Transcript ww2 notes world_war_ii

World War II
A look at the major countries involved,
and how it happened.
Germany
Seeds are sown at the end of WWI
Loss of land
Huge war
payments
War never seen
by non-military
Embarrassment of
losing
Areas rich in resources, and areas of German people
taken from Germany
Unable to pay-off GB and France, had to rely
on help from US (ended with stock market
crash)
War never hits German soil – Easy for
people to believe that they did not really
lose the war
Pre-war Europe all very patriotic—
crushing blow to collective German ego.
Italy
Also bitter about WWI ending
Denied spoils of war that
other allied nations in
Europe received
Disappointed that after switching
sides during the war, that they
were not included in the break up
of the Ottoman Empire Lands
Japan
Eager to join the world’s super powers
A chain of small islands,
without major resources
like coal, iron and
petroleum.
Country’s officials tired of reliance on other
countries like the United States, and want
to become self-sufficient
Great Britain & France
Greedy and nervous after WWI
Blame Germany for entire
war
Losses in human life
and devastation to land
leaves huge impression
Germany forced to accept all blame for
initiating the war, and pay for all of the
Allies’ war debt. Also had land taken
away, and forced to demilitarize important
borders.
Most of the war took place in France.
Craters from shells still leave signs of
the war’s devastation. Both countries
were involved from the start of the war
and suffered huge casualties.
Hope to make it impossible for Germany to ever pose a military threat
again.
U.S.S.R.
Occupied with the plan of forming new
government.
Suffered huge losses from
WWI and in their communist
revolution.
Concentration on matters at home. New
leader Josef Stalin willing to do whatever
was necessary to follow through with
revolutionary plans.
U.S.A.
Frustrations from the end of World War I lead to a strong
isolationist attitude.
Wilson’s 14 points ignored by
European countries in Versailles
Treaty
“The war to end all wars” idea seems like
a hoax. U.S. does not want to be pulled
into Europe’s problems again
Great Depression makes most
Americans more concerned with
fixing situation at home than for
others.
Loss of jobs, and desperation at home much
more important than becoming mixed up in
Europe’s affairs
Fascist Leaders emerge
Adolph Hitler
in Germany
Benito
Mussolini
in Italy
X
AXIS
Yamamoto in
charge of
Japan’s Navy
and the attack
on Pearl
Harbor
Powers
Tojo, the
leader of
the
Japanese
military
Fascist Leaders emerge
Adolph
Hitler:
Austrian-born that fought in WWI. Made a living by selling
his paintings
Joined with others who were upset about the Treaty of Versailles,
and felt betrayed by those who had taken over German leadership.
Blamed Jews and other easy targets for their current situation.
Emerged as the leader of a new group called the Nationale Socialist
Partei Deutchland – or Nazi’s for short.
After jail term for an attempted takeover of the government, he
emerged to an even more desperate public, and eventually would be
elected as the chancellor of Germany.
Fascist Leaders emerge
Benito
Mussolini
Veteran of WWI, and a school teacher in Italy, he was infuriated
by the chaos in his country.
He joined Italy’s parliament in 1921, and by 1926, he was able
to alter rules of election and censorship, and assumed the role
of dictator.
Came to power and established order and productivity in the
country. People jumped when he said jump, or else they would
likely be shot. Italians allowed this to happen because, “He
made the trains arrive on time.”
In 1935, he invaded and took over the N. African country of
Ethiopia, and in 1936 he supported the “Fascist” side of the
Spanish Civil War.
Fascist Leaders emerge
Tojo: from
a Militarist
group-he
forced the
Emperor to
do what he
wanted. He
used religion
and people’s
deference to
the emperor
to get his
way.
Yamamoto:
The leader of
Japan’s Navy.
He orchestrated
the attack on
Pearl Harbor,
and became
very powerful
until he became
too greedy and
over confident.
Early Aggression
Germany
Want to regain land lost in Versailles Treaty and unite all German speaking peoples
Rearmament: 1935
Remilitarize the
Rhineland: 1936
Annexation of
Austria: March 13,
1938
Invasion of
Czechoslovakia: Sept
29, 1938
Hitler begins rebuilding armed
forces, and military.
A direct violation of the Versailles Treaty
Contrived “vote”, Austrian agree to
become one with Germany—”The
Anschluss”
British protest, but relent after deal
between Chamberlain and Hitler—”The
Great Appeasement.”
Kristallnacht: Nov.
9, 1938
Secret deal made with
USSR in the NaziSoviet Pact: Aug 23,
1939
Invasion of Poland:
Sept. 1, 1939
Nazis looted stores, burned
synagogues, arrested 1000’s, and
killed more than 90 Jews.
Agree to split Poland and not
attack each other. A secret part
agrees that they would split
Poland, and allow USSR to take
Baltic States
Introduction of Blitzkrieg, and quick
takeover of Poland. Panzer tanks and
modern “Luftwaffe” daze outdated Polish
army. British and French realize their
mistakes and declare war on Germany.
