Name: Safa Raheem

U3A4 Worksheet #1: Ranking Extreme Events

Part A: Criteria: What is your criteria for an extreme event?

Add a few pieces of criteria that would make an event extreme. Your criteria might include ideas
such as violence, threatening world peace, or racism.

-Things that cause a lot of damage, loss of life, or trouble for a lot of people.
-Extreme events usually don't happen very often or very often at all, and they can happen at any
time or place.
-Pandemics, economic crises, military wars, and major environmental disasters are all examples of
events that have far-reaching effects on the world or society.
- Extreme events could also be ones that violate basic human rights, encourage racism or
discrimination, or threaten democracy, or peace.

PART B: From the timeline of international events leading up to WWII, select at least 5-6 events
that meet your criteria for being extreme. Rank the extremity on a scale of 1 (least extreme) to 5
(most extreme) in the chart below.

Event Summary Ranking Justify using evidence/criteria

1. Kristallnacht—-Night of On November 9 and 10, 5 During Kristallnacht, Jewish

the Broken Glass 1938, attacks were
made on Jewish
communities all over
Germany and Austria.
This led to a lot of
violence, damage, and
arrests of Jews.
communities were targeted by a lot of
violence, destruction, and arrests. It
fits the definition of extreme violence
because a lot of homes, shops, and
synagogues were destroyed.
Because it was planned to hurt Jews
and their rights were violated, it is a
clear example of an extreme event,
so it gets a 5.

2. Germany invades In September 1939, 5 When Germany invaded Poland, it

Poland Germany invaded was the real start of World War II. The
Poland with its army. act of violence, the damage and
This was what started deaths that followed, and the size of
World War II. the global war all make it deserve the
number 5 rank. It caused a lot of
bloodshed and chaos, and its effects
were felt for a long time. “Germany
invades Poland. Britain and France
declare war.”

3. Adolf Hitler becomes In 1933, Adolf Hitler 4 The time when Hitler came to rule
Chancellor of Germany became Chancellor and was a big turning point in German
made Germany a one- history. It led to the silencing of
party, strict state run by political dissent, the support of
the Nazis. discriminatory policies, and the
 weakening of democratic institutions,
which set the stage for more extreme
actions. This is why it is ranked
number 4.

4. Germany withdraws In October 1933, 3 Germany's decision to leave the

from the League of Germany officially left
Nations the League of Nations,
an international group
set up to support peace
and unity. At the time,
Hitler was in charge of
Germany.
League of Nations was a refusal of
international cooperation and a break
with diplomatic rules. It showed a
growing lack of respect for the ideas
of peaceful settlement and joint
security. This event went against the
ideas of group security and calm
dispute settlement. Because of this, it
was a very extreme action, which is
why it got a 3 ranking.

5. Italy invades Abyssinia In October 1935, Italy 4 Italy's attack on Abyssinia broke
(Ethiopia) invaded Abyssinia, international rules and put peace in
which is now called the area at risk. The act of violence,
Ethiopia. This went which broke the rules of national
against international integrity and authority, shows how
deals and threatened extreme behavior can be, which is
peace in the area. why it deserves the number 4 rank.

6. German troops march In March 1938, German 4 The Anschluss, which was when
into Austria troops moved into German troops took over Austria,
Austria. Austria was showed that Hitler wanted to take
then taken over, and over more countries and that national
Germany and Austria authority was being lost. It changed
became one country the political situation in Europe in a
ruled by the Nazis. big way and made people worry more
about German aggressiveness, which
is why it came in at number 4.

PART C: The 3 Most Extreme

● From the list above, select three events you consider to be the most extreme and justify
your thinking.
● In this chart, you will also record Canada’s reaction (if applicable) to the event.

Most Extreme Events Justification Canadian Reaction

1. Kristallnacht—Night During Kristallnacht, Jews in Germany Canada's response to Kristallnacht

of the Broken Glass and Austria were the target of a lot of was shown by public opinion and
violence, destruction, and oppression. It protests. The Toronto Star wrote
was an extreme event because things about Canada's National Day of
 were destroyed in a planned way,
people were arrested, and people died.
Mourning when thousands of
people protested against the
terrible things that happened
during Kristallnacht. This event
showed how Canadians are
becoming more aware of and
against anti-Semitism.

2. Germany invades In 1939, when Germany invaded
Poland Poland, it was the official start of World
War II, which caused a lot of damage,
death, and pain. This event is very
extreme because of how big it is and
how it affects people.
After Germany invaded Poland,
Canada went to war with Germany
a week after Britain and France.
This choice showed how much
Canada wants to stand up to
prejudice and help its allies when
unfortunate events happen.

3. German troops march
into Austria
The fact that Germany occupied Austria
was a big breach of authority and
physical unity. It meant that Nazi
Germany's power and goals grew in a
big way. The event was a clear sign of
arrogance and extreme violence.
Most of what Canada did about the
Anschluss was through official
routes. Many people thought that
Austria's capture was appropriate,
but the Canadian government kept
a close eye on the situation and
stayed committed to international
policy.

PART D: Reasonable or Extreme

TASK: Choose one of the Canadian reactions from Part 3 (in response to international
events) and either justify it as reasonable or extreme given the historical context in an
argumentative paragraph of 8-10 sentences.
● Reminder: As you develop your argument, think about the historical context of
the time. When making judgments on historical actions, remember it is important
to avoid presentism. What you consider inexcusable today is dependent on the
economic, social, and political factors of the present. Therefore, consider the
economic, social, and political factors of the time period leading up to WWII when
considering whether the response was extreme or reasonable.

PARAGRAPH:

In reaction to Kristallnacht, or the Night of the Broken Glass, there were protests and public

opinion in Canada. During that time, Canada was still trying to get back on its feet after the Great

Depression and was having trouble with its economy. The government was focused on building up its

own economy and dealing with problems within the nation, which took a lot of time and money. At the
time, it's possible that most Canadians didn't know or understand the full scope of the horrible things

that were done to Jews. News moved more slowly, so full information about what happened and how

important it was might not have reached all parts of the country right away. But despite these problems,

the Canadian public's reaction and protests against the terrible acts of violence during Kristallnacht

showed that people are becoming more aware of anti-Semitism and are against it. When Canadians

heard that Jewish communities had been destroyed, people had been arrested, and people had died,

they took part in organized protests and public grief. Given that Canada was still getting back on its feet

economically and that people didn't get information as quickly as they do now, the widespread outrage

and protests against Kristallnacht can be seen as a fair reaction. It showed that people were becoming

more aware of anti-Semitism and more willing to stand with its victims. It was also an early sign that

people's views on violence and discrimination were changing.