Chapter 26 World War II Sep. 1, 1939 - Sep. 2, 1945 I. Road to War: A. Rome - Berlin Axis Oct. 1936 1. Ethiopian invasion 1935 

2. Spanish Civil War 1936 - 1939 Italy & Germany aid Gen. Francesco Franco

3. German Aggression: A. Rhineland *troops into demilitarized zone March 7, 1936 *violated Versailles Treaty 

b. Anschluss *union with Austria “One blood demands one Reich.” Hitler Germany & Austria united March 13, 1938

C. Sudetenland *N.W. Czech. 3 million Germans lived here - unite with Germany Hitler demanded Sudetenland Czech. defensive alliance with France & USSR

Munich Conference Sep. 29, 1938 settle Czech problem / Mussolini’s compromise *Hitler: take no more land in Europe / just Sudetenland barrier to Communist Russia 

Neville Chamberlain English Prime Minister“Peace For Our Time.” 

Edouard Daladier *French PremierPolicy of Appeasement:*concessions made to an aggressor to preserve peace Pacifism refusal to fight 

“I saw them at Munich, they were little worms!” Hitler

 

Germany takes all Czech. March 1939

A Sudeten woman dutifully salutes parading Nazis, October, 1938

d. Poland “Polish Corridor torn from the Fatherland.” Hitler

Polish Corridor land connecting Poland & Baltic Sea Danzig *key port on the Baltic Sea Treaty of Versailles took it from Germany *Eng. & France warn Hitler war if invades Poland

e. Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact Aug. 23, 1939 Hitler & Stalin secretly divided Poland & Baltic

States    

f. Invasion of Poland Sep. 1, 1939 Blitzkrieg “Lightning War” Luftwaffe German Air Force Panzers German Tanks    

Battle of Warsaw *Poles held out 30 days      

B. England & France declare war Sept. 3, 1939 Phony War *newspapers 1st called it - no fighting

      

II. Europe at War:A. Invasion of Norway Winter 1939 German troops parachuted into Norway 1st airborne attack in history Germans sweep across Netherlands & Belgium       

B. Russia attacks Finland Nov. 1939 - March 1940 Winter War 400,000 Russians vs. 33,000 Fin’s *Finnish Ski Patrols - terrorized Soviet troops       

invaded Baltic nations - Latavia, Lithuania, & Estonia      

C. Fall of France June 1940 Germans attack north & east Italy declares war June 10, 1940 invades France from south Paris falls: June 14, 1940      

D. Retreat at Dunkirk May 27 - June 4, 1940 *English & French troops trapped beach NW France 340,000 cross English Channel       

French Surrender: Compiegne, France June 22, 1940        

E. France divided into 2: Northern France *German Occupation Vichy France Southern France *puppet gov. (subordinate to Germans) 

Henri Petain *French Dictator Vichy France      

collaborators *people who aid nations enemies 

French Resistance: Free French (French Underground) Charles de Gaulle *leader of Free French Partisans *French Underground members 200,000 sabotage: train depots, bridges, & convoys           

F. New Order in Europe *Nazi Empire in Europe Axis Powers control Western & Continental Europe neutral nations: Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland    

exploit resources of Europe  (oil, coal, wheat)heavy taxationslave labor 7.5 million deported German factories, fields, & minesmuseums looted   

Persecution of Jews ghettoes & concentration camps    

Operation Sea Lion *Hitler’s plan to invade EnglandBombing raids soften English     

G. Battle of Britain Aug. - Nov. 1940 Royal Air Force RAF “The Thin Blue Line” vs. German Luftwaffe       

The Blitz *air raids on London Sep. 7 - Nov. 3, 1940 57 consecutive nights / 70,000 fire bombs 1 night

Winston Churchill Prime Minister of England “Blood, Toil, Tears, & Sweat” 

  “We shall defend our island, Whatever the cost may be:    Fight on the beaches, hills, & landing grounds.    We shall never surrender!”     Churchill  

RAF prevented Germans crossing English Channel 1700 Germans planes shot down Radar *dev. by English 1935 

 “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.” Churchill referring to RAF Pilots

 

H. Sinking of the Bismarck May 26, 1941 Bismarck *German Battleship    

Sinking of the German battleship 'Bismarck' in the North Atlantic, 27 May 1941.

June 8, 1989, the wreck of the Bismarck was discovered at a depth of 4,700 meters (15,700 feet) by Robert Ballard.