Kristallnacht: Nov. 9, 1938
Effect of Blitzkrieg in Poland
Japanese aggression
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Invade Manchuria
(Mainland China) in
1931.
Surprise attack on Pearl
Harbor on Dec. 7,
1941. Devastates U.S.
Navy, and in the next
year, they swept
through and captured
many Pacific Islands.
Italian Aggression
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In 1935, they invaded Ethiopia. On May 9,
1936, Ethiopia was incorporated along with
other East African Countries into Italian East
Africa
In Sept. of 36, Hitler and Mussolini formed
the Berlin-Rome Axis.
1940 losses in Egypt and Greece forced them
to get help from Germany and gave Germany
greater control of Italy.
U.S.A. involvement
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Hold to isolationist policy until the attack of Pearl
Harbor.
Assist the Allied countries through trade, and
military production. In 1941, the Lend-Lease Act
was enacted, allowing the president to lend or lease
weapons and other aid to any country he felt needed
them.
Declare war on Japan after the attack on Pearl
Harbor. Germany sub sequentially declares war on
the United States.
Early war in Europe
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British not ready for war
French rely on the Maginot Line: Steel and
concrete barricade built from Belgium to
Switzerland (would have been great in WWI)
Germany’s Blitzkrieg goes around and over
the line, and they are in Paris by June of 1940.
Germany sets up a puppet government in
France (Vichy France)
Battle of Britain
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Summer of 1940, Germany began attacking
Britain, hoping to starve it and destroy its air
force and industrial centers.
New invention, RADAR, saves Britain, and
losses to German air force, forces it to begin
attacks at night.
British withstand 71 major attacks between
then and May of 1941.
Battle of Britain
Allied Leaders
Great Britain’s Winston Churchill
USA’s Franklin Delano Roosevelt
USSR’s Josef Stalin
Sir Winston Churchill
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Longtime politician in Great Britain
Unpopular for his early denunciations of
Hitler and Germany.
1940, Chamberlain was pushed out, and
Churchill was asked to take over.
Early speeches motivated and inspired British
citizens to withstand German attacks.
Famous for his oratory skills.
FDR
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Elected 4 times to be president of the United
States
New Deal policies given credit for pulling the
United States from the harshness of the Great
Depression.
Weekly “Fireside chats” on the radio gave
Americans confidence in times of war and a
belief that they were a part of things.
Josef Stalin
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By the end of the 1930’s, Great Purge had created an
entire public in Soviet Union devoted the Stalin
Nazi-Soviet Pact allowed USSR to expand into the
Balkans and E. Poland
Country was poorly prepared for Hitler’s surprise
attack, and suffered greatly
Survived Germany’s assault due to Hitler’s
wandering attention span, pressure on Germany’s
western front (encroaching Allied troops), brutally
cold winters, and vast number of bodies to hold
German bullets.
1941-1945
German Invasion of Russia:
June 22, 1942.
Surprise move, breaking the Nazi-Soviet
Pact. German come in 3 branches,
aimed at Moscow, Leningrad, and Kiev.
Stalin did not believe that Blitzkrieg could
work like it had in Poland and France
He was wrong. Elite Soviet Tanks were
destroyed, and men were butchered
along the front line
Hitler pulled troops aimed at Moscow to
encircle Leningrad and Kiev. When he
returned to Moscow, winter had hit, and
USSR countered badly hurting the
Germans.
The Pacific
Takeover of Pacific Islands by
Japanese Military
Surprise attack on Tokyo
shocks unsuspecting
Japanese leaders
(Doolittle Raid)
By May of 1942, they had a clear shot at
India and Australia
Japanese try to extend their island control
to keep the Allies further away—but end
up overextending themselves.
Battles of Midway (June 4-7) and Coral
Sea (May 7,8) end up being huge victories
over the overextended Japanese Navy.
Allowed the allies to “island hop” and
retake the pacific.
Dr. Suess take on Battle of Midway
Allied Forces formed
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Late 1941, U.S. and British agree to form a joint
Chief of Staffs, and that Germany needs its attention
first (Japan will stay primarily the concern of the
United States)
January 1, 1942: U.S., United Kingdom, USSR and
23 other countries signed the Declaration by United
Nations, pledging to not make separate peace
treaties.
United Nations became the official name, but the
Allies was more commonly used.
Defending Europe
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Without the immediate aid of United States
troops, and the successes of German Troops in
North Africa (led by General Rommell), the
decision is to defend the south first.
Rommell had pushed 235mi. Into Egypt,
through British lines of defense
Tide turns in North Africa
British advances
Combined troops
land in NW Africa
Rommel stopped in August of 42. An
offensive by British in October began to
drive them back
Led by General Dwight D. Eisenhower,
US and British troops land in Morocco,
Casablanca, and Tunisia, and pinch the
retreating Germans off.
After one last push by Rommel, the troops were surround on a
peninsula in Tunisia, forcing 275,000 German and Italian
Troops to surrender.
