World War II1939-1945

1941-1945 (US)

Europe on the verge of WWII

Mussolini and Hitler

Events Leading Up to WWIIThe terms of the Treaty of Versailles

imposed upon Germany at the end World War I sowed the seeds of World War 2 by:

stripping Germany of territory requiring her to pay huge reparations

to the victorious powers Could not have a navy or army Depression and chaos in Ger. gov’t

(called the Weimar Republic)

Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party came to power in January 1933

Events Leading Up to WWII…..

By early 1939 Germany had thrown off the restrictions of the Versailles treaty by:

Remilitarization of the Rhineland introduced conscription (the draft) annexed Austria and occupied

Czechoslovakia

Events In Germany Hitler came to

power with a plan for German dominance of Europe. He led with blatant contempt for human life

Hitler took back the Rhineland, (between Fr. And Ger.) March 1936

then takes Austria and Czechoslovakia without a fight -1938

*Appeasement (giving in or pacify)

- Hitler made a treaty with Stalin (Russia) to divide Poland

* However, Hitler invades Poland taking the entire nation for Germany which starts WWII

Sept. 1, 1939- Hitler invades Poland

Sept. 3-Great Britain declares war on Germany

Allied PowersGreat BritainFranceSoviet UnionUnited States –after Dec. 7, 1941

Axis PowersGermanyJapanItaly- until Mussolini is killed

Hitler

The Blitzkrieg(Lightning War)

Germany sends in air and ground attack Germany’s invasion of Poland – Poland

was captured and a large portion was destroyed in less than a month

Many Polish were forced to do slave labor and the Germans were determined to wipe out Polish culture (destroyed libraries, churches, museums, and killed Polish clergymen, teachers, etc. . .)

America was dealing with the effects of the Great Depression

- FDR was elected to his 3rd term-1940

- FDR passes the Selective Service Act in 1940 (US was aware that they needed to be better prepared)

- US passed the Lend-Lease Act to help Allied countries fight the Germans

The HolocaustNazi Germany’s systematic murder

of European Jews (@ 6 million killed)Hitler first separated the Jews into

Ghettos (biggest in Warsaw) and made them wear a Star of David where it was visible.

Hitler builds Concentration Camps (work camps) for Jews, prisoners of war, and political opponents

The Holocaust In 1942 the Nazi government

announced their “Final Solution to the Jewish Problem”

** DEATH CAMPS or extermination centers*

EX. Auschwitz was the worst of the death camps killing 1.25 million

Cremation Ovens

Holocaust

Holocaust

Extent of Axis territory: 1940

Nazi Dominance in Europe By 1940 Germany had taken over most of

Europe including France and Hitler set his sights on Britain (the only opposition in Western Europe)

Battle Of Britain – Every night through the summer and fall the Germans bombed London

(Luftwaffe) trying to break the British will to resist and destroy the RAF (Royal Air Force)

** 30,000 Londoners were killed, but Hitler finally stopped the constant bombardment **

Winston Churchill “We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be,

we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills: WE SHALL NEVER SURRENDER.”

Battle of Britain

Battle of Britain

America Enters WWIIPearl Harbor

December 7, 1941 – Japan attacked US forces at Pearl Harbor “a date which will live in infamy”

Map of Pearl Harbor

In less than 2 hours around 2,400 Americans had been killed.

- 300 US planes destroyed

- 18 warships sunk or badly damaged

including 8 battleships

* Japan lost 29

planes in the attack *

Congress declared war on Japan on December 8, 1941

Life on the Homefront Huge amounts of war goods were needed

so the War Production Board and the Office of War Mobilization were created to oversee war production efforts.

Factories stopped making consumer goods and converted to war production.

EX. Ford made tanks NOT cars “Liberty Ships” – Henry Kaiser** FDR called America the “great arsenal of

democracy” we supplied ALL Allied forces

Life on the Homefront Office of Price Administration was

created to fight inflation and ration goods

- food, clothing, tires, gas, etc. . . were all rationed

- Americans were issued ration books with stamps used to purchase set amounts of certain food.

