World War II Road to War

The Treaty of Versailles Benito Mussolini in Italy Resented the terms of the treaty Ended democracy and established fascism Wanted to recapture the glory of ancient Rome Adolf Hitler in Germany Violated the treaty by secretly building up an army Established totalitarianism and fascism

Fascism in Italy and Germany Fascism is a form of radical authoritarian nationalism. Fascists seek to unify their nation through a totalitarian state that seeks the mass mobilization of the national community through discipline, indoctrination, and physical training.

Mussolini and Hitler

Alliances Italy and Germany had become allies Their alliance was known as Axis Japan had been establishing a military dictatorship and later joined the Axis powers

German Expansion Rhineland Austria Sudetenland--Czechoslovakia The Munich Pact Poland and Nazi-Soviet Pact with the USSR

German Expansion

Hitler voted as “man of the year” of 1938 by TIME Magazine in 1939

World War II War Begins

Germany begins its invasion of Europe Poland invaded on September 1, 1939 Great Britain and France declare war on Germany on September 3, 1939 By spring of 1940 Germany had taken over Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, and Belgium France fell to Germany in June 1940 GREAT BRITAIN BECAME THE LAST DEMOCRACY FIGHTING AGAINST HITLER IN ALL OF EUROPE!!!!

German empire during WWII

Who’s fighting the war? Allies Axis Great Britain France Russia (once Germany invades them) Later on…the U.S. Germany Italy Japan

Battle of Britain Hitler decides to invade Britain in August 1940; he feels confident Invasion consisted of an air invasion with weeks of continuous bombings Hitler asked Britain to surrender and Prime Minister Winston Churchill defiantly claimed “We shall never surrender!” The German air force lost against the British air force and Hitler called off the invasion

…continued… Hitler decides to ignore the Nazi-Soviet Pact made with Stalin and invades the U.S.S.R. in June 1941… But we will get back to this another day

Battle of Britain

America in the beginning of war Neutrality Selective Training and Service Act Lend-Lease Act Helping Britain was extremely important to FDR Japan Pearl Harbor attacked on December 7, 1941 U.S. joined the Allied nations in WWII

Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor

World War II On the Home Front

Mobilization for War U.S. spent more than $320 billion on the war effort—war production Industry soared; it pulled us out of the Great Depression The massive spending on the war and people producing for the war is what got us out of the depression

Japanese Internment Camps Pearl Harbor Japanese Americans Internment Camps

Wartime Propaganda Advertisements and propaganda served a couple of purposes: Support the war effort (economically, emotionally) Promote awareness of spies and people against the war effort To convince people to join the armed forces or related industries

Nazi Propaganda

The Eternal Jew, a documentary about the world Judaism

War in Europe and Africa World War II War in Europe and Africa

U.S.S.R. Germany started their invasion of the USSR in June 1941—BIG MISTAKE! (FOR HITLER) Leningrad, Moscow, Stalingrad Germany underestimated the Russian people, Russian army, Russian climate, Russian everything Germany gave up their invasion of the USSR in February 1943

U.S.S.R.

Operation Overlord A massive invasion of France from the west by the Allies to push the Germans back American General Dwight Eisenhower directed the invasion June 6, 1944 was D-Day, when ships landed in Normandy, France Heavy and intense fighting ensued, but the Allies were able to liberate Paris on August 25

Operation Overlord Battle of the Bulge—last German attempt/offensive to regain territory Surprise attack launched in December 1944 Took place in Belgium Their offensive did not work and the Allies pushed the Germans back

End of war in Europe By April 1945, Soviet troops surrounded Berlin Hitler committed suicide and Germany surrendered May 8, 1945 is V-E Day for “Victory in Europe” FDR died on April 12, 1945; he wasn’t alive to see Germany surrender =( Harry S Truman becomes the President

War in the Pacific & The Holocaust World War II War in the Pacific & The Holocaust

Japanese Expansion Japan continued to expand their empire after their attack on Pearl Harbor Thailand, Malaya, Philippines American General Douglas MacArthur was in charge of the Pacific Campaign

U.S. Victories In April 1942 we began to win important battles such as Battle of the Coral Sea Battle of Midway Battle of Guadalcanal Why are these important?

Fighting in the Pacific Island hopping Iwo Jima and Okinawa (1945)

End of the War in Pacific Potsdam Declaration Hiroshima and Nagasaki Japan surrendered as a result of the bombs August 15, 1945 is V-J Day for “Victory over Japan”

WWII is Over! Most devastating and bloodiest war in world history More than 40 million people died Very unique war as well because over half of the casualties were CIVILIANS and not military personnel

What was the Holocaust? Holocaust: the state-sponsored systematic persecution and annihilation of European Jewry by Nazi Germany Genocide Included Jews, Roma (gypsies), Poles, Soviet prisoners of war, Blacks, Jehovah’s Witnesses, mentally and physically handicapped, homosexuals.

What was the Holocaust? About 11 million people were killed during the Holocaust About 6 million of these people were Jews These victims were held in concentration camps where they became slaves for Nazi Germany, being forced to labor for them There were also death camps, where victims were executed upon arrival

What was the Holocaust? Ways of execution: firing squad, mass burnings (crematoriums), gas chambers A lot of propaganda was aimed at people to convince them that this was the correct thing to do to get rid of the “Jew problem”

A few of the Nazi camps