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Instructions Anything written in yellow (SLOW down and pay attention) is useful information. You should write it in your notes IN YOUR OWN WORDS. Anything in red (STOP and pay close attention) is critical information and should be copied exactly. Anything in green (GO on to the next point) you do not have to write. Anything written in yellow (SLOW down and pay attention) is useful information. You should write it in your notes IN YOUR OWN WORDS. Anything in red (STOP and pay close attention) is critical information and should be copied exactly. Anything in green (GO on to the next point) you do not have to write.

World War II Problems in Europe led to World War II, the deadliest war in history.

Main Idea 1: Economic and political problems troubled Europe in the years after World War I.

Economic Problems World War I destroyed factories and farmland all over Europe. Many European countries borrowed money from U.S. banks. In 1929 a U.S. stock market crash began the Great Depression. American banks had no money to loan to Europe, so European economies declined.

Political Problems Many Europeans blamed weak government for their economic troubles. They wanted strong dictators to run their countries. In Russia Vladimir Lenin formed the Communist Soviet Union. Benito Mussolini took power in Italy. Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party rose to power in Germany.

Main Idea 2: World War II broke out when Germany invaded Poland.

Italian and German aggression led to World War II: 1935 Italy invaded Ethiopia. Italy and Germany formed the Rome- Berlin Axis Germany annexed Austria. Britain and France protested the annexation, but did not try to stop it.

1938–1939 Germany conquered Czechoslovakia, over the objections of many other countries. Italy invaded Albania.

1939 Germany invaded Poland, which Great Britain and France had sworn to protect. In response to the invasion, they declared war on Germany. This began World War II.

World War II Begins fought The Axis Powers Germany Italy Japan The Allies France Great Britain Soviet Union

Early in the war the Axis Powers were successful. After defeating Poland Germany conquered much of Western Europe, including France. The German air force launched attacks against British cities and other targets, hoping to force the British to surrender.

Germany invaded Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union, while Italy invaded North Africa. Japan attacked the United States at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Main Idea 3: Nazi Germany targeted the Jews during the Holocaust.

The Holocaust was the attempt by the Nazi government during World War II to eliminate Europe’s Jews. The Nazis believed that Germans were a superior race, and they tried to destroy people they thought were inferior, especially the Jews. Their efforts began even before World War II.

During the war the Nazis used mass executions and death camps, such as Auschwitz in Poland, to murder millions of Jews.

Some Jews resisted the Nazis. Some non-Jews, such as Oskar Schindler of Germany, also tried to save Jews from the Nazis. Few were able to avoid the Holocaust, though. By the end of World War II, some 6 million Jews and millions of non-Jews had been killed by the Nazis.

Main Idea 4: Allied victories in Europe and Japan brought the end of World War II.

The United States joined World War II after the attack on Pearl Harbor. In 1943, American and British troops forced Italy to surrender. Soviet troops forced Germany to retreat. The D-Day invasion of 1944 allowed the Allies to advance into German territory. End of the War

End of the War Continued In May of 1945 Germany surrendered. In August of 1945 the United States dropped atomic bombs on Japan, which then surrendered.

Results of the War More than 50 million people died.More than 50 million people died. The United States and the Soviet Union emerged from the war as the world’s strongest countries.The United States and the Soviet Union emerged from the war as the world’s strongest countries. The United Nations was formed.The United Nations was formed.