Transcript World War II

World War II Begins
Rise of Dictators
• Leaders get power by playing
on anger at end of WWI and
Versailles
• Italy: Benito Mussolini and
“The Black Shirts”, said Italy
didn’t get enough out of
WWI, builds up military –get
power of Roman Empire back
• Fascism– extreme nationalism
and racism spread, no free
speech,
• Italy invades N. Africa and
Ethiopia, world does nothing
• Germany: depression and WWI punishment
hits hard
• Adolf Hitler rises to power, Nazi Party– racist
against Jews, thought that they were superior
• Totalitarian State– single party, don’t allow
others, want to expand Germany and build up
military
• Japan: military leaders rise to power, want to
take over Asia, attack Manchuria (China)
• Emperor Hirohito and Hideki Tojo (Prime
Minister)
• Signs pact with Germany and Italy– become
the Axis Powers
American Neutrality
• Want to stay out of all crises
• Neutrality Acts– banned sale of weapons to
countries at war, trade with but must provide
own ships
Germany on the March
• Germany takes over Rhineland (area between
Germany and France)
• Then takes Austria because they speak
German
• Takes over Sudetenland– east of Germany
• Munich Pact– conference of European leaders
• Other countries use
appeasement– give up
stuff to avoid a war
• Doesn’t work, Germany
takes over
Czechoslovakia
• Germany signs secret
deal with Russia– NaziSoviet Non Aggression
Pact: promise not to
attack each other and
split up Poland
War Begins
• Hitler invades Poland on Sept. 1, 1939
• Britain and France declare war on Germany
• German attack was a blitzkrieg– lightning war,
troops, tanks, artillery move quickly, Poland
defeated quickly
• England and France build up defenses on the
Maginot Line (Border with Germany)
• Hitler takes Denmark, Netherlands, Norway
• Belgians fight hard but surrender– leaves
thousands of Allied troops trapped against
English channel
• Escape from Dunkirk– Allied
troops need to get to safety
in England, anything that
floats takes troops across
• Germany quickly moves into
France, takes Paris and
France must surrender
Battle of Britain
• England is last country in standing Hitler’s way
of taking all of Europe
• Germany bombs London and other cities for
weeks, bomb shelters all over England
• German air force versus British pilots– dog
fights all over the skies over England and
English Channel
• British Prime Minister
Winston Churchill inspires
his people to hold out
• Hitler gets frustrated and
turns to attack the Soviet
Union– breaks deal with
Joseph Stalin, huge mistake