Outbreak of WWII ESSENTIAL QUESTION HOW DID UNRESOLVED

Outbreak of WWII ESSENTIAL QUESTION: HOW DID UNRESOLVED ISSUES FROM WWI LEAD TO THE OUTBREAK OF WWII?

TEKS and Objectives WE WILL… (1 F) identify causes/effects of world wars and their impact on political, economic, and social systems… (12 B) explain roles of various world leaders prior to/during World War II (12 C) explain major causes/events of World War II (28 C) explain effects of major new military technologies on World War II… I WILL… Summarize the causes of WWII

Germany in Crisis Weimar Republic Collapses ◦ Great Depression spread to Germany ◦ Leaders could not agree on how to deal with economy ◦ Communist and Nazi Parties offered radical solutions Nazi Party ◦ Led by Adolf Hitler ◦ Fanatic loyalty to “Führer” (father)

Hitler’s Vision for Germany Condemnation of the Weimar Republic ◦ blamed for Treaty of Versailles ◦ Urged Germans to replace democracy with strong leader Aryans as Superior Race ◦ Believed Germans (Aryans) should rule the world ◦ Planned to wipe out Slavic peoples (Poles) to make room for Germans in Eastern Europe

Hitler’s Vision for Germany Anti-Semitism ◦ Called Jews an “evil race” ◦ Blamed them for Germany’s defeat in WWI Mein Kampf ◦ “My Struggle” ◦ Spelled out Hitler’s radical ideas

Hitler’s Rise to Power “Brown Shirts” ◦ Private army of former soldiers and unemployed workers ◦ Beat up political opponents/Jews ◦ Staged rallies/parades Nazi Supporters ◦ Elected Nazis to legislature ◦ Used violence and murder to created chaos and fear ◦ Appointed Hitler as chancellor of Germany (head of state)

Nazi Germany Human Rights Violations ◦ People arrested/executed without trial ◦ Press censored ◦ Unions and rival political parties outlawed Economic Prosperity ◦ Stimulated economy with public works projects (building highways, military) ◦ Secured full employment

Nazi Germany Persecution of Jews ◦ Fired from government jobs ◦ Citizenship revoked ◦ Forced to wear yellow star ◦ Barred from marrying Germans ◦ Shops/synagogues vandalized and burned Rule through Terror ◦ Gestapo (secret police) arrested suspected opponents ◦ People mistreated, tortured, and killed in concentration camps Rule through Propaganda ◦ Newspapers, radios, and films glorified Nazism ◦ “Hitler Youths” indoctrinated children

Main Causes of WWII

ANGER over Treaty of Versailles Problems with the Treaty ◦ Dictated peace ◦ Not based on Wilson’s Fourteen Points ◦ War Guilt Clause unjustified ◦ Loss of territory and population ◦ High reparations

European AGGRESSION Italy Expands ◦ Mussolini invades Ethiopia Spain Falls to Fascism ◦ Francisco Franco becomes Spanish dictator with Hitler’s help Germany Expands ◦ Wanted to unite all German-speaking peoples ◦ Hitler annexed (took over) Austria ◦ Claimed part of Czechoslovakia

Appeasement Fails Appeasement ◦ Giving in to aggression in order to avoid war Munich Conference (1938) ◦ European leaders met with Hitler ◦ Appeased Hitler with western Czechoslovakia

Munich Conference

Non-Aggression Pact USSR and Germany ◦ Secret treaty to invade/divide Poland ◦ Promise not to attack each other Hitler Invades Poland (September 1939) ◦ Launches blitzkrieg (lightning war) ◦ Poland quickly falls ◦ Britain and France declare war on Germany

Main Countries at War ALLIED POWERS (BARF) AXIS POWERS (JIG) Britain Japan America (U. S. after Dec 1941)) Italy Russia (USSR) Germany France

The War in Europe Hitler’s Early Success ◦ Conquer Denmark, Norway, Holland, Belgium, and much of North Africa ◦ March into Paris, France in June 1940 ◦ Hitler’s next target was Britain

Hitler in France

Battle of Britain (July 1940) Winston Churchill ◦ British Prime Minister ◦ Rallied British resistance ◦ Inspired people with public broadcasts Hitler Fails to Defeat British ◦ Island location helped defend from air attacks ◦ Used radar to detect enemy aircraft

Scenes from “The Battle of Britain” Germany’s massive bombardment of Britain

Operation Barbarossa (1941) Hitler Invades Soviet Union ◦ One of the coldest winters on record ◦ German troops not prepared ◦ Stalin used scorched-policy (destroyed all resources as they retreated) Battle of Stalingrad ◦ Turning point of WWII ◦ Soviets defeated Germany