Major Events of World War II WHII.12a

Many economic and political causes led to World War II Many economic and political causes led to World War II. Major theaters of war included Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Pacific Islands. Leadership was essential to the Allied victory.

1939 HAHAHAHA!!! We are in control now!!! Germany Invades Poland

World War II Begins Sept. 1, 1939

Invasion of Poland September 1, 1939 Hitler and the Nazis invaded Poland, going against the Nazi-Soviet Pact Agreement between Hitler and Stalin saying they would not go to war with one another, but would just divide Poland and other lands between USSR and Germany Two days later, Great Britain and France declared war on Germany—beginning WWII

Miracle of Dunkirk 1940

Miracle of Dunkirk May 1940 Nazis invaded France through the Ardennes Forest (had been considered invasion proof) Left thousands of Allied troops stranded between the Nazis and the English Channel British sent all available vessels, merchant ships, fishing and pleasure boats across the channel to get troops off the beach of Dunkirk 300, 000 troops were rescued Raised British morale

HAHAHAHA!!! We are in control now!!! 1940 HAHAHAHA!!! We are in control now!!! Fall of France

Fall of France After Dunkirk Germany headed south towards Paris Italy attacked France from the South By June 1940 Germany had overtaken France and forced a surrender Germans occupied Northern France and established a puppet state in the South with a capital at Vichy Britain now stood alone in Western Europe France was under control of Germany until 1944

German Air Force vs. Royal Air Force (RAF) 1940 Battle of Britain A.K.A. Operation Sea Lion German Air Force vs. Royal Air Force (RAF)

Battle of Britain “ The Blitz” German Luftwaffe (air force) attacked Britain and battled against the RAF (Royal Air Force) Bombed Britain with nightly air raids Operation Sea Lion began in the southern part of Britain in August 1940 Attacks soon moved north toward London in September 1940 Bombings continued for 57 nights in a row then sporadically until the following May Operation Sea Lion was a failure in the end Battle united the British more firmly against Germany

El Alamein 1940 “Desert Fox” under the command of German General Rommel begins Axis plan to take parts of Northern Africa and Southern Europe

1941 German Invasion of the Soviet Union Operation Barbarossa Germany stayed in this area of the U.S.S.R. for two years and never went further. Ultimately the harsh winters turned them away. 1941 German Invasion of the Soviet Union German Occupation Line Operation Barbarossa

Operation Barbarossa Germany attacked the Soviet Union with 3 million troops Stalin was unprepared Soviets lost two and a half million soldiers As the Soviets were pushed back by the Germans they destroyed factories and farm equipment and burned crops to keep Germany from taking supplies Invaded as far as Leningrad Germans set up a siege for over two years The harsh winters stalled the German advance

Lend-Lease Act March 1941 FDR’s way of getting around the neutrality laws of the US Allowed the President to sell war materials to “any country whose defense the President deems vital to the defense of the United States.”

Atlantic Charter August 1941 Churchill and FDR met secretly to discuss the plan for destroying the Nazis and the rebuilding the post-war world Set goals for the war and post war world “The final destruction of Nazi tyranny”

Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor 1941 Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor December 7, 1941 Japan attacks Pearl Harbor in order to force the US into war after the US had stopped all trade with them in hopes of ending their aggression in China.

El Alamein November 1942 British forces stopped advance of General Rommel The “Desert Fox” advance was finally halted Rommel’s army surrendered in May 1943 after American and British soldiers joined forces in Africa

Island-Hopping Campaign in the Pacific in which the Allies planned to recapture certain islands as stepping stones towards Japan

Italy Invaded by British/American army in July 1943 Italians were defeated First in Sicily then in Southern Italy After being defeated Italians overthrew Mussolini Invasion weakened Hitler because it forced him to fight on another front

Stalingrad turning point on Eastern front Soviet Union defends the city of Stalingrad and pushed Hitler's army back into Eastern Europe and out of the Soviet Union

Battle of the Bulge Hitler’s last success Slowed the allied advance into Eastern Europe but didn’t stop it Allies continued to push into Berlin

1944 D-Day: Allied Invasion of Europe June 6, 1944

D-Day June 6, 1944 Allied invasion of France Allies eventually reached Paris and forced Germans to retreat By the end of September all of France was FREE

V-E Day Germany surrenders May 7, 1945 celebrated on May 8

Atomic Bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki 1945 Atomic Bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki August 6, 1945 August 7, 1945

Hiroshima & Nagasaki Allies faced a BIG decision- invade vs. bomb Japan had shown in the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa that they would fight to the death instead of surrender The Manhattan Project Japan was issued a warning to either surrender or face utter destruction The warning was ignored so the United States took action US drops atomic bombs on Japan in an effort to end the war quickly

V-J Day August 10, 1945 Japan surrenders onboard the USS Missouri