World War II
Prelude to Global War
World War II

Although times were
hard in the United
States throughout the
Great Depression they
were worse in other
countries.
Dictators
Dictators rose to power throughout Europe
 Totalitarian- a form of government that
controls every aspect of its citizens lives
Example: Soviet Union, Germany, Italy
 Fascism- Philosophy which places importance
of the nation above the value of the individual
Example: Hitler (Germany), Mussolini (Italy)
*Fascism allows private business unlike
communism but individual rights and freedoms
are lost

Benito Mussolini



Rose to power in Italy
after WWI and called
himself Il Duce “the
leader”.
Organized a fascist group
throughout Italy
Threatened to march into
Rome and the king
appointed him Prime
Minister out of fear.
Mussolini continued…




Mussolini outlawed
elections and political
parties while establishing
a dictatorship.
Mussolini proclaimed the
fascist slogan “The
country is nothing
without conquest.”
1935- Mussolini invaded
Ethiopia
1936- East African Nation
was in Italian hands
Adolf Hitler





Leader of the Nazi party Germany.
A charismatic powerful public
speaker
1923- tried to overthrow German
government and went to jail for
five years
Wrote autobiography called “Mien
Kampf” while in jail about his
plans for Germany
he believed in a purifying race
“Aryan race” (blond hair blue
eyes).
Europe Goes to War




German troops moved into Rhineland (West
Germany) which violated the treaty of Versailles
Hitler got away with it which made him more
eager to expand
Hitler signed an alliance with Mussolini and
created “Axis” power between Rome and Berlin.
Japan later joined the Axis power with Germany
and Itlay
German Empire Expanding




1938- Hitler annexed Austria (Britain and
France Protested)
Britain and France appeased (giving into
someone's demands) with Germany b/c
they were not ready for war and thought
he might finally be satisfied with land.
Britain and France chose dishonor over
war which in turn became a war
1939- Hitler invaded Poland and the WAR
BEGAN
German’s Expansion



Invasion of Poland took one month (West
Poland)
Blitzkrieg- “lightening War” tactic. Tanks,
artillery, and soldiers (moving by foot)
struck deep into enemy territory before
they had time to react
Sitzkrieg- “sit-down war” quiet time for
seven months after Poland Fell
German continues to expand…



Germany launched an attack on Denmark and
Norway, then proceeded into France and France
surrendered on June 14, 1940.
Great Britain stood alone in the Allies of the
countries.
Germany launched an air assault on Great
Britain (largest the world had ever seen). This
became known as the battle of Britain and by
1941 German raids ended with a loss for
Germany
London’s St. Paul’s Cathedral
survived the German Bombing in
1940-1941
Winston Churchill,
Prime Minister of
London, and his wife
Ruins after the German
attack in London.
Dark Green: Allies before the attack on Pearl Harbor
Light Green: Allied countries that entered the war after the Japanese attack
on Pearl Harbor.
Orange: Axis Powers
Japanese Expansion




Japan along with Germany and Italy was not
happy with their situation in Asia. Japan too
was going through a Great Depression.
1931 Japan seized Manchuria (region in
china)
Japan soon controlled most of eastern China
By 1941 Japan was ready to challenge
Europeans and Americans for supremacy in
Asia
American Involvement Grows…



American’s build up naval fleets from San Diego
to Pearl Harbor
Americans remain neutral and declared the
Neutrality acts. These included the US would
withhold weapons and loans from all nations and
required “cash and carry policy,” (goods sold to
nations at war would be paid for in cash and
transported by the purchaser.
Lend-Lease Act- FDR passed to aid any nation
whose defense was vital to American security
Attack on Pearl Harbor


US cut off all
trade with Japan
but still hoped for
peace
December 7, 1941
Japan attacked
Pearl harbor “a
day which will live
in infamy”
FDR’s entering into war


FDR asked
congress to declare
war the next day.
Three days later
Germany and Italy
declared war on
the United States
World War II
The Road to Victory in Europe
Section 2
Chapter 24
Americans Prepare for War!


Churchill and FDR allied and wrote an
agreement of goals called the Atlantic
Charter. They pledged “a peace that will
afford all nations the means of dwelling in
safety inside their own boundaries.”
GI’s- “government issued” clothes, shoes,
weapons provided by the military. Soldiers
are GI’s!
Diversity in American Troops!





