World War II

WWI and the Treaty of Versailles Germany lost land to surrounding nations War reparations Allies collect $ to pay back war debts to US Germany pays $57 trillion (modern day equivalent) Germans are bankrupt, embarrassed, guilt ridden, and angry. Desperate people turn to desperate leaders

Causes of World War II After WW I – Great Depression People blamed govt. leaders for their hardships Totalitarian government arose that had the people’s support Totalitarian leader Joseph Stalin of Soviet Union

Totalitarian Leaders Germany – Adolf Hitler Italy – Benito Mussolini The Third Reich Italy – Benito Mussolini Fascism – state is more important than the people Japan – Emperor Hirohito Military Leader took control of the country

Adolf Hitler-Germany Hideki Tojo - Japan Benito Mussolini-Italy Josef Stalin-USSR

What did Hitler Want? Militarism- soon after becoming chancellor he begins rearming Germany breaking the Treaty of Versailles Rhineland- moves troops into the Rhineland territory again breaking the Treaty of Versailles Lebensraum- “living space” Austria - annexed peacefully in 1938 Sudetenland – territory in Czechoslovakia Given to Germany by Great Britain and France Hitler then invades the rest of Czechoslovakia What’s this called? ______________________ On to Poland Sudetenland

Aggression Begins Kellogg-Briand Pact – agreement after WW I to negotiate rather than to go to war over future disputes Germany, Italy, and Japan disregarded the pact There was no way to enforce the pact

Appeasement Giving someone something to make them happy and leave you alone. Hitler demanded land that wasn’t Germany’s and others just gave it to him. Nations were trying to prevent war…it didn’t work. (Isolationism) Appeasement just showed Hitler that he could do whatever he wanted.

The Munich Conference British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain – Appeasement policy (give in to an aggressor’s demands, to preserve peace) Munich Pact – Britain and France agreed to Hitler taking part of Czechoslovakia British people relieved (they did not want to go to war “peace with honor”)

“Peace in Our Time!” Munich Agreement

Nazi-Soviet Pact Hitler wanted to conquer Soviet Union He wanted lebensraum (living space) Could not attack Soviet Union with France to the west Hitler and Joseph Stalin sign a non-aggression pact not to attack each other

Japanese Aggression Japan takes over Manchuria in 1931 In 1940, Japan, Germany, and Italy allied with one another and became known as the Axis Powers

U.S. Remains Neutral US practiced isolationism Fixing problems of Great Depression was main concern Neutrality Act – prohibited selling weapons to warring nations FDR Quarantine Speech – stop economic and diplomatic sanctions with aggressive nations

The War in Europe Sept. 1, 1939, Germany invades Poland Blitzkrieg – “lightning war” tanks and planes attack hard & fast Soviet Union attacked Poland from the east Britain and France declared war on Germany

Who was on each side? Axis Powers Germany Italy Japan Allied Powers Great Britain Soviet Union United States France Surrendered to Germany in 1940 after 6 weeks

Britain – Winston Churchill takes Chamberlains place as Prime Minister Fiery & inspiring speaker Germany takes over France Battle of Britain – Germany bombed British cities People of London hid in subways to avoid bombing Royal Air Force successful in stopping the German air attacks

Lend-Lease Act Britain - inability to pay cash for supplies Roosevelt announced a new plan to provide war supplies to Britain and allies without any payment in return This act authorized the President to aid any nation whose defense he believed was vital to American security.

Italy Africa Allies vs. Axis Free N. Africa and Suez Canal from Axis Allied forces - Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower Axis forces – Gen. Erwin Rommel (Desert Fox) Casablanca, Morocco meeting to discuss the next move There would unconditional surrender (victors to set conditions of surrender with losers having no say) Gen. George S. Patton Took just 38 days to arrest Mussolini In May of 1944, all of Italy captured by allies

US Enters WW II US imposed an embargo on Japan (refused to ship certain products: oil & steel) Japan attacked Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941 US declares war on Japan

Battle of Stalingrad Operation Barbarossa – Hitler’s plan to attack USSR Germans lost due to cold weather Turning point of war in European Theatre

Doolittle Raid Led by Jimmy Doolittle, April 18, 1942, US bombed Japanese mainland Some pilots landed in China while some were captured

D-Day Tehran Conference – Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin Operation Overlord June 6, 1944 – D-Day invasion on Normandy

Battle of the Bulge Germany’s last offensive strike It failed

Yalta Conference (Feb. 1945) The Big Three met again to discuss military strategy and postwar policy Churchill did not trust Stalin and wanted US to get to Berlin before USSR April – Hitler commits suicide (April 30) VE Day – Victory in Europe Day President Roosevelt dies April 12, 1945 Tehran Conference and Potsdam Conference all were meeting to deal with war torn Europe in WW II.

How did WWII end in Europe? Allies divide Germany up between them. This helps start the Cold War. Nuremberg Trials are held in Germany (and Japan) to try the people responsible for the war. Many are executed and jailed for war crimes.

Holocaust Hitler’s final solution to the “Jewish problem” Mass genocide – murder of a race of people Jews placed in concentration camps Around six million Jews died during the Holocaust Nuremburg Trials – Nazi’s tried for war “crimes against humanity”

What was the Holocaust? Nazi plan to kill all Jews. Why? Hitler’s provided a to Germany’s problems 6 million Jews murdered in camps in Europe. 5 million others (gypsies, mentally ill, homosexuals) Total of 11 million exterminated What is genocide? Purposely trying to exterminate an entire group of people (ethnic, religious, racial).

What about the Pacific War? The US (mostly) fought the Japanese. December 7, 1941 Japan bombed Pearl Harbor in Hawaii to sink US ships there. Two hours = most US navy destroyed and 2,000 sailors killed

War in the Pacific Japan controlled islands in the Pacific Gen. Douglas MacArthur to lead fight in Pacific after abandoning the Philippines “Island hopping” – attack and conquer one islands at a time Iwo Jima, Guadalcanal, Okinawa, Midway (turning point of war in Pacific Theatre)

Island Hopping strategy used by US to defeat Japan Too many US soldiers were lost How is the US going to save lives to an enemy who would not surrender?

Kamikaze pilots – Japanese pilots who committed suicide by intentionally crashing their planes into US ships in an attempt to sink them

The Atomic Bomb Manhattan Project – work on atomic bomb Led by J. Robert Oppenheimer New Mexico – test site in desert Potsdam Conference – unconditional surrender “Potsdam Declaration” Japan never surrendered – they wanted the position of the emperor be protected Harry S. Truman used the bomb

Japan surrenders after US drops atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Aug. 6, 1945 – Enola Gay dropped the 1st atomic bomb on Hiroshima Aug. 9, Nagasaki hit with 2nd atomic bomb Aug. 14 Japan surrendered V-J Day

Name given to all women who helped in war production effort Rosie Riveter

Japanese Americans All Japanese Americans living on west coast moved by the military to internment camps. Korematsu sued the US. Korematsu vs. United States – ruled that it is constitutional to suppress rights during war time.