Introduction
By Chad Bickel: Ypsilanti New Tech High School
World War II was the most devastating war ever fought. It was a total war, fought in nearly all regions of the world, with upwards of 60 million total military and civilian casualties. The causes of World War II were rooted in World War I and the political and economic events of the interwar period. The economic depression that occurred throughout the world in the 1920's and 30's paved the way for dictators to rise to power.
In this WebQuest you will be studying one of four countries that was ruled by a dictatorial leader in the interwar period and how they led the world to war in 1939. To fully understand the cause of World War II, you must look at the important events leading up to the conflict.
The outbreak of World War II came about because of many factors; the Treaty of Versailles which ended World War I, the Great Depression, and a long history of imperial countries disrespecting the sovereignty of smaller nations led to a hostile international environment.
This WebQuest asks you to examine the countries of Germany, Italy, Russia and Japan in the years following World War I. You will examine the events following 1918 that led these countries, and the entire world, into World War II. You will see what political, economic and social conditions led each of these countries to be led by dictatorial leaders, and how the policies of each led to war.
Task
In this project it will be your job to fully research the reason the leaders of Germany, Italy, Russia, and Japan were able to rise to power following World War I. Each person in will explore one of the countries ruled by dictatorial leaders. You will then share your information with each other once you have completed your research. Each group member will then teach three other people describing the conditions in the country in the years before World War II, how these conditions allowed a dictatorial government to come to power, and finally, what conditions were like and what these governments did once they were in power.
Process
Step 1: You will be assigned to either Germany, Russia, Italy or Japan. You will then become an "expert" on this country in the Interwar Period.
Step 2: Then, explore the resources provided below for your country and take notes on all of the information that you find. As you research your country, make sure to take thorough notes while filling in your worksheet. Try to use at least two sources for each section. This will enable you to have a more complete view of your country, its leader and the leader's actions and the role all of these played in the coming of World War II.
Step 3: Once you have had a chance to completely research your respective country and have completely filled out their worksheet, you will share your "expertise" on your country with three other students. You will take notes on the three countries you did not research.
Biographies - Each of the leaders of the four countries took different paths to power, and their were some differences in their styles of leadership.
Germany: Adolf Hitler,
Italy: Benito Mussolini,
Russia: Josef Stalin,
Japan: Emperor Hirohito, Prime Minister Hideki Tojo
Economy- You are interested in discovering how the economies of each country were fairing before the war. The economy of each country is important because it influences both the feelings of ordinary citizens and the actions taken by the government. For example, during a period of economic stability or economic growth, citizens are more likely to be content with their government and the world. Therefore, they are not likely to agitate for or support a war. This does not mean though, that a poor country will always want to go to war. Because, if a government has very little money it is difficult to organize and sustain an army.
Your job is to find out the strengths and weaknesses of the economies of the Germany, Italy, Russia (Soviet Union) and Japan prior to World War II. Some of the information you should look for includes: unemployment rates, percentage of people that are homeless, average salary, a country?s Gross National Product or GNP, and the rate of inflation. Also, find out why the economy was the way it was. Each of these countries had been involved in World War I, but the outcomes of the war was different for each.
Germany: German Economy(1933-39), Economic Recovery, Economic History of Germany , Reparations
Italy: Economy in Fascist Italy
Russia: Stalin's Five Year Plan, Collectivization of Agriculture
Japan: Japan's Economy in the 1930's, Economic Depression, Economic Recovery
Type of Government - You are interested in learning about the governments of the Germany, Italy, Russia and Japan. The structure and role of the government in the daily lives of its citizens is important in understanding the actions of those citizens. For example, if a government does not allow its citizens to speak freely in public forums, then it is unlikely that the citizens will ever be able to influence the workings of the government. Also, it is important to understand who actually controls the everyday workings of the government. Is there a group of people that oversee the laws of the country, or is only one person in charge?
Your job is to find out how the government operates. This information will be very important to you when completing your article because it will allow you to understand the actions taken by each country in the years leading up to World War II. Some of the information you should look for includes (these are just suggestions, you may find different information that may help you, don't limit your search just to these areas): Who has the right to vote; what percentage of people in the country have the right to vote? Is the press controlled by the government, are the people encouraged to voice their opinions to the government? Who is the ultimate leader of the country, who has the final say in the government? Is there a parliament or legislative body, how much power do they have? What role does the military have in the government? How did the leader come to power? What actions does the leader use to stay in power and limit his opposition?
Germany: Hitler's Rise to Power, Hitler Biography, Nazi Party, Treaty of Versailles, Weimar Republic, Italy and Germany
Italy: Rise and Fall of Mussolini, Mussolini's Road to Dictatorship, Italy's Foreign Policy, Italy and Germany
Russia: Stalin's Rise to Power, Stalin's Purges, Stalin's Use of Terror
Japan: Japan, Manchuria & the League of Nations, Foreign Policy towards China
Social Aspects of country - You are interested in learning about the culture and different ways of life that were found in Germany, Italy, Russia and Japan in the years before World War II. A country?s culture is important because it lets others know what the people of that country value. The beliefs and feelings of ordinary citizens can strongly influence the actions of government.
Your job is to discover what life was like in your country in the 1920's and 1930's. Treatment for different groups was oftentimes very different. Some of the information you should look for includes: the religious beliefs of citizens of each country, beliefs about racial differences, resentment towards other countries because of past conflicts, customs or traditions specific to that country, and any other information that would help to describe the people and social life of each country.
Germany: Hitler, Women in Germany, Children Under Hitler
Italy: Life in Mussolini's Italy, Women and Youth Under Mussolini
Russia: Life in Stalin's Russia, Women's Life Under Stalin
Japan: Conflict with China, Buddhism, Shinto , Nationalism
Step 4: Once all students have filled in the section for each country on their worksheets, the "experts" for each country will report their findings and the class will discuss each country. The "experts" and the teacher will answer any questions from other students.
Evaluation
You will be graded on the accuracy of your research and the notes you take from your classmates.
Conclusion
As you have now explored the different dictatorial governments that rose to power in the years following the Great War, you can start to see how World War II came about and see how its roots were firmly planted in World War I. As history does often repeat itself, you will see in future lessons how the victors of World War II took various steps to eliminate a third world war.