World War II 1939 1945 Prelude to Global
World War II 1939 -1945
Prelude to Global War Fascism and Nazism During the 1920’s and 30’s dictators came into power throughout Europe. l Germany, Italy, and the Soviet Union had totalitarian governments that controlled every aspect of life. l These governments used terror to suppress individual rights and to silence all forms of opposition. l Hitler of Germany and Benito Mussolini of Italy based their governments on fascism. Individual rights and freedoms are lost as everyone works for the benefit of society and the nation. l
Mussolini l l l In 1919 joined with other dissatisfied war veterans to organize the revolutionary Fascist party. Called himself Il Duce (the leader) Formed Fascist gangs throughout Italy called Blackshirts, because of the way they dressed. He became so powerful, that when he threatened to march on Rome the king made him Prime Minister. Soon Mussolini formed a dictatorship. Mussolini then invaded Ethiopia and took the east African nation in 1936.
Hitler l l l l Once was an Austrian Painter. In 1919 he joined the Nazi Party (National Socialist German Workers’ party) In 1923 him and his followers tried to overthrow the German government. For this he was sentenced to five years in prison but only served nine months. While in prison he wrote Mein Kampf (My Struggle) In Mein Kampf he outlined Nazi philosophy, views of German problems, and his plans for the nation. He blamed the Jewish population for its defeat in WWI. In it he says that he wants to expand Germany’s borders, strengthen its army and purify the Aryan race (pure Germans) By 1933 Hitler and the Nazi party was the largest group in the Reichstag (the German Parliament) Hitler then became head of state because of his promises to rebuild and stabilize the economy. He then became what he would call himself, “Der Fuhrer” the leader.
Europe Goes to War l Hitler in 1936 violated the Treaty of Versailles and invaded the Rhineland. This is the area between France and Belgium. France and Britain did nothing to resist him. l Germany then signed an alliance with Mussolini and Italy creating the Axis powers, which Japan would later join.
German Empire Grows l l l In March of 1938 Hitler moved his forces into Austria and annexed it. Still, European powers did nothing while Hitler was expanding his power. England, France, Germany, and Italy met at what was called the Munich Conference in Munich, Germany and allowed Germany a policy of appeasement, or giving in to someone’s demands in order to keep the peace. At the conference Britain and France agreed to let Hitler have the Sudetenland (Eastern Czechoslovakia) Hitler than annexed the rest of Czechoslovakia. Britain and France threatened Hitler if he planned to annex any more territory and promised to defend Poland from German invasion. In 1939 Hitler invaded Poland France and Britain declared war on Germany.
Chamberlain holding up agreement with Hitler
Blitzkrieg and Sitzkrieg l l l Blitzkrieg (lightning war) is where the army moves by truck instead of on foot, for fast results. Using this tactic Germans took Poland in less than a month. Stalin then took eastern Poland on agreement with Hitler. After this strike things went quiet for a while. The Germans called the sitzkrieg (sit down war) 1940 Hitler attacked Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Netherlands, and France. Of the beginning Allied powers only Britain remained. They would later be joined by the US and the Soviet Union.
The Battle of Britain Hitler assembled his troops on the Coast of France, just 20 miles from Britain and launched an air assault against them. Winston Churchill now Britain’s Prime Minister pledged to defend the island at all costs. l Hitler’s Luftwaffe (German Air Force) would send 1000 planes a day to bomb London. Britain never surrendered but was heavily damaged. 30, 000 Londoners died and 120, 000 were wounded in all. l
Japan Builds an Empire Japan was eager to start an empire because of its growing population. l In 1931 Japan seized Manchuria in northern China which was noted for its mineral rich soil. See map p. 433 l By 1940 Japan gained control of most of eastern China, defeating guerrilla fighters and their leader Mao Zedong. l They then became an ally of Germany and Italy and made another pact with the Soviet Union to stay neutral. l
The American Response l l l l In 1938 FDR seeing what Japan was doing built up the Pacific fleet from San Diego to Pearl Harbor. Most Americans supported the policy of isolationism. Through the Neutrality Acts, the US withheld weapons and loans from all nations at war and they required that nonmilitary goods sold to nations at war be paid for in cash and transported by the purchaser. Later the US would trade weapons with Britain and France and merchant ships from the US would deliver other items. American Involvement Grows In 1940 Congress authorized the first peacetime draft in the nation’s history. The Selective Service Act required all males ages 21 to 36 to register for military service. In 1941 Congress passed the Lend-Lease Act which authorized the President to aid any nation whose defense he believed was vital to American security.
Japan Attacks Pearl Harbor In response to Japan occupying the French Colonies of Indo China, FDR froze Japanese financial assets in the US and cut off all trade with Japan. l In November of 1941 the US learned that a Japanese fleet was moving toward Southeast Asia. Another fleet also left Japan for Pearl Harbor. This included 6 aircraft carriers and 20 other ships. l On Sunday morning of December 7, Japan struck Pearl Harbor and destroyed the Pacific Fleet. In two hours 2, 400 Americans were killed and 1, 200 wounded. l Calling December 7, “A date which will live in infamy, ” the next day FDR declared war with Japan. Three days later Germany and Italy declared war on the US. (pg 443) l
Americans Mobilize For War l l l l Churchill and FDR meet forming the Atlantic Charter this would later form the basis of the United Nations. The GI War American soldiers called themselves GI after “government issue” stamp that appeared on army material. Diversity in the Armed Forces Out of the 15 million Americans that fought: 300, 000 were Mexican American, 25, 000 Native Americans, Out of these 300 Navajos would be called code talkers, 17, 000 Japanese Americans would eventually fight, and 1 million African Americans would fight in segregated units. Women in the Armed Forces Although not able to see combat more than 275, 000 women volunteered during the war. They would eventually help with every possible aspect of the war except combat.
Code Talkers
Fighting in North Africa and Italy l l l The Battle of the Atlantic To deliver food and supplies merchant ships formed convoys with US destroyers as escorts. The Germans would assemble many submarines called wolf packs that attacked the convoys. l The North Africa Campaign In 1942 British General Bernard Montgomery won a victory at El Alamein in Egypt pushing the Germans west. American troops under general Dwight D, Eisenhower landed in Morