The History of WWII: An i ntroduction to the Holocaust

1. The History of WWII: An introduction to the Holocaust English 8 – Scott Middle School Mrs. Clifford

2. Important Words: • Civilians: People that belong to a community that are not registered with the military • Treaty: A formal agreement/contract between two countries • Allies: A group of nations – including the United States, Great Britain, France and the Soviet Union – who fought Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy in World War II • Nazi: Abbreviation for the National Socialist German Workers’ party that ruled Germany from 1933-1945

3. WWI (1914-1918) WWI took the lives of millions of people WWI was called the “War to End all Wars.” Conflict left unsettled from WWI led to WWII only 20 years later

4. WWII (1939-1945) WWII involved most of the world’s nations 25 million soldiers and 50 million civilians were killed In the end the United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union defeat Japan and Germany.

5. The Treaty of Versailles (1918) A peace agreement that ended WWI in 1918 Treaty made Germany responsible for the war Germany had to pay billions to Allied Nations for war damages Germany lost territory Land was given to Belgium, France, the United Kingdom, and Japan Czechoslovakia became a new country

6. Adolf Hitler German soldier during WWI Believed Germany was “stabbed in the back” by its own government Vowed to bring Germany back to the country it once was

7. Adolf Hitler Born in Austria in 1889 Dropped out of High School when he was 16 Joined National Socialist German Workers’ Party- later known as the Nazi party Tried to overthrow the German government and failed – Hitler was imprisoned While in prison, Hitler wrote a book; Mein Kampf(My Struggle)

8. Great Depression 1930’s 1929 – Stock market crashed on Wall Street Germany was greatly affected Millions of people were without work Hitler spoke publically inspiring the broken nation by giving them the feeling of power

9. 1933 Hitler was named German Chancellor Hitler declared Nazis to be the only political party Hitler became the dictator of Germany First anti-Jewish law passed in Germany First concentration camp opened at Dachau

10. Important Words: • Aryan race: People the Nazis considered to be of “pure” racial background; Caucasian (superior race) • Anti-Semitism: Extreme or irrational prejudice of discrimination against Jews • Ghetto: A section of a city where Jews were forced to live • Concentration camp: A prison camp – inmates were political prisoners: Jews, Gypsies, and other “undesirables”

11. Aryan Race Hitler publically blamed the Jews and Communists for Germany’s problems Hitler declared the Aryan race to be superior Aryan race: white people of Northern European heritage Other cultures/ethnicities were inferior

12. Anti-Semitism Laws were passed that discriminated against Jews Jews lost their jobs, their property stolen then sold, and their communities were walled off into ghettos Jews were forced to identify themselves by sewing a gold star patch on to their clothing

13. Ghettos First action by the Nazi party was to isolate Jews Jews were forced to leave their homes/communities and take with them only what they could carry Jews marched or were shipped in freight cars to ghettos

14. Ghettos Continued… Ghettos were located in the oldest, most run-down section of town Ghettos were enclosed with fences, barbed wire, or brick wall Food was rationed Jews tried to find whatever work they could

15. November 9, 1938: “Kristallnacht” or “Night of Broken Glass” Nazis raided Jewish businesses Nearly 100 Jews were beaten to death 100’s were injured Thousands of businesses and synagogues were destroyed Streets were filled with broken glass

16. Concentration Camps Hitler created concentration camps to put into effect “The Final Solution” Camps were located in places that were easy to get to by road or train Jews were moved from the ghettos to the concentration camps Number tattoos were given to mark the camp prisoners upon their arrival Tattoo was tragically symbolic, marked like slaves or cattle

17. Germany Rising Hitler ignored the rules of the treaty, and worked to rebuild the military Hitler killed or imprisoned anyone in the country that opposed him Hitler sent Jews and other target groups to concentration camps where they worked for war effort or were murdered.

18. Rome-Berlin Axis Hitler made friends with Italy’s leader, Mussolini Together Germany and Italy formed the Rome-Berlin Axis and would later include Japan By the end of 1939 Germany had taken over much of Europe The French and British vowed to defend Poland from Germany’s attack

19. Blitzkrieg (September 1, 1939): Germany flew in to Poland and attacked by surprise Surprise attack called “Blitzkrieg” (Lightening War) Soviet Union signed an alliance with Germany Next on Hitler’s agenda: Belgium, Netherlands, and France

20. Nazi Advance 1940: Germany took over Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxemburg British and French soldiers were trapped by German soldiers with their backs to the English Channel

21. Battle of Britain 1940: Germans attacked Great Britain by air Attack became known as Battle of Britain Great Britain fought back and bombed Berlin, Germany Bombing postponed Hitler’s English invasion United States provided 50 battle ships to Britain Britain gave United States a military base in Canada and the Caribbean

22. Operation Barbarossa June 1941: Germany dishonored their alliance with the Soviet Union Using thousands of tanks, aircraft and artillery, Germany attacked the Soviet Union Fighting continued for 4 years Stalingrad- an industrial city on the Volga River Germany wanted to raid Stalingrad for materials (oil, airplanes, war machines) The Soviets surrounded 250,000 German troops until the Germans surrendered

23. Attack on Pearl Harbor December 7, 1941 (7:55AM): Japanese launch surprise attack on United States 2300 Americans killed President Roosevelt declared war the next day against Japan Germany and Italy declared war on US to defend Japan

24. United States Thousands of Americans joined armed forces Factories began making war materials: tanks, airplanes, guns and ammunition Women went to work to support their families while the men went to war Women worked in factories making tanks and battleships

25. “The Big Three”: leaders of the Allied forces Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin Churchill and Roosevelt were the leaders of the world’s two greatest democracies Churchill and Roosevelt were both distrustful of Stalin, a Communist.

26. Invasion of Italy Great Britain and United States invade Sicily Germany formed a Gustav Line (defensive wall of soldiers) up Italy to keep Allied troops from invading June 4, 1944: United States and Great Britain break through German troops and take over Italy

27. Island Hopping Island Hopping is a strategy the United States came up with to overcome Japan United States attacked and occupied one island at a time- across the Pacific all the way to Japan Midway Island: Japan took aim at Midway Island 1,000 miles north of Hawaii to attack United States United States broke a secret Japanese code and attacked the Japanese fleet Japan never recovered

28. D-Day Europe’s liberation had begun 2,800,000 Soviet Union, United States and Great Britain Soldiers are in Europe Freezing temperatures grounded US planes German forced seemed to be gaining ground, and then their tanks ran out of gas January 1945: the Germans retreated- more than 100,000 Germans died

29. The Final Battle Soviet Union surrounded city of Berlin, German troops could not stop them Hitler hid in a Bunker below the city as 300,000 German soldiers defended the city

30. End of the War in Europe The German occupied areas were divided into zones The Soviets, British, Americans and French would each control one zone post-war Hitler and his wife and other leaders committed suicide before capture

31. Liberation in Europe Allied soldiers moved into Nazi-held areas of Europe and discovered the death camps Nazis murdered between 9-11 million innocent people Jews and other targeted groups were put to death in gas chambers, shot, hung and starved while working as slaves

32. Liberation continued Allied troops freed camp prisoners Some of the concentration camps are now museums to honor the victims of the Holocaust

33. WWII comes to an end United States bombed Japan by dropping the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima 3 days later the United States dropped the second bomb on Nagasaki Japan’s Emperor announced unconditional surrender September 1945 ends WWII – the greatest conflict in human history ends