1. World War II

2. Origins of World War II
In 1941 two major alliances squared off against each other:
The Axis Powers:
Nazi Germany
Fascist Italy
Empire of Japan
The Allied Powers:
Great Britain
France
Soviet Union
China
United States

3. Road to War: Asia 1931-1945 Japan seizes Manchuria in September 1931
Japanese government controlled by militarists
Mao’s Long March occurred in 1934
Japanese invaded mainland China in 1937
Rape of Nanjing occurred winter of
Chaing Kai-shek retreated into western China
Mao’s communist forces led guerilla warfare in East
Japan occupied French Indo-China in 1940

4. The Nanking Massacre or Nanjing Massacre, also known as the Rape of Nanking
was a six-week period following the Japanese capture of the city of Nanjing (Nanking)
the former capital of the Republic of China
Occurred on December 13, 1937
During this period, hundreds of thousands of civilians were murdered and 20,000–80,000 women were raped by soldiers of the Imperial Japanese Army

5. Severed Heads: A Result of the Nanjing Massacre

7. Italian Invasion of Ethiopia
October 1935
The war resulted in the military occupation of Ethiopia and its annexation into the newly created colony of Italian East Africa
Ethiopia never surrendered.
Illegal use of mustard gas by Italy
On 18 November 1936, the Italian Empire was officially recognized by the Empire of Japan Italy in turn recognized the Japanese occupation of Manchuria
Only five nations refused to recognize Italian sovereignty over Ethiopia and respected Ethiopian independence: The US was one of them

8. Road to War: Europe
Hitler withdraws Germany from the League of Nations in 1933
Hitler annexes German inhabited regions of Austria and Czechoslovakia in 1938
Europe follows policy of appeasement at Munich Conference in 1938 (BIG MISTAKE!)
Nazi-Soviet Pact signed August 23, 1939
Stalin and Hitler secretly agree to divide Poland
Germany invades Poland on Sept. 1, 1939

9. World War II: European Theater
World War I was a defensive war; World War II was an offensive war
Blitzkrieg led Germany’s easy conquest of Poland, Belgium, France, et al.
Mobilized massive amounts of human and natural resources from around the globe
Civilians viewed as legitimate targets for war
War for oil?
German army attempted to seize Suez Canal
German army besieged Stalingrad

10. World War II: European Theater

11. World War II: Pacific Theater
After Japan occupied French Indo-China, the U.S. and Britain stopped shipments of steel, iron, and oil to Japan
Japan bombed Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941
Japan quickly conquered Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands
Battle of Midway marked a turning point
Japan lost 4 of its 6 largest aircraft carriers
Japan’s productivity was one-tenth of U.S.

13. World War II: Pacific Theater

14. End of War: European Theater
Three major allied offensives
After victory at Stalingrad, Soviets begin counteroffensive in 1943
Allies invaded Sicily in July 1943
Invasion of Normandy (D-Day) June 6,1944
Hitler commits suicide on April 28, 1945
Germany surrendered on May 7, 1945

15. End of the War: Pacific Theater
U.S. strategy of “island-hopping” by-passed heavily fortified islands to get closer to Japan (Aircraft carriers very important)
Bombing raids of Japan began June 1944
40% of Tokyo was destroyed
U.S. dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima (August 6, 1945) and Nagasaki (August 9)
Japan surrendered August 14, 1945

17. Hiroshima and Nagasaki

18. Effects of War 60 million dead World flooded with refugees
Six to eight times more than World War I
Over half the dead were civilians victims of massacres, famines, and bombs
Russia lost 25 million; China 15 million; Poland 6 million; Germany 4 million
World flooded with refugees
90 million fled China
Most refugees never returned home

19. War of Science New inventions: synthetic rubber, radar, antibiotics
Military advances: airplanes, tanks, weapons, aircraft carriers.
Nazi V-2 missiles
Atomic bomb

20. The Holocaust Nuremburg Laws passed in 1935
German and Polish Jews eventually moved to ghettos or work camps
Final Solution starts in 1942
Applied modern industrial methods to the slaughter of human beings (gas chambers)
Killed 6 million Jews and millions of Poles, gypsies, homosexuals, physical and mentally handicapped

21. The Holocaust Warsaw Ghetto Riots Prison Labor Ovens at Auschwitz
Liberation of Dachau

22. Home Front in Europe & Asia
No clear distinction between “front” and “home front”
Soviet Union dismantled 1500 factories and rebuilt them in Ural Mountains
Russian women took over 50% of industrial jobs and 75% of agricultural jobs
German women were encouraged to stay home and have children
Imported 7 million “guest workers”

23. Home Front in the United States
U.S. economy experienced prolonged BOOM after 1940
Women and minorities were recruited for factory jobs
6 million women enter workforce
1.2 million African-Americans migrate north looking for work
Japanese were placed in internment camps (result of Pearl Harbor)

24. U.S. Propaganda

25. U.S. Propaganda