The Second
World War
1939-1945
The Path to the War
• The war in Europe began in September 1939, when Germany,
under Chancellor Adolf Hitler, invaded Poland.
• Britain and France responded by declaring war on Germany .
• In 1940, Germany attacked Denmark and Norway,
Belgium, the Netherlands, and France.
• As Hitler plotted his next steps, Italy, an ally of Germany,
expanded the war and invaded Greece and North Africa.
Adapted from “The Second World War, Sparknotes.
Check this website!!
http://www.ducksters.com/history/world_war_ii/ww2_timeline.php
The countries involved
Allied Powers
• Britain, France, the
United States, and
the Soviet
Union were the
most prominent
members.
Axis Powers
• Germany, Italy, and Japan’s
military alliance.
Look at this map!
http://www.mapsofworld.com/worl
d-maps/world-war-ii-map-ofeurope.html
The Leaders
Winston Churchill
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Joseph Stalin
American soldiers in Iwo Shima.
https://www.mtholyoke.edu/~knigh20
c/classweb/grable.html
Winston Churchill
• The prime minister of Britain during most of World War II.
Churchill was among the most active leaders in resisting
German aggression and played a major role in assembling
the Allied Powers, including the United States and the USSR.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
• The 32nd U.S. president, who
led the country through
World War II until his death
from a cerebral hemorrhage
in April1945. Roosevelt
played a decisive role in
holding together the Allied
coalition that defeated Nazi
Germany.
Joseph Stalin
• General secretary of the
Communist Party of the Soviet
Union from 1922 until his
death in 1953. Stalin’s regime in
the USSR was as brutal as the
Nazi regime in many ways, and
the alliance between Stalin and
the Allies always remained
tenuous because of mutual
distrust.
The Axis Leaders
Adolf Hitler
Hirohito
Benito Mussolini
Adolf Hitler
• Chancellor or Führer
(“leader”)of Germany (1933 -1945.)
• During his rule, he took a very active
role in the government of Germany,
making military decisions and
implementing edicts regarding the
treatment of Jews and other
minorities, such as the “final
solution” that condemned Jews to
death at concentration camps . Before
Germany surrendered in1945, Hitler
committed suicide together with his
wife, Eva Braun, in Berlin.
What were Hitler´s ideas?
• For information about Nazism and
Hitler´s ideas, visit:
www.theholocaustexplained.com
Hirohito
Emperor
of Japan from 1926 until his
death in 1989. After Japan’s
defeat, he continued to hold his
position as emperor but Japan
was under U.S. occupation.
Hirohito was never tried for
war crimes.
Benito Mussolini
• Fascist prime minister who
came to power in 1922 and
ruled Italy as an absolute
dictator.
• Mussolini served as an
inspiration to Adolf Hitler.
• In 1943, Mussolini was
overthrown, and in 1945 he was
executed.
Important Events
Pearl Harbor
• The war in the Pacific began on
December 7, 1941, when
warplanes from Japan launched
a surprise attack on the U.S.
Navy base at Pearl Harbor,
Hawaii. After the Pearl Harbor
attack, Japan began a massive
campaign of expansion
throughout the Southeast Asia–
Pacific region.
The Normandy Invasion or D-Day invasion.
• In June 1944, British and American forces landed
in German-occupied France via the coast of
Normandy.
• Soon, the German army was forced into retreat. By
early 1945, the Soviets were the first to reach the
German capital of Berlin, and Germany
surrendered in May 1945.
The Atomic Bombs
• In August, 1945, the United States dropped two atomic
bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
• Stunned by the unexpected devastation, Japan
surrendered a few days later.
Consequences of the Second World War
The formation of the United Nations (UN):
• After the first world war, the Allies had created the
League of Nations to keep peace and stability in
Europe.
• This was the first global organization in history, but
it had several problems, which led to World War II.
• The League was replaced by the United Nations,
created in 1945.
• Initially, it was composed of five major countries
(United Kingdom, France, United States, China,
and USSR).
New Superpowers:
• There were only two countries that were
economically powerful after World War II.
• These countries had previously dominated the
world's trade market, -- the Soviet Union (USSR)
and the United States–
The COLD WAR had started….
Women´s Rights:
• During the war, the
government of every country
sent men to serve in the
army.
• Men left a vacuum in
factories, offices, and farms.
• This vacuum was filled by women.
• As the war progressed, these
women gained a strong sense of
independence.
War Crimes:
• When the concentration camps throughout Europe were
liberated, the world was shocked to see its horrors.
• Around twelve million people had been murdered in
total (half of them Jews).
• But since genocide had never been publicly recognized
before, there were no formal laws.
• During the Nuremberg Trials (1945), Hitler's officials
were declared guilty of war crimes and crimes against
humanity.
References
• Adolf Hitler: http://www.marioescobar.es/wpcontent/uploads/2013/04/adolf-hitler.jpg. Slide 9.
• Aftermath of World War II:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3f/Destroyed
_Warsaw,_capital_of_Poland,_January_1945.jpg/300pxDestroyed_Warsaw,_capital_of_Poland,_January_1945.jpg . Slide
16.
• Call of duty 5: World at War: http://www.hdwallpaperscool.com/callof-duty-5-world-at-war-wallpapers/. Slide 1.
• Franklin D. Roosevelt:
http://www.historiasiglo20.org/IMAG/images/iigmpernajes13.gif .
Slide 6.
• Frases de Benito Mussolini:
http://cache2.allpostersimages.com/p/LRG/36/3650/T93CF00Z/poste
rs/villani-a-benito-mussolini.jpg . Slide 12.
• Hiroshima and Nagasaki: http://www.sritweets.com/wpcontent/uploads/2010/08/Hiroshima-and-Nagasaki.jpg. Slide 15.
• http://www.kidport.com/reflib/WorldHistory/WorldWarII/WorldWarIIEff
ects.htm
• Pearl Harbor Images:
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/images/g10000/g19930.jpg . Slide
13.
• Pictures of Joseph Stalin:
http://cdn1.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/images/joseph-stalin-1.jpg.
Slide 7.
• Rendición de Japón Guerra Mundial:
http://www.portalplanetasedna.com.ar/archivos_varios1/hirohito.jpg .
Slide 11.
• Rosie the Riveter (1944). Poster. Retrieved from:
http://www.vintagefineartprints.com/print-2152-988779/rosie-riveter1944-print/. Slide 19.
• SparkNotes Editors. (2005). SparkNote on World War II (1939–1945).
Retrieved December 31, 2013, from
http://www.sparknotes.com/history/european/ww2/. Slide 2.
• The Consequences of the Second World War:
http://www.memo.fr/Media/Cimetiere_americain.jpg. Slide 16
• The UN Lesotho Organization:
http://www.undp.org.ls/home/UN-LOGO%20copy.jpg. Slide 17.
• Winston Churchill:
http://static.bbc.co.uk/history/img/ic/640/images/resources/peo
ple/winston_churchill.jpg. Slide 5.
• Woman´s Place in War. Retrieved from:
http://womenshistory.about.com/od/worldwariiposterart/ig/Worl
d-War-II-Posters--Military/WAC-Modelmaker.htm. Slide 20.