Aim: World War II Visualizing Global History Mr. Oberhaus Regents Review Unit 6 Section 5

Japan Becomes Aggressive Japan invades Manchuria in China. When the League of Nations complains; Japan simply withdraws from the League Japan invades mainland China and seizes the capital city of Nanjing. The Japanese soldiers are so brutal that this invasion is known as the "Rape of Nanjing"

Italian Aggression Mussolini ordered his troops to attack the African country of Ethiopia. The people resisted but were out matched by weaponry. – The Ethiopian King appealed to the League of Nations who in turn ordered the end of the sale of arms to Italy. Many countries ignored the League. Italian troops used armored vehicles, aircraft, and poison gas in Ethiopia

Germany Aggression Hitler rebuilt the military in violation of the Treaty of Versailles – In 1936 Hitler invaded the Rhineland. An area located on Germany's border with France. In 1938 Hitler made Austria part of the German empire. He also invaded Czechoslovakia to get the area known as the Sudetenland. – Western nations adopted a policy of Appeasement. This policy allowed Hitler to take some land with the promise that the would stop. The Munich Conference in 1938 officially recognized that Germany could control Czechoslovakia.

World War II Begins Japan, Italy, and Germany formed the Rome- Berlin-Tokyo Axis. They agreed to fight Communism. – In 1939, Hitler made a secret pact with Joseph Stalin of Russia and they agreed not to fight. September, 1939 Germany invaded Poland and Great Britain declares war.

Alliance System Axis Powers- Germany, Italy, and Japan Allied Powers- France, Great Britain, later joined by Soviet Union, China, and the United States – Each of these countries declared war on each other in defense of their friend. By 1941, with the entry of the United States the second true world war was under way

WWII Turning Points Entry of the United States: December 7, 1941 a "Day that will live in infamy"- Japan launched an unprovoked attack against the US Navy located at Pearl Harbor Hawaii. More than 2,400 US Sailors were killed and the Pacific fleet of the US Navy was devastated. Battle of Stalingrad ( ): German invaded the Soviet Union in The cold weather and scorched earth policy allowed Soviet Troops to force the surrender of Hitler's troops. The Soviet Army then advanced towards Germany. Invasion of Normandy France (1944): Known as "D-Day" when groups of Allied troops landed in Normandy to push the German's out of France. The allied troops then marched to Germany.

The War Ends Yalta Conference: In 1945, Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin met at Yalta in the Soviet Union. The three decided that at the end of the war Germany would be divided in four. Victory in the Pacific: The United States began getting the upper hand against Japan in The US began Island Hopping which means jumping from one island to another to defeat Japan. Finally in 1945, new US President Harry Truman used the Nuclear bomb against Hiroshima on 8/6/45. Then again on 8/10/45 against Nagasaki. The Japanese finally surrendered on 9/2/45.

Winston Churchill of Great Britain, Franklin D. Roosevelt of the United States, and Joseph Stalin of the Soviet Union in February 1945

The Holocaust & Other Atrocities Hitler wanted "Lebensraum" or "Living Space" for those he considered racially superior. He targeted Jews, Gypsies, mentally disabled, physically disabled, teachers, artists, musicians, and others that he felt were inferior. Hitler developed work camps and death camps to get rid of those they felt to be inferior. In 1937 the Japanese murdered and brutalized 250,000 Chinese in the Rape of Nanjing. Bataan Death March was a forced march of American and Filipino prisoners of war. Many were beaten, stabbed, and shot. In Poland, Soviet troops attacked Polish citizens.

Impact of World War II Human Losses: World War II killed as many as 75 million people. Economic Losses: Throughout Europe and Asia, cities were in ruins. War Crime Trials: Allied leaders agreed to punish those responsible for “Crimes Against Humanity”. Trials were held in Nuremberg Germany from November 1945 through September Many Nazi leaders were sentenced to death. Other trials were held in Italy and Japan. Occupied Nations: Germany and Japan were occupied by Allied forces who built new governments, most based on democracy. In East Europe the Soviets set up Communist governments which led to the “Cold War” The United Nations: World War II resulted in the formation of a new international body. In April 1945, leaders from around the world met in San Francisco. The UN was designed to prevent conflict and promote peace. It has two bodies, the General Assembly which includes representatives from all member countries and the Security Council with 15 members and 5 permanent Members; United States, Russia, France, Great Britain, and China.

Summary Germany, Italy, and Japan tried in the 1930s to build world empires. When Germany invaded Poland in 1939, WWII began. During WWII new weapons with massive power caused the loss of millions of lives. Civilians were greatly affected by the war, facing rationing, military attacks, and sometimes severe repression. After 1945, the world became divided between communist and democratic forms of government.