devastating new military technologies, such as the atomic bomb. Finally, we will discuss how Nazi anti-Semitic ideologies led to the Holocaust, in which six million Jews and other minorities were systematically murdered from 1939–1945.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 5 hours.
Upon successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- identify the origins, main events, consequences, and historical legacies of World War II;
- analyze and reflect on the Holocaust and the concept of genocide; and
- analyze how World War II reshaped power balances throughout the world and led to the emergence of the United States and the Soviet Union as global superpowers.
8.1: The "Gathering Storm"
Read this chapter.
Read this chapter.
8.1.1: Italian Imperialism
This article discusses the cultural, social, economic, and political state of the government of Ethiopia under Italian occupation.
8.1.2: Japanese Imperialism
Read this article.
Read this article.
Read from section entitled "Republican China" through section entitled "Return to Civil War" in chapter 1.04.
8.1.3: Responses
Read this article, focusing on the "Appeasement" topic.
8.2: Global Impact
8.2.1: The War in Europe
Read this article.
Read this article.
Read this article.
Read this article.
These articles discuss the origins of the Holocaust, in which 6 million Jews and other minorities were killed by the Nazis, and discuss how the Nazis carried out their genocidal activities.
8.2.2: The War in Asia and the Pacific
Read this article.
Read this article.
Read this article.
8.2.3: The Allied Victory
Read this article.
Read this article.
8.3: Consequences
8.3.1: Creation of the United Nations
Read this article.
In the closing months of World War II, representatives from England, France, Russia, China, the United States and other nations affected by the war met in San Francisco to create a new international organization to resolve political and military disputes and promote human rights, international law, and social progress. The United Nations Charter, signed June 26, 1945, declares that signatories will "practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbors", "unite our strength to maintain international peace and security", and "employ international machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all peoples". The Charter presents a detailed description of how the new organization will address these issues and promote international peace and prosperity.
8.3.2: United States and USSR Emerge as Global Superpowers
Read this article.
8.3.3: Reconstruction of Western Europe
Read this article.
Unit 8 Assessment
Review the Chapter 31 outline, and then take the quizzes to assess your understanding of the subjects covered in Unit 8.
Unfortunately, the original provider for this quiz has rearranged the site in such a way that Submit Answers for Grading button does not work and no longer indicates the correct answers. This quiz should be fairly straightforward and easy for students with a good understanding of the course materials. Therefore, you should use this quiz as a self-assessment of how comfortable you feel with the material before you move forward.
Review the Chapter 26 overview, and then take the 12-question "self-check" multiple-choice quiz to assess your understanding of the subjects covered in Unit 8.