On this day we continued taking notes over WWII. And here they are:
Holocaust 1944-Hitler takes over Hungary and begins deporting 12,000 Jews each day to Auschwitz where they were killed.
Holocaust 1945-Hitler is killed and WWII ends. Death camps are emptied. Surviving Jews were put in safer camps until they went to America or Israel.
Russia/Soviet Union/USSR
Russia dropped out of WW I due to the Bolshevik Revolution-Communism.
Economically, it was in terrible shape-Several wars, wether it be WWI or otherwise.
Vladimir Ulyanov(Lenin)
Lenin emerged as the leader of the communists.
Lenin was a big Marxist supporter-Karl Marx is the father of communism. He wrote the book on it. Equal throughout. No government, no religion, etc. A sort of dictatorship.
-Marx never outlined how exactly to reach a classless society so Lenin and the government took control of the economy and farms with a promise to eventually give it back to the peasants.
Lenin organized the country into a federation of republics
- The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics-All after Lenin died.
Lenin died in 1924-Stalin took over.
Power struggled ensued between Leon Trotsky and Josef Stalin.
Stalin would win.
Josef Stalin
Wanted to focus on building up the Soviet Union’s economy-WWI and Russian revolution made it a depression.
Eliminated political opponents in great purges(800,000)-Killed off opponents.
Wanted nationalization and collectivization of the economy
-gov’t took control of industry(nationalization)-Government took over the factories and businesses.
-abolished private ownership(upset Kulaks)-Turned farmers into factory workers, sort of.
-forced peasants to merge their land into large collective
farms(collectivization)-Taking farms away and giving them to the government.
The Kulaks resisted and Stalin used the secret police to kill them-All from rebelling.
Stalin admitted that at least 10 million people died due to collectivization and famine
Five Year Plans
-Stalin’s idea of economic growth for industry and
agriculture-Hoped to do this in 5 but it took 15. Quantity over quality.
-Goals were to be met in a five year time frame
-Wasn’t until the third 5 Year Plan did the economy start
to improve-A huge struggle.
Japan-Japan invaded China to get coal, oil, power, etc. The depression made this a necessary thing for Japan to thrive. China had a low population, making it much easier to invade. All this took place in 1931. Military decision on the invasion part.
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