FCPS U.S./Virginia History SOL Standards: VUS 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d, and 11e

World War II (1939-1945)You mean the whole world was at war again?Who Fought?World War II officially began in Europe when German Chancellor Adolf Hitler’s armies invaded Poland in 1939. Great Britain and France responded by declaring war on Germany, while the Soviet Union invaded its neighboring Baltic countries. Japan wanted to dominate East Asia and invaded Manchuria and China earlier in 1931 and 1937. Germany and Japan formed an alliance with Italy in 1937 known as the Axis Powers while Great Britain and France formed the Allies. During the first two years of the war, the United States was officially neutral while Germany conquered France and most of Europe.

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In World War II, about 50 Allied nations joined forces against Germany, Japan, and the other Axis powers. Few countries remained totally neutral. The map below shows a colony or dependency in the same color as the country governing it. Source: www.robinsonlibrary.com/history/history/worldwar2/nations.htm

Why did the United States Enter the War?Despite resistance by many Americans to enter the war, the United States increasingly helped Britain in its war effort against Germany. In a deal known as the “Lend-Lease Act,” the United States gave Britain war supplies and old naval warships. President Franklin Roosevelt compared it to “lending a garden hose to a next-door neighbor whose house is on fire.” Troubled by Japanese conquests in China, the United States began an embargo on Japan. After diplomacy

The “ Big 3” Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, President Roosevelt, and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/Teheran_ conference-1943.jpg

In June, 1941, Hitler invaded the Soviet Union and the Soviets joined the Allies against Hitler and Nazi Germany, but did not go to war against Japan.

Atomic bomb mushroom clouds over Hiroshima (left) and Nagasaki (right)Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_bombings_of_Hiroshima_and_Nagasaki

failed to resolve their disagreements, Japan carried out a surprise attack on an American naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941. The attack destroyed much of America’s fleet and killed over 2,000 Americans. President Roosevelt called it “a date which will live in infamy” and asked Congress to declare war on Japan. After Pearl Harbor, Hitler honored a treaty with Japan and declared war on the United States. America officially joined the Allies and sent forces to Europe and Asia.

What Happened?The Allies followed a “Defeat Hitler First” strategy and most American resources went to Europe. A British victory at El Alamein (1942) in North

Africa prevented Hitler from gaining access to oil in the Middle East. Another German defeat at Stalingrad (1943) in the Soviet Union prevented Germany from capturing Soviet oil fields. In June, 1944, Allied troops under the command of American General Dwight Eisenhower landed in German-occupied France in a battle known as D-Day. The landings succeeded and the liberation of Europe began. The Soviet military invaded Germany’s capital Berlin and forced the Nazis to surrender in 1945.

In the Pacific, American military strategy called for an “island hopping” campaign. In the Battle of Midway, American naval forces defeated a much larger Japanese force. American forces then moved on to victories on the islands of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, but both battles cost thousands of Japanese and American lives. After the death of President Roosevelt, the new President Harry Truman ordered the use of atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The two bombs killed between 150,000 – 240,000 people and forced the Japanese to surrender in August, 1945.

World War II (cont.) FCPS U.S./Virginia History SOL Standards: VUS 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d, and 11e

FCPS HS Social Studies © 2012

What Were the Results of the War?After its surrender, Germany was split in two. West Germany became a democracy under American, British, and French occupation while East Germany remained under the communist control of the Soviet Union. Europe lay in ruins, and the United States launched the Marshall Plan, which provided aid to rebuild Europe and prevent the spread of communism.

Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f1/World_War_II_Casualties2.svg/2000px-World_War_II_Casualties2.svg.png

Japan was occupied by American forces governed by the U.S. military until 1952 and adopted a democratic form of government. Since World War II, Japan has become a strong ally of the United States. The United Nations was formed at the end of World War II to create an organization in which nations could work to prevent future global wars. Between 1945 and 1991 the world experienced a “Cold War” between capitalist nations led by the U.S. and communist nations led by the Soviet Union which originated in the closing of World War II.European nations, devastated by World War II, were no longer able to keep their overseas empires intact. An era of decolonization followed. Nations in Asia and Africa were granted or fought for independence against European imperialists. For example India (1947), Indonesia (1949), and Ghana (1957) became independent nations after World War II. Lastly, the war caused vast destruction, and the estimated total dead, over 60 million, makes World War II the deadliest conflict ever fought.

Key VocabularyChancellor: head of the German government

Baltic: the countries of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania that border the Baltic Sea in Europe

Neutral: not officially supporting either side

Infamy: a publicly known shameful act

Nazi: political party controlling Germany from 1933 to 1945 under Adolf Hitler

Embargo: restrictions on trade with a particular country

Liberation: setting free

Occupation: military rule over a defeated nation

Island hopping: capturing islands closer and closer to Japan and using them as bases for ad-ditional fighting

Decolonization: the action of changing from colonial to independent status

Quick Review2. How did the Marshall Plan benefit the

United States?A. It kept Japan a democracy.B. It prevented the spread of communism.C. It split Germany into two countries.D. It prevented future conflicts in the world.

3. Which was not a result of WW II?A. The United Nations was formed.B. Japan was divided into two nations.C. Over 60 million people were killed.D. Nations in Africa and Asia become independent.

1. What is the BEST choice to complete this sequence?

A. Battle of StalingradB. Battle of MidwayC. Germany surrendersD. America enters World War II

Germany invades Poland

Japan attacksPearl Harbor

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