1. What I Should Have Learned About World War II World History 7.2.3

2. The Alliances: Who is Fighting Who The Allied Powers -The United States - (President Franklin D. Roosevelt) -Great Britain (Prime Minister Winston Churchill) -France (what hadn’t been taken over) -The Soviet Union (Joseph Stalin) The Axis Powers -Nazi Germany (Adolf Hitler) -Fascist Italy (Benito Mussolini) -Japan (Emperor Hirohito)

3. The Early Stages September 1, 1939: Germany invades Poland, Great Britain and France declare war on Germany Summer, 1940 – Nazi Germany captures France Mid-late 1940 – Nazi Germany bombs but does not capture Great Britain Summer, 1941 – Operation Barbarossa: Nazi Germany invades the Soviet Union –Strange considering they were in an alliance with each other prior to the invasion

5. United States Entry Attempted (again) to remain neutral December 7, 1941: Japan attacks US Naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii United States declared war on Japan; Germany declared war on United States

6. American Invasions Pacific Battles –Midway –Guadalcanal –Iwo Jima Atlantic Theater –Initially through Africa –June 6, 1944: Allies (USA, Britain, Canada) land in northern France D-Day/Operation Overlord/The Invasion of Normandy –Battle of the Bulge

7. Toward the End Mussolini captured by Italians and is murdered/executed United States and Great Britain move in from the west, Soviet Union moves in from the east Hitler gets married, then commits suicide with her the next day (April 30, 1945) May 8, 1945: Victory in Europe (V-E Day) celebrated, Atlantic theater of war is closed

8. The Atomic Bombings The Manhattan Project – America’s plan to develop atomic weapons Japan is warned of impending attacks and shown footage of bomb tests August 6, 1945 – “Enola Gay” drops “Little Boy” on Hiroshima, Japan August 9, 1945 – “Bockscar” drops “Fat Man” on Nagasaki, Japan August 15, 1945 – Japan surrenders to the allies, WWII officially ends