What was the Holocaust, and what new world order emerged from the war?
Explain the Holocaust and the human cost of World War II, and the postwar settlement, including the United Nations, the Nuremberg Trials, and the emergence of the United States and the Soviet Union as superpowers (Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, United States History and Geography, US.33 and US.34).
A standard-level answer on the Holocaust and the postwar order for the Tennessee US History EOC: the genocide of six million Jews and millions of others, the Nuremberg Trials, the founding of the United Nations, and the rise of the United States and the Soviet Union as rival superpowers.
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What this topic is asking
Standards US.33 and US.34 ask about the Holocaust and the human cost of World War II, and the new world order that emerged afterward. For the EOC that means understanding the genocide carried out by Nazi Germany, the Nuremberg Trials, the founding of the United Nations, and the rise of the United States and the Soviet Union as rival superpowers, which set up the Cold War.
The Holocaust
The Holocaust was the result of Nazi ideology of extreme antisemitism and racism. As Allied armies advanced into Germany and Poland in 1945, they liberated the camps, and photographs and testimony revealed the scale of the genocide to the world. The Holocaust stands as the central reason "never again" became a guiding principle of the postwar era and human-rights law.
The Nuremberg Trials
After the war, the Allies put surviving Nazi leaders on trial at Nuremberg, Germany.
The United Nations
Determined to avoid the failure of the League of Nations, the Allies created a new international body.
Two superpowers and the road to the Cold War
World War II devastated the old great powers of Europe and Asia, but it left two nations standing as dominant world powers:
- The United States: a capitalist democracy, its economy strengthened by the war, and now in possession of the atomic bomb.
- The Soviet Union: a communist dictatorship under Stalin, with the largest army and control of much of Eastern Europe.
These two superpowers had opposing ideologies and clashed over the postwar world, especially the fate of Eastern Europe, which the Soviets occupied and refused to free. This rivalry quickly hardened into the Cold War (see the origins of the Cold War).
Why this matters for the EOC
This topic provides definition and cause-and-effect items (what the Holocaust was, why Nuremberg and the UN were created) and is the bridge to the Cold War module. The EOC treats the rise of the two superpowers as the direct link between the end of World War II and the start of the Cold War.
Try this
Q1. Define the Holocaust. [2]
- Cue. The systematic, state-sponsored murder of about six million Jews (and millions of others) by Nazi Germany during World War II.
Q2. Name the international organization founded in 1945 and explain the purpose of the Nuremberg Trials. [2]
- Cue. The United Nations; Nuremberg prosecuted Nazi leaders for war crimes and crimes against humanity, holding individuals accountable.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of TDOE exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
TN US History EOC (style)1 marksThe Holocaust refers to (A) the bombing of Hiroshima. (B) the systematic, state-sponsored murder of about six million Jews and millions of others by Nazi Germany. (C) the internment of Japanese Americans. (D) the D-Day invasion.Show worked answer →
A 1-point multiple-choice item on US.33.
The correct answer is B. The Holocaust was the deliberate, state-organized genocide carried out by Nazi Germany, murdering about six million Jews along with millions of others (Roma, disabled people, political prisoners, and others) in concentration and death camps.
A, C, and D are other wartime events but not the Holocaust. The test rewards defining the Holocaust as the Nazi genocide of Jews and others.
TN US History EOC (style)2 marksAfter World War II, a new international organization was created to keep the peace, and Nazi leaders were put on trial. (a) Name the international organization. (b) Explain the purpose of the Nuremberg Trials.Show worked answer →
A 2-point item on the postwar order (US.34).
(a) 1 point: the United Nations (UN), founded in 1945 to promote peace and cooperation and prevent future wars.
(b) 1 point: the Nuremberg Trials prosecuted Nazi leaders for war crimes and crimes against humanity (including the Holocaust), establishing the principle that individuals are accountable for such crimes and that "following orders" is not a defense. Markers reward naming the United Nations and explaining that Nuremberg held Nazi leaders accountable for war crimes and the Holocaust.
Related dot points
- Explain the major turning points and strategy of World War II in the European and Pacific theaters, including D-Day, island hopping, and the decision to use the atomic bomb (Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, United States History and Geography, US.30 and US.31).
A standard-level answer on the fighting of World War II for the Tennessee US History EOC: the Europe-first strategy, D-Day and the defeat of Germany, the Pacific island-hopping campaign, the decision to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the role of Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
- Explain the attack on Pearl Harbor, the American declaration of war, and the mobilization of the economy and the military for total war (Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, United States History and Geography, US.29).
A standard-level answer on American entry into World War II for the Tennessee US History EOC: the attack on Pearl Harbor, the declaration of war, the draft and the growth of the armed forces, war production and rationing, and financing the war.
- Explain the origins of the Cold War, the policy of containment, and early measures such as the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, and NATO (Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, United States History and Geography, US.35).
A standard-level answer on the origins of the Cold War for the Tennessee US History EOC: the clash of superpowers and ideologies, the iron curtain, containment, the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, the Berlin Airlift, and the formation of NATO.
- Analyze the effects of World War II on the American home front, including the new roles of women and minorities, the Double V campaign, and the internment of Japanese Americans (Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, United States History and Geography, US.32).
A standard-level answer on the World War II home front for the Tennessee US History EOC: women in the workforce (Rosie the Riveter), African Americans and the Double V campaign and the Great Migration, the contributions of Mexican Americans and American Indians, and the internment of Japanese Americans.
- Explain the rise of fascism and totalitarian dictators, the policy of appeasement, and the move of the United States from isolationism toward involvement before Pearl Harbor (Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, United States History and Geography, US.28).
A standard-level answer on the road to World War II for the Tennessee US History EOC: the rise of fascist and totalitarian dictators, the failures of appeasement and the League of Nations, American isolationism and the Neutrality Acts, and the shift toward aiding the Allies.
Sources & how we know this
- Social Studies Standards — Tennessee Department of Education (2019)
- TCAP US History End of Course Assessment Overview — Tennessee Department of Education (2023)