Transcript WWII

World War II
German Aggression
Germany wanted to expand its “living
space”
Germany began to occupy lands that
were theirs before WWI
Germany and Italy formed the Rome
Berlin Axis
France and Britain would appease Hitler
Declaring war
Germany violates the Munich pact by
taking Czechoslovakia
Germany signs Non-aggression pact
with USSR
Germany invades Poland
France and Britain declare War
USSR takes half of Poland
Fighting
Germany waits out winter “phony war”
Attacks and conquers
Denmark
 Netherlands
 Luxembourg
 Belgium

France is easily taken by the Blitzkrieg

South France becomes Vichy France
Britain and USSR
Battle of Britain – 3 month long air battle

Britain wins and defends their country
Germany turns on USSR in operation
Barbarossa

Superior German army is stopped by the
Severe Russian winter
Japan
1930’s Japan begins imperialistic
expansion
Manchuria
 Parts of China

Island country needs natural resources
1936 joins Axis powers (Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis)
B/c of expansion USA threatens
sanctions on Japan

Not to send them metal and oil
USA enters WWII
Isolationist, but passed the Lend-Lease
Act – authorized Pres to aid any nation whose
defense was vital to the safety of the US
Japan continues expansion
USA sanctions Japan
Relations Break down
Pearl Harbor attack DEC 7th 1941

2400 American killed
1939-1942
Germany and Italy are in control of
Europe
Japan controls much of SE Asia
USA has a damaged fleet in the Pacific
Britain unable to impose much damage
on Europe
Turning points
Battle of Britain
Pearl Harbor
El Alamein
Battle of Midway
Invasion of Italy
Stalingrad
D-day
Turning Points
Battle of Britain- Able to hold out versus Germany
Pearl Harbor- USA enters WWII
El alamein- The surrender of German General Rommel
in North Africa
Battle of Midway- USA defeats Japan wins naval
superiority in Pacific
Italy- Allies Invade Italy and Italy overthrows Mussolini
Stalingrad- German advance into USSR is halted and
defeated by the Soviet Union
D-day- Invasion of France opened another front against the
Germans (June 6, 1944)
USSR
Soviet Union begins to turn the tide
against Germans
Superior troop numbers along
reinforcements of weapons from the
allies make the Eastern Front a strong
defense
D-day
June 6, 1944
Allied successful attempt to invade
France
Opened another front against Germans
Ending the War in
Europe
Germany now has war on 2 fronts
Italy joins Allied powers

Mussolini is Killed by own people
Race to Berlin by allies
Hitler commits suicide
VE day (May 8th, 1945)
FDR dies in April
Ending the war in Japan
US able to fully focus on Japan
Truman becomes President
Island hopping campaigns take
Japanese strongholds in the Pacific
To avoid massive loss from possible
invasion, atomic bombs are dropped

Hiroshima and Nagasaki
VJ day, (August 14, 1945)
Holocaust
The Holocaust
Mainly against Jewish People
Originally packed into Ghettos and starved
 Later “Final Solution” was implemented

Jews were sent to concentration Camps
 Exposed to harsh treatment, Medical
experiments, hard labor, and extermination
 Jews had to dig their own mass graves before
being killed

The death toll
The mass slaughter of European
civilians

5 – 6 million Jews

2out 3 jews that were in Europe
400,000 Roma (Gypsies)
 4 million Slavic leaders
 4 million Soviet prisoners of war
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