1. WWII Background Feb. 2009

2. When did the world experience its most dramatic change in recent history? AFTER WORLD WAR II!

3. Germany, Italy, & Japan: The “Axis Powers”  All three adopted forms of dictatorship (such as National Socialism (NAZI) in Ger. & Fascism in It.) that: – (1)made the nation supreme above the individual – (2)called for expansion @ expense of neighboring countries  Anti-Communist (est. in Russian Revolution of 1917)

4. Axis Powers

5. Axis Powers “gain power”  Non-Axis democracies desired peace & reduced own militaries  League of Nations could not promote disarmament  Belief that WWI really would “end all wars”  APPEASEMENT – Examples: Japan taking Manchuria (1931-32) Italy taking Ethiopia (1935-36) Germany taking Czechoslovakia (1938)

6. Appeasement  ***important idea***  Associated with Neville Chamberlain of Great Britain prior to WWII

7. Mukden Incident

11. The Hitler Youth  Education was Nazi run – Teacher, books  Military training in athletics  Women – raise strong Aryans  Literature, journalism, radio, movies, painting, theater, music, art and sculpture  Book Burnings

12. General WWII Overview I  Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, & Japan  Allied Powers: Almost everyone else! – Russia will be friendly w/ Germany until Operation Barbarossa – China even stops their civil war to fight (at least the Nationalists do)

13. General WWII Overview II  2 Major “Theaters” of War – Pacific Ocean – Europe

14. Axis Powers 1942

15. 2 Key Turning Points  Axis Powers very successful until…  (1) Pacific: Battle of Midway (June 1942) – On Midway Island – U.S. severely cripples Japanese sea power  (2) Europe: Battle of Stalingrad (Aug 1942- Feb 1943) – Hitler invades Russia as part of “Operation Barbarossa” and is defeated – Hitler loses many troops & supplies

16.  http://www.maps101.com/Application/Cat alog/Product.aspx?cid=352&pid=750 http://www.maps101.com/Application/Cat alog/Product.aspx?cid=352&pid=750 – European Theater  http://www.maps101.com/Application/Cat alog/Product.aspx?cid=352&pid=741 http://www.maps101.com/Application/Cat alog/Product.aspx?cid=352&pid=741 – Pacific Theater

17. European Theater

18. JUNE 6, 1944 D-DAY  http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/launch_ani_d_day.shtml http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/launch_ani_d_day.shtml

19. 2 Endings  V-E Day (Victory in Europe): May 8, 1945 – Germany surrenders less than two weeks after Hitler commits suicide.  V-J Day (Victory in Japan): Aug. 14, 1945 – Japan surrenders after atomic bombs drop on Hiroshima (Aug. 6) & Nagasaki (Aug. 9).

20. World War II: A Costly War  Fatalities* (not casualties) – Russia: 25+ million – China: 11 million – Germany: 7.1 million – Poland: 6.8 million – Japan: 1.8 million – Yugoslavia, Romania, France, Hungary, Austria, Greece, Italy, Czechoslovakia, Great Britain: 1.7 million to 388,000 – United States: 295,000

21. War in the 20 th Century

23. Post-War Optimism in the USA