I. American Neutrality: 1937 - 1941 Neutrality Acts 1937 Congress passed laws stay out of Europe’s war  

Cash and Carry pay cash for war supplies & transport own ships    

Lend-Lease Act 1941 *supply war material on credit “Give us the tools, and we will finish the job.” Churchill    

 “America great arsenal for democracy.” Pres. Franklin Delano Roosevelt    

 USA gives all aid short of war 1st Peacetime draft (800,000 drafted)        

J. Atlantic Charter *Churchill & FDR met Allied war goals Aug. 14, 1941 *unconditional surrender of Axis powers *destruction of Nazi tyranny        

K. Italy invades Greece & Egypt disaster for Italians Hitler sends in reinforcements         

L. Operation Barbarossa June 22, 1941 *German invasion of USSR 3 million troops 150 Divisions 3000 tanks drive Russians back to Moscow & Leningrad         

Reasons for invasion of USSR Germany wants all Europe Russia wanted Balkans wheat & oil fields of USSR           

Scorched Earth *Soviets destroyed fields & supplies General Winter *nickname given to Russian Winter            

*USSR joined Allies*Hitler now fighting 2 front war            

III. Japanese Expansion: A. New Order In East Asia Tojo “The Razor” War Minister Hirohito *Japanese Emperor             

1. Invasion of Manchuria 1931 Mukden Incident *railroad car blown up Manchokuo *Japan renamed Manchuria Henry Pu Yi last Emperor of China *Puppet ruler of Manchokuo             

2. Sino - Japanese War 1/4 China occupied by Japan Chiang Kai-shek *President of Republic of China *joins forces with Chinese Communists fight Japanese Mao Tse-Tung *Communist Chinese leader               

League of Nations *failure no power to enforce recommendations USA never joined 

  

B. Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis Sept. 1940 Yellow Aryans *Hitler calls Japanese allies

C. USA hard line against Japan: treaties canceled stopped exporting oil & scrap metal froze bank accounts U.S. Fleet moved to Pearl Harbor spring 1941                

     VS.

D. Pearl Harbor Sunday Dec. 7, 1941 *Japanese surprise attack on US Pacific Fleet          

USS Arizona burned for two days after being hit. The wreck remains at bottom of Pearl Harbor and is a war memorial .

Admiral Yamamoto *mastermind of Pearl Harbor attack

 Tora, Tora, Tora *Japanese order to attack 360 Japanese planes (2 hours long) US loses: 70 ships total 5 battle ships / 2 destroyers / 300 planes 2400 killed / 1200 wounded           

“I fear we have awaken a sleeping giant.” Yamamoto                         

     

USA declares war on Japan Dec. 8, 1941 “Date which will live in infamy.” FDR

Germany & Italy declare war on USA Dec. 11, 1941 European War & War in Pacific merged into global war           

 Japanese Victories (6 months) conquered 600 million people territories conquered: Guam, Wake Island, Hong Kong, Singapore, Burma            

E. Philippines Douglas MacArthur *Supreme Commander Allied Forces in Pacific *forced off Philippines March 1942 “I shall return!” MacArthur            

Bataan Death March U.S., British, & Filipino POW’s *forced march 68 miles 7,000 Americans died            

Allied POWs with hands tied behind their backs pause during the Bataan Death March. About 76,000 prisoners including 12,000 Americans were forced on the 60 mile march under a blazing sun without food or water toward a new POW camp in the Philippines. April 1942.

F. Japanese Advantages: *USA long supply lines *USA fights alone             

G. Raid on Tokyo April 18, 1942 Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle *bombing raid on Tokyo 16 B-25 Bombers flew over Tokyo moral victory USA Hornet *aircraft carrier

 

IV. Turning Point of the War 1942 - 1943A. Battle of Stalingrad Nov. 42 - Feb. 43 *Greatest Battle of WWII German goal: oil fields near Stalingrad *Red Army drives Germans out of Russia     

Marshal Georgie Zhukov Soviet Commander German Sixth Army best of German Troops destroyed

German prisoners marching through the snowy streets of Stalingrad after their defeat by Soviet forces in 1943.

B. Battle of El Alamein (Egypt) March 1943 Field Marshal Erwin Rommel “The Desert Fox” *Commander of North African Forces Afrika Korps *name of German forces in Africa

Gen. Bernard Montgomery *drives Rommel into Tunisia Rommel trapped Allies control Africa 

C. Invasion of Italy Italy “Soft underbelly of Axis Empire.” Churchill Sicily July 10, 1943 U.S. & English forces attack   

Gen. George Patton “Old Blood & Guts”*3rd & 7th Army CommanderGen. Montgomery invade Italian mainland Sep. 1943 

March into Rome June 4, 1944 1st European capital freed from Axis Control  

Mussolini resigns July 24,1944imprisoned & killed April 28,1945   

Mussolini's henchmen were hanged in public view at an Esso (Standard Oil gas) station in the Piazzale Loreto, Milan

Here Benito Mussolini lie beside his mistress in a morgue in Milan, Italy, after he was killed, hung by his feet and beaten by rabid Italians. May 1945 

Marshal Pietro Badogilo *became Premier of Italy*Italy 1st Axis nation to surrender    

D. Battle of Kursk July 5 -12,1944 *Greatest tank battle in history 1500 German tanks destroyed   

E. D-Day June 6, 1944 D = De-embarkation Operation Overlord *invasion of France greatest amphibious force in history 

Normandy, France *landing spot 5 Beachheads: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, Sword  

Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower *Supreme Commander Allied Forces in Europe 

  

“Soldiers, sailors, airmen, the eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes & wishes of all freedom loving people

are with you.” Eisenhower  

  

9,000 ships / 120,000 troops 1 million land in 1 month

Paris liberated: Aug. 25, 1944

Germans pushed back into Germany Sep. 1944 

F. Bombing of Berlin

Dresden Raid Feb. 1945 Fire Bombs *Fire Storm temp. 1200 F.

