WWII

The Great Depression – Post-WWI Following WWI, economies devastated from costs of war.  Germany no longer could pay their debt from WWI to allies  Britain & France couldn’t pay their debts to U.S. Agriculture suffered around the world  Overproduction leads to lower prices Stock Market crash in US in 1929

Events Leading to WWII Rise of fascist governments  Nationalists, single-party authoritarian regimes  Examples: Adolf Hitler – Germany; Benito Mussolini – Italy Rise of military rule in Japan  Japan invades Manchuria to create buffer zone between Soviet Union (Russia)  1937 – Japan invade parts of China; beginning of WWII in Asia Germany & Italy rising to power  1935 – Hitler begins to re-arm Germany  1935 – Mussolini invades Ethiopia

Germany taking territories…again 1938 – Hitler unifies Austria w/ Germany 1938 – Germany annexes the Sudetenland (west portion of Czechoslovakia where they speak German) 1938 – Munich Conference  Hitler pledges NOT to take any more territory; France & Britain take his word…(fools!) 1939 – Germany annexes all of Czechoslovakia 1939 – Hitler signs a non-aggression pact w/ Soviet Union September 1, 1939 – Hitler attacks Poland – marks the beginning of WWII in Europe

Let’s go Round 2! Axis Powers  Germany  Italy (didn’t they switch sides before?)  Japan Allied Powers  Great Britain  France  Soviet Union  (later on…the U.S.)

Why does Japan bomb Pearl Harbor? Because Japan took territories in Southeast Asia and attacked other areas (not to mention what side they were on!)…the US imposed an embargo act against Japan December 7, 1941 – Japan attacks US fleet stationed in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii  This brings the US into WWII and joins the Allied powers.  Swings the momentum of the war from the Axis to the Allied powers

Germany’s Mistake (Little Hitler’s mistake!) Still fighting a “Two-Front War” (western & eastern front) Hitler attempts to invade Russia…in the winter!  Cold, harsh Russian winter took its toll on German soldiers  Many lost their lives due to the weather  Germany forced to withdraw from Russia in 1942 Soviet armies begin making their way through Eastern Europe and into Germany

Ending the War April Allied Powers depose (forced to leave) Mussolini (Italy) from power April 30, 1945 – Hitler commits suicide May 1945 – Germany resigns  Ends the European “theater” of WWII

What about Japan? After Europe was won, Soviet Union assisted the US and the Allies against Japan US uses the atomic bomb against Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki August 1945 – Japan surrenders  Ends WWII in the Pacific “theater”…and for good!

Peace Settlements Yalta Conference – 1945  Soviet Union agrees to join the war in exchange for territory in Manchuria & northern island of Japan  Divides Germany into 4 zones of occupation Potsdam Conference – 1945  Soviets control eastern Poland  Poland receives part of Eastern Germany  Divides Austria

Post-WWII United States occupied Japan Korea divided into US & Soviet occupation zones China regained most of its lost territory Latvia, Lithuania, & Estonia became Soviet provinces European world dominance ended United Nations created in 1945  US joins this time. World is left with 2 “superpowers”  United States & Soviet Union  This will lead to the “Cold War”