World War II
Roots
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Other powers could not organize resistance
U.S. remains isolationist
Britain and France follow policy of appeasement
France-lost 16% of male population in WWI
 Britain dealing with depression
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Spanish Civil War
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Foreshadow World War II
General Francesco Franco—opposed liberal
government
Franco helped by Italy and Germany
 Government helped by France and Russia
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Franco wins with support of industry, large
landowners and Catholic Church
Hitler’s steps towards War
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Reoccupies Rhineland
Annexes Austria
Sept 1938—Demands Czechoslovakia
Sudetenland
 British PM Chamberlain negotiates deal w/ Hitler
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Nazi-Soviet Pact
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August 1939—Hitler and Stalin sign nonaggression pact
Divide up Poland
Hitler now free to go to war with west without
fear of Soviet attack
Phony War
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British and French declare War on Germany
when they attack Poland
Until Spring 1940—French and British sit
behind Defensive barrier—Maginot Line
Hitler launches “Blitzkrieg”-through Belgium
and N. France
Paris falls in 7 weeks
British escape through Dunkirk
Small Setbacks
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British keep Fighting
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Italians join the war
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Battle of Britain
Forces Hitler to divert troops to support
Japanese alarming U.S. about actions
Major Problems
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June 1941—Germany attacks Russia
Hitler wants elbow room
 Appears like quick victory
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Soviets lose 2.5 million in 4 months
Germans reach gates of major cities
 Soviets hold out—becomes war of attrition
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Problems for Germany
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Japanese attack Pearl Harbor
Brings U.S. into war
 Hitler declares war on U.S.
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U.S. economy is a major force in the conflict
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Soon out producing Japan, Germany and Italy
combined.
Long War
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Series of Allied victories in the West
North Africa
 Italy
 Normandy—D-Day June 6, 1944
 Battle of the Bulge
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Air War
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Both sides ravage cites
Example
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Feb 1945 Dresden
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135,000 Germans died
Both sides make deliberate target of citizens
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Civilian morale not impacted
German Genocide
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Hitler decides to exterminate the Jews
Also sought to destroy a long list of other peoples:
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Slavs
People of mixed race
Gypsies
Incurably ill and insane
Homosexuals
Jehovah’s Witnesses
By 1942—mass gassing techniques used
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By 1945—6 million Jews killed
11 million victims total
End of the War
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Germany—May 1945
Japan--August 1945
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Two atomic bombs
Hiroshima
 Nagasaki
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