Battle of Stalingrad
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Summer of 42, Hitler is
determined to finish off the
USSR (despite urging of his
generals to wait a year)
Approaching Stalingrad, Stalin
gives orders to retreat no
further, having anyone not
standing firm shot.
After huge losses, the Soviets
prevailed, forcing a German
surrender in Jan. 43.
Guadalcanal
August 7, 1942
United States launches an offensive on a
Naval Station on the Small Island of
Guadalcanal. Japan responded
furiously.
Six major conflicts happened before the
U.S. secured the island in February of
1943.
Casablanca Conference (Jan. 43)
North Africa
Air Raids
After much debate, Americans convinced
British to begin focusing on crossing the
English Channel, and limiting troops in the
Mediterranean Sea
British and Americans begin around the
clock bombings of Germany. Americans
suffer huge losses as they were
responsible for the day raids.
Plans made and troops were begun to be assembled for a
channel crossing in 1944.
Invasion of Italy
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July through Sept. of 43, Allies land on Sicily, and
cross to the mainland.
The landing on Sicily forced Germans from some of
their positions in the USSR, marking the end of
German advances on the Soviet Union.
A secret armistice was signed by the Italians.
Strong German stance made it merely a moral
victory for the U.S. and Great Britain.
Tehran Conference
In Nov. of 43, the big
three met together for
the first time. After
some persuasion of
Churchill, Operation
Overlord, was decided
on for the Spring of
44… A crossing of the
English Channel to
mainland Europe.
D-Day (Invasion of Normandy)
June 6, 1944
A beach landing supported by
paratroopers, the Allies fought
their way on to the steep banks of
Normandy
Hitler was tricked into thinking
that Normandy was a bluff, had
fortified the coast further north
allowing the operation to succeed.
By the end of June, the allies, led
by Eisenhower, had 850,000
troops and 150,000 vehicles
ashore in Normandy
Allies begin closing in
Eastern Front
June 22-24, Soviets attack and retake
Belorussia. On July 17, they marched into
Moscow with 57,000 German prisoners.
Liberation of France
Beginning on July 17, 1944, Allied troops
marched and fought heavy German resistance.
On August 25, Paris was liberated.
By the end of August, American troops
reached the German-Franco Border.
Lacking supplies, they are forced to
regroup.
Victory parade in Paris
Soviet Advances
Warsaw Uprising:
Carpathian Mtns. -the Black Sea
Yalta Conference:
Polish step up to fight the Germans.
Soviets could help, but allow the Germans
to crush the uprising. July through
September 1944
Meanwhile, the Soviets were attacking
Romania, Bulgaria, Finland, and installed
a communist leader, Tito, in Yugoslavia.
At conference in early 45 with the big three,
Stalin agrees to help against the Pacific as
long as he is granted territorial gain in the
east.
Yalta Conference
Air war takes center stage
Key islands retaken in
the Pacific
Air Raids on Germany
resume
Capture of Guam and other
islands give the Americans the
chance to strike Japan from the
air. Regular air strikes begin
on Japan.
Allies severely hurt Steel plants as
well as destroy oil fields in
Romania. Plane production and
German morale stay higher than
expected in the short-run.
Battle of the Bulge
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December 16, 1944: Germans mount the last
offensive, trying to split the American and
British lines.
Americans were surprised, but resisted until
good flying weather allowed their air power to
assist them.
By January, the 50 mi. “bulge” had been
eliminated.
Allies close in
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Allied Nations closed in on Germany’s central
locations. The United States captured Nuremburg,
while the Soviet Union surrounded Berlin.
By April 21, 1945, U.S. Troops met USSR troops,
and Germany was split in two.
April 30: Hitler commits suicide in his bunker
May 8: V-E Day (Victory in Europe Day)
Key battles in the Pacific
Iwo Jima and
Okinawa
Island hopping pushes forward, giving the U.S.
closer access to Japan for airstrikes. Fierce
fighting ensues as 6000 Marines are killed
taking Iwo Jima.
Kamikaze
fighters
Desperation sets in, as Japanese fighters
begin using obsolete planes, loaded with
explosives and dive bombing United States
Targets.
Kyushu
Scheduled to be the next wave, but
Americans have grown weary of deperate
measures of Japanese and the huge
losses taken by the Navy and Marines
Nagasaki and Hiroshima
Atomic Bomb
Truman’s decision
Top secret plans had put together great
Physicists minds together to create the
ultimate weapon. Three atomic bombs
were created The first was tested in New
Mexico desert on July 16, 1945.
In his first months in office (following the
death of FDR), He agrees to the use of the
two remaining bombs on Hiroshima and
Nagasaki—Two previously untouched
cities in Japan.
August 6 and 9,
1945
130,000 or more Japanese citizens are
killed by the two bombs.
August 8, 1945
USSR invades Manchuria
Japanese Surrender
August 14, 1945: Japan
announces its surrender
September 2, 1945, aboard
the USS Missouri, in Tokyo
Bay, the official signing
took place. American
General MacArthur was
named the military
governor of occupied Japan.