Mexican Americans- 300,000
Native Americans-25,000
(Navajo code talkers)
Japanese Americans (not
accepted until 1943 after
released from internment
camps in the United States)
African Americans- 1 million
joined the army
Women-350,000 joined in all
areas except combat. WASP
(women air force service pilot)
and WAVES (women accepted
for volunteer emergency
service)
Fighting in North Africa and Italy



The battle of the Atlantic- German Submarines
attacking Great Britain in the Atlantic Ocean.
Sonar (underwater sound equipment) was used
to attack and locate enemy submarines.
US had convoys so Great Britain receive food
and supplies.
Germans used Wolf Packs (30+ submarines) to
attack their enemy. German submarines were
successful sinking 175 ships in 1942!
The fight goes on…



General Eisenhower (United
States) helped general
Montgomery (Britain) defeat
Germany in Northern Africa
(Egypt) in the important battle
El Alamein
General Patton attacked Sicily,
Italy and Mussolini was over
thrown. German troops
remained in Italy to defend the
land and for four months
fighting continued and over
72,000 Americans died.
Battle of Anizo was won by US
and Rome was captured.
War in the Soviet Union




Hitler wanted to Expand into the USSR 1941-42 and 3.6
million German soldiers enter USSR through the Baltic
and Black sea
Battle of Stalingrad- turning point in the War when
USSR defeated German army
General George Marshall pushed the president to
prepare for war and called for the invasion of western
Europe. When the war ended he resigned and soon
after became secretary of state and created the Marshall
plan!
Carpet Bombing- technique used by Britain in which
they dropped large numbers of bombs over a wide area
and German cities suffered heavy damages!
D-DAY




June 6th, 1944-largest landing by sea in history D-DAY
(code name for the day the invasion began)!!!!!
4,600 warships and invasion crafts slipped out of the
harbor in England and pounded the German defenses at
Normandy (region in France)! 1,000 RAF bombers also
attacked German defenses. Normandy was not an ideal
place to attack so it caught the German troops off guard.
23,000 airborne British and American soldiers were
dropped behind enemy lines in the night.
Five beaches were attacked (UTAH, OMAHA, GOLD,
JUNO, SWORD)
Clenching the Victory





Fighting followed as US, British, and Canadian troops
pushed through France and liberated Paris
US and Canadian troops then freed Brussels and
Antwerp and Holland
Germany launched a counter attack in Luxembourg and
Belgium called the BATTLE of the BULGE
US troops were not looking that good until General
Patton moved 250,000 soldiers from western France to
help stop the German advance
Battle of the Bulge was the largest battle fought
during WWII. 600,000 GI’s involved and 80,000 were
killed, wounded or captured!
War Ends in Europe!





Yalta Conference- Plan for post war world
between Churchill, Stalin, and FDR! Met in
February although war was not yet complete!
Soviet troops attacked Berlin and Hitler refused
to flee and then committed suicide on May 1st
1945.
Then Germany surrendered May 8th 1945!
27,000,000 Soviets died throughout the War!
Americans celebrated V-E Day (Victory in
Europe! But Japan was not yet defeated!
World War II
The War in the Pacific
Section 3
The War in the Pacific



There was also fighting in
the Pacific along with
Europe.
Bataan Death MarchBrutal death march of
American and Filipino
prisoners by Japanese
soldiers
Battle of the Coral SeaBattle between Japanese
and American Aircraft
(1st ever to be completely
carried out in air)
Battles in the Pacific between US
and Japan





Battle of Midway- TURNING
POINT in the war also fought
entirely in the air and US
destroyed Japanese offenese!
Battle of Guadalcanal- US
now in control and forced
Japanese into the Jungle
Kamikaze- Japanese suicide
planes used in the battle of
Leyte Gulfa
Battle of Iwo Jima- Bloodiest
battle for volcanic island,
bombs and shells used to
destroy the island
Battle of Okinawa- last
obstacle to an allied invasion
into their homeland
Manhattan Project

Secret American program
to develop an atomic
bomb


Albert Einstein (Jewish
Physicist)-refuge from
Germany and the Nazi
party, wrote FDR a letter
to suggest a new bomb
that could be built!
Tested bomb in New
Mexico desert!
Decision to Drop the Bomb!




Unanimous decision with an advisory group of
scientist, military leaders, and government
officials called the Interim Committee.
August 6th, 1945 bomb dropped on Hiroshima, a
army base (140,000 deaths)
August 9th, 1945 a second bomb dropped on
Nagasaki, which produced similar numbers
August 14th Japan surrenders to US troops
World War II
The Holocaust
Section 4
Chapter 24
Hitler’s Holocaust





Holocaust- Nazi Germany’s Systematic murder
of European Jews!
Anti-Semitism- hostility toward Jews
1930’s Nazi party tells people to stop patronizing
Jewish business
Nuremburg laws- stripped Jews of
citizenship and forbidden marriage between
Jews and non-Jews
Jews were given middle names “Sarah” and
Israel as well as identity cards with “j” on them
Nazi’s Take Action



SS (Secret State Police)
or Gestapo was formed
and Concentration Camps
(places for prisoners of
war).
Nazi’s placed the
“undesirable” in these
camps as well!
Kristallnacht- (night of
the broken glass)
Organized attacks on
Jews
Murder to Genocide




Einsatzgruppen- mobile
killing units (not deemed
good enough by Hitler)
Wannsee Conferenceplan for the “final solution
to the Jewish question!”
Death Campsextermination centers for
Jews.
Auschiwitz concentration
camp- #1 death camp
murdering 1.5 million ppl
American Involvement

1944 FDR created
War Refugee
Board- to help
people threatened
with murder by the
Nazis. (somewhat
successful but more
needed to be done!)