1. Chapter 19
World War II

2. Section 1: Paths to War German Path to War
WWII had its beginnings with Hitler’s desire to create a German empire.
He wanted to access land in the east which would eventually lead to war with the Soviet Union

3. In order to accomplish this task, Hitler created a new air force and increased the army to over 550,000 troops.
France, Great Britain, and Italy condemned Germany’s actions and warned against future aggressive acts.
This ended up being an empty warning.

4. Hitler sent troops into the demilitarized zone.
France did not respond because they did not have British support.
The policy of appeasement began with Britain’s refusal to support military action.

5. This policy continued for two years, while Hitler annexed Austria and parts of Czechoslovakia.
Hitler had threatened invasion and was willing to risk “world war” to achieve his objective of creating a German empire.
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6. In August of 1939, Germany and the Soviet Union signed a non-aggression pact.
Hitler knew that he would eventually have to break the pact.

7. On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland.
Two days later, Great Britain and France declared war on Germany.

8. Japanese Path to War
Japan was in search of natural resources to fuel their industries.
They began annexing territory in China in the 1930s.
The US warned Japan that it would apply economic sanctions unless it withdrew from China. The US would cut Japan off from the oil and scrap iron it was supplying.

9. Japan’s military leaders decided to launch a surprise attack on U. S
Japan’s military leaders decided to launch a surprise attack on U.S. and European colonies in Southeast Asia.
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10. Section 2: The Course of World War II
Europe at War
Hitler hit Poland with speed and efficiency.
His blitzkrieg forces easily broke through the Polish defenses.
Within four weeks, Poland surrendered.
At the end of September, Germany and the Soviet Union divided Poland.

11. Hitler continued his attack through the Netherlands, Belgium, and France.
Within a month and a half, Germany occupied three-fifths of France.
Germany was now in control of western and central Europe.

12. Germany began attacking Great Britain.
The Luftwaffe bombed major naval bases, communication centers, and war industries.
They would eventually bomb cities, hoping to break British morale.

13. Hitler, convinced that Britain remained in the war only because it expected Soviet help, invaded the Soviet Union in June of 1941.
Unprepared for the harsh winter, the Germans were halted by the Soviets in December.

14. On December 7, 1941, Japanese aircraft attacked the US naval base at Pearl Harbor in the Hawaiian Islands.

15. By the spring of 1942, almost all of Southeast Asia and much of the western Pacific had fallen into Japanese hands.

16. The entry of the US into the war created a new coalition, the Grand Alliance.
The three major allies were Great Britain, the US, and the Soviet Union.
The Allies agreed to fight until the Axis Powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan) surrendered unconditionally.
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17. Last Years of the War
In Asia, a major turning point was at the Battle of Midway Island in June of 1942.
The US destroyed Japanese aircraft carriers and established naval superiority in the Pacific.

18. General Douglas MacArthur would lead the allied forces across the Pacific, “island hopping” until they reached the Iwo Jima and Okinawa.

19. On June 6, 1943, the Allies landed on the Normandy beaches under the leadership of General Dwight D. Eisenhower. This day is known as D-Day.
Within three months, the Allies had landed 2 million men and a half-million vehicles.

20. The Allies freed France in August of 1944.
In January of 1945, Hitler moved into an underground bunker in Berlin.
On April 30, he committed suicide after Mussolini was assassinated.
German forces on May 7, 1945.
May 8 is known as V-E Day

21. War in Asia continued
Pres. Harry Truman decided to drop the atomic bomb on Japan to avoid heavy American casualties
August 6 – Hiroshima
August 9 – Nagasaki
September 2 – V-J Day
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22. Section 3: The New Order and the Holocaust
Newly conquered lands were seen as living space for German expansion.
1 million Poles were uprooted and moved to southern Poland.
They would become slave labor for the German people.

23. The Holocaust Polish Jews would eventually be exterminated.
The Einsatzgruppen would be responsible for carrying out the Nazi plans.
They rounded up Jews, killed them, and buried them in large mass graves.

24. Death Camps
Because of the slow progress of the mobile killing units, the Nazis decided to build death camps.
6 extermination centers were established in Poland.
Auschwitz was the largest.

27. The Germans killed between 5 and 6 million Jews.
Virtually, 90% of the Jewish population were killed.
The Germans were also responsible for the shooting and starvation of at least 9 to 10 million non-Jews.