Standard 10.8.4 Describe the political, diplomatic, and military leaders during the war (e.g. Winston Churchill, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Emperor Hirohito, Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Joseph Stalin, Douglas MacArthur, Dwight Eisenhower). Standard 10.8.6 Discuss the human costs of the war, with particular attention to the civilian and military losses in Russia, Germany, Britain, United States, China, and Japan.
The poor economy combined with nationalist resentments after WWI gave rise to military dictatorships Every European nation s economy was in turmoil Germany Adolf Hitler Nazis gained control of the German government in the early 1930 s Nazi party was militant and ultra-nationalistic Used the bitterness toward the failed government to gain support WWI left Europe physically and psychologically devastated Intro to WWII Italy Benito Mussolini Il Duce (The Leader) Leader of Italy s Fascist Party Dissatisfied war veterans, nationalists and those afraid of rising communism joined the Fascist party Germany, Italy and Japan formed the Axis Powers Japan Nationalists and Militarists increased their power in the 20 s and 30 s They persuaded the emperor the best way to ensure access to basic raw materials was to invade China and Southeast Asia Blamed Jews and socialists for Germany s loss in WWI Fascism-The idea that people should glorify their nation and their race through an aggressive show of force Italy and Germany were totalitarian states They controlled their people through fear, violence, and extreme patriotism They suppressed minorities and political opposition through violence and propaganda
1937-Japan overran more of China 1935-Italy took over Ethiopia 1938-Germany took over Austria and parts of Czechoslovakia Beginning of WWII By 1940, Germany had invaded most of Western Europe, and in 1941 Hitler violated a secret alliance with the Soviet Union and invaded the USSR Appeasement-giving aggressor nations what they wanted to avoid war Hitler did not keep his promise and invaded Poland in 1939 European response to the annexation of Austria by Hitler with a policy of appeasement Europeans were fearful of another war, so they supported Hitler s actions in return for his promise that he would not invade any more countries This led to England and France to declare war on Germany And were also at war with Germany s Axis allies Japan and Italy U.S. remained neutral but did start to build up its military, thinking that it would only be used to protect against a possible invasion of the Western Hemisphere
These three countries also set themselves up as champions against Communism All three eventually adopted forms of dictatorship that made the state supreme and called for expansion at the expense of neighboring countries Economic depression sharpened national rivalries, increased fear and distrust, and made the masses susceptible to the promises of demagogues Germany, Italy, and Japan were anxious to regain or increase their power Great depression allowed these totalitarian dictators to take hold of their respective countries. Countries were too worried about their own country to worry about another country League of Nations, weakened from the start by the defection of the US was unable to promote disarmament Democratic countries had a desire for peace, which led to their military unprepared ness Rise of totalitarian, militaristic regimes in Germany, Italy and Japan Causes of WWII Policy of appeasement toward the Axis powers by Britain and France Axis Allies WWII German-Soviet nonaggression pact removed German fear of a possible two-front war Germany, Italy, and Japan Great Britain, France, Soviet Union, and later the United States Began September 1, 1939 when Germany, without a declaration of war, invaded Poland. The United States, as it did in WWI, practiced isolationism. They did not want to fight another European war.
first major failure of the Germans in World War II, and it thwarted Hitler's plan to force Britain to accept peace or face invasion Germans gradually gave up hope of invading England Series of air battles between Great Britain and Germany, fought over Britain Battle of Britain The combined German and Soviet losses during the battle were staggering-the Germans alone suffered approximately 300,000 casualties. The Soviets followed up with a westward drive and generally remained on the offensive for the remainder of the war. Hitler reaffirmed his intention to take Stalingrad, despite great losses and lack of reserves. He refused to withdraw German army exceeding 500,000 men (including Italians, Hungarians, and Romanians), began an all-out attack on Stalingrad Battle of Stalingrad European Theater German forces were destroyed, but not without some 77,000 Allied casualties The Germans penetrated deep into Belgium, creating a dent, or bulge, in the Allied lines and threatening to break through. An American force held out, even though surrounded and outnumbered. Battle of the Bulge Battle of Midway Fought mostly with aircraft, resulted in the destruction of four Japanese aircraft carriers, crippling the Japanese navy Pacific Theater Battle of Guadalcanal U.S. forces began their first large-scale invasion of a Japanese-held island; after bitter fighting, it was conquered Major Battles of WWII D-Day (Operation Overlord) Allied invasion of the European continent through Normandy Supreme command over its execution was entrusted to Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower
A new world peace organization would be formed (the future United Nations) Harry S. Truman became president These raids killed tens of thousands of civilians in each city and devastated cities by creating massive fires There would be free elections in the liberated countries of Eastern Europe Germany would be divided into occupation zones It was to redraw the world map Known as the Big Three In early 1945, Stalin, Churchill and FDR met at the Yalta Conference Yalta Conference FDR died in May 1945 End of the War Potsdam Conference Truman met with Stalin and the new British Prime Minister Clement Atlee to devise a plan for implementation of the Yalta conference August 1945, US dropped atomic bombs on Japan Okinawa gave the U.S. a base from which it could launch bombing raids on Japan Hiroshima and Nagasaki Killing over 250,000 people Once the US captured Okinawa, it began fire bombing Japanese cities US captured Okinawa, an important island south of Japan August 6 th and August 9 th respectively It became clear to both the US and USSR that the two had incompatible ideologies and post-war goals. Truman stated that an invasion of Japan would have cost hundred of thousands of lives and that the nuclear warfare therefore saved lives and resources
Korematsu v. United States (1944) the Supreme Court ruled that the internment was constitutional Placed more than 110,000 Japanese Americans to prison camps (known as internment camps) They were just doing what they needed to do to be a good American Most Japanese left voluntarily to their new residences Fearing that Japan might attack the West Coast and to alleviate the possibility of Japanese- Americans spying for Japan Japanese Internment Japanese Internment