Transcript World War II

World War II
Part 2
The Axis Powers Advance
A Global Battleground
Germany’s invasion of Poland triggered
World War II. In time, Italy, Japan, and
six other nations would join Germany
to form the Axis Powers. Opposing
them were the Allies. Before the war
was over, the Allies included Britain,
France, the Soviet Union, the United
States, China, and 45 other countries.
World War II was truly a global
conflict. Armies fought in cities and
villages around the world and on the
great oceans. It was the most
destructive war in human history.
Many millions of people were
killed. When it finally ended, cities
across Europe and Asia lay in ruins.
Nazis Overrun Europe
• When the Nazis
attacked Poland,
they did so with a
“blitzkrieg” or
lightning war.
• The Soviet Union
seized Eastern
Poland and other
nations in the east.
• In 1940, German
forces crushed
Denmark, Norway,
Holland, and
Belgium.
• German forces
marched into
France, and Italy
attacked from the
south.
• Britain sent forces • The British sent
to help defend the
every available
French, but they
ship in the nation
were quickly
to rescue 338,000
overpowered.
soldiers.
• At Dunkirk, a
• With little
French port, the
resistance, the
allied soldiers were Germans rolled
trapped and faced a into Paris, and on
dangerous
June 22, 1940 the
situation.
French had to
surrender.
Britain Fights on Alone
The new British Prime Minister, Winston
Churchill, told the people all he had to offer
was, “blood, toil, tears, and sweat”. He said:
“We shall defend our island, whatever the
cost may be, 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
fight in the hills; WE SHALL NEVER
SURRENDER.”
During the Battle of Britain, German
planes pounded London and other major
cities. British fighter pilots used a new
device called radar, and gunned down
almost 2,000 enemy planes.
By late 1940, after several months of
bombing, Hitler gave up his plans for
invading Britain. However, his forces
occupied most of Europe.
Citizens of
London take
refuge in the
city’s subway
system during
“The Blitz” of
1940.
American Neutrality
• The U.S. remained neutral although the
majority of people rooted for the allies.
• Isolationists did all they could to keep us
out of the conflict.
• A “cash and carry” plan was developed.
The allies had to pay cash for all supplies
and haul them on their own ships.
• We also lent Britain 50 old destroyers in
exchange for leases on military bases.
More money was approved for military
buildup of the army and naval forces.
Isolationists did not like it, but many people
worried that if Britain fell, Hitler would
control the Atlantic Ocean.
In 1940, FDR broke tradition by running for
a third term. Some in his own party even
warned against it. FDR used Lincoln’s
quote of “Don’t swap horses in mid-stream”,
meaning now was not a good time to change
leadership. He won a clear victory.
The Arsenal of Democracy
• By late 1940,
• The U.S. could
Britain desperately
loan or sell items
needs supplies.
to any country we
thought was vital
• Isolationists resist
to our defense.
Roosevelt’s ideas
for aiding Britain. • Roosevelt called
for four freedoms:
• The “Lend-Lease
Speech, Worship,
Act” was passed in
From
Want,
and
March of 1941.
From Fear.
• Airplanes, tanks,
• Although we
guns, and ammo
weren’t fond of
went to Britain on
Stalin’s regime, we
British ships.
aided them too.
• American warships • Roosevelt and
followed as far as
Churchill met in
Iceland.
August 1941 to set
up the Atlantic
• In June of 1941,
Charter, and made
Hitler broke his
post-war plans.
pact, and invaded
the Soviet Union.
Japan Expands in Asia
Roosevelt felt the Japanese were just as
dangerous as the Germans. Japan had
seized Holland’s and France’s Asian
colonies, and had signed an alliance with
Germany and Italy in September of 1940.
The U.S. stopped selling oil and scrap
metal to the Japanese. In November 1941,
talks to solve problems in the Pacific were
not successful.
Disaster at Pearl Harbor
• In a surprise sneak attack on Sunday
morning, December 7, 1941, the
Japanese struck at the United States.
• In under 2 hours, they sank or destroyed
19 American ships, destroyed nearly 200
planes, and killed 2,400 people.
• Fortunately, two of our aircraft carriers
were out to sea during the attack.
• The American people were shocked.
The next day, FDR asked Congress to declare
war:
“Yesterday, December 7, 1941—a date
which will live in infamy—the United States
of America was suddenly and deliberately
attacked by naval and air forces of the
Empire of Japan…No matter how long it
may take us to overcome this premeditated
invasion, the American people, in their
righteous might will win this through to
absolute victory.”
War is Declared
Congress swiftly approved a declaration of
war. Three days later, Germany and Italy,
Japan’s allies, declared war on the United
States. The fighting had been raging for
two years, but was now going to get worse.
Pearl Harbor had shocked the American
people into taking action. Now even the
isolationists were on board.