1. WORLD WAR TWO

2. Key ideas
Hitler launches a surprise attack on Poland, overruns much of Europe, and invades Russia.
Britain survives to fight on alone, aided by arms from the US.

3. Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor draws the US into the war. (1941)
Initial Japanese victories in the Pacific are overturned as US naval forces fight back, gaining the offensive.

4. Nazi persecution of Jews throughout Germany and the conquered nations leads to Hitler’s “Final Solution,” the mass extermination of six million of Europe’s Jews.

5. The Allies invade Europe as the Soviet Union drives the Germans westward, leading to Germany’s final defeat.

6. Japan surrenders following an atomic bomb attack by the US.

7. A ravaged Europe struggles to survive as the US occupies Japan and begins to bring political change and stability.

8. Science and Technology: Developments changed the course of the war
Themes
Science and Technology: Developments changed the course of the war
Radar
aircraft carriers
atomic bomb…

9. Empire Building: Germany, Italy and Japan tried to build empires…dominated others politically and economically.

10. Economics: War efforts weakened British, Soviet and other allied economies. When the US entered, its economy grew sharply after years of depression. This strength helped the Allied effort overall.

11. 32.1 Hitler’s Lighting War
Terms/names:
Nonaggression pact
Blitzkrieg
De Gaulle
Churchill
Dunkirk
radar

12. Germany Sparks a New War in Europe
Hitler took portions of Europe, declaring the ends of his claims each time.

14. Germany and Russia agree not to attack one another (nonaggression pact)
secretly agree to split territory (Poland)
removes Russian threat from East

15. surprise attack: Poland falls to Hitler
blitzkrieg – “lightening war”: swift, overwhelming, massive air and land assault
3 steps: air bombing and paratroopers, infantry and smokescreen, tanks
proof of well-organized German forces

16. An artist’s interpretation of Blitzkrieg over Holland.

17. Great Britain and France declare war on Germany Sept. 3, 1939

18. Soviets take eastern half of Poland

19. Troops ready on western German border w/France, but no action (Sitzkrieg – “sitting war”)
Germany takes Norway and Denmark (plan to build bases to use vs. Great Britain)

20. In a small act of defiance versus the Nazis, the Danish king rides his horse through the street every evening, joined by others who oppose the Nazis.

21. The Battle for France and Great Britain
Germany takes Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg en route to France

22. Regroups with other Germans in Belgium
UK and Belgian forces surrender with backs to the sea
at Dunkirk
Rescue from Britain; military and civilian ships evacuate 338,000

28. Italy (Mussolini) joins forces with Hitler and declares war on Great Britain and France; attacks France from the South (June 10)

29. June 14 Paris falls
French government-in-exile set up by Charles de Gaulle; calls on people to resist Germans, military continues to battle Germans

31. Great Britain left alone; Winston Churchill – his nation will never give in…
“We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets…we shall never surrender.”

33. Germany plans first to knock out the British Royal Air Force, then attack by land
Luftwaffe – Germany’s Air Force began bombing Britain; summer 1940 “Battle of Britain” – May 10, 1941
Daily bomb explosions in city streets
Radar assists British air force
British could decode German messages (enigma)
Bombing moved to night time

35. British resistance turns Hitler’s focus to Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean (proves he can be stopped)

38. Eastern Front and the Mediterranean
(Germany planned to deal with Britain later)
Attention turned to the east
Balkans
Mediterranean region
Russia

39. Italian forces led by Rommel (German “Desert Fox”) take North Africa

40. Hitler fighting in the Balkans (base for his future efforts), planning to attack Soviet Union
Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary, Yugoslavia and Greece join Axis powers

41. “Operation Barbarossa” : Germany begins attack on Soviet Union
Red Army (Soviet Union) was unprepared
Russians burn and destroy resources as they retreat (500 miles)
Leningrad surrounded and isolated by Germans, food sources destroyed; terrible starvation, but still resist
Hitler turns to Moscow; fresh troops and winter help Russians keep Moscow

44. The United States Aids It’s Allies
US had planned to remain neutral; illegal to assist warring nations
Begins to sell arms to Great Britain (uphold free trade with nations who choose their own leader)

45. German U-boat fires on US destroyer = orders to shoot German submarines on sight (undeclared Naval War)