World War II
The Years Between
1919-1931
New Ideas Challenge the Past
Albert Einstein and the
theory of relativity:
Space and time can
change when
measured relative to
an object moving at
the speed of light
Challenged absolute
laws of motion and
gravity (Newton)
New Ideas Challenge the Past
Airplanes, automobiles
change the way people
travel
Radios and movies
spread news and ideas
more quickly
New Ideas Challenge the Past
Society became more
open: women cutting
their hair, wearing
shorter dresses
“Roaring 20s”
In the U.S. the 1920s
are great years—lots of
growth, lots of money
Europe After the Great War
Every major European
country was bankrupt (only
Japan and U.S. came out
richer than before)
New democracies in
Germany, Austria, Turkey,
etc. were unstable
Coalition governments
(temporary alliances of
political parties to gain
power) never lasted long
Coalition Governments
Parties existing before World War
II
Bavarian People's Party
The Anarchy Party
Centre Party Communist Party of Germany
Communist Party Opposition
Conservative People's Party
Free Conservative Party
General German Workers' Association
Independent Social Democratic Party of
Germany
German Conservative Party
German Democratic Party
German National People's Party
German People's Party
German Progress Party
German Racialist Freedom Party
German Workers' Party
National Liberal Party
National Socialist German Workers' Party
- aka the Nazi Party (NSDAP) (1919-1945)
Progressive People's Party
Social Democratic Party of Germany
Social Democratic Workers' Party of
Germany
Social Democratic Party of Germany
Socialist Workers' Party of
Social Democratic Party of Germany
Socialist Workers' Party of Germany
Crisis in Germany
The Weimar Republic was
Germany’s new gov’t
Several major parties and
many minor ones
Weimar Repub. was blamed
for the Treaty of Versailles—
because they signed it
Germany’s economy had
collapsed—inflation (value of
money goes down, prices go
up) was out of control
Year
Month
Marks needed to buy
one U.S. dollar
1919
April
12
December
47
July
493
August
1,000
October
3,000
December
7,000
January
17,000
August
4,621,000
September
98,860,000
October
25,260,000,000
December
4,200,000,000,000
1921
1923
The Dawes Plan
In 1924, the U.S.
loaned $200 million to
stabilize the German
economy
By 1929, Germany is
recovering nicely
The Great Depression
By the late 1920s, the world
economy was balanced on
the success of the U.S.
economy. If the U.S.
economy weakened, the rest
of the world would follow.
Tuesday, October 29, 1929,
the U.S. Stock Exchange
collapses.
Unemployment rates went
up as production and wages
went down
U.S. banks removed their
investments in Europe,
causing a collapse of funds in
Europe.
Germany and Austria were
very hard hit because of war
debts and need for U.S.
loans.
Britain, France, and
Scandinavian countries came
out okay.
Perfect
Timing
As a result of misery,
Germans look for
someone to blame, and
for someone to help
The Beginning of WWII
Rise of Fascism
Fascism: emphasized
loyalty to the state and
obedience to its leader
Fascist parties generally
made up of the wealthy,
war veterans, and lower
middle class (but not
exclusively)
Benito Mussolini In Italy
As the economy got worse,
and fear on communism
grew, Mussolini’s party
gained more support
The “Il Duce” (leader) forced
a military takeover in 1922
Outlawed all parties
except the Fascists
Secret police jailed
political opponents
Radio, newspapers, and
movies were gov’t
controlled
Hitler Takes Control in Germany
A small party, the Nazi party
(Nationalist Socialist German
Workers Party) appealed to a
wide variety of Germans, but
mainly middle class
Because of his ability to speak,
became “der Fuhrer” the leader
of the party
Hitler Takes Control in Germany
Tries to seize power in 1923,
failed, and put in jail (Munich
Beer Hall Putsch)
Hitler decided the best way to
get power was through
LEGAL means
By 1932, people have turned to
Hitler and his party for
leadership
In 1933 Hitler is named
Chancellor and strengthens his
position
Hitler Takes Control in Germany
In 1933, the Reichstag catches
on fire, communists are
blamed, and Hitler uses the
event to suspend civil liberties
in Germany
In 1934, Hitler orders the
Nazi SS and Gestapo (secret
police) to kill various “brown
shirts” (SA) who were the
original members of the
party—now they were too
much trouble
World Drifts Towards War
Military takes control in Japan,
Japan invades Manchuria 1931
In 1937, Japan invades China
(the rape of Nanking)
Mussolini attacks Ethiopia in
1935
World Drifts Toward War
1934-- Germany and the Soviet Union agree not to attack each
other (secret Non-aggression Treaty)
World Drifts Toward War
1935 Plebiscite (vote) returns Saar to Germany
1936--Hitler ignores the Treaty of Versailles, rearms Germany, and
moves troops into the Rhineland—Britain and France say nothing
World Drifts Toward War
This reaction leads Hitler to speed up military and territorial
expansion.
