1. World War II
Causes & Effects

2. World War II

3. The Treaty of Versailles
Blamed Germany for WWI
Forced Germany to pay 33 Billion in war reparations
Took valuable territory from Germany
Forbid Germany from building up it’s military
How do you think this effected Germany?
Over the next 20 years, Germany would endure many economic and social hardships
Inflation
Unemployment
Civil Unrest
Discontent with the government

4. Germany: New Leadership
Adolf Hitler
( )
The German people were looking for a leader who would bring pride, strength and economic stability to Germany
They found a leader who would later be named Time Magazines “Most Hated Person of the 20th Century”
- Adolf Hitler -

5. Hitler’s Nazi Germany
Adolf Hitler was leader of the National Socialist political party, the Nazi Party
The Nazi party believed in fascism
Fascism is a political philosophy that supports a strong central government controlled by the military and led by a powerful dictator (Fuhrer in Germany)
The Nazi party felt that strong nations had the right to conquer weaker nations
The Nazi party also had racist beliefs, they believed people of Northern European decent (Nordic-Viking) were naturally superior to other races
They called this race the Aryan or Master Race

6. Hitler’s Nazi Germany
Two Fascist Dictators:
Mussolini of Italy & Hitler
As Fuhrer, Hitler immediately began building up it’s military through weapons production
This gave a boost to the economy and increased Hitler's popularity among the people
Although this was a violation of the Treaty of Versailles, the leaders of Great Britain & France did not attempt to stop him
Why do you think they allowed this military build up?

7. Hitler’s Nazi Germany

8. Hitler’s Nazi Germany
Although the economy improved, the people began to loose basic rights such as the freedom of speech & freedom of press
Hitler began to blame the countries problems on groups of people he saw inferior and undesirable
The largest of these groups was the Jewish people, however; Hitler also despised the disabled, the mentally retarded, the communists and various others he thought were not fit for life

9. The Trains to Auschwitz (1944)
Jewish Oppression
Through a series of laws, the Jews soon lost their citizenship and all of their rights
Jews were forced to wear gold stars and people were encouraged to be cruel to the Jews
Eventually, Hitler decided that the “final solution” for the Jewish problem was genocide
Genocide is when one group of people tries to completely wipe out another group
This was the beginning of the Holocaust
Prior to and throughout WWII, approximately 6 million Jews were force into concentration camps and systematically murdered
The Trains to Auschwitz (1944)

10. Holocaust

11. Holocaust

12. Holocaust

13. The Axis Powers
Hitler soon allied Germany with the countries of Italy and Japan
They would become known as the Axis Powers
Soon, all three began invading and conquering neighboring countries
In 1939, Germany invaded Poland. Great Britain & France declared war on Germany, Italy & Japan declared war on them World War II had began

14. German Conquest
Hitler's army swept through Western Europe, conquering Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, Denmark & Norway.
A year later, Germany invaded the Soviet Union, it’s former ally
Hitler used Blitzkrieg “Lightning War” – a fast, overwhelming invasion of countries
Germany had soon conquered most of Europe, some felt the rest of the world could be next

15. Europe

16. U.S. Involvement
Initially, the U.S. only supplied support (weapons & equipment) to the allies. We did not want to be involved in combat
However, just like the 1st World War, we were drawn into the conflict
What event forced the U.S. into combat during World War II?
December 7th, 1941 Pearl Harbor “a date that will live in infamy”
Empire of Japan conducts a massive aerial attack
Response to the U.S. oil embargo on Japan
188 U.S. aircraft destroyed
4 Battleships sunk
2,402 personnel killed

17. Pearl Harbor December 7th, 1941

18. U.S. Involvement The Allies United Kingdom France Soviet Union
The following day, The United States declared war on Japan, Italy & Germany declared war on the U.S.
The U.S. would now put all of the countries efforts towards WWII
The United States sent soldiers to all 3 areas or “theaters of war”
Pacific : Fight Japan in an island hopping campaign
North Africa: Fight Fascist Italy
France: U.S. Invaded with Allies from Great Britain
The Allies
United Kingdom
France
Soviet Union
United States
The Axis
Germany
Japan
Italy

19. Key Allied Leaders: Joseph Stalin (Soviet Union), Franklin D
Key Allied Leaders: Joseph Stalin (Soviet Union), Franklin D. Roosevelt (U.S.) & Winston Churchill (Great Britain)

20. D-Day: The Allies invade Normandy, France June 6th, 1944

21. Hitler takes the cowards way out
After the invasion of Normandy, Germany had allied forces to deal with on both east & west
Italy surrendered to Allied forces in 1943
It was only a matter of time before Germany fell
Sensing the end was near, Hitler and his wife committed suicide on April 30th, 1945
Germany surrendered on May 7th, 1945

22. The End of WWII
While WWII was over in Europe, the war raged on in the Pacific against the Japanese
Then president Harry S. Truman wanted to end the war quickly and decisively
For the first & only time, nuclear weapons would be used in war
Harry S. Truman
33rd President of U.S.A.
( )

23. The U.S. Drops Atomic Bombs on Japan
The U.S. dropped the nuclear weapon “little boy” on Hiroshima, Japan on August 6th, 1945
Between 90,000 – 166,000 Japanese men, women and children were killed
3 Days later, the U.S. dropped another bomb “Fat Man” on the Japanese city of Nagasaki
Between 60,000 to 80,000 Japanese were killed
On August 15th, 1945 Japan officially surrendered to the Allied Powers
Do you think the United States was justified in using nuclear weapons to end WWII?
Why or Why Not?

24. Atomic Explosion: Nagasaki, Japan August 9th, 1945

25. The End of WWII
A violent end to the deadliest conflict in human history
At wars end, over 60 million people were dead and various parts of Europe & Asia lay in ruins
The United States & The Soviet Union would emerge from this as the two most powerful nations in the world
These two nations would engage in a longstanding conflict “The Cold War” over the next several decades