An aerial view of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Learning Goals: Understand how dictators took power in several European countries.Understand how dictators took power in several European countries. Identify the countries dictators invaded before the war began.Identify the countries dictators invaded before the war began. Describe why and how World War II began.Describe why and how World War II began.

Journal Question: Write a letter to President Roosevelt explaining the reasons why the United States should or should not enter World War II.

1.The main reason dictators were able to rise to power in Germany, Italy, Japan, and Russia by the mid- 1930s was that the economic and political conditions were weakened in these nations.

2. A common characteristic of the leaders of Italy, Germany, and Japan in the years leading up to World War II was that they felt mistreated by the treaties that ended World War I. Symbols of Japan.

Think-Pair- Share If you were to write a new patriotic song what would one of the topics of the song be? Come up with a line from the song. Write it down for extra credit. Think of an answer – Turn to a neighbor and share your thoughts- We will share as a group

3. Appeasement is meeting the demands of a hostile power in order to avoid war. The Munich Agreement was an attempt at appeasement to meet Germany’s demands to avoid war. England footballers give the Nazi salute before a match in Germany in 1938.

4. Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939 and this caused Great Britain and France to declare war on Germany. Germany and the Soviet Union agreed not to attack each other. Blitzkrieg is lightning war. The British did not surrender despite constant bombing.

5. Hitler wanted wheat and oil fields from the Soviets in order to sustain his military machine. The harshest winter in decades stopped the Nazi advance in the Soviet Union. Japan attacked the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor in 1941 because its leaders believed the U.S. navy blocked Japanese expansion. The result of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was that the U.S. entered World War II.

6. Adolf Hitler is saluting the crowd in the picture and the name of the politcal party is Nazi party.

Think- Pair- Share What would you say to a senator about your support or opposition for laws banning the sale of weapons to countries at war.

7. The cartoon illustrates the increasing need during World War II for Americans participate in rationing.

CLOSURE ACTIVITY Read one of the learning goals for the unit and write a multiple choice test question based on the goal.