Standard 8

The 1930s were marked by campaigns of aggression Japan invaded Manchuria & China Italy invaded Ethiopia (East Africa) Germany repeatedly violated the Treaty of Versailles Rebuilt Army, Navy, & Air force Annexed Austria Planned to occupy the Sudetenland of Czechoslovakia

The League of Nations was too weak to fight the aggression; western nations practiced appeasement 1938 Munich Conference Hitler promised to stop invading if given the Sudetenland. He invaded & took all of Czechoslovakia Hitler signed nonaggression pact with Russia in August 1939 After Hitler invaded Poland, war was declared in September 1939 "Peace in our time"

Axis Powers Germany, Italy, Japan Allies Great Britain, France, USSR (United States is neutral in the beginning)

The Blitzkrieg Hitler’s attack strategy was called the Blitzkrieg (“lightning war”) Involved aerial bombing, fast-moving tanks & infantry. Once the war began, Hitler conquered all of Poland & France by summer of 1940 In Africa, General Erwin Rommel conquered much of North Africa in

Great Britain was all that stood between Hitler & full control of Europe The German Luftwaffe began to bomb military targets & cities like London The British stood strong The Royal Air Force fought hard to stop the bombings & Hitler was forced to call off the invasion in May 1941 Battle of Britain

Eastern Front – Germany vs USSR Hitler invaded the USSR, breaking the non-aggression pact, in June Quick German victories mounted until the winter set in. Bloody loss at the Battle of Stalingrad, is Hitler’s 1 st defeat. Begins long costly war in the east.

Japan hoped to eliminate the US Navy from the Pacific, in order to continue their expansion December 7, Japanese forces launched attack on the Pacific fleet anchored at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Many battleships were destroyed, but US Aircraft carriers survived to carry on the war The next day, FDR asked Congress to declare war. "A day which will live in infamy"

American war power helps turn the tide of the war Dwight Eisenhower trapped Rommel’s army in Africa & forces their surrender in May 1943 In the Pacific, the Japanese suffer huge losses at the Battle of the Coral Sea & the Battle of Midway Japanese Kamikaze pilots target aircraft carriers to crash into

D-Day June 6, Combined Allied army (Britain, US, Canada, Australia) invaded occupied France at the beaches of Normandy. Harsh fighting with high casualties Allied victory opened western front of war & liberated Paris on August 25

In March 1945, Russia and the Allies were closing in to Germany. At this point, Axis powers began to fold Mussolini was caught & executed Hitler committed suicide on May 6 The Germans surrendered on May 7th (V-E or Victory in Europe Day)

The Pacific War Japan continued to fight after the European War ended General Douglas MacArthur began “island-hopping” campaign, taking back the Pacific island by island

Facing the cost of an invasion of Japan, the US dropped atomic bombs on Japan First was dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 at Hiroshima. More than 70,000 were killed After a second bomb fell in Nagasaki on August 9 th, and the Japanese surrendered

Allies uncovered atrocities of the Holocaust on their march through Europe. Germans and Austrian involved in the Holocaust were tried in late 1940s at Nuremberg. Several top officials received death sentences. The United Nations was formed to mediate conflicts in the future. Alliances broke apart & the foundation is set for the Cold War