World War II
1939-1945
The largest and most destructive war
in human history
Causes of WW II
• The Treaty of Versailles
– Humiliated Germany
• Shift of powers in Europe
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Britain & France:20th Century’s Strongest
United States became world’s most powerful country
Soviet Union began rise in power
Germany, Italy & Japan became ambitious to be rich
and powerful
• The Great Depression
– Many other countries depended on US wealth
Causes of WW II
• The rise of Dictators
– Hitler, Mussolini & Stalin
• Japan, Italy, Germany & the Soviet Union
– Japan began to take great strides in becoming the great
power in the Asian Pacific
– Italy began to conquer African colonies and Western
Europe
– Germany & the Soviet Union began to build empires in
Europe and Asia
• European War to World War
– Battles in Europe led to war in the Pacific
– This involved the United States
Division of Powers
• AXIS
– Germany
– Italy
– Japan
• ALLIED
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Great Britain
France
United States
Soviet Union
China
Important Individuals
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Adolf Hitler-Germany
Benito Mussolini-Italy
Joseph Stalin-Soviet Union
Neville Chamberlain-British Prime Minister
Franklin D. Roosevelt-US President
Hideki Tojo-Japan Prime Minister
Winston Churchill-British Prime Minister
Harry S. Truman-US President
Adolf Hitler
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Born in 1889
German “Master Race” and hated Jews
Served in WWI on the Western Front
Developed hate for enemies of Germany after the
signing of the Treaty of Versailles
• Head of the Nazi party & dictator of Germany
• Led Germany into war with Great Britain, France,
the Soviet Union and the United States
Adolf Hitler
• Eventually led Germany
to ruin and defeat
• Death of millions of
people
• Destruction of much of
Europe
• Democracy threatened
Germany’s strength
• Committed suicide just
before WWII ended in
Europe (1945)
Benito Mussolini
• Born in 1883
• One time teacher and
journalist
• Rose to power in Italy in
the 1920’s
• Member of the fascist
party and dictator of Italy.
• Most likable of all other
dictators
• Known to Italians as “Il
Duce” (the leader)
Benito Mussolini
• Mussolini and Hitler became political
partners. Both had very similar beliefs.
• Mussolini regarded Hitler once as “a mad
little clown”
• Built up Italy’s military to regain the glory
of the Ancient Romans
• Invaded Ethiopia and the League of Nations
banned trade with Italy
• Died in 1945
Joseph Stalin
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Born in 1879
Dictator of the Soviet Union
Communist
One of the most cruel and feared dictators
in history
• Brought massive hardship to the Soviet
Union
• Enemies with Hitler in the beginning. They
became allies during the war by signing the
Soviet-German Non-Aggression Pact.
Britain Prime Minister
• Neville Chamberlain
– Prime Minister 19371940
– Known for his
appeasement foreign
policy
– Forced to resign after
Germany invaded
Netherlands, Belgium
& France
• Winston Churchill
– Served as prime
minister twice 19401945 & 1951-1955
– Known for his
speeches and was a
great inspiration to the
British people
– Worked with Pres.
Roosevelt for the final
destruction of the Nazi
Tyranny
Franklin D. Roosevelt
• Made efforts to remain neutral in European affairs
with a number of neutrality acts.
• Elected for a third term in 1940
• Lend-Lease Act with Britain
• After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, asked congress
to declare war on Germany, Italy & Japan.
• Agreed with Churchill that the only possible
solution for ending war with Germany & Japan
was unconditional surrender.
• Died in office on April 12, 1945
Japan
• Hideki Tojo
– Prime Minister of
Japan
– Planned attacks on the
United States
– Was arrested for war
crimes and executed in
December 1943.
• Emperor Hirohito
– Emperor of Japan until
his death in 1989
– Demanded that Japan
surrender after atomic
bombs destroyed
Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Harry S. Truman
• Became president after FDR’s death in
1945
• Ordered the Enola Gay, a B-29 bomber, to
drop an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan
on August 6, 1945 and then 3 days later on
Nagasaki, Japan.
• Led the US to victory over Germany and
the end of WWII in Europe.
Timeline
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1931-Japan invades Manchuria
1935-Italy invades Ethopia
March 1936-Germany invades the Rhineland
March 1938-Germany invades Austria
March 1939-Germany seizes Czechoslovakia
September 1939-Germany invades Poland
– Blitzkrieg: Lightening War
• September 1939-Breat Britain & France declare
war on Germany
• September 1939-Soviet Union invades the Baltic
(Latvia, Lithuania & Estonia)
• 1940-Finland surrenders to Soviet Union
Timeline
• April 1940-Germany acquires Denmark,
Norway, Netherlands & Belgium
• June 1940-German troops marched into
Paris
• August 1940- Germany invades Britain in
the Battle of Britain.
• October 1940- Germany retreats from
Britain
• June 1941-Hitler attacks Soviet Union
Timeline
• December 7, 1941-Japan attack Pearl Harbor, in
Hawaii.
• December 8, 1941-President Roosevelt asks
Congress to declare war.
• December 11, 1941-Germany & Italy declare war
on the United States.
• December 11, 1941-Congress declares war.
• January 1, 1942-US joins Allies
• April 9, 1942-Bataan Death March
• 1942-Allies begin massive bombing in Germany
Timeline
• April 1942- Battle of Coral Sea in Australia
• June 1942- Battle of Midway in Hawaii
• June 6, 1944- D- Day: Troops storm the beach at
Normandy, France
• Aug 1943-Feb 1944- Vicious campaign at
Guadacanal (Soloman Islands)
• June 1944- Battle at Leyte Gulf in Phillippines
• December 6, 1944-Battle of the Bulge: Germans
attempt to break through Allied lines in Belgium
• March 1945-Allies seize islands of Iwo Jima &
Okinawa
Timeline
• April 1945-Soviets surround Berlin
• April 13, 1945- Hitler commits suicide
• May 7, 1945-Germany signs unconditional
surrender ending war in Europe
• May 8, 1945-V-E Day: “Victory in Europe”
• July 6, 1945-Test atomic bomb in New Mexico
• August 6-9, 1945- Enola Gay drops bomb on
Hiroshima & Nagasaki
• August 15, 1945- V-J Day: Victory over Japan
• September 2, 1945-Japan signs unconditional
surrender