World Conflicts: World at War

1. World Conflicts: World at War Standard 7-4: THE student will demonstrate an understanding of the causes and effects of world conflicts in the early twentieth century. By: s. Munn Revised By: M. Smalls and M.Ganes

2. Standard 7-4.5 (cont.) Explain the causes, key events, and outcomes of World War II, including the German, Italian, and Japanese drives for empire; the role of appeasement and isolationism in Europe and the United States; the major turning points of the war and the principal theaters of conflict; the importance of geographic factors; the roles of political leaders; the human costs and impact of the war both on civilizations and on soldiers.

3. Causes of World War II:

4. Causes of World War IIPost World War I Problems: • The Treaty of Versailles • Germans were angered & humiliated & they believed that they were punished too harshly • Italians & Japanese were disappointed because they felt they didn’t gain enough territory or colonies • The Great Depression • Economic problems made people desperate • They wanted strong leaders to help

5. Causes of World War IIFascist Aggression: • Fascist Aggression • Dictators in Germany, Italy, & Japan wanted to build empires so they invaded other nations • Responses to Fascist Aggression • Appeasement: giving into a nation’s demands in order to avoid war • To avoid war with Germany, Great Britain & France allowed Hitler to rebuild his military and invade other nations • Isolationism: when a nation keeps to itself and remains neutral in wars between other nations • The United States ignored these aggressive actions & hoped to remain neutral when the war began

6. How does this political cartoon by Dr. Seuss illustrate the United States policy of Isolationism?

7. Causes of World War II: • The military aggression displayed by Germany, Italy, & Japan was a significant cause of World War II. • All three countries wanted to establish empires, & little was done by the international community, consumed by their own economic woes to stop them. • World War II began in 1939, when Hitler invaded Poland & Great Britain & France abandoned their previous policy of appeasement as it only encouraged the Axis Powers to continue their drives for empire, leading to another world war.

8. Allied & Axis Powers of World War II

9. Allied & Axis Powers of World War II:

10. Allied Leaders & Roles in World War II:

11. Axis Leaders & Roles in World War II:

12. Theaters of Conflict

13. European Theater: • European Theater: • In Europe & the Surrounding Areas: • Western Front: battles fought in Western Europe • Mainly Great Britain, France, & the United States vs. Germany & Italy • Eastern Front: battles fought in Eastern Europe • Mainly between Germany& the Soviet Union • Africa: battles fought in deserts of North Africa • Allies fought against Germany & Italy • Germans wanted control of the Suez Canal in order to have access to the oil-rich Middle East

14. Map of European Theater:

15. Pacific Theater: • Pacific Theater: • The war in the Pacific had already begun with the Japanese invasion of China in 1937 • Fighting between Allies & Japaneseon islands, water, air on the Pacific Ocean • Allies used “island hopping” or fighting island by island to push closer to Japan • Aircraft carriers (large ships that planes could takeoff & land on) were very important

16. Map of Pacific Theater:

17. Role of Geography in the Theaters of Conflict: • The small islands of Japan had very few natural resources so that the Japanese invaded other nations to get them. • Germany’s location in Central Europe made it easy to expand in every direction. • Great Britain was an island protected from invasion by surrounding waters. • The Soviet Union was protected from invasion by lots of territory & extremely cold winter weather.

18. Timeline of World War II 1939-1945

19. 1939: • Great Britain & France declare war on Germany (1939) • Germany & Soviet Union become allies with the signing of the Soviet Non-Aggression Pact signed on August 23, 1939, by Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov & German Foreign Minister von Ribbentrop, stated: • that neither country would attack the other nor support any third party attack for a period of ten years. • In addition to the public non-aggression pact, both powers devised a secret protocol dividing Eastern Europe into spheres of Nazi & Soviet influence. • The pact remained in effect until June 22, 1941, when German troops invaded the Soviet Union as part of Operation Barbarossa. • Germans conduct a blitzkrieg, or “lightning war”against Poland & the Soviets, German allies, attacked Poland from the west

20. 1939 (cont.): • Denmark & Norway fall to Germany • Germany invades France (1939) • French government surrenders (1940) • German troops occupy Northern France

21. 1939 (cont.): • In 1939, Congressamended its policy to allow the U.S. to sell weapons to the Allies that were paid for with cash & transported (cash & carry policy) the weapons on their own ships, again seeking to eliminate a factor that drew the U.S. into WWI.

