WWII1939-1945

The start

21 years after WWI Causes

› Germans and Japanese wanted to expand their countries into empires.

› Conquering other countries Read Ch 12 section 2, start at WWII

Powers

ALLIES› Britain› France› Soviet Union› U.S.› China

AXIS POWERS› Germany› Italy› Japan

The Rise of Totalitarian Rulers

The government has total control over the country and its citizens

Use violence to enforce laws and punish opposition

Regimes seized power in Germany, Italy, and the Soviet Union

Italy

Mussolini rose to power Fascism: government should include their own

political party and no others. Total government control of political, economic,

religious, and cultural activities Ll Duce- “the leader” Used his private military squads- Blackshirts

Germany

Adolf Hitler rose to power› Nazi party› Private military squads- “brown shirts”› Nazis launched vicious verbal and physical

attacks against Jews and opposition› When Germany’s President Paul von Hindenburg

died in 1934, Hitler appointed himself Fuhrer and Reichskanzler (leader and Reich Chancellor)

› Nazis abolished freedom of Press, assembly, expression, and privacy

› Many Jews were sent to concentration camps, harsh, brutal prisons

The Holocaust

Hitler used Jews as a scapegoat- unfairly blaming them for existing problems

Nazis took right away from Jews› Not German citizens› Fired them from their jobs› Took businesses and schools

The Holocaust› Systematic murder of about 6 million Jews and

millions of other Europeans believed to be inferior and unfit to be German Citizens

› Gypsies, Slavs, political enemies, handicapped, homosexuals.

The European War

Third Reich- German Empire that Hitler was creating as he took over countries (Austria, Czechoslovakia, and Poland)

September 1, 1939, Hitler invaded Poland.› GB and France declared war on Germany 2

days later› Start of WWII, largest and deadliest war

ever fought, 40 million people

Battles

European Theater- war for control of Europe and the Soviet Union

Pacific Theater- where the US led the battle against Japan

European Theater

Soviet Union was under Joseph Stalin› Ruthless in domination over soviets› Wanted large empire› Made pact with Hitler not to attack each

other, divide Poland› June 1941 Hitler broke the pact and

invaded the SU› Stalin joined Allies

Battle of Stalingrad 1942› Major turning point in eastern front of

European Theater› Bloodiest battle in human history, 1-2

million› Centered around German’s attempt to

defeat SU › Axis powers lost quarter of military force

on eastern front› Soon after, Germans begin retreating

Western Front › Allied attempt to liberate western Europe

from Hitler’s control› Led by GB and US› Churchill- GB leader during the war

Tremendous speaking voice and words rallied citizens

British withstood German bombing campaigns

› Franklin Delano Roosevelt- US president during the war Also had captivating speaking style Did not commit troops and resourced until

US was well prepared

D-Day› June 6, 1944› Allied forces began their invasion of

German-held Western Europe› Greatest seaborne invasion in history› Crossed the English Channel to land on the

beaches of Normandy, France. › Lead by (lead by later US President Dwight

D. Eisenhower.› SUCCESSFUL› Germany forced to Surrender on May 8,

1945.›

Pacific Theater

US led the battle against Japan Battle of Midway

› June 1942› Air battle› US victorious › US now had more sea power than Japan› US forces began fighting their way toward

Japan

Australia and Pacific Islands were also part of the war.› 30000 Australians lost their lives in the war

President Roosevelt died April 1945› Vice Pres. Harry Truman

He helped to end the war Germany’s unconditional surrender May 7,

1945 Potsdam Conference July 12- August 2, 1945, August 1945 ordered two atomic bombs be

dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan Brought about end to war. Officially on

September 2, 1945

Start of the Cold War

The US and Soviet Union worked together to defeat Axis powers› They were left as superpowers- far more

powerful than any other countries on Earth› Tensions grew› US was democratic Soviet Union was communist

Stalin wanted to spread communism. US opposed expansion of Soviet power and

communism Became known as the Cold War

› No actual fighting took place