Allies advance from West & Soviets from East

G. Battle of the Bulge Dec. 16, 44 - Jan. 31, 45 *German counter offensive against Allied invasion last of German reserves 11 Panzer Divisions Goal: Break Western Wall & divide Allied forces 50 mile wedge Belgium & Luxembourg

Malmedy Massacre

Patton & Montgomery to rescue 325,000 Germans die 

H. Fall of Berlin April 1945 *US West & USSR East

Elbe River April 25 Soviet & American troops met  

Marshal Zhukov & Soviets take Berlin

Hitler committed suicide April 30, 1945

       Adolf Hitler - April 21, 1945

May 8,1945 V-E Day (Victory in Europe) *Germany surrenders                          

 Rheims, France. German surrender signed at the headquarters ofGeneral Dwight Eisenhower. The German Alfred Jodl signed the German Instrument of Surrender. Alfred Jodl was the Chief of armed forces in Germany.

New York V-E Day

I. Yalta Conference Feb. 4 – 11, 1945 *German occupation by Allies Germany divided 4 Zones of occupation *Democratic gov.s set up in Eastern Europe  

J. Potsdam Conference July 1945 Japanese unconditional surrender *discussed invasion of Japan *use of Atomic Weapons discussed  Pres. Harry Truman *replaced FDR 

V. Victory over Japan A. Battle of Coral Sea May 7, 1942 *1st Japanese defeat in Pacific Japanese fleet headed for Australia USA forces destroyed invasion forces   

B. Battle of Midway June 3 - 6, 1942 *turning point in war in Pacific *Japanese aircraft carriers destroyed USA naval supremacy of Pacific    

C. Guadalacanal *Bloody Jungle Fighting Aug. 42 - Feb. 43

*1st invasion of Japanese held territory Goal: capture Japanese airfields      

D. Island Hopping capture certain Japanese held islands & bypass others Adm. Chester Nimitz Commander US Pacific Fleet 

   

    

“Long bloody road to Tokyo.” Gen. MacArthur

E. Battle of Leyete Gulf Oct. 20, 1944 *recapture of Philippines 170,000 Japanese killed / 15,000 Americans revenge for Bataan death March *MacArthur returns!

F. Iwo Jima March 1945 *major Japanese air base 750 miles south of Tokyo 8 sq. miles of land 20,000 Marines killed *Stars & Stripes raised

 Kamikaze Pilots Japanese suicide pilots 1st used / 279 hits on US ships 

G. Bombing raids on Japan USA blockades Japanese ports  

H. USSR declares war on Japan Japan fighting a 2 Front War   

VS.

I. Atomic Bomb: Manhattan Project *code name for building A-Bomb Dr. Robert Oppenheimer *head physicist   

 Los Alamos, New Mexico *1st explosion July 16, 1945 Bomb = 20,000 tons of TNT    

 “I am become death, the destroyer of worlds.”

Oppenheimer     

 Pres. Truman reasons to drop bomb: 1. Save lives 1 million Allies die millions of Japanese 2. End war quickly 3. Show USA nuclear capability   

J. Hiroshima 8:15 Aug. 6, 1945 *1st Atomic Bomb dropped 80,000 died / 20,000 missing at Ground Zero 

Enola Gay *Airplane carried bomb Col. Paul Tibbets *Pilot of Enola Gay Little Boy *nickname of bomb   

USS Indianapolis *battleship delivered Bomb to Pacific Japanese torpedoed ship 700? sailors eaten by sharks  

K. Nagasaki Aug. 9, 1945 *2nd Japanese city bombed 40,000 die Fat Man *nickname 2nd Atomic Bomb    

L. V-J Day Sep. 2, 1945 (Victory in Japan) *Japan surrenders USS Missouri battleship Japanese surrender Tokyo

Bay     

VI. Aftermath of WWIIA. Holocaust *mass destruction of Jewish people by Nazi Germany 6 million European Jews killed  

Final Solution *Hitler’s plan to annihilate Jewish population

Genocide *extermination of a race of people 

Einsatzgruppen *SS Death Squads Reinhard Heydrich head of SS’s Security Service   

Concentration Camps Henrich Himmler Auschwitz & Treblinka *Poland Dachau *Germany   

Gas Chambers Zyklon B commercial pesticide 

Oskar Schindler German industrialist *saved Jews working in factories - Polish & Czech    

Anne Frank - Dutch Holocaust victim   

B. Nuremberg Trials 1945 - 1947 *Nazi leaders tried for War Crimes *atrocities beyond laws & customs of war 177 Nazis stood trial 25 executed / 20 life imprisonment  

Goering committed suicide

C. Tokyo Trials 1946 - 1948 Tojo *Japanese War Minister hanged  

 Hirohito Emperor of Japan renounced his divinity *became constitutional monarch   

D. Costs of War most devastating total war in history 70 million dead military & civilian deaths record

numbers    

E. Cold War develops: USA & USSR