World War II – 1939-1945
Guided Lecture Notes
Turning Points in the War/Victory and Occupation/Effects of the War


Turning Points in the War
o Battle of
– air battle prevents German invasion of Great Britain
o Battle of the Atlantic – German U-boats unable to stop Allied
from
USA to Great Britain
o Battle of
– Soviet Union stops German advance into Russia. USSR
(Soviet Union) starts to push Germans back
o North Africa – Allies stop German advance into the
o Invasion of Italy – Allies open “
” against Germany. Italy drops out of the war.
o Battle of
– Ends Japanese naval
supremacy in Pacific. Allows for US to conduct “
” campaign against Japan
o Battle of Coral Sea – Prevents Japanese invasion of
Japanese cruiser on fire in battle, Midway Island.. IRC.
2005. unitedstreaming. 27 April 2006
<http://www.unitedstreaming.com/>
Victory and Occupation - Germany
o D-Day (
)– Allies open
Western Front in
o Allies race to invade Germany and take
o
reaches Berlin first. Hitler commits suicide.
o Germany surrenders (V-E Day =
) – May 7, 1945
o Allies
Germany
o Yalta Conference (Feb
)
 Meeting of Allies:
USA –
Great Britain –
USSR  Meet to discuss
world




o
Agree to form
to maintain
after the war
Agree to divide Germany into
Zones of
Occupation
 Western Germany occupied by
,
 Eastern Germany occupied by
Stalin agrees to hold
in Soviet-controlled
Europe
Stalin agrees to fight
as soon
as the war with
ends.
Potsdam Conference (Aug
 Meeting of Allies:
)
The Yalta Conference, February 1945.. IRC.
2005. unitedstreaming. 27 April 2006
<http://www.unitedstreaming.com/>
,
The "Big Three" meeting at Potsdam.. IRC. 2005.
unitedstreaming. 27 April 2006
<http://www.unitedstreaming.com/>
USA –
he was there because?
Great Britain –
- he was there because?
USSR –
Allies called for
surrender by Japan
Further plans made to occupy
after the war
-




Victory and Occupation – Japan
o “Island-hopping” campaign successful but
(large number of casualties)
o Japanese gave stiff
. USA worried about large number of
during the invasion of Japanese
o President
decides to use new
bomb weapon
against Japan.
o Aug 6,
, - 1st Atomic Bomb dropped on Japanese city of
.
The world enters the
o Aug 9, 1945 – 2nd Atomic Bomb dropped on Japanese city of
o Aug 14, 1946 – Japan surrenders
o Sep 2, 1945 – V-J Day (V-J means:
) – Japanese sign official surrender
.
o WWII officially over
o
begins occupation of Japan
The dropping of the atomic bomb on Nagasaki.. IRC.
2005. unitedstreaming. 27 April 2006
<http://www.unitedstreaming.com/>
Effects of War
o 55 million people had died
(Soviet Union =
alone)
o 10 million people died due to
o
- held to punish people accused of
“
“ and “
“
o Europe and parts of Asia devasted
o 12 million
, starvation
o Independence movements within European
grew (e.g. India, Mau
Mau rebellion in Kenya, Viet Cong in Vietnam)
 Mother
country was week and could not resist
 People of these colonies fought in WWII – believed they
independence because of their
to the mother country
 Support of armed
in some colonies by the