World War II

1. World War II 7.5.5 pgs 219-228

2. 1930s: Military dictatorships wanted to wipe out democracy • Committed aggression, or warlike acts, towards other nations. • Required two things: military strength & conquest. • Growing totalitarian threat made war inevitable. • Conflict led to widespread human-caused destruction • Democracy triumphed but at huge costs.

3. I. Pathways to War • Italy took first steps towards war under Mussolini • 1935: Mussolini – following goal of Italian Empire & wanting more land, took over Ethiopia in Africa. • League of Nations unable to stop them • Success encouraged Italy to seize other lands in Northern Africa. • March 1935: Hitler openly violates Treaty of Versailles by building up German military • Created a new air force & ordered conscription – required military service. • 1936, Hitler sent troops to Rhineland, a demilitarized zone under the treaty (No troops allowed).

4. France wanted to remove Germany but not without Britain’s support. • GB refused & followed policy of appeasement – giving in to the “reasonable demands” of a nation – in order to avoid war. • In 1938, Hitler wanted to unite all Germans regardless of where they lived & declared the Anschluss – unification – of German & Austria. • Hitler also wanted Sudetenland, which was mostly Germans, & threatened “world war” to gain land. • France & GB gave in to Hitler’s demands in exchange that he would stop taking land – became known as Munich pact.

5. II. Japanese Aggression • Japan had already seized Manchuria – renaming it Manchukuo – & more troops were headed for mainland Asia. • League condemned Japan for their actions so Japan left League. • Japan then pushed into China • Chinese leader Chiang Kaishek battled communists. He even attempted to appease Japan but allowing them to control areas in northern China. • Japanese wanted more land & invaded Eastern China and SE Asia, known as French Indochina.

6. III. Dangerous Allies • By 1936, totalitarian states began forming alliances. • Italy & Germany created the Rome-Berlin Axis, hoping to be the axis that all of Europe revolved around. • Japan agreed to unite in any conflict with Soviet Union since they had been battling over territory since the late 1800s (Russo-Japanese War). • However, in August 1939, Hitler & Stalin signed agreement promising not to attack each other. • Hitler bribed Stalin by offering Stalin eastern Poland & other nations along the Baltic Sea.

7. IV. Start of WWII • Hitler broke deals as quickly as he made them. • In March 1939, he broke the Munich pact by seizing the rest of Czechoslovakia. • In Sept. 1939, Hitler launched a blitzkrieg against Poland, using tanks & soldiers supported by airplanes to take over country. • September 28, 1939: Hitler & Stalin divide Poland • GB & France responded with a declaration of war, marking the beginning of WWII. • Timeline on p. 222

8. V. War in Europe • Events moved quickly in Europe • April 1940: Germany launched blitzkreig against Denmark & Norway • May 1940: Germany attacked the Netherlands, Belgium & France. • France surrendered; Gen. Charles de Gaulle began the Free France Movement – aka “the resistance”. • Aug. 1940: Hitler ordered German air force to bomb Britain, in hopes of a quick surrender. • Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of GB, ordered Royal Air Force (RAF) to strike back • Undefeated, Churchill swore in a famous speech to “never surrender!”

9. Hitler’s new plan of attacking the UK was to isolate them. • Focused on conquering the rest of Europe & then going full force against the UK. • April 1941: Hitler attacked Greece & Yugoslavia. • June 1941: Hitler broke pact with Stalin & invaded Soviet Union

10. VI. US Entry into the War • US condemned German actions, but refused to act. • Congress passed acts declaring neutrality • FDR & supporters believed neutrality encouraged aggression & found ways around the acts. • US began sending food & supplies to Great Britain. • As fighting raged in Europe, Japan invaded the Philippines & the Dutch East Indies. • FDR refused any withdrawals from US banks by Japanese investors & convinced Congress to grant him power over sales of strategic materials to other nations. • He soon blocked sale of oil & scrap metal to Japan.

11. Japan relied heavily on the US for these materials • For example: received 80% of oil from US suppliers. • Japan was angered by the actions of the US & decided to strike back • Dec. 7, 1941: attack at Pearl Harbor – naval base in Hawaii • Surprise attack took great toll – 21 US ships, 188 airplanes, 2,403 lives & 1,178 injuries. • Dec. 8, 1941: FDR asks Congress for a declaration of war against Japan • Yet again, European war resulted in global conflict • US found itself fighting two fronts against Germany: European front & against Japan in the Pacific.

12. VII. Allied Victory • The Allied Powers put aside political differences & united together to win war in Europe & Pacific. • Chart p. 225 • Feb. 1943: Battle of Stalingrad – Germany’s 1st WWII defeat • Soviets had home advantage - knew the land & harsh winters. • Meanwhile, Allied armies retook Italy by way of Northern Africa, one city at time • Rome fell June 5, 1944 • June 6, 1944: Allied forces, under Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, land on beaches of Normandy, France • Known as D-Day & one of the greatest naval invasions in history.

13. In less than 3 months, Allies landed 2 million troops & a half-million vehicles on French beaches. • From Normandy, Allies spread over Europe, eventually invading Germany. • April 30, 1945: Hitler committed suicide • May 7, 1945: German commanders surrendered • FDR did not live to see Allied victory as he died on April 12, 1945, leaving VP Harry S. Truman to take over. • As Pres, one of Truman’s first military decisions was a strategy for war in Pacific known as “island hopping” – fighting on an island-by-island basis. • As US troops pushed closer to Japan, the realization that Japan would fight to bitter end set in.

14. Truman’s advisers warned of a long, destructive battle with Japan & urged the use of a new weapon of destruction – the atomic bomb. • US offered terms of surrender to Japan & dropped pamphlets warning of the new weapon. • However, Japanese leaders refused to surrender. • Truman gave order to drop two atomic bombs • Aug. 6, 1945: First bomb fell on Hiroshima • Aug. 9, 1945: Second bomb fell on Nagasaki • Bombs leveled the cities & killed thousands. • Sept. 2, 1945: Japan signed unconditional surrender – surrender with no terms set by the loser – ending WWII.

15. VIII. Aftermath of War • Effects of WWII were worldwide: • Stopped totalitarian states from taking over Europe & Asia • Wartime production ended Great Depression in US • US emerged as strongest power in world • Development of atomic bomb made possibility of future wars more deadly • Between 37-50 million people died in war & civilian deaths outnumbered soldiers (table p. 227) • WWII cost over $1 trillion. • 2 out of 3 European Jews died at hands of Nazis.

16. IX. A Difficult Peace • Lasting peace was extremely challenging. • US troops occupied Japan & under Gen. Douglas MacArthur set up an American-led gov’t. • The gov’t reduced Japan’s military & introduced reforms like: democratic constitution, more rights for women, & more land for farmers. • In Europe, democratic nations – France, GB, & US – fought with communist Soviet Union over what to do. • They distrusted & disagreed with each other • So all 4 nations’ armies occupied Germany, resulting in a divided Germany & divided world.