World War II and Global Discrimination: Understanding a Dark Chapter in Human History

During World War II (

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1939−1945), the world witnessed some of the most severe cases of discrimination and human rights violations in modern history. This introduction will help us understand how different groups faced persecution during this challenging period.

The Nazi Regime and Systematic Persecution
The Nazi government in Germany, led by Adolf Hitler, implemented policies of racial discrimination that targeted multiple groups. Their primary victims were the Jewish people, with approximately

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6 million Jews murdered in what became known as the Holocaust. The Nazis also persecuted:

• Roma and Sinti peoples (then called “Gypsies”)
• Homosexual individuals
• People with disabilities
• Political opponents
• Jehovah’s Witnesses

Japanese Imperial Expansion and Discrimination
The Japanese Empire’s actions in Asia demonstrated severe racial discrimination against other Asian populations. Their concept of racial superiority led to:

• Brutal treatment of Chinese civilians
• Forced labor in occupied territories
• Mistreatment of prisoners of war
• The “Comfort Women” system that enslaved women from occupied territories

American Treatment of Japanese Americans
Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S. government enacted discriminatory policies against Japanese Americans:

• Executive Order 9066 led to the internment of approximately $120,000$ Japanese Americans
• Most were U.S. citizens who lost their homes and businesses
• Families were held in camps for several years
• German and Italian Americans faced less severe restrictions

Conflict in Palestine
The British Mandate in Palestine saw increasing tensions:

• British authorities struggled to manage Arab-Jewish conflicts
• Jewish immigration increased due to European persecution
• Arab Palestinians faced displacement
• Growing conflict over land rights and political control

Important Learning Points

1. Discrimination during WWII wasn’t limited to one region or group
2. Multiple forms of prejudice existed simultaneously
3. Government policies often legitimized discrimination
4. The effects of these actions continue to influence modern society

Understanding Today
These historical events teach us important lessons about:

• The dangers of prejudice and discrimination
• The importance of protecting human rights
• The need to stand against racial and religious persecution
• The value of learning from past mistakes

Crash Course Content

• World War II Part 1
• World War II Part 2

Sources

Munich Pact (1938)

Japanese Note to the United States (December 7, 1941)

Franklin Roosevelt, The Four Freedoms (1941)
African Americans and the Four Freedoms (1944)
Franklin Roosevelt, “Address to Congress” (1941)

Sara M. Evans, American Women at War (1989)
Justice Jackson, Dissent in Korematsu v. US (1944)
Documents Related to the Holocaust (1933-1945)
    Filip Müller, Eyewitness Auschwitz, or Auschwitz inferno : the testimony of a Sonderkommando.
The Wannsee Protocol (1942) aka “The Final Solution”
Elie Wiesel “Reflections of a Survivor” (1987)
Elie Wiesel Night (1960) selection

The Falling Sun: Hiroshima (1945)
John Hersey, “Hiroshima” (1946)