Download - World War 2 at a glance
World War 2Overview for World History 2, Unit 4
Causes of WW21. Unhappiness after WW1
Many countries were unhappy after World War I ended in 1918: Countries that didn’t take part in
the Peace Conference in 1919 (Soviet Union and Germany)
Countries that lost land (Soviet Union, Germany, Italy)
Nations that were split up at the Peace Conference (Germany, Hungary, Austria, Russia)
Countries that were punished at the Peace Conference (Germany)
Causes of WW22. Great Depression
Everyone was affected when businesses, banks, and farms went out of business.
Unemployment left millions without work. Trade between countries slowed or stopped. Strong leaders came to power to try to
“solve” the Great Depression Democratic leaders like Franklin Delano
Roosevelt Dictators in▪ Japan▪ Germany▪ Italy
Causes of WW23. Dictators wanted to increase their power
Germany wanted… Land they lost to Poland Land they lost to France A larger army An empire in Europe
Italy wanted Land they didn’t get after WW1 An empire in Africa
Japan wanted Natural resources like coal and oil An empire in Asia
1936: These three countries formed an agreement to defend each other.
Strange situation of the Soviet Union
Soviet leader Stalin was a dictator. He had complete control of government and daily
life. He wanted the Soviet government to control all
factories and farms. He wanted to expand Soviet power in eastern
Europe. Stalin was also a communist, and the other
dictators hated communism. Which side would Soviet Union join?
The Axis (countries that wanted to expand their power)
The Allies (countries that wanted to stop them)
Stages of War: 1. Dictators expand on three continents, 1931-1939
When Where What happened
1931 Manchuria, in China Japan takes over part of China for its coal.
1935 Ethiopia, in Africa Italy attacks Ethiopia to create an empire.
1936 Rhineland, in Germany
Germans take back this land from France.
1938 Austria Under Nazi pressure, Austria allows Germany to take over the country.
1939 Czechoslovakia Appeased by Britain, Germans peacefully march into Czechoslovakia to “protect” the Germans there.
Stages of War: 2. Hitler takes over western Europe, 1939-41
When Where What happened
August 1939
Moscow, USSR Stalin and Hitler agree to split up Poland
Sept. 1939 Poland Germany invades western Poland and quickly controls controlSoviets over-run eastern Poland
May-June, 1939-40
Netherlands, Belgium, and France
Hitler does not want a Western Front as the Germans had in WW1, so he conquers the Netherlands , Belgium, and France
July – Dec. 1940
Britain Hitler does not want to attack Britain by sea, so he attacks by air – bombing industries, ports, and cities
1939: Opening of WW2
Stages of War: 3. Dictators expand their lead, 1941-2
When Where What happened
June 1941 Russia Hitler deceives Stalin and launches a HUGE attack on the Soviet Union
December, 1941
Pacific Ocean Japan deceives the US and launches a surprise attack on naval base at Pearl Harbor
December 1941
United States US declares war on Japan and Germany (Japan’s ally Hitler had declared war on US)
1942 Europe German armies push deep into Russia
Early 1942 Pacific Japan takes over Burma, East Indies, Singapore, SE Asia
Stages of War: 4. The Allies stop the Axis from expanding further, 1942-4
When Where What happened
May 1942 Coral Sea, Pacific In first battle with aircraft carriers, Americans stop Japanese for first time
June 1942 Midway, Pacific Americans win a clear naval victory over Japanese
Feb. 1943 Stalingrad Soviets defeat German Armies at Stalingrad
June 1944 France Britain and the Allies launch an attack on D-Day to open a Western Front, divide German forces between east and west, and begin the direct attack on Nazi Germany.
June 1940-May 1943
Northern Africa Britain attacks Italian’s colonies; Italy is defeated; Allies defeat Axis in N Africa in 1942
1942-44: The USTakes the Offense vs. Japan
Stages of War: 5. Dictators retreat, 1944-1945
When Where What happened
1943-45 Germany Britain and US launch “strategic” attacks on German cities and industries
1944 Pacific US crush Japan in major naval battles (Saipan, Philippines, Leyte); Japan fights on, so US plans to invade Japan
1943, 1945
Tehran (Iran), Yalta, and Potsdam
Allies meet to coordinate how to defeat Germany and how to keep peace afterward
Sept. 43-April 45
Italy After defeating Axis in North Africa, Americans attack Italy from south; very bloody battles occur in Italy last until the war is over
1944-45: Allies Roll Back Germans from West, South, and East
Stages of War: 6. War ends, 1945
When Where What happened
May 8, 1945
Germany Allies closed in from West and Soviets close in with greater force in East; Germans refuse to give up; after Soviets, Americans, British, and French destroyed most of Berlin, Germany surrenders.
August 15, 1945
Japan To end the war, avoid war with the Soviet Union, and prevent the deaths of many American soldiers, the US decides to drop atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Japanese gives up.
800,000 pairs of shoes were found at Majdanek
Atomic bomb
Berlin, Germany
Hiroshima, Japan
Warsaw, Poland
Why the war matters to you This was the largest war in history: 55 million
people died. People in your family were affected.
The war was so destructive that people finally got serious about peace. Your world is safer. The United Nations was formed in 1945. Countries agreed to prevent▪ Use of atomic weapons in war ▪ Killing of innocent people as a policy (genocide)
Europe became less important in world. Your country became the more important,
along with China, Russia, and India.