Introduction to WWII

2 Quick Facts (write 2-3) A. War Costs 1.US Debt $9 billion US Debt $98 billion The war cost $330 billion times the cost of WWI & as much as all previous federal spending since 1776

3 Quick Facts (write 2-3) B. Human Costs

4 Quick Facts B. Human Costs 1.50 million people died (compared to 15 million in WWI) 21.3 million Russians (7.7 million civilians) 11 million died as a result of the HOLOCAUST (6 million Jews + 5 million others)

5 When? 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 May - Germans Surrender Sept. - Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima & Nagasaki, Japanese Surrender US involvement

6 Who? Allies Axis Great Britain France (note: France surrendered to Germany in 1940 (after 6 weeks of fighting) United States Russia Germany Italy Japan (major powers)

7 Major Leaders Adolf Hitler Nazi Germany Benito Mussolini Italy

8 Major Leaders Hideki Tojo Japanese Prime Minister Winston Churchill British Prime Minister

9 Major Leaders Franklin Delano Roosevelt US President Joseph Stalin Russian Leader

10 Why? (underlying causes of WWII) 1. Treaty of Versailles A. Germany lost land to surrounding nations B. War Reparations 1) Allies collect $ to pay back war debts to U.S. 2) Germany must pay $57 trillion (modern equivalent) 3) Bankrupted the German economy & embarrassed Germans Lloyd George, Georges Clemenceau, and Woodrow Wilson during negotiations for the Treaty

11 Why? (underlying causes of WWII) 2. World-wide Depression A. The Depression made Germany’s debt even worse B. Desperate people turn to desperate leaders 1) Hitler seemed to provide solutions to Germany’s problems Wallpapering with German Deutchmarks

12 Why? (underlying causes of WWII) 2. World-wide Depression 2) Hitler provided scapegoats for Germany’s problems (foreigners, Jews, communists, Roma (Gypsies), mentally ill, homosexuals) 3) Kristallnacht - vandalism & destruction of Jewish property & synagogues

13 Why? 3. Rise of Totalitarian Regimes A. In a Totalitarian country, individual rights are not viewed as important as the needs of the nation Totalitarianism Communist Dictatorship (USSR) Fascist Dictatorship (Germany, Italy) Military Dictatorship (Japan) Fascism: military government with based on racism & nationalism with strong support from the business community

14 Why? 4. Isolationism of Major Powers A. Why was the U.S. Isolationist? 1. Great Depression (problems at home) 2. Perceptions of WWI a. WWI did not seem to solve much b. People began to think that we’d got into WWI for the wrong reasons (greedy American businessmen!)

15 Why? 4. Isolationism of Major Powers B. This led to policies of “Appeasement” 1. Appeasement: give dictators what they want and hope that they won’t want anything else 2. Begins with Japanese invasion of Manchuria, Italian invasion of Ethiopia, and continues with Hitler...

The Road to World War II what does the cartoonist suggest Hitler is doing? Who are the other people in this picture and what does the cartoonist think of them ?

January 1933: Hitler became Chancellor of Germany

Hitler soon ordered a programme of rearming Germany Hitler visits a factory and is enthusiastically greeted. Many Germans were grateful for jobs after the misery of he depression years.

March 1936: German troops marched into the Rhineland The Rhineland was a region of Germany that was ‘demilitarised’ after the Treaty of Versailles. Germany was not allowed to have troops in the region. Hitler’s actions showed how he was willing to directly challenge the treaty.

March 1938: Nazi Germany annexed Austria Again, this went against the terms of the Treaty of Versailles which banned Germany from uniting with Austria. However, the arrival of German troops was met with great enthusiasm by many Austrian people.

March 1939: Germany invaded Czechoslovakia Hitler had ordered the occupation of a part of Czechoslovakia known as the Sudetenland (in October 1938). Many hoped that that this would be the last conquest of the Nazis. However, in March 1939, he ordered his troops to take over the remainder of Czechoslovakia. This was the first aggressive step that suggested that a war in Europe would soon begin.

Hitler and Stalin (the Russian leader) signed a ‘non-aggression pact’. They promised that neither country would attack the other in the event of war. As part of the deal, Hitler promised Stalin part of Poland, which he planned to invade soon. August 1939: Germany and Russia signed a non- aggression pact

 The non-aggression pact was surprising. Hitler and Stalin were seen as natural enemies.  When Hitler talked of taking over new land for Germany, many thought that he meant Russia.  Hitler also hated Communism, the form of government in Russia Hitler Stali n

But, the pact allowed Germany to march into Poland without fear of an attack from Russia. On 3 rd September 1939, Germany invaded Poland and started a War with Britain and France. September 1939: Germany invaded Poland German troops marching into Warsaw, the capital of Poland.

May 1940: Germany turned west and invaded France and the Netherlands In May 1940, Germany used Blitzkrieg tactics to attack France and the Netherlands. British troops were forced to retreat from the beaches of Dunkirk in northern France. Captured British troops, May 1940

By June 1940, France had surrendered to the Germans Britain now stood alone as the last remaining enemy of Hitler’s Germany in Western Europe. Adolf Hitler tours Paris after his successful invasion.

September 1940-May 1941: the Blitz For the following nine months, the German air force (Luftwaffe) launched repeated bombing raids on British towns and cities. This was known as the BLITZ and was an attempt to bomb Britain into submission.

Operation Barbarossa, June 1941 But in May, 1941, Hitler ordered a change of tactics. He decided to halt the bombing of Britain and launch an attack against Russia. He betrayed Stalin and ignored the promises he had made. This was a bold move that would prove to be an important turning point in the War.

29 US Assistance Roosevelt provided aid to the Allies: Lend-Lease US “lent” war materials to cash- strapped Great Britain London Firefighter Tackles an Air Raid Blaze US secretly meets with England to commit to defeating Germany

30 Meanwhile … in the Pacific Pearl Harbor: “a date which will live in infamy” Dec. 7, 1945 USS Arizona Sinking in Pearl Harbor What? Surprise attack by the Japanese on American forces in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Effect? US declares war on Japan & other Axis powers