World War 2 Overview of the main points and dates of the war

Major Players in the war• Allies-The big four Allied powers of World War II were England,

the USSR (Soviet Union), USA and France

• The Axis Powers-Germany, Italy, and Japan

1938 Beginnings of War

• In an effort to maintain peace, the prime minister of the UK, Neville Chamberlin, and the leaders of the USA and France decided to not wage war when German troops occupied Austria and seized part of Czechoslovakia.• Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939• Two days later, Britain and France declared war on

Germany and started WW2

1940• Germany’s army had defeated much of Europe and Italy had

invaded North Africa• Britain fought on alone for awhile and was heavily air bombed.• The Prime Minister of Great Britain resigned and Winston

Churchill came to power• Speech-Review Tone and Theme

June 1941• Germany invades the Soviet Union breaking an earlier

agreement and the Soviet Union joined the Allies• Germany retreated in 1943 due to brutal weather and Soviet

resistance

United States enters the War• On December 7, 1941, Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, a U.S.

naval base• USA enters the war• Franklin Roosevelt’s speech-theme and tone

D-day• With US help the Allies pushed back into Western Europe• On June 6, 1944, D-day, more than 150,000 troops invaded

Normandy, France. Allies slowly took Germany across France back to Germany

Surrender• On May 7, 1945 Germany surrendered. VE Day celebrated

May 8, 1945

Japan Fights on

• Japan refused to surrender or stop fighting

• On August 6, 1945, the United States used a massive, atomic weapon against Hiroshima, Japan.• The Atomic Bombing of Nagasaki-August 9 1945• Finally on August 14, 1945, Japan surrendered (VJ day!)

Effects of War• 17 million European soldiers died• Holocaust-Nazis murdered 6 million Jews and 5 million people

from other groups• Europe’s cities in ruins• Rise of the Super Powers-USA and USSR• Begins the Cold War