World War II1939-1945

The largest and most destructive war in human history

Causes of WW II• The Treaty of Versailles

– Humiliated Germany

• Shift of powers in Europe– 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– Great Britain

– France

– United States

– Soviet Union

– China

Important Individuals

• 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

• 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• 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 1937-

1940

– Known for his appeasement foreign policy

– Forced to resign after Germany invaded Netherlands, Belgium & France

• Winston Churchill– Served as prime

minister twice 1940-1945 & 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• 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