22. The Battle of Britain (1940-1941): • During the Battle of Britain (1940-1941), the German air force repeatedly bombed the country. • The British, however, used radar to prepare for attacks & had technology that enabled them to decode German secret messages. • The British, under the leadership of Prime Minister Winston Churchill, refused to surrender, & Hitler had to focus on attacking other areas in Europe.

23. Battle of Britain Map:

24. 1940-1943: • Yugoslavia & Greece fall to Axis Powers-1941 • Hitler then betrayed his ally, the Soviet Union, & attacked that country in 1941. • The Germans were unsuccessful in taking Leningrad or Moscow & 500,000 Germans died during the invasion • Soviet Union joins the allied forces *Major turning point in the war

25. What message is the artist trying to convey with this cartoon? • How does he feel about what Hitler did to Lenin? Explain your reasoning

26. 1940-1943 (cont.): • 1941, Congress passed the Lend-Lease Act that allowed Rooseveltto lend or lease weapons & other supplies to countries that were important to the interests of the U.S. • 1941, Japan invaded French Indochina, prompting the U.S. to place an oil embargo on Japan to prevent further aggression. • December 7, 1941,Japanattacked Pearl Harbor • December 8, 1941,Congress declared war on Japan *Major turning point in the war

27. 1940-1943 (cont.): • The Japanese moved quickly throughout the Pacific taking over Guam, Wake Island, Hong Kong, the Philippines, the Dutch East Indies, & Burma • 1942 ,United States defeatedJapan in the Battle of Coral Sea, saving Australia from a Japanese invasion; this was also the beginning of the turning of the tide in the United States favor. • 1942, United States defeatedJapan in the Battle of Midway, heavily damaging hundreds of Japanese planes & all of the aircraft carriers on the island. • After the Battle of Midway, the U.S. began to engage in “island-hopping” past islands heavily secured by Japan taking over islands that were easier to seize in order to get closer to Japan while saving countless American lives.

29. 1940-1943 (cont.): • August 1942-February 1943, a turning point occurred when the Japanese experienced a devastating loss at the Battle of Guadalcanal, the first offensive against Japan launched by combined allied forces on land, sea & air. ** ADD TO NOTES: Douglas MacArthur played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during WWII.

30. 1940-1943 (cont.): • By the end of 1942, the tide was turning in favor of the Allies in the Mediterranean & along the Eastern Front. Allied forces, led by American General Dwight Eisenhower, defeated German General Rommel’s forces in North Africa. • February 1943, the Germans were also on the defensive, a turning point, after they were defeated in the Battle of Stalingrad. • As the Soviets continued to push the Germans from the east, British & American forces invaded & conquered Sicily in 1943.

31. 1944-1945: • 1944, Allied forces entered Rome-Italysurrenders • 1945,Mussolini was killed by his own countrymen • June 6, 1944,the invasion of Normandy, to liberate German-controlled France& northern Europebegan. This is referred to as D-Day. • What does D-Day stand for? • The Army began using the codes "H-hour" & "D-day" during World War I, to indicate the time or date of an operation's start. Military planners would write of events planned to occur on "H-hour" or "D-day" -- long before the actual dates & times of the operations would be known, or in order to keep plans secret, so the "D" may simply refer to the "day" of invasion. • September 1944, the Allied forces were able to liberate France

32. The Battle of the Bulge mid-December 1944-end of January 1945 • Hitler’s final attempt to achieve a victory against Allied forces was at the Battle of the Bulge. • The Battle of the Bulge, so named because of the westward bulging shape of the battleground on a map • It was the largest land battle of World War II in which the United States directly participated. • More than a million men fought in the battle — 600,000 Germans,500,000 Americans, & 55,000 British. • Despite breaking through American defenses, the Germans were ultimately pushed back & forced to retreat.

33. Battle of the Bulge Map:

34. 1944-1945 (cont.): • May 7, 1945, VE (Victory in Europe) Day, Allied troops from both east & west moved into Germany, causing the Germansto surrender . • 1945, the U.S. then moved closer to defeating Japan by victories at Iwo Jima & Okinawa.

