1. Introduction to WWII
Adapted from McIntyre at

2. Key Concept: What were the four main causes of WWII
Key Concept: What were the four main causes of WWII? Give an example of each.
1. Failure of the Treaty of Versailles
Germany’s borders were changed, and its economy was bankrupted by reparations payments.
Treaty of
Versailles
4. Appeasement and Isolationism:
England and France were still recovering from WWI and unsuccessfully tried to use diplomacy to stop Hitler. Some countries, such as the United States, isolated themselves to try to avoid being drawn into other nations’ wars.
2. Economic Factors:
All countries suffered the effects of the Great Depression, and people blamed their governments and sought change.
3. Nationalism:
Extreme nationalism gave rise to Fascism in Italy and Nazism in Germany and caused Japan to colonize Asia.

3. Quick Facts
A. War Costs
US Debt $9 billion US Debt $98 billion
The war cost $330 billion times the cost of WWI & as much as all previous federal spending since 1776

4. B. Human Costs Quick Facts:
50 million people died (compared to 15 million in WWI)
21.3 million Russians (7.7 million civilians)
11 million died as a result of the HOLOCAUST (6 million Jews + 5 million others)

5. When?
US involvement
1939
1941
1945
Sept.1 - Germany invades Poland (official start to the war)
Sept. 3 -Britain & France declare war on Germany
Dec. 7 – Japan bombs Pearl Harbor; US enters the War
May - Germans Surrender
Sept. - Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima & Nagasaki, Japanese Surrender

6. Axis Allies Who? (major powers) (major powers) Great Britain Germany
Russia
Italy
United States
Japan
France
(note: France surrendered to Germany in 1940 (after 6 weeks of fighting)

7. Major Leaders
Adolf Hitler
Nazi Germany
Benito Mussolini
Italy

8. Major Leaders Hideki Tojo Winston Churchill Japanese Prime Minister
British Prime Minister

9. Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Major Leaders
Joseph Stalin
Russian Leader
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
US President

10. Why? (underlying causes of WWII)
1. Failure of Treaty of Versailles
Lloyd George, Georges Clemenceau, and Woodrow Wilson during negotiations for the Treaty of Versailles
A. Germany lost land to surrounding nations and wanted them back.
B. War Guilt Clause 1) Germany forced pay $57 trillion (modern equivalent). These payments bankrupted the German economy and left them hopeless and embarrassed.
C. The U.S. Congress rejected the treaty. embarrassed Germans

11. Why?
Wallpapering with German Deutschmarks
2. Economic Factors
A. The Depression made Germany’s debt even worse.
B. Desperate people turn to leaders who make them feel better about themselves and put the blame on others. In this case, Hitler blamed the former government, Jews, foreigners, communists, Roma (Gypsies), the mentally ill, and homosexuals.
C. Similar situations existed in other countries such as Italy.
1938- Evidence of Kristallnacht, or the Night of the Broken Glass

12. Why?
3. Nationalism
A. Extreme nationalism gave rise to Fascism in Italy and Nazism in Germany and caused Japan to colonize Asia.
B. It is an extreme form of having pride in one’s country. It creates a situation in which people think, “My country and people are the best, we deserve the best, and we’re going to take it from you.”
C. To support nationalism, countries increase their military strength to get what they want.

13. Rise of Totalitarian Regimes
In a Totalitarian country, individual rights are not viewed as important as the needs of the nation. The government controls every aspect of public and private life.
Communist Dictatorship (USSR)
Fascist Dictatorship (Germany, Italy)
Fascism: military government with based on racism & nationalism with strong support from the business community
Totalitarianism
Military Dictatorship (Japan)

14. Why? 4. Appeasement and Isolationism A. Why was the U.S. isolationist?
1. The Great Depression caused economic problems in the U.S.
2. Perceptions of WWI:
a. WWI did not seem to solve much and cost too much in money and lives.
3. People thought that the U.S. got into WWI for the wrong reasons (greedy businessmen!).
B. This led to “Appeasement.”
1. Appeasement: give dictators what they want and hope that they won’t want anything else.
2. Appeasements included allowing the Japanese invasion of Manchuria, the Italian invasion of Ethiopia, and Germany’s invasion of taking of part of Czechoslovakia called the Sudetenland.

15. What else did Hitler get?
Hitler peacefully annexed (took over) Austria in 1938.
Hitler wanted part of Czechoslovakia (Sudentenland)
England and France wanted to avoid war
Munich Pact - gave Hitler the Sudentenland in September 1938 – Hitler promised that was all he wanted
He took over all of Czechoslovakia in March of 1939
Hitler's triumphal entry into Prague,1939

16. What else did Hitler get?
Hitler then eyed Poland
Hitler signed a nonaggression pact with the USSR.
They agreed not to fight each other and split Poland between them
Hitler would later break the pact and attack the USSR.
The USSR then became one of the Allies fighting Germany.
Hitler's triumphal entry into Danzig, Poland 1939

17. How Did Hitler Make War? Blitzkrieg = “Lightning War”
In the next year, Hitler invades:
Denmark
Norway
The Netherlands
France
Hitler in Paris

18. Hitler Betrays Stalin Blitzkrieg = “Lightning War”
Hitler breaks his non-aggression pact with Stalin and invades the Soviet Union in June of 1941

19. US Assistance Roosevelt provided aid to the Allies: Lend-Lease - 1939
US “lent” war materials to cash-strapped Great Britain
Atlantic Charter
US secretly meets with England to commit to defeating Germany
London Firefighter Tackles an Air Raid Blaze

20. Meanwhile … in the Pacific
Pearl Harbor: “a date which will live in infamy”
What?
Surprise attack by the Japanese on American forces in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
Effect?
US declares war on Japan & other Axis powers
USS Arizona sinking in Pearl Harbor

21. Key Concept: What were the four long-term effects of WWII
Key Concept: What were the four long-term effects of WWII? Give an example of each.
Effect
Examples
Power Shifts
U.S. and U.S.S.R become world powers, replacing England and Germany.
Tensions Rise
Arms Race and Cold War begin.
Communism Spreads
U.S.S.R. sets up satellite nations in Eastern Europe.
Hope Survives
United Nations and Marshall Plan implemented.