hist ut2

• In WW2, Germany adopted the blitzkrieg strategy and successfully occupied Poland in two months.
• After occupying Poland, Germany occupied Denmark, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands and France. 370,000 allied soldiers decided to retreat from mainland Europe to Britain.
• In June 1940 during WW2, Italy entered the war and invaded North Africa. However, Britain made a counter-attack against Italy. Hitler had to send troops to help his ally in Africa.
• In WW2, Germay also adopted the blitzkrieg strtegy against the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union suffered heavy casualties because the army was ill-equipped. Although German troops captured a lot of Soviet land, Germany could not defeat Soviet Union.
• During WW2, Japanese troops made a sudden attack on the American naval base at Pearl Harbour in Hawaii. The United States declared was on Japan, and the Pacific War started.
• In 1942 of the WW2, the United States defeated Japan in sea battles. IN Feb, Soviet forces launched a counter-attack against German troops. In july, the Fascist regime in italy was overthrown. In 1933, allied troops landed in normandy, france and started liberating european countries from nazi rule.
• When soviet forces took berlin, germany surrendered. The united states dropped two powerful atomic bombs on Japan . Finally, japan surrendered on august 15, marking the end of the war that lasted fro six years.
• In WW1, neither the central powers nor the allied powers could win a decisive victory quickly. The stalemate and technological innovations gradually caused the WW1 to be a total war
• Under total war, warfare was not confined to the front lines where the armies fought. The warring countries mobilized more resources in the rear, including manpower and agricultural and insutrial goods to support the long-lasting war. This warfare mode was also adopted in the WW2.
• In general, lives of civilians away from the front lines were less affected by the wars except in paying for military expenses.
• Under the total war, the warring countries would control and mobilize all national resources. Their policies were military-oriented. People were conscripted into the army or mobilized to produce military supplies. The difference between combatants and non-combatants disappeared. As civilians were regarded was rear servicemen, they also became attack targets.
• After WW1, newly independent nation-states were established in eastern europe. Asian and african colonial nationalists were encouraged. As decolonization started after WW2, the world entered the era of modern nation-states.
• The principle of national self-determination claims that a group of people with a common language and culture have the right to form their own state and choose their own government.
• In 1918, american president wilson issued the "fourteen points", in which he propsed the principle of national self-determination to gives peoples in eastern europe the chance to develop autonomy and a garuatee of independence.
• After the paris peace conference, more than ten new nation-states were formed in eastern europe. Their establishment put the principle of national self-determination into practice.
• The principle of national self-determination encouraged colonial nationalists in asia and africa, and gave birth to the idea of decolonization. However, western colonial powers refused to accept their independence at that time.
• After WW2, the european colonial powers further declined. They were unable to restore or maintain colonial rule. Their colonies in asia and africa eventually gained independence through negotiations or wars.
• During WW2, japan occupied the colonies of western countries in southeast asia, further simulating nationalism in the region. After the war, these colonies resisted the resumption of colonial rule by their former suzerains. Anti-colonialism also ran high in british inida in south asia
• Decolonization in asia developed rapidly during the late 1940s and 50s. The colonies gained their independence through the suzerain's assistance, negotiation and armed struggle.
• The the 1930s, the united states introduced refroms in the philippines and passed the philippine independence act to provide for the adoption of a constitution and the establishment of a new government.

  In 1935, the Commonwealth of the philippines, led by an elected president, was established.

  In 1946, the philippines became independent.
• Britain was relatively moderate towards its colonies after ww2. The colonies gained independence through negotiation and the process of relatively peaceful:

  Burma: Soon after restoring its rule in burma, britain held talks with the independence leader Aung San to end the colonial rule. In 1947, the two sides reached an agreement and the Union of Burma was founded.
• French attempted to restore its colonial rule in southeast asia by force and french Indochina started armed struggles for independence:

  After ww1, nationalists in vietnam, laos and cambodia organized armed forces against french rule. Between 1953 and 1954, france suffered military setbacks and had to recognize their independence. However, due to the outbreak of a civil war, Vietnam was divided into two unter reunification in 1976.
• The netherlands attempted to restore its colonial rule in southeast asia by force and Dutch East Indies started armed struggles for independence:

  In 1945, the nationalist leader Sukarno proclaimed the independence of Indonesia. Armed conflicts broke out between the Dutch and Indoneasians. In 1949, the netherlands finally agreed to end its rule in indonesia leading to its independence.
• During ww2, the allied powers gathered supplies from africa. After tehe war, africans believed that their suzerains should give them more rights in return. Decolonization began. New nation-states emerged sucessively. The year 1960 was called the year of africa.
• In 1922, Britain recognized Egypt's independence, but still controlled its military and foreign affairs. After ww2, Egytian nationalists demanded total independence and the withdrawal of british troops from egypt.
• In 1952, Nassar, and egyptian officer, overthrew the pro-western egyptian king in a coup. In 1956, britain agreed to withdraw from egypt. Egypt became completely independent. In the same year, egypt gained controlled of the Suez Canal from britain. The decline of britain accelerated the decolonization of its African colonies
• In 1950s, Nkrumah, a nationalist leader of the Gold Coast in West africa, negotiated with britain for independence. In 1957, the gold coast gained independence and was renamed Ghana.
• Nkrumah advocated and spread Pan-Aficanism, meaning 'africa for africans'. Ghana contributed to the establishment of the Organization of African Unity in 1963, which further encouraged the independence of the whole of Africa.
• After ww2, independence movements developed rapidly in the french colonies in central and west africa. In 1958, france allowed most african colonies to hold referendums to decide their future course. Guinea voted for independence first.
• In 1960, 12 colonies and 2 mandated territories of france, as well as some british and belgian colonies, gained independence. A total 17 new african nation-states were founded that year. Nearly two-thirds of africa had completed decolonization.
• 'Third World' is a term that emerged during the Cold War, referred to those belonging neither to the first world (move developed capitalist countries led by the united states) nor the second world (communist countries led by the soviet union). The third world included the less developed countries of asia, africa and latin america, many of which were former western colonies
• In 1955, indonesia, burma, ceylon, India and pakistan held the bandung conference in bandung, indonesia. 29 Asian and african leaders attended it. It was the first asian-african conference without the western powers.
• At the conference, participating countries discussed economic and cultrual cooperation and colonial issues. They also opposed colonialism and affirmed the right of national self-determination. They further declared the Ten Principles of the Bandung Conference to promote world peace and strengthen international cooperation
• The main points of the Bandung Conference included:

  • respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations
  • recognition of the equality of all races and all nations
  • non-intervention in the internal affairs of other countries
  • rejecting the use of collective defense system to serve the big powers
  • prohibiting acts or threats against the territorial integrity of any country
  • settling all international disputes by peaceful means
  • promotion of mutual interests and cooperation
• Asian and African countries showed their diplomatic autonomy through participating in the Bandung Conference
• Participating in the Bandung Conference further consolidated their position as independent countries
• The Cold War spread around the world

  1950s
• Over 10 Asian and African countries were newly established
• Yugoslavia, Egypt, Ghana, Indonesia and India held a summit in Belgrade, Yugoslavia to discuss international affairs


  1961
• The Non-Aligned Movement was formally founded