35. United States Drops Atomic Bombs on Japan • Citing the need to hasten the war’s end & save lives that would be lost in an invasion of the island country, President Harry Truman ordered the dropping of an atomic bomb on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 & over Nagasaki three days later. • Six days after the dropping of the second atomic bomb, Japan announced its intention to surrender, formally doing so on September 2, 1945, VJ (Victory in Japan) Day.

36. Human Costs & Impact of World War II on Both Civilians & Soldiers

37. Human Costs of World War II: • World War II was the most devastating war in history. • Fighting cost the lives of millions of soldiers on both sides & sixty million people were killed. • The majority of European deaths were civilians, as air bombings there left cities in shambles & the war also destroyed much of the countryside. • Many people were homeless & famine and disease spread through the cities. • The Holocaust claimed the lives of six million Jews • Japan lost two million people. • Tokyo was heavily damaged, while Hiroshima & Nagasaki were obliterated.

38. World War II Military Deaths:

39. Estimated Number of People Killed by the Nazis:

40. Impact of World War II on Both Civilians & Soldiers: • The Allied home front played an important role in winning the war. • Factories produced weapons & supplies for the war, & many women worked in the factories. • The Allies used propaganda to help strengthen support for the war & to help conserve materials &resources, since there was a shortage of consumer goods.

41. Impact of World War II on Both Civilians & Soldiers (cont.): • Following the end of the war, the United States occupied a demilitarized Japan until 1952. • During that time a new constitution was written making Japan a constitutional monarchy. • Germany was occupied by Allied forces after the war for several years. • Nazi leaders were also charged with war crimes & placed on trial.

42. Standard 7-4.6 Summarize the Holocaust & its impact on European society & Jewish culture, including Nazi policies to eliminate the Jews & other minorities, the “Final Solution,” & the war crimes trials at Nuremberg.

43. How Did Anti-SemitismBecome Part of Nazi Ideology:

44. How Did Anti-Semitism Become Part of Nazi Ideology: • Religious & cultural differences coupled with suspicion & envy had made the Hebrew people frequent scapegoats during times of crisis throughout the history of Europe. • Increased movement by Jews into the mainstream of some European life led to increased prejudice as Jews were often stereotypically seen as more intellectual & successful & less nationalistic than others.

45. How Did Anti-Semitism Become Part of Nazi Ideology (cont.): • Hitler’s anti-Semitism could have stemmed from these or numerous other irrational prejudices, but its existence was used as a rallying point to unite the German people in their quest “first” in economic recovery & “later” for empire, Aryan glory & world domination. • Nazis claimed that the German people were a “master race” & used the word “Aryan” to describe them. Hitler claimed that all non-Aryan people were inferior, & he wanted to eliminate people he considered inferior, including those of Jewish ancestry, Poles, Russians, Communists, Gypsies, homosexuals & anyone considered physically or mentally deficient.

46. Nuremberg Laws: • Hitler & the Nazi Party passed the Nuremberg Laws in 1935, which denied German citizenship to Jews & prevented them from marrying non-Jews. • Jews were also ordered to wear the Star of David so they could be immediately recognized in public.

47. Krisitallnacht, or “Night of Broken Glass: • On November 9, 1938, Nazi troops attacked Jewish businesses, synagogues, & homes & killedapproximately 100 Jews, known as Krisitallnacht, or “Night of Broken Glass.”

48. The Holocaust: the mass murder of over 6 million Jews and other groups (Gypsies, mentally and physically handicapped, etc.) by German Nazis.

49. The Holocaust: • Hitler’s Final Solution: • Forced Jews across Europe into concentration camps, where they died en-route in cattle cars, were exterminated in specially designed showers & crematoriums & brutal experiments or barely survived in work camps. • This genocide, called the Holocaust, occurred in every stage of the process, but most camps were located in Germany and Poland. • When prisoners arrived at the concentration camps, they were examined by SS doctors. • The Nazi soldiers allowed the strong (mainly men) to live in order to serve as laborers while many of the women, elderly, young children, & the disabled were killed soon after arriving at the concentration camps. • Over six million Jews were killed during the Holocaust & more than 3 million Jews survived.

50. Map of Major Concentration Camps: