World War II

World War II

• During the 1930s, Italy, Germany, and Japan, sought to build new empires and their aggression went unchecked until it became impossible to ignore in 1939

• With advanced technology, the war covered a larger area and was more destructive than any before

Unit Essential Questions

1. What events led up to World War II?2. How did new weapons technology affect the

course of the war?3. How were the lives of individuals affected

by the war? 4. What were the major turning points of the

war that helped determine its outcome?

The Road to War

• In the 1930s, Italy, Germany, and Japan aggressively sought to build new empires

• These acts of aggressions went unchecked…– Why?• The League of Nations was weak• Western countries were recovering from the Great

Depression• Western countries did not want to fight another war

Japan Invades China

• Japan wanted to build an overseas empire• In 1931, Japan invaded Manchuria and the

League of Nations condemned the action– As a result, Japan withdrew

• In 1937 the Japanese army invaded China again and established a puppet government in Nanjing

• The invasion was so brutal it was called the ‘rape of Nanjing’

Italy Attacks Ethiopia

• In 1935, Italy attacked Ethiopia• Although they resisted, the Ethiopian army

was no match for the superior Italian Army• The League of Nations tried to intervene but

could do little to stop the Italian Army

German Aggression in Europe

• Hitler rebuilt the German army, in direct violation of the Treaty of Versailles

• In 1936, Hitler sent troops into the Rhineland, an area between France and Germany where German troops were forbidden to go

• In 1938, Hitler incorporated Austria into the German empire and forced Czechoslovakia to give the Sudetenland to Germany

Appeasement• Western democracies adopted

a policy of appeasement– Nations gave in to the aggressive

demands to maintain peace

• The western democracies responded weakly to German aggression

• At the Munich Conference in 1938, western democracies agreed that Germany should be allowed to seize the Sudetenland

World War II Begins

• Recognizing weakness, Japan, Italy, and Germany formed the Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis

• Agreed to stop the spread of communism• It became increasingly clear that appeasement

had failed miserably– In March 1939, Hitler took over Czechoslovakia– Later, Hitler and Stalin signed a non-aggression pact– In September 1939, Germany invaded Poland– Great Britain and France declared war on Germany

Military Aggression Leading to World War II

1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940

1931Japan invades Manchuria

1938Germany invades Austria and seizes Sudetenland

1936Germany occupies Rhineland

1931Japan invades Manchuria

1937Japan invades China

1939Germany invades Poland and takes Czechoslovakia

The Axis Powers Advance

• Axis Powers– Germany, Italy, Japan

• Allied Powers– Great Britain, France• Later joined by China, Soviet Union, United States

The Axis Powers Advance

• At first, Germany and its allies dominated the war– Nazi conquers Poland using

the tactic known as blitzkrieg

– In April 1940, Hitler overran Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Belgium

– By June 1940, the Germans had made it to Paris

– Charles de Gaulle formed a French government in exile to fight Germany

Turning Points of the War

• The Axis powers won quick victories early, but there were several events after 1940 that served as turning points in the war– The Entry of the US (1941)– Battle of Stalingrad (1942-1943)– Invasion of Normandy (1944)

The Entry of the United States (1941)

• Initially, the US declared its neutrality in the war• FDR met with Winston Churchill in August of 1941 to

declare their goal of ridding the world of Nazi tyranny– Roosevelt supplied weapons to the Allies and bans sale of arms

to Japan• Japan launched a surprise attack on the base at Pearl

Harbor on December 7 1941• More than 2400 people were killed and most of the ships in

the US fleet were destroyed• The entry of the US into the war gave the Allies added

strength

Battle of Stalingrad (1942-1943)

• The Germans invaded the Soviet Union in 1941• After steady advances, Nazi forces stalled at

Moscow and Leningrad• Hitler turned South in 1942 towards Stalingrad• Russian troops and a freezing winter caused the

German invaders to surrender in 1943

Invasion of Normandy (1944)

• The allies invaded France on June 6, 1944, also known as D-Day

• Allied troops were ferried across the English Channel, landing on the beaches of Normandy

• The Allies moved to Paris and freed France from German control

The War Ends

• The war in Europe ended on May 7, 1945, with the Germans’ surrender

• Fighting in the Pacific would continue until the Japanese surrendered in August 1945

Yalta Conference

• In February 1945, Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin met in the USSR at Yalta

• The Allies would divide up Germany

• Stalin would coordinate division of Eastern European governments

Victory in the Pacific

• Japan was greatly weakened, and the US took the offensive after two Japanese fleets were severely damaged by the US in 1942

• US ‘island-hopped’ and advanced north towards Japan

• By 1944, US had begun bombing Japanese cities but they refused to surrender

Hiroshima and Nagasaki• With the war in Europe over, the

Allies devoted their resources into the Pacific theater

• Although their navy and air force were destroyed, the Japanese army remained strong

• On August 6, 1945, an American plane dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima– The bomb flattened the city and

killed 70,000 people– A second bomb, dropped on

Nagasaki, killed 40,000 people• Militants wanted to hold out, but

Emperor Hirhohito force the surrender and Japan signed a treaty on September 2, 1945

Technology and World War II

• Throughout the war, advanced technology led to more power, greater speed, and better communications

• Technological innovation resulted in more widespread destruction than ever before

Civilian Life and Total War• Cities became targets• Democratic governments

increased their power and ‘commanded’ the economies

• Once again, women were called upon to work in factories– Women served as

ambulance drivers, decoders, and nurses

Wartime Atrocities

• The Holocaust• ‘Rape of Nanjing’• Bataan Death March– In the Philippines, Japanese soldiers forced

American and Filipino prisoners of war on a march up the Bataan peninsula

– Prisoners were beaten, stabbed, and shot

Impact of World War II

Impact of World War II• Economic Losses– Aerial bombardment

wiped whole cities off the map

– Coventry in England; Hamburg and Dresden in Germany; and Tokyo, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki were some of the hardest hit

Impact of World War II• War Crime Trials– During the war, Allied leaders decided they would

punish those responsible for ‘crimes against humanity’

– Nuremburg Trials led to the imprisonment or execution of 22 Nazi leaders• Rudolph Hoess

– Leaders could be held accountable for their actions during war

Impact of World War II• Occupied Nations– West Germany and Japan were occupied by

democratic governments to help create new democratic governments

– Soviet Union occupied Eastern Europe and East Germany and established communist governments back by the USSR

Impact of World War II• The United Nations– In April 1945, the UN is

created with two main bodies• The General Assembly,

which includes representatives from all member nations– Each member has one

vote• The Security Council, with

15 member nations, 5 of which are permanent– The US, Russia, France,

Great Britain, China

Unit Essential Questions

1. What events led up to World War II?2. How did new weapons technology affect the

course of the war?3. How were the lives of individuals affected

by the war? 4. What were the major turning points of the

war that helped determine its outcome?