World War II SOL WHII.11

Many economic and political causes led toward World War II Many economic and political causes led toward World War II. Major theaters of war included Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Pacific Islands.

There were several economic and political causes of World War II There were several economic and political causes of World War II. Aggressive acts by Germany, Italy, and Japan against other countries was one of the main causes. Each of these countries invaded other countries.

The League of Nations which had been formed to prevent future wars was very weak. It had no power to enforce any of its decisions or rulings.

In addition, Europe and the United States tended toward isolationism and pacifism. They were dealing with the worldwide depression and did not want to get involved in conflicts.

Other cause of World War II included: Nationalism Failures of the Treaty of Versailles Appeasement – Rather than enter another conflict, major countries accepted the aggressive acts of Italy, Germany, and Japan.

Major Events of the War

Axis Powers Allied Powers France Great Britain Germany United States Russia Axis Powers Germany Italy Japan

German invasion of Poland Hitler began a massive air and tank attack on Poland. Polish troops made a hopeless defense against the German onslaught. Coming to Poland’s defense, Great Britain and France declared war on Germany. Within 48 hours, the attack on Poland had become the beginning of World War II.

Fall of France Hitler turned his war machine on France. German planes bombed and destroyed. On June 14, 1940, the Germans enter Paris, and the French armed resistance in the north fell. This left Great Britain alone to fight the Hitler war machine.

Battle of Britain Hitler ordered the air force to strike Britain in preparation for an invasion. These air raids, along with British efforts to counter them, became known as the Battle of Britain. Hitler believed he would destroy the British will to fight. Tremendous help came when the United States entered the war.

German invasion of the Soviet Union After conquering much of Europe, Hitler turned his attention to the Soviet Union. Hitler used the scorched earth system as he moved through the Soviet Union. He expected the Soviet Union to surrender quickly but they did not. German troops had to stay for the harsh Russian winter!

Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor Japan had taken advantage of the worldwide turmoil and had made several aggressive invasions in Southeast Asia. Japan felt the U. S. was their most dangerous potential enemy. In an attempt to knock out the U. S. Pacific Fleet Japan attacked the fleet at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.

D-Day – Allied Invasion of Europe The day the Allied troops landed on France’s Normandy Coast was called D-Day. More than 1 million troops had landed within a month. After heavy fighting, Allied troops moved into northern France.

Atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki Japan refused to surrender even with heavy fighting and bombing of Japanese ports. When Japan refused to surrender, President Truman made an important decision to use the atomic bomb against Japan in the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He felt this decision would bring a quicker end to the war and save lives in the long run.

Major Leaders of the War

United States Presidents During the War Franklin D. Roosevelt – U. S. President when WWII began. He asked Congress to declare war. Harry Truman – became President after the death of Roosevelt – ordered the dropping of the atomic bomb

United States Generals George Marshall Dwight D. Eisenhower Douglas MacArthur

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill

Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin

Nazi dictator of Germany Adolf Hitler

Japanese General Hideki Tojo

Emperor of Japan Emperor Hirohito

The Holocaust

There had been a climate of hatred against Jews in Europe and Russia for centuries.

The systematic and purposeful destruction of a racial, political, religious, or cultural group is known as genocide. Various instances of genocide have occurred throughout the twentieth century.

The defeat of Germany in World War I made Germans eager to believe in the “master race” ideology that Hitler promoted.

The economic depression in Germany was blamed on the German Jews. In addition, there was a history of anti-Semitism. This made blaming the Jews an easy action.

The totalitarianism of Hitler’s government combined with feelings of nationalism to make Hitler’s treatment of the Jews acceptable. Germans felt they were a superior master race and Hitler was their leader.

Hitler’s final solution was the extermination of the Jewish race in extermination camps and gas chambers.

Examples of other genocides Armenians by leaders of the Ottoman Empire Peasants, government and military leaders, and members of the elite in the Soviet Union by Joseph Stalin Tutsi minority by Hutu in Rwanda

Examples of other genocides: The educated, artists, technicians, former government officials, monks, and minorities by Pol Pot in Cambodia Muslims and Croats by Bosnian Serbs in former Yugoslavia

Impact of WWII

The outcomes of World War II included: War crimes trials Division of Europe Plans to rebuild Germany and Japan Establishment of international cooperative organizations

The United Nations was formed as an international organization The United Nations was formed as an international organization. Its goal was to keep peace through collective security arrangements.

After WWII, there were two major powers in the world. The United States The U.S.S.R.

Many high ranking Nazi officials had fled to South America, When the full horror of what had occurred was discovered, these officials were brought to trial. The Nurnberg trials charged 22 Nazi leaders with crimes against peace and humanity.