1. World War II

2. Causes of WWII Rise of dictators in Europe (1920’s/30’s)
Benito Mussolini (Italy)
Joseph Stalin (Soviet Union)
Adolf Hitler (Germany)

3. Hitler’s Conquests 1936-Germany invades the Rhineland
1938-Hitler annexes Austria and parts of Czeckoslovakia

4. Munich Conference
Hitler meets with leaders of France and Great Britain at Munich in September 1938.
Appeasement of Hitler: Giving in to a stronger power to avoid future problems.

5. Start of War September 1, 1939: Germany invades Poland
Britain and France declare war on Germany

6. Allies vs. the Axis Allies: Axis: Great Britain France
Soviet Union ( )
USA ( )
Axis:
Germany
Italy
Japan

7. Japanese control in the Pacific 1941

8. America’s Role 1939-1941 Neutrality becomes ….
FDR elected to 3rd term 1940
Lend-Lease Act (1940): America builds weapons and supplies Great Britain

10. USA Enters WWII December 7th, 1941—”A date which will live in infamy.”
Japan attacks the American fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
America declares war on Japan and enters WWII.

11. The War Front
The Atlantic Theater (fighting against Germany and Italy in Europe)
The Pacific Theater (fighting against Japan in Asia)
America’s goal: Defeat Germany first

13. Key Events in the war in Europe:
June 6, The D-Day Invasion (Operation Overlord)
Allied troops invade Europe
Normandy, France
“storming the beaches” to break through Germany’s Atlantic Wall
This is a turning point in the war

14. The German Atlantic Wall

15. The Atlantic Wall

16. The Atlantic Wall in Normandy, France

17. General Eisenhower addressing the invading force (June 5)

18. Area of Invasion

19. On the way to Normandy American Landing Craft

20. Landing Craft

21. Into the Water

22. Looking for Cover

23. Results of the D-Day Invasion:
Allied forces win the battle
This is the beginning of the end for Germany
The victory is a major turning point in the war
Germany begins to retreat

24. American Cemetery- Normandy, France

25. American Cemetery-Normandy, France

26. Normandy Today

28. End of war in Europe timeline:
February The Big Three meet at Yalta to discuss what to do with Germany once the war is over

29. March 1945- FDR begins his fourth term as president
April 12, FDR dies; Harry Truman becomes the new President

31. April 30, 1945- Hitler commits suicide in his underground bunker in Berlin
Germany is being overrun by American and Russian troops

32. May 8, 1945-Germany surrenders!
V-E Day (Victory in Europe Day)
Now the focus will be defeating Japan

34. Timeline: War in the Pacific vs. Japan

35. Island Hopping: American strategy of fighting from island to island in the Pacific, each victory getting American troops closer to Japan

36. Flag Raising on Iwo Jima

37. Japanese Strategy:
Fight to death
Do not surrender
Kamikaze pilots

38. The Manhattan Project
The top secret project worked on from that researched and built the atomic bomb
The bomb was successfully tested in July 1945
President Truman is notified that “the baby is born”.

39. End of War with Japan
August 6, The first atomic bomb is dropped over the city of Hiroshima, Japan
August 9, A second atomic bomb is dropped over Nagasaki, Japan
Japan surrenders

40. After the Bombings
Hiroshima Shadow
Hiroshima before and after

41. August 14, 1945: V-J Day (victory over Japan Day)