World War II (1939 – 1945)

Background Hitler takes territories

before war Rhineland (1936) Sudetenland (1938) [Austria]

France and England allowed it appeasement

Hitler keeps going Wants to take Poland (used

to belong to Germany)

Nonaggression Pact Russia signs with

Germany Public (promise not to

attack each other) Privately (dividing

Poland) Gave Hitler assurance

he would not be attacked from the east

1939 Germany marches on

Poland Appeasement ends

(France and England had promised protection)

Blitzkrieg – “lightning War” – quick and forceful

Allies not ready

AlliesEnglandFrance (sort of)RussiaU.S. (not until 1941)

Axis powers Italy Germany Japan

1940 Winston Churchill takes power

in England Germany crushes France and

takes Paris (France out of war)

Battle of Britain Attack on England

Luftwaffe (German Air Force) bombs England

Royal Air Force (RAF) keeps Germany from winning – puts up good fight

Japan joins Axis

1941 Axis Winning (have

most of Europe – much of SE Asia)

Germany invades Soviet Union (Russia) without declaring war

We interrupt this program…

Dec. 7, 1941 Japan bombs Pearl

Harbor U.S. enters war

Background 1937 – Japan invades

Manchuria (China) and threatens to conquer more territory

1941 – U.S. place oil embargo (halt) against Japan Both sides issue demands

and neither agree U.S. sends supplies to

China Japan sends delegates to

U.S.

3 Proposals by Japan 1. quit supplying

China with food, ammo.

2. start shipping oil to Japan again

3. stay out of Asia’s affairs

December 7, 1941 Japanese Leaders

(Admiral Isoruko Yamamoto, Prime Minister Hideki Tojo, Emperor Hirohito)

The Invasion Attack begins at 7:55 a.m. Battleship row (USS

Arizona hit hardest) About 100 Navy ships at

Pearl Harbor (7 were primary targets on Battleship Row)

Japanese goal – take out 3 aircraft carriers and hit fuel storage Carriers were out to sea that

day Missed fuel storage

Pearl Harbor 2 waves of attacks 21 ships sunk, capsized or

destroyed 10 were important 8 were battleships

Roughly 180 planes destroyed, 150 damaged

Only 43 operational aircraft are left (38 into the air, 10 shot down)

Over 3500 casualties (2403 killed)

1177 were trapped in the Arizona

Not enough damage for Japan

Japanese casualties 29 planes lost (5

midget submarines) 100 men die

Importance of Pearl Harbor Brings U.S. into war

(vs. both Japan and Germany)

Japan gets A-bombed (eventually)

Back to our regularly scheduled program…

1942 – turning point in the war 1. El Alamein

England beats Germany out of Egypt and North Africa

2. Stalingrad Soviets initially driven back to

Moscow and Stalingrad Burn everything as they

retreat so Germans have no supplies, food, or shelter

Hitler refuses to retreat (big mistake)

3. Midway and Battle of the Coral Sea

NW of Hawaii (beat Japan)