Lecture Outline: World War II
APUSH
A. World War II Quick Facts
 lasted 1939-1945
 largest war in human history
o both financial and human toll
o 70 million dead (soldiers/civilians)
B. Causes of World War II
 WWI and the Treaty of Versailles
 Appeasement
 Rise of totalitarian regimes
I. World War I
 Reasons:
o Germany lost land
o “ “ “ had to pay reparations
 Results:
o anger, resentment
o rise of Hitler
II. Appeasement
 Definition:
o giving someone something to make them happy and leave you alone (avoid war)
 Result:
o emboldened Hitler to “expand”
III. Totalitarianism
 system in which state and leader have total control
o no right to vote
o no free speech
o “police states”
C. Fascism and Nazism
1. Fascism
 basis of Mussolini’s and Hitler’s government
 importance of the nation placed above value of the individual
2. Mussolini
 appointed as Prime Minister (1922)
 outlawed elections, political parties
 October 1935 – invades Ethiopia
3. Hitler
 Beginnings:
o 1919 - joins National Socialist German Worker’s Party (Nazi)
o 1923 – attempts to overthrow German government
o uprising crushed, Hitler in prison for 9 months
o writes Mein Kamph (My Struggle)
o outlined his vision, future plans
Lecture Outline: World War II
APUSH
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Goals in Mein Kamph
o buildup of military
o territorial expansion
o removal of all non-Aryans
Promises of Hitler
o return of economic stability
o restore the German Empire (Third Reich)
Taking Power:
o 1933 – Nazi’s dominate parliament
o Hitler becomes leader, outlaws opposition
o becomes Der Fuhrer (dictator)
D. Early Aggression of Hitler
1. First Targets
 The Rhineland (March 1936)
 Austria (March 1938)
 Sudetenland (1938)
2. Attempt at Appeasement (Big Mistake)
 September 1938 – Munich Conference
 Britain and France want to avoid war
 appease Hitler, let him keep Sudetenland
3. Continued Aggression
 Germany takes over all of Czechoslovakia (March 1939)
 invades Poland (September 1939)
o blitzkrieg (lightning war)
 finally Britain and France declare war
 invades Norway and Denmark (April 1940)
 invades Belgium, France (May 1940)
4. Fall of France
 June 14, 1940
o Germans enter Paris
 June 22, 1940
o France surrenders
o leaves Britain as only Allied Power
E. Battle of Britain
 largest air assault in history
 Hitler uses Luftwaffe (air force)
o massive bombing runs
 The Blitz
o September 1940 – May 1941
o constant bombing of Britain
o heavy losses, panic
Lecture Outline: World War II
APUSH
F. Japanese Aggression
1. Background
 1920s
o lack sufficient raw materials, markets
o begin to seek imperial claims in Asia
 1931
o seize Manchuria
 1940
o controls Eastern China
 September 1940
o becomes allied w/ Germany, Italy
 April 1941
o non-aggression pact with Soviet Union
G. The American Response
 1938
o begin buildup of Pacific fleet
 1939
o move fleet to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
 Mid 1930s – Neutrality Acts
o purpose – dealing with own problems (Depression)
o no weapons to nations at war
o “cash and carry” – must buy goods w/ cash and transport yourself
 Neutrality Act of 1939
o Britain and France can buy weapons on a cash and carry basis
 Lend-Lease Act (1941)
o provide aid to any country whose defense is vital to American security
o “arsenal of democracy”
H. Pearl Harbor
 Origin
o 1941 – Japan takes over French Indochina
o FDR cuts off trade relations in response
 October 1941
o Hideki Tojo becomes Prime Minister
o realizes more expansion impossible w/ U.S. in Hawaii
 “A Date Which Will Live in Infamy”
o Dec. 7, 1941
o massive aerial strike by Japanese
o 2,400 Americans dead in two hours
o 18 warships sunk/heavily damaged
 Dec. 8, 1941
o U.S. declares war on Japan
 Dec 11, 1941
o Germany, Italy declare war on U.S.
Lecture Outline: World War II
APUSH
I. The War In Europe
1. The Atlantic Charter
 August 1941
o FDR/Winston Churchill (British PM)
o agreement about what post war world should look like
Battle of the Atlantic
 Germany U-Boats v. American convoys
o “cat and mouse” to get supplies to Britain
o Allied victory b/c of sonar, radar
3. North Africa
 November 18, 1942 – Operation Torch
o Brit/U.S. attempt to control the Mediterranean
o v. Erwin Rommel – German commander
o “The Desert Fox”
 May 1943
o Rommel surrounded, surrenders
o Allies hold all N. Africa
4. Invasion of Italy
 July 1943
o begins w/ invasion of Sicily
o Mussolini arrested, rescued by Germans
 June 1944
o Allies enter Rome
5. Operation Barbarossa
 1939 – Germ. and Soviets sign non-aggression pact
 1941 – Hitler breaks, invades
o needs lebensraum (living space)
 Characteristics of Barbarossa
o largest offensive in history (4.5 million troops)
o highest death tolls
o major turning point of war
 German Advance (1941-42)
o Soviets retreat, adopt scorched earth policy
o burn anything that can be used by enemy
 Battle of Stalingrad (1941-42)
o bloodiest battle in history (2 million casualties)
o Germans finished off by harsh winter
J. The End of War In Europe
1. The Tehran Meeting
 Churchill, FDR, Stalin
 Purpose:
 simultaneous offensive in Europe and Russia
Lecture Outline: World War II
APUSH
2. Operation Overlord (D-Day)
 Allied invasion of France
 June 6, 1944
o 4,000 ships/150,000 men
o allowed for 2 million Allies to land by July
3. The Battle of the Bulge
 December 1944
o largest battle fought by U.S. army
4. End of Hitler
 May 1, 1945
o Allies surround Berlin
o Hitler refuses to flee, commits suicide
 May 8, 1945 (V-E Day)
o Germany surrenders
5. Yalta Conference
 February 1945
o Stalin, Roosevelt, Churchill
o agree to split Germany into 4 zones
o leads to beginning of Cold War
I. World War II (Pacific)
1. Battle of Midway
 June 1942
o most important battle of the Pacific
o damaged Japanese ships to the point they could no longer launch offensive attacks
2. Island Hopping
 capturing strategic islands and setting up airfields on them
 bypassing heavily defended routes
 “paving a road to Japan”
3. Battle of Guadalcanal
 August 1942
o Japan’s first defeat on land
o allowed U.S. to reach Japan w/ bombers
4. Iwo Jima
 March 1945
o location critical to bomb Japan
o island taken in extremely bloody battle
5. Okinawa
 June 1945
o Japan’s last defensive outpost
o now in position to directly attack Japan
 Problem… invasion of Japan = thousands of American casualties
Lecture Outline: World War II
APUSH
6. July 1945- Potsdam Conference
 Allies want unconditional surrender
7. Manhattan Project
 development of the atomic bomb by J. Robert Oppenheimer
8. Hiroshima
 August 6, 1945
o Enola Gay and Little Boy
o Japan refuses to surrender
9. Nagasaki
 August 9, 1945
10. Why Did Truman Use the Bomb?
 avoid U.S. casualties
 impress Soviets
 minimize Soviet presence in Pacific