John Green explains how WWII was about resources, and especially about food. The expansionist aggression of both Germany and Japan were in a lot of ways about resources. There were other reasons, to be sure, but the idea that the Axis needed more food can’t be ignored.
YouTube link:
Answer the following based upon the video IN THIS DOCUMENT, TYPED, WITH PROPER SPELLING AND COMPLETE SENTENCES.
1. World War II can be looked at as a war for resources, particularly for ________________.
2. Discuss the largest number of deaths during World War II in comparison with military deaths.
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
3. Both the Nazis and Japan were both nationalistic and militaristic in the 1930s. According to the video, what other important factor motivated them/what did both seek (term and FULL definition)?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
4. How did this motivate Germany and Japan? WHY? _____________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
5. Why did Germany and Japan need to build up their industrial states? _________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
6. Which resource concerned German and Japan the most? ________________________2
7. What is lebensraum for and why is it needed by the Germans? ______________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
8. Why would food be a “scarce resource” for the Japanese? What was needed? ____________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
9. What was “The Hunger Plan” (as opposed to “The Hunger Games” )? _______________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
(… the primary motive for Hitler’s disastrous invasion of the Soviet Union)
Why was it implemented/necessary? _______________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
10. Why did Winston Churchill say that “… the Battle for the Atlantic was the dominating factorall through the War. Never for one moment could we forget that everything happening elsewhere, on land, at sea, or in the air, ultimately depended on its outcome.“?___________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
11. Why were hunger and famine a reality for British and Japanese colonies? _____________3
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
12. Generally speaking, U.S., British and German civilians did not starve, but what practice did they institute to save food for the troops?
_________________________________________________________________
13. Where and why did the citizens in the Soviet Union, Japan and China see a huge drop in caloric
intake during the War? ________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
14. Which troops were the most poorly fed? _____________________________________
Why? ____________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
15. Why is examining the role of resources – especially food in WWII – advantageous over the narrative of the triumph of the “Allied good” over “Axis evil”? (Several reasons) ________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
(continue answer on next page …)
________________________________________________________________4
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
16. For what reasons will the potential conflict of ideology vs. allocation of resources always be there? ____________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
