Economic and Political Causes of World War II  Aggression by the totalitarian states of Germany, Italy, and Japan.  Pacifism (opposition to all war) and isolationism in Europe and the U.S.

 League of Nations held no true power  allowed nations like Japan, Italy, and Germany to do what they want towards other nations.  Ex. Italy invaded Ethiopia and League of Nations just condemned it

 Appeasement  the world was tired of fighting so, they were willing to let some issues go in order to maintain some peace in Europe.  Nationalism

 Treaty of Versailles was a failure  Hitler would ignore the treaty and continue to build up Germany’s economy.

Allied Powers vs Axis Powers  France  Great Britain  USSR  USA  Germany  Italy  Japan

The Invasion of Poland Hitler’s Blitzkrieg (lightning war)  September 1, 1939: Germany attacks Poland with full assault to take over Poland  Key Countries: Germany, Poland, France, Britain  Outcome: Hitler won. Brought Britain and France into the war

The Battle for France  June 1940  Conquer France  Key Countries: Germany, Italy, France and Britain  Outcome: Strike at France: go through Netherlands, Belgium, & Luxembourg; Germany won. Hitler had almost all of Europe

The Battle for Britain  September 1940  Aka Operation Sea Lion: invasion of Great Britain  Purpose: Destroy British air power and air industry; Hitler bombed London  Key Countries: Germany and Britain  Outcome: Britain won. Germany could not invade Britain. Lesson learned that Hitler could be stopped

Nonaggression Pact, August 23, 1939  Stalin & Hitler not attack each other  Stalin would get Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, ½ Poland  Hitler would get 1/2 Poland

Hitler Invaded USSR: aka Operation Barbarossa, 1941  June 1941  Purpose: living space and resources  Key Countries: USSR and Germany  Outcome: Soviet wins (Germany stopped by harsh Soviet winter); Soviets used a scorched earth policy

Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941 “ A date that will live in infamy ”

Background to Attack  1940: US wary of Japanese advances towards Guam & Philippines  July 1941: US cuts off oil supply to Japan

December 7, 1941  Attack: US knew an attack was coming, but where?  Damaged 18 ships (8 battleships)=nearly entire Pacific Fleet  2400 dead, 1800 wounded  December 8, 1941: US declares war on Japan

D-Day Invasion Operation Overlord, June 6, 1944  Commander: Dwight D. Eisenhower  Make believe attack at Calais to throw off Germans  Land on the beaches of Normandy: US, British, French, Canadians  Despite heavy casualties; hold beach  August 25, 1944: Allies marched into Paris  September: liberated France, Belgium, Luxembourg, & much of Netherlands

Germany’s Unconditional Surrender  March 1945: Allies cross Rhine River  April 25, 1945: Soviets surround Berlin  April 30, 1945: Hitler commits suicide  May 8, 1945: V-E Day

Japanese Surrender  August 6, 1945: First atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima  August 9, 1945: Second bomb dropped on Nagasaki  September 2, 1945: Japan surrenders aboard the USS Missouri

Outcomes of WWII  Period of political tension after WWII called the Cold War  Marshall Plan- US provide economic aid to countries trying to rebuild after communism  Loss of empires by European countries  Establishment of two major powers in the world: The United States and the U.S.S.R.  War crimes trials: held in Japan and Germany (Nuremburg Trials)- Nazi’s tried for crimes against humanity

Outcomes of WWII  Division of Europe - Iron Curtain (boundary between Communist nations and Democratic nations in Europe)  International Cooperative Organizations  Establishment of the United Nations  Human Rights

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights  Established and adopted by members of the United Nations  Provided a code of conduct for the treatment of people under the protection of their government

International Cooperative Organizations  United Nations  North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) –US, Canada and western European countries  Warsaw Pact-Soviet Union and eastern European countries

Efforts for reconstruction of Germany  Democratic government installed in West Germany and West Berlin  Germany and Berlin divided among the four Allied powers  Emergence of West Germany as economic power in postwar Europe; Allies help west Germany causing the Soviets to strengthen their hold in East Germany

Efforts for reconstruction of Japan  U.S. occupation of Japan under MacArthur’s administration  Democracy and economic development  Elimination of Japanese offensive military capabilities; United States’ guarantee of Japan’s security  Emergence of Japan as dominant economy in Asia

MAJOR LEADERS  Franklin D. Roosevelt  President of U.S. during WWII  Died two weeks before Germany surrendered  Harry S. Truman  U.S. president after death of President Roosevelt  Responsible for dropping bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki  Truman doctrine- to stop or contain the spread of communism (following WWII)  Dwight Eisenhower  U.S. General responsible for the Allied invasion of the beaches of Normandy in France  Elected President of the U.S. in 1952

 Douglas MacArthur  U.S. General  Commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific  Oversaw conversion of Japan after WWII  George Marshall  U.S. General  Responsible for the training, organization, and deployment of U.S. troops  Initiated the Marshall Plan which stated that the U.S. would provide economic aid to countries fighting communism (part of the Truman Doctrine)

 Neville Chamberlain  Prime Minister of Great Britain that believed that giving Hitler land would appease him  Attended a meeting with Hitler and Mussolini and agreed to give Hitler Sudentenland and a part of Czechoslovakia  Winston Churchill  Elected British Prime Minister in 1940  Favored a strong stand against Hitler

 Joseph Stalin  Soviet Dictator and leader of the Communist Party after Lenins death  Used secret police to force his rivals into exile or kill them  Ruled the U.S.S.R. for 30 years through fear  He modernized the country, built industry, and increased military power  Collectivization (taking individual farms and making one large farm)  Made the U.S.S.R. a world power, helped defeat Nazi Germany, and took over most of Eastern Europe

 Hirohito  Emperor of Japan  Viewed as a divine figure  Industrialized Japan and started adrive for raw materials  Invaded Korea, Manchuria, and the rest of China  Japanese military expanded and gained political influence under his reign which led to the entry into WWII  Emperor when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor

 Hideki Tojo  Japanese General after WWI  Wanted to build a New Order in Asia with Japan as its leader  Executed at the end of WWII as a war criminal  Crucial in the decision making to bomb Pearl Harbor

 Adolf Hitler  Nazi Dictator of Germany  Rose to power because of inflation and depression and a weakened democratic government  He promised Germany jobs and promised to restore Germany’s greatness  Became Chancellor of Germany in 1933  He started a new empire called the “Third Reich” and took the title fuher which means leader