Industrialization & War

Industrial Revolution Began in Great Britain in the 1700s. People used machinery and new methods to produce goods and increase productivity. Productivity- how much can be done in a certain amount of time.

Why did The Industrial Revolution start in Great Britain? Great Britain had a large supply of natural resources like coal and iron needed to make and run machinery. They had plenty of raw materials such as wool and imported cotton. They also had plenty of people to work in factories and run machines.

Change People moved from farms to cities to work in factories. Industrial workers including women and children had to work long hours under dangerous conditions. Eventually unions formed and would strike to get better working conditions and shorter working days.

Impacts The Industrial Revolution made life more difficult in the short term but easier in the long run. Cities grew rapidly because of the jobs available in factories. Cities became overcrowded, dirty, and disease spread easily.

Impacts Manufactured cotton clothing was better quality and cheaper so people could afford to buy more. People could change clothes and wash their clothes more frequently. This new cleanliness helped reduce sickness and disease.

World War II In the 1930s, a worldwide depression severely tested many governments ability to provided for their citizens. The unsolved problems of WWI led to new alliances in Europe.

WWII Germany became a dictatorship under Adolf Hitler and his National Socialist German Workers’ party (Nazis). The Nazis believed Germany was superior to other European nations.

WWII By 1939, the axis powers were at war with the allies. Axis Powers- Germany, Italy, and Japan Allies- Great Britain, France, and China. In 1941, the United States and Soviet Union joined the allies in the war that became known as World War II.

WWII During the war, Hitler and the Nazis carried out the Holocaust, killing over 12 million people. Over 6 million victims were Jewish. Others persecuted groups included Roma people, Poles, individuals with disabilities, and other groups classified as “undesirable”. The Holocaust is an example of genocide.

WWII Italy surrendered in 1943. Germany was finally defeated in May 1945, but the Japanese continued to fight. In August of 1945, the U.S. dropped two atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The United States and the Soviet Union emerged as the worlds superpowers.