Causes Of

World War II

In the 1930’s, Italy,

Germany, and Japan

aggressively sought to build

new empires. The League

of Nations was weak.

Western countries were

recovering from the Great

Depression and did not

want anymore war……

As a result, acts

of aggression

occurred and

were allowed to

go unchecked.

•1931 – Japan

invades

Manchuria

•1937 – Japan

invades the

Chinese mainland

Japan Invades China

•1935 –

Italian army

invades

Ethiopia and

easily

conquers it

Italy Attacks Ethiopia

•1936 – Italy and

Germany sign a non-

aggression pact

Axis Powers Unite

•1936 – Civil

War erupts

in Spain

between

Nationalists

(Fascists)

and Loyalists

Spanish

Civil War

•1936 – Hitler sends troops to the

Rhineland

•1938 – Hitler annexes Austria

•1938 – Hitler seizes Sudetenland

•1939 – Hitler invades Poland

German Aggression in Europe

Little Hitler Cartoon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-axJTzj0VU

As a result of these

aggressive acts, the

Western democracies

adopted a policy of

appeasement. Under

this policy, nations

gave into aggressive

demands to maintain

peace.

At the Munich

Conference in

1938, the western

democracies

agreed that

Germany would

seize control of the

Sudetenland from

Czechoslovakia.

In the face of this

weakness, Japan, Italy,

and Germany signed the

Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis

In August 1939, Hitler and Stalin signed

the Nazi-Soviet Pact, agreeing not to

fight each other.

On September 1,

1939, Germany

invaded Poland.

WWII had begun!

World War II

Axis Powers Advance

1939-1941

Western Theater Pacific Theater

Major Countries:

•Germany

•Italy

•Japan

Axis Powers

Major Countries:

•Soviet Union

•Great Britain

•France

•China

•United States

(1941 on)

Allied Powers

Roosevelt ChurchillStalin

Charles de Gaulle

ChiangKai-Shek

•The Nazi’s swiftly overran much of

Europe using the blitzkrieg, or

“lightning war”

Nazi Blitzkrieg

Step 1 Luftwaffe Step 2 Tanks Step 3 Ground Troops

The Nazi European Campaign1939-1941

•By 1940, the Axis Powers controlled

most of Europe and had pushed the

Allied Forces back to Great Britain

•Miracle of Dunkirk stops Axis

advance into Britain

Nazi Blitzkrieg

Almost

400,000

allied troops

were

evacuated to

fight another

day

•Battle of Britain –

Nazi’s attempt to use air

strikes to defeat Britain (the

“Blitz)

First Nazi defeat

Took nearly 4 months

Nazi Blitzkrieg

“No Surrender”• Audio / video of Winston Churchill’s famous

speech to the British people.

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=up2O8kvtRT4

•European forces fight for control of

North Africa from 1940-1943

•Axis powers control much of N.A.

African Theatre

•Japan made steady

gains at taking over

the Pacific Island

nations as well as

China

Japanese Offensive

•By 1941, the Axis Powers reached

the height of their world control:

Axis Extent of Control

The Allies Push Back1941-1945

•After

unsuccessful

attempt against

Britain, Hitler

invades the

Soviet Union in

June 1941

Hitler’s Mistake

•Nearly captures Moscow and Leningrad, but is stopped by “scorched earth” and the harsh Russian winter

Hitler’s Mistake

•Battle of Stalingrad

•Soviets force

Nazi’s to surrender

•Begin pushing

West towards

Germany

Hitler’s Mistake

•Japanese attack U.S. Naval Base on December 7, 1941(surprise attack)•U.S. had halted sales of materials for weapons to Japan•U.S. enters war

Pearl Harbor

•Operation Torch

•Axis are defeated

•Allies retake

North Africa and

provides a

launching point

into Europe

Foothold in

Africa

•Allies attack into Italy from North

Africa

•Begin pushing up peninsula in late

1943

Italian Invasion

•Invasion of France

across the English

Channel

D-Day Invasion

•Nearly 200,000 troops

stormed the beach at

Normandy, France

•Supported by air strikes

and paratroopers

D-Day Invasion

•By the end of August 1944, the Allies

had liberated France from the Nazi’s

Final Defeat

•Allies converged on Germany from

three sides

Final Defeat

•Nazi’s launch “last ditch” effort at the

Battle of the Bulge

•Brutal winter fighting that “bulged”

the Allied line

Final Defeat

December

January

1944-1945

•In late April, the American and

Russian soldiers shook hands at the

Elbe River in central Germany

Final Defeat

•On April 27, 1945 Mussolini was

captured escaping Italy and executed

•His body was hung and stoned by

Italians

Benito Mussolini’s End

•As Russian troops advanced into

Berlin, Hitler committed suicide on

April 29, 1945

Adolf Hitler’s End

The Conspiracy?

•On May 7, 1945,

Germany

surrendered

•European war ends

May 8, 1945

•V-E Day (victory in

Europe)

Final Defeat