Reminder: WWII
TEST takes or retakes
available before or
after school through
next Monday ! MUST
complete retake
review in order to
retake test. 
Reminder Vocab
Quiz Friday
Project Due: 2-17
Agenda:
Document Analysis
Post War Notes
Post World War II
What Impact did World War II have on the world?
World War II (1939-1945) was
a turning point that changed
the nation and the world in
profound ways. Many
Americans came home
determined to extend the
ideals of democracy and
freedom at home as well as
abroad. In addition, the United
States emerged from the war
prepared to take on the
complex and vital role in world
affairs that it still holds today.
Yalta Conference
• The Big Three meet – Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin
• Discussed dividing Germany into four zones
• They agreed Poland, Bulgaria & Romania would hold
free elections; however, the Soviet Union backed out on
this promise
• The Potsdam Conference
• In July 1945 the “Big 3” Heads of States: The new British
Prime Minister Clement Atlee, Truman & Stalin met in the
Berlin suburb Potsdam.
• At Potsdam the Big 3 formalized their decision to divide
Germany into 4 zones of occupation, Soviet, American,
British & French.
• They agreed the Soviet Union could collect reparation from
the German sector they controlled.
Planning the Postwar World
Analyze Data Why were U.S. civilian deaths so low? Why do you think U.S. military
deaths were higher than Britain’s even though Britain had been fighting longer?
International Impact of the War
After the war ended in August 1945, plans for the postwar
world had to be turned into realities.
However, the changes that took place were often not what the Allies had
envisioned at Yalta and Potsdam.
New Superpowers Emerge
• The United States and Soviet
Union became the new
Superpowers in the world.
• Of the two the United States was
the stronger because no major
battle had been fought on U.S.
soil, and U.S. industries were
booming from war.
• The Red Army or the Soviets
controlled most of Eastern
Europe and had the world’s
largest army.
International Impact of the War
World War II altered the map of Europe, especially Eastern Europe. Analyze Maps What happened to
Germany between the end of World War II and 1950?
International Organizations and Treaties
Americans were quick to recognize that their
nation had taken on a new position in the world.
After World War I, the Senate had rejected the
Treaty of Versailles and refused to join the League
of Nations. Many Americans now viewed these
decisions as mistakes that contributed to the rise
of fascism and the outbreak of another war. As
World War II drew to a close, Americans were
ready to embrace the idea of world organizations.
• Economic Effects of World War II
• In 1944 the U.S. pushed to established the International
Monetary Fund & the World Bank.
• The U.S. provided most of the working capital for these
organizations that were responsible for establishing
financial stability and a global economy.
• In 1947 the U.S. signed the General Agreement on Tariffs &
Trade (GATT) a treaty designed to expand world trade by
reducing tariffs.
• Tariffs dropped from 40% to 5%.
• It did cause U.S. industries in some ways to suffer from
competition with foreign goods, but it encouraged
world trade.
• GATT was replaced with the World Trade Organization in
1995.
International Organizations and Treaties
• The United Nations
• The Big Three all agreed on
establishing this
international peace keeping
organization following WWII
• In April 1945 delegates from
50 nations met in San
Francisco to write the
charter for the UN.
• The purpose of the UN was
to ensure peace and human
rights for the world in a
collaboration of world
powers.
• The Senate ratified the
charter & the UN’s home
became New York City.
International Organizations and Treaties
• War Crimes Trials
• During the war the Axis Powers violated the Geneva
Convention the agreement governing the humane
treatment of wounded soldiers and prisoners of war.
• More than a thousand Japanese citizens were tried for
their crimes and hundreds were condemned to death
including Hideki Tojo.
• The Nuremberg Trials exposed the evils of the Nazi
Regime and their leaders. Key leaders were either
hung, or imprisoned for life for their crimes against
humanity.
Quiz with Plickers
• You will be given your plicker card.
• When the quiz question goes up chose
your response and hold up the card with
your answer facing up.
• I will scan the class.
Quiz: Planning the Postwar World
Which promise made at the Yalta Conference did Stalin ultimately
renege on?
A.
B.
C.
D.
cooperating in trials to bring former Nazis to justice
supporting the United States in the war against Japan
holding free elections in Eastern Europe after the war
dividing power in Germany amongst the Allied Powers
Quiz: International Impact of the War
What major advantage did the United States possess over the Soviet
Union following the war?
A. The United States had the world’s largest military force.
B. Virtually none of the fighting had taken place on U.S. soil.
C. Most of Japan’s former colonies were now under U.S. control.
D. The Soviet Union owed the United States a massive amount of
debt.
Quiz: International Organizations and Treaties
The main idea behind the United Nations was to
A.
B.
C.
D.
expand world trade through the reduction of tariffs.
promote the spread of democracy all over the world.
give each member state an equal say in world affairs.
ensure cooperation between the major powers of the world.
Quiz: Domestic Impact of the War
After the war, the United States
A.
B.
C.
D.
drastically cut back its defense industries.
went through a period of economic instability.
was able to return its focus to domestic issues.
increasingly took on more global responsibilities.