WWII Take Home Notes
Axis Alliance formed in 1936: Germany, Italy and Japan German & Italian Aggression Mussolini expanded into Ethiopia against League of Nations Hitler began demanding lands that contained German speaking people (Austria, Sudetenland, Czechoslovakia) Britain and France hoped that appeasement would prevent another war (they let Hitler have the things he wanted)
Munich Pact-1938 They give Hitler some lands in exchange for the promise that he would stop there and wouldn’t ask for anything else This was a FAILURE! Hitler and Mussolini continued to attack more lands 1939 Hitler invaded Poland and war began
7-4.5 Theaters of War During WWII there were 2 different theaters (areas) where the fighting action occurred The European Theater and the Pacific Theater US will fight in both once we join the war
In Europe: Germany did a blitzkrieg (lightening war) against Poland on the west. German Soviet Non Aggression Pact of 1939, meant Stalin agreed with Hitler and attacked Poland on the east Hitler took over Denmark, Norway and France by 1940 Battle of Britain 1940-1941: German air force wasn’t able to complete invade because of radar and message decoding Churchill refused to surrender and Hitler focused on other areas
Axis powers took Yugoslavia and Greece in 1941 Also a little bit of fighting in Africa: Hitler wanted to control the Suez Canal Then he betrays Stalin and attacks Soviet Union in 1941 He fails at Battle of Stalingrad, 500,000 German soldiers die
7-4.5 US Enters WWII Neutrality Acts (1935-1937): We did isolationism and vowed to stay out of war By 1939 it looked like the Nazi’s were taking over Europe, FDR began to help the Allies Sold weapons and war materials to them
Japan invaded French Indochina in 1941, the US did not condone this FDR put an oil embargo on Japan. We wouldn’t let them buy any of our oil. Japan got mad!!
Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 and Congress declared war!! Why did they attack us? Mad that we weren’t really neutral Make us join the war once and for all Wanted to weaken our Navy before we joined the war
Fighting in the Pacific Theater Japan moved quickly to take over islands in the Pacific (Guam, Hong Kong, Philippines) In 1942 the US began to defeat Japan through an ‘island-hopping’ strategy Went after the easy islands to take in order to get close to the mainland
7-4.5 Allied Victory By 1942 the Allied forces came ahead General Dwight Eisenhower (US): defeated Axis groups in North Africa Soviets beat Germany at Stalingrad (1943) and continued to attack from the east British and American troops conquered Italy in 1944
Battle of the Bulge: Hitler's final attempt to win, but had to retreat D-Day, June 1944: Allied forces invade France to liberate them from Germany Victory in September Battle of the Bulge: Hitler's final attempt to win, but had to retreat
Mussolini was killed by the Italians in early 1945 Drug his body through the street and hung him on display
With no hope of winning, Hitler kills himself April of 1945
VE Day- Victory in Europe May 7th, 1945 Germany surrenders
The US then focused on defeating Japan in the Pacific Theater Major victories of Iwo Jima and Okinawa FDR dies and is replaced by Harry Truman
After reaching the mainland of Japan, the US began an aerial bombing attack Japan just would not give up!!! The US wanted to end this war quick Truman ordered the dropping of the atom bomb on Hiroshima (August 6, 1945)
US dropped another atomic bomb on Nagasaki 3 days later Japan announced they would surrender VJ Day-Victory in Japan September 2nd, 1945