WORLD WAR TWO 1939-1945

The Allies

Versus

The Axis

3

Major Allied Leaders

Franklin Delano

Roosevelt

Democratic USA Joseph Stalin

Communist Dictator USSR

Winston Churchill

Democratic Great Britain

Harry Truman

Democratic USA

1945

Major Axis Leaders

Adolf Hitler

Fascist (Nazi)

Dictator

Germany

Benito Mussolini

Fascist Dictator

Italy

Hideki Tojo

Military

Dictator

Empire of Japan

CAUSES

Significant causes:

The terms of the Treaty of Versailles.

Worldwide Depression.

Rise of Nazism.

Appeasement

The 1919 Treaty of

Versailles, which

ended WWI, imposed

harsh conditions on a

defeated Germany

and sowed the seeds

of discontent.

The Treaty of Versailles

Worldwide Depression

In 1929 the economy collapsed around

the world, WWI left every major European

country nearly bankrupt.

Germany’s debt made things worse for

the country.

There was high inflation and rising

unemployment.

German government did not have

enough money to cope, so it began to

print money that it didn’t actually have!

It was cheaper to burn German money

than buy coal!

.

“I went into a café for a coffee. I noticed that the price

was 5000 marks, which was roughly what I had in my

pocket. I drank my coffee and read the paper. When I

asked the bill, it was 8000 marks. The value of the mark

had fallen in the space of one hour!”

Rise of Nazism

Hitler used the discontent and anger of the German

people to gain power.

More and more people joined the Nazi party as Hitler

promised to end unemployment and poverty, regain

lost territories, and bring Germany back to a state of

power.

Unwinding the Treaty…

As soon as Hitler came to power

he began to rebuild Germany’s

army and military. Hitler then

moved his troops into Rhineland

(1936), united with Austria

(1938), and then set his sights

on expanding east…

Appeasement…to satisfy

Great Britain and other

European countries did

not want another

conflict, so they agreed

to some of the demands

made by Hitler.

This was called the

Policy of Appeasement.

The Policy of Appeasement encouraged Hitler. He could now do what he wanted – without the fear of being stopped.

.

September 1, 1939.

Germany invades

Poland.

16

WORLD WAR II 1939-1945

US involvement 1941-1945

1939

Sept.1 - Germany invades Poland

(official start to the war)

Sept. 3 -Britain & France

declare war on Germany

Dec. 7 – Japan bombs Pearl Harbor; US

enters the war

1941

Aug-Sept. - Atomic

bombing of Hiroshima

& Nagasaki; Japanese surrender

1945

May - Germans surrender

1944

June 6 –

D-Day

1943

Feb- USSR

defeats

Germany at the

Battle of

Stalingrad

Axis control of Europe-1940

1941 Dec. 7 Pearl Harbor Attack

Japan attacks Pearl Harbor.

United States enters the war.

US and Great Britain declare war against Japan, and allies

Germany and Italy.

1942-1943 Battle of Stalingrad.

A battle between Germany

and the Soviet Union.

Due to harsh climate, and

lack of supplies, Germany

endures tremendous losses

and was forced to retreat

The defeat is often

considered a turning point

in the war.

1944 June 6

D-DAY: The Invasion of

Normandy

A major battle on the

beaches of France in which

the Allies took control of

Western Europe.

Major German

Defeat.

23

1945 April-May

On April 27, as Allied forces closed in on

Milan, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini

was captured and executed. His body was

then taken to Milan and hung for public

display.

On April 30, realizing that all was lost,

German dictator Adolf Hitler committed

suicide in his bunker along with Eva

Braun, his long-time companion and wife.

In May 1945 German

forces surrender.

Atomic Bombing

of Hiroshima

and Nagasaki

(Japan).

1945 August

The patient's skin is burned in a pattern corresponding to

the dark portions of a kimono.

1945 September

WWII officially ends after Japan signs a surrender

on September 2nd 1945 -six years and a day after

the war had begun.

WARM UP: Read the graph and answer the

questions. Write the answers only.

1. Which 4 countries spent

the largest percentage

on defense and what

do these 4 have in

common?

2. Which 3 countries have

the lowest percentage

spent on defense and

what do they have in

common?

3. Which country spent the

lowest on defense in

1937 and why might

that be?