World War 2Overview for World History 2, Unit 4

Causes of WW21. Unhappiness after WW1

Many countries were unhappy after World War I ended in 1918: Countries that didn’t take part in

the Peace Conference in 1919 (Soviet Union and Germany)

Countries that lost land (Soviet Union, Germany, Italy)

Nations that were split up at the Peace Conference (Germany, Hungary, Austria, Russia)

Countries that were punished at the Peace Conference (Germany)

Causes of WW22. Great Depression

Everyone was affected when businesses, banks, and farms went out of business.

Unemployment left millions without work. Trade between countries slowed or stopped. Strong leaders came to power to try to

“solve” the Great Depression Democratic leaders like Franklin Delano

Roosevelt Dictators in▪ Japan▪ Germany▪ Italy

Causes of WW23. Dictators wanted to increase their power

Germany wanted… Land they lost to Poland Land they lost to France A larger army An empire in Europe

Italy wanted Land they didn’t get after WW1 An empire in Africa

Japan wanted Natural resources like coal and oil An empire in Asia

1936: These three countries formed an agreement to defend each other.

Strange situation of the Soviet Union

Soviet leader Stalin was a dictator. He had complete control of government and daily

life. He wanted the Soviet government to control all

factories and farms. He wanted to expand Soviet power in eastern

Europe. Stalin was also a communist, and the other

dictators hated communism. Which side would Soviet Union join?

The Axis (countries that wanted to expand their power)

The Allies (countries that wanted to stop them)

Stages of War: 1. Dictators expand on three continents, 1931-1939

When Where What happened

1931 Manchuria, in China Japan takes over part of China for its coal.

1935 Ethiopia, in Africa Italy attacks Ethiopia to create an empire.

1936 Rhineland, in Germany

Germans take back this land from France.

1938 Austria Under Nazi pressure, Austria allows Germany to take over the country.

1939 Czechoslovakia Appeased by Britain, Germans peacefully march into Czechoslovakia to “protect” the Germans there.

Stages of War: 2. Hitler takes over western Europe, 1939-41

When Where What happened

August 1939

Moscow, USSR Stalin and Hitler agree to split up Poland

Sept. 1939 Poland Germany invades western Poland and quickly controls controlSoviets over-run eastern Poland

May-June, 1939-40

Netherlands, Belgium, and France

Hitler does not want a Western Front as the Germans had in WW1, so he conquers the Netherlands , Belgium, and France

July – Dec. 1940

Britain Hitler does not want to attack Britain by sea, so he attacks by air – bombing industries, ports, and cities

1939: Opening of WW2

Stages of War: 3. Dictators expand their lead, 1941-2

When Where What happened

June 1941 Russia Hitler deceives Stalin and launches a HUGE attack on the Soviet Union

December, 1941

Pacific Ocean Japan deceives the US and launches a surprise attack on naval base at Pearl Harbor

December 1941

United States US declares war on Japan and Germany (Japan’s ally Hitler had declared war on US)

1942 Europe German armies push deep into Russia

Early 1942 Pacific Japan takes over Burma, East Indies, Singapore, SE Asia

Stages of War: 4. The Allies stop the Axis from expanding further, 1942-4

When Where What happened

May 1942 Coral Sea, Pacific In first battle with aircraft carriers, Americans stop Japanese for first time

June 1942 Midway, Pacific Americans win a clear naval victory over Japanese

Feb. 1943 Stalingrad Soviets defeat German Armies at Stalingrad

June 1944 France Britain and the Allies launch an attack on D-Day to open a Western Front, divide German forces between east and west, and begin the direct attack on Nazi Germany.

June 1940-May 1943

Northern Africa Britain attacks Italian’s colonies; Italy is defeated; Allies defeat Axis in N Africa in 1942

1942-44: The USTakes the Offense vs. Japan

Stages of War: 5. Dictators retreat, 1944-1945

When Where What happened

1943-45 Germany Britain and US launch “strategic” attacks on German cities and industries

1944 Pacific US crush Japan in major naval battles (Saipan, Philippines, Leyte); Japan fights on, so US plans to invade Japan

1943, 1945

Tehran (Iran), Yalta, and Potsdam

Allies meet to coordinate how to defeat Germany and how to keep peace afterward

Sept. 43-April 45

Italy After defeating Axis in North Africa, Americans attack Italy from south; very bloody battles occur in Italy last until the war is over

1944-45: Allies Roll Back Germans from West, South, and East

Stages of War: 6. War ends, 1945

When Where What happened

May 8, 1945

Germany Allies closed in from West and Soviets close in with greater force in East; Germans refuse to give up; after Soviets, Americans, British, and French destroyed most of Berlin, Germany surrenders.

August 15, 1945

Japan To end the war, avoid war with the Soviet Union, and prevent the deaths of many American soldiers, the US decides to drop atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Japanese gives up.

800,000 pairs of shoes were found at Majdanek

Atomic bomb

Berlin, Germany

Hiroshima, Japan

Warsaw, Poland

Why the war matters to you This was the largest war in history: 55 million

people died. People in your family were affected.

The war was so destructive that people finally got serious about peace. Your world is safer. The United Nations was formed in 1945. Countries agreed to prevent▪ Use of atomic weapons in war ▪ Killing of innocent people as a policy (genocide)

Europe became less important in world. Your country became the more important,

along with China, Russia, and India.