1. World War II

2. Terms and People
blitzkrieg – “lightning war” using improved tanks and airpower
Luftwaffe – German air force
Vichy – location in France of Germany’s “puppet state”
General Erwin Rommel – German general known as the “Desert Fox”
D-Day – June 6, 1944, the day of the Allies’ invasion of France

3. Terms and People
Stalingrad – site of one of the costliest battles of the war between Germany and the Soviet Union

4. Terms and People
V-E Day – the day the Allies achieved victory in Europe, May 8, 1945
Bataan Death March – 65-mile march suffered by American and Filipino prisoners of the Japanese
Manhattan Project – code name for a collaboration of Allied scientists who raced to test the first atomic bomb
Hiroshima – city in Japan where the first atomic bomb was dropped in August 1945
Nagasaki – city in Japan where the second atomic bomb was dropped in August 1945

5. Which regions were attacked and occupied by the Axis powers, and what was life like under their occupation?
Diplomacy and compromise did not bring peace with Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, or imperial Japan.
The Axis powers advanced, attacking countries in Eastern and Western Europe. In the Pacific, Japan captured countries and colonies on the islands and the mainland of Asia. The Axis powers brought misery to the peoples they conquered.

6. Hitler used the tactic of blitzkrieg, or “lightning war,” to overrun much of Europe, starting with Poland on September 1, 1939.
Meanwhile, Stalin’s forces invaded Poland from the east. Within a month, Poland ceased to exist.
The German air force, the Luftwaffe, bombed airfields, factories, and cities in Poland. Then, fast-moving tanks and troops pushed their way in from the west.

7. Next, German troops poured into France, trapping the retreating British forces at Dunkirk.
British vessels crossed the English Channel and ferried more than 300,000 British troops to safety.
Hitler waited out the winter. Then, in the spring of 1940, German forces overran Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Belgium.

8. Germany continued to attack Western Europe.
German forces headed to Paris. With Italy attacking from the south, France was forced to surrender in June 1940.
Germany occupied northern France and set up a puppet government at Vichy in southern France.
Next Hitler set his sights on Britain, calling this planned invasion “Operation Sea Lion.”
In September of 1940, the Luftwaffe began 57 straight nights of showering high explosives and firebombs on London. 8

9. London did not break under the Nazi blitz.
Citizens carried on with their daily lives, seeking protection in shelters and subways.
The Luftwaffe could not gain superiority over Britain. Operation Sea Lion was a failure.

10. Despite his failure to conquer Britain, Hitler seemed unstoppable.
German armies under the command of General Erwin Rommel pushed into North Africa.
In addition, Axis armies invaded Greece, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, and Hungary.
By 1941, the Axis powers or their allies controlled most of Europe.

11. In June 1941, Hitler broke the Nazi-Soviet Pact when he attacked the Soviet Union.
The attack stalled during the winter when thousands of unprepared Germans froze to death.
June, 1941: Hitler double crossed Stalin and invaded Russia through Poland
Big Mistake! Stalin used Scorched Earth military tactic- destroy everything in retreat
Harsh winter and lack of useable supplies resulted in over 1 million Nazi loses

12. The European Theater
December 7th, 1941: Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor
U.S. Pacific Fleet was based at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii
Attack was meant to cripple U.S. fleet so couldn’t interfere with Japan
Six aircraft carriers and 353 Japanese planes attacked in two waves
2,403 died (1,177 killed on the U.S.S. Arizona)
U.S. declared war on Japan the next day “…Date that will live in Infamy…”
Germany & Italy declared war on the U.S. on Dec 8, 1941 (Tripartite Pact)
The attack opened two fighting theatres The Pacific Theatre and the European theatre of fighting.

16. U.S.S. Arizona

17. U.S.S. Arizona Today

18. The European Theater Key Nations at War
Allies: Great Britain, France, Soviet Union, United States
Axis: Germany, Italy, Japan

19. The European Theater Eastern Front: Stalingrad
The Nazis were fighting the Russians in Stalingrad (Aug 1942-Feb 1943)
One of the bloodiest battles in the history of warfare
Nazis are defeated; turning point of the war for the Allies

20. After Stalingrad, the Red Army drove Hitler’s forces out of the Soviet Union.
By early 1944, Soviet troops were advancing into Eastern Europe toward Germany.
German prisoners marched to Stalingrad after their defeat by the Soviet army.

21. By 1944, the Allies were ready to invade France.
On June 6, 1944, ships ferried 156,000 Allied troops across the English Channel to the beaches of Normandy.

22. The European Theater Western Front: D-Day
General Eisenhower planned D-Day for June 6, 1944
Allied invasion across English Channel into Normandy, France
Largest military invasion in history
Allies success allowed them to push further into France

23. D-Day

24. Despite heavy German defenses on the beach and heavy losses, the D-Day landing was a success.
Allied troops broke through the German lines and advanced toward Paris.
Within a month, all of France was liberated.

25. Under the pressure of war, democratic governments limited the rights of citizens.
Allied governments censored the press and used propaganda to win support for the war.
Many Japanese Americans and Japanese Canadians lost their jobs and property and were interned in camps.
The British took similar action against German refugees.

26. How did the Allies finally defeat the Axis powers?
By 1945, the war in Europe was nearing its end. Germany was being attacked from east and west, and Axis armies were surrendering.
In the Pacific, a series of bloody battles continued on the islands as Allied military leaders planned a land invasion of Japan. World War II finally ended when the United States dropped atomic bombs on two Japanese cities.

27. Germany’s geographic location left it open to invasion from all sides.
Hitler made some poor military decisions.
The Soviet army proved far stronger than expected.
The United States had an enormous capacity for industrial production.
There were several reasons why the mighty Axis powers fell to the Allies.

28. By this time, Germany was reeling under round-the-clock bombing.
After freeing France, Allied forces battled by land into Germany.
By early Germany’s defeat seemed inevitable.

29. In the spring of 1945, the Nazis were surrounded and defeated.
From the west the Allies surged into Germany, and from the east Soviet troops closed in on Berlin.
In Italy, guerrillas captured and executed Mussolini. Hitler committed suicide.
The Allies proclaimed May 8, 1945, V-E Day (victory in Europe).

30. The Allies could now focus on defeating Japan.
Until mid-1942, Japan had been undefeated in the Pacific.
However, after the battles of Midway and the Coral Sea, the United States took the offensive in the Pacific.
They gained control of the Philippines in May 1942 and forced U.S. and Filipino soldiers on the Bataan Death March.

31. Meanwhile, Allied scientists offered another way to end the war.
They worked on splitting the atom to create a new kind of bomb.
In July 1945, the Manhattan Project successfully tested the first atomic bomb in New Mexico.
Harry Truman, who had become president after the death of Franklin Roosevelt, realized that it was a terrible new force for destruction. Nevertheless, he decided to use the new weapon against Japan. 31

32. Allied leaders warned Japan to surrender or face destruction
Allied leaders warned Japan to surrender or face destruction. Japan ignored the warning.
On August 6, 1945, U.S. planes dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, instantly killing more than 70,000 people.

33. August 8: The Soviet Union invaded Manchuria
August 8: The Soviet Union invaded Manchuria. The Japanese did not respond.
August 9: The United States dropped a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki. This time, more than 40,000 people were killed.
August 10: Emperor Hirohito intervened and forced the government to surrender.
September 2, 1945: A formal peace treaty was signed.