World Drifts Toward War
In 1936, Germany Italy and Japan sign an alliance, creating the
Axis Powers
March 1938—Annexation of Austria (Anschluss)
World Drifts Toward War
1938--At the Munich Conference, Hitler agrees to not take any
more military action as long as he is granted the Sudetenland.
World Drifts Towards War
The policy used by France and Great Britain
was called appeasement: trying to keep Hitler
from advancing a war by keeping Germany
pleased.
World Drifts Toward War
1939-- Six months later he takes Czechoslovakia
The War Begins
September 1, 1939
The War Begins
Sept. 1, 1939 Germany
invades Poland
“blitzkrieg” lightning war
Used air attacks to
disable air fields
Followed by large tank
and infantry advances
G.B. and France declare war
but can’t do anything to help
Poland
Poland surrenders in 4 weeks
The War Begins
The Phony War:
Sitzkrieg “waiting war”
France is waiting for
German attack along
the reinforced
Manginot Line
April 1940, Germany
attacks Denmark and
Norway instead
Denmark falls in four
hours, Norway in two
months
The War Begins
May 1940, Germany invades
Belgium, Luxembourg and
the Netherlands
While Allies are busy
Germany sends even greater
troops through the forest
behind them
By the end of May, British
and French troops are
trapped at Dunkirk
France surrenders June 22, 1940
Fall of France
Hitler now wants to
invade Great
Britain, but in order
to do so, he must
destroy the Royal
Air Force first
The Battle of Britain
Important Leaders of WWII– Allied Powers
Franklin
D.
Roosevelt,
U.S.
President
Winston
Churchill,
British
Prime
Minister
Charles
de
Gaulle,
French
resistance
leader
Josef
Stalin,
Premier
of Soviet
Union
Important Leaders of WWII– Axis Powers
Hirohito,
Emperor
of Japan
Adolf
Hitler,
dictator of
Germany
Benito
Mussolini,
dictator of
Italy
U.S. Policy in WWII
From 1939-1941 the
U.S. was practicing
isolationism (minding
their own business).
In March 1941,
Congress passed the
Lend-Lease Act,
allowing the U.S. to aid
the Allied powers
(mainly Britain) with
supplies and money
Meanwhile…
Japan Builds A Pacific Empire
Beginning in 1931, Japan
invaded Manchuria, then
China, Korea and Taiwan
In 1941-42 began “Asia for
Asians” policy taking
territories away from the
U.S. and Europe
Vietnam (France)
Philippines (U.S.)
The Japanese are
uncomfortable with the U.S.
Navy presence in the Pacific
Pearl Harbor: A Day That Will Live in Infamy
U.S. Naval fleet based in
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
Japanese surprise attack
on December 7, 1941
2,400 killed
1,000 wounded
18 ships
sunk/damaged
Shortly after, Congress
declares war on Japan
and Germany
The End of
World War II
End of the War In Europe
The Battle of the Bulge
was the last major offensive
of the German army
Allies begin firebombing
Dresden and other
German targets
By March 1945, Allied
troops had entered
Germany
End of the War In Europe
April 12, 1945
President Roosevelt dies
Truman becomes
president
By April 25, with Berlin
surrounded by
Russians, Hitler and his
wife commit suicide
V-E Day
On May 7, 1945
the U.S.
accepted the
unconditional
surrender of the
German Third
Reich
End of the War in the Pacific
General MacArthur
believed that taking every
island would be costly in
lives and materials
“island hopping”
focuses on less
defended islands and
only attacking islands
that are strategically
placed
End of the War in the Pacific
The firebombing of Tokyo was designed to weaken
the resolve of the Japanese to fight the war
The Decision to Drop the Atomic Bomb
President Truman
decided to drop the
bomb on the Japanese to
hasten their surrender.
It was estimated that at
least 500,000 Allied
troops would die in a
Japanese land invasion,
the bomb was supposed
to lesson the cost
The Decision to Drop the Atomic Bomb
Japan surrenders on
September 2.
Postwar Europe
Postwar Europe
Europe
experienced famine
and harsh winter
after the war
New governments
had to be
established in
Germany and Italy
Postwar Europe
Germany was divided
into occupation zones
U.S. had Western half
of Germany
Soviet Union had
Eastern half of
Germany
U.S. establish several
military bases in Italy,
Germany, and Great
Britain
Postwar Europe
Nuremberg Trials
22 Nazi leaders were
charged with “crimes
against humanity” for
the acts of war and
the Holocaust—set a
precedent for an
international court of
war crimes
Postwar Japan
Postwar Japan
Emperor Hirohito is
forced to admit he is
not a god to the
Japanese people
Japan undergoes
demilitarization: the
removal and
dismantling of a
military
U.S. establishes bases
in Japan to shape the
democratization of
Japan
As A Result of WWII
The U.S. becomes the
richest and most powerful
nation
The United Nations is
created
Germany is divided into
two separate nations
Tensions between the
Communist Soviet Union
and Western Powers
escalate