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?