U.S. History II World War II SOL 6a, 6b, and 6c Prepared by Judy Self

USII SOL 6a Causes of World War II

How did post-World War I Europe set the stage for World War II? Political and economic conditions in Europe after World War I led to the rise of fascism and to World War II The rise of fascism threatened peace in Europe and Asia As conflict grew in Europe and Asia, American foreign policy evolved from neutrality to direct involvement

What were the causes of World War II? Political instability and economic devastation in Europe resulting from World War I Worldwide depression High war debt owed by Germany High inflation Massive unemployment The rise of fascism

What is fascism? Fascism is a political philosophy in which total power is given to a dictator and individual freedoms are denied

Fascist Dictators Adolf Hitler - Germany Benito Mussolini - Italy Hideki Tojo - Japan

Change in American Policy Isolationism was a legacy of World War I Economic aid to the Allies came out of a fear of fascist control of Europe Rising tensions developed between the U.S. and Japan over Japanese aggression in East Asia

Change in American Policy December 7, 1941 the Japanese attacked the U.S. without warning by bombing Pearl Harbor Germany also declared war on the U.S. U.S. had gone from isolationism to direct involvement in the war after the attack by Japan and the war declaration by Germany

Axis Powers The Fascist countries formed an alliance known as the Axis Powers Germany Italy Japan

Allied Powers The Democratic nations formed an alliance known as the Allied Powers United States Great Britain Canada Soviet Union

Allied Leaders Franklin D. Roosevelt - United States Harry S Truman - United States Winston Churchill - Great Britain Joseph Stalin - Soviet Union

USII SOL 6b Major Events of World War II

What were the major events of World War II? The war began on September 1, 1939 when Germany invaded Poland The Soviet Union also invaded Poland and the Baltic nations

What were the major events of World War II? Germany invaded France and captured Paris in June, 1940

What were the major events of World War II? Beginning in 1940 the Germans bombed Great Britain in what was called the Battle of Britain

What were the major events of World War II? United States gave Britain war supplies and old naval warships in return for military bases in Bermuda and the Caribbean Called Lend Lease Program

What were the major events of World War II? U.S. entered the war when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941

What were the major events of World War II? The first major American victory over the Japanese came at Midway in June, 1942 It would be the turning point of the war in the Pacific

What were the major events of World War II? Germany invaded the Soviet Union The Soviet Union defeated Germany at Stalingrad which would be the turning point of the war in Europe

What were the major events of World War II? American and Allied troops landed in Normandy, France on D-Day June 6, 1944 This invasion began the liberation of Western Europe

What were the major events of World War II? United States dropped 2 atomic bombs on Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki Japan surrendered to end the war

What was the Holocaust? Jews are descendants of the ancient Hebrews and their religion is based on the Old Testament Many Germans were Anti-Semitic or prejudiced against the Jews The Germans also believed in the supremacy of the German or Aryan race As a result Hitler began a systematic program to rid Europe of all Jews

What was the Holocaust? Germans began with a boycott of Jewish stores and followed it with threats against all Jews Next the segregation of Jews in specific parts of cities Finally imprisonment and killing of Jews and other “undesirables” in concentration camps

What was the Holocaust? Allied forces liberated the Jews and others in the concentration camps It is estimated that over 6 million Jews were killed by the Germans

USII SOL 6c Impact of World War II on the Homefront

How did the war impact Americans at home? American involvement in the war brought an end to the Great Depression Factories and workers were needed to produce goods to win the war

How did the war impact Americans at home? Thousands of American women took jobs in defense plants Called “Rosie the Riveter”

How did the war impact Americans at home? Americans at home supported the war by conserving and rationing resources

How did the war impact Americans at home? The need for workers temporarily broke down some racial barriers such as hiring in defense plants although discrimination against African Americans continued

How did the war impact Americans at home? Many Japanese Americans served in the armed forces but others were treated with distrust and many were forced into internment camps

The End