Transcript The Second World Warx

Leading up to WW2:
Bridging the Gap Between WWI and
WWII
8-4 Social Studies
WWI: “The War to End All Wars”
1914-1918
• Much turmoil after WWI
• Treaty of Versailles ended WWI
– Germany vs. the Allied Powers (Britain, France,
Russia, Italy, United States)
• 135 countries participated in this war
• Death total: 15 million+
Several Major Causes of WW2…
1. The Treaty of Versailles
• Germany lost WW1, faced harsh treaty
• Germany forced to “accept the responsibility”
of the war damages suffered by the Allies
• Germany required to pay hugely
• Country left in economic ruins
– Starvation
– Government in chaos
2. Japanese Expansion
• Before WWII: Japan growing rapidly
• Didn’t have land or natural resources to
sustain growth
• Looking to expand their empire to gain new
resources
• Invaded Manchuria (Northeast Asia) in 1931
and China in 1937
• Sparked upheaval
3. Fascism
• Dictatorial form of government (opposite
of democracy)
–Ruling party & single person in power
are superior to all other citizens.
–Reject basic human rights…
• Freedom of speech
• Right to protest the government
Fascism, cont’d…
• Post WWI: countries taken over by powerful
dictators
• Mussolini=Italy
• Looking for lands to conquer to expand their
empires
• Italy invades Ethiopia in 1935
• Adolf Hitler emulates Mussolini as he takes
over Germany
4. Hitler and the Nazi Party
• Hitler and the Nazi Party rise to power in
Germany
• Germans desperate to turn their country
around after WWI destruction
• Hitler offered hope
• 1934: Hitler proclaimed the “Fuhrer” (leader)
– Becomes dictator of Germany
Hitler and the Nazis, cont’d…
• Hitler furious about restrictions of Germans in
Treaty of Versailles
• Rearms Germany
• Teams up with Mussolini and Italy
• Takes over Austria in 1938
• Grows bolder; takes over Czechoslovakia in 1939
5. Appeasement
• European countries didn’t want another war
• Britain and France tried to keep the peace
through “appeasement”
– Tried to make Germany and Hitler happy rather
than trying to stop them
– Backfires: Hitler grows bolder; gives him time to
build up his army
6. The Great Depression
• Pre WWII, during the 1930s
• Great economic suffering throughout the world
• Result: unstable governments (i.e., where Fascist
leaders stepped in) and worldwide turmoil
• Contributed to causes of WWII
The Beginning of the
Second World War
Phase 1: September 1939-June 1940
The Official Beginning…
• Germany invades Poland from the West
– Marks the official beginning of WWII
– September 1, 1939
• 16 days later, Soviet Union invades Poland from
the East
• Germany and the Soviet Union sign a nonaggression pact
– They wouldn’t be enemies
– Agree to divide Poland between them
Allied Forces During Phase 1
• France
• Britain
• The Commonwealth (several countries; for
example: Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South
Africa)
• **Canada officially entered the war on
September 10th, 1939, but didn’t make a total
commitment to the war effort until May, 1940.
Axis Forces During Phase 1
• Germany
• Italy
• Japan
Blitzkreig, 1940
• German term for “lightning war”
• A military tactic to easily break through Allied
defences in several places
– Combines tanks, aircraft, and mobile infantry
– Fast-moving, powerful units
Blitzkreig, cont’d…
• Germany unleashes against Belgium and the
Netherlands
• Bypass Maginot Line (French concrete line of
fortifications)
Blitzkreig, cont’d…
• British and French armies tried to stop the
Germans but were defeated.
• Humiliated, the French government
surrendered to Germany, leaving Britain to
carry on the fight alone
Canada’s Contribution
• Sent small volunteer army using ships known
as the Merchant Marine
– Merchant Marine: ocean-going ships used for
trade that were converted to transport military
personnel and supplies
• First ships (September, 1939) sunk by German
submarines almost immediately
Canada’s Contribution, cont’d…
• The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan
(BCATP) or simply “The Plan”
– Created December, 1939
– Massive, joint military aircrew training program
created by UK, CAN, AUS, and NZ
– Canada’s air force would train Allied pilots in
Canada
– 131,000 air crew trained in Canada
Canadian Government During Phase 1
• William Lyon MacKenzie King and Liberal Party win
federal election
• Policy of sending small volunteer army overseas
while having large scale war production at home.
– Why would this policy be popular with Canadians?
• May, 1940: Canada changes policy
– German victories
– National Resources Mobilization Act (NRMA)
– Canada moves into a total commitment to the war
effort
The Second World War
Phase 2
June 1940 - July 1943
The War Takes a Turn
• Two major events:
1. German armies invade Soviet Union (breaking
the terms of the non-aggression pact). Soviet
Union becomes Britain’s ally
2. December 7, 1941: Surprise military strike by
the Japanese Navy against the U.S. naval base at
Pearl Harbor , in the U.S. territory of Hawaii.
United states declares war on Germany and
Japan
Significant Losses
• June 1942: U.S. forces destroyed much of
Japan’s air and naval forces.
• German army suffers major defeat at the
hands of the Soviet army in February 1943
near the city of Stalingrad.