- The Office of War Information was created to generate propaganda

- EX. Victory gardens, recycle drives, Liberty bonds,

** “Rosie the Riveter” became the symbol of the patriotic American woman helping out in the war effort by taking non-traditional jobs. **

WWII Propaganda

Women in Factories

1941 – FDR and Churchill met and formed the Atlantic Charter establishing a basis for the United Nations

GI – Government IssuedWomen in Service: Women are

allowed to serve for the first time during WWII in noncombat roles.

EX. WASP (Women Air Force Service Pilots)

WAC (Women’s Army Corps)

Women in Service

Contributions of Minorities during WWII African-Americans- Tuskegee Airmen were

all black squadron of fighter pilots that successfully protected every single bomber they escorted during WWII

*fought for the “double V”- Hispanics – won 17 Congressional Medals

of Honor- Native Americans – Navajo marines were

used as “code talkers”- Japanese-Americans- couldn’t serve until

1943, the 442nd fought so bravely that it became the most decorated unit in US history

- ** Internment Camps** Korematsu v. US

Japanese – American Relocation

Internment Camp in Colorado

Internment Camp

European Fighting

Leadership: U.S. Generals: * Dwight Eisenhower – Led US troops

in North Africa (Operation Torch) and led the Allied invasion of Normandy

* George Patton – led US troops into Italy and in the Battle of the Bulge

* George Marshall – top US general, FDR’s Army Chief of Staff

* Douglas McArthur – Allied Commander in the Pacific

George S. Patton

Douglas McArthur

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Invasion of Normandy (Fr.)This was the Allied invasion of

France through Normandy led by Dwight Eisenhower (Operation Overlord)

D-Day was the code name given to June 6, 1944, the day the invasion began

This was the largest land invasion ever attempted

“Bloody Omaha” – site that saw the highest casualties on D-Day

This invasion in France gave the Allies a crucial position in Europe and sealed Germany’s fate

Map of D-Day

D-Day June 6, 1944

Landing Craft

Normandy, France

Yalta- Feb. 1945

The War In Europe EndsYalta Conference – The “Big Three”

(FDR, Stalin, and Churchill) met and planned post-war Europe including:

1. Split Germany in 4 occupation zones (Allied control)

2. Split Berlin (capital) into 4 zones 3. Stalin promised to allow elections in

nations his army freed.** V-E Day (victory in Europe) May 8,

1945 The day that Germany surrendered

**

WWII Race for Technology It became a race between the Allied and

Axis powers to create the most destructive weapons.

The allies had the advantage of the US being able to develop weapons faster b/c there was no fighting on US soil to hinder production.

“Manhattan Project” – code name given to the top secret development of the atomic bomb

Robert Oppenheimer – leader of the “eggheads” or scientists

Japanese held territory

Iwo Jima Japanese island

critical to U.S. as a base from which heavily loaded bombers could reach Japan

6,000 Marines died taking this desolate island

Next stop- Okinawa

Location of Iwo Jima

Potsdam Conference Aug. 1945

Atomic Blasts July 26, 1945 – Japan was told that an

“unconditional surrender” was necessary or it would be destroyed.

August 6, 1945 the “Enola Gay” dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima (@ 100,000 dead)

August 9, 1945 a 2nd atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki (@ 70,000 dead)

Enola Gay

Hiroshima

Hiroshima BEFORE

Hiroshima AFTER the blast

V-J Day Victor

y in Japan Day

How WWII Affected the World About 50 million people died during

WWII War Crimes – A trial for Nazi war

criminals was held in Nuremberg (1st time war criminals were given a trial)

-- 12 of 24 were executed & in lesser trials nearly 200 Nazis were found guilty of war crimes. *** It set the precedent that individuals are responsible for their own actions EVEN in times of war. People could not escape punishment by claiming to just be “following orders”.

Many of the Japanese leaders committed Hara-Kiri – suicide ritual

US troops remained in Japan for 7 years rebuilding. The Prime Minister Tojo and 6 others were executed but Emperor Hirohito remained and Japan adopted the MacArthur Constitution.

Israel was created by the UN in 1948 as a homeland for the Jews

Japanese Surrender aboard the USS Missouri

Emperor Hirohito

Pearl Harbor Memorial

Pearl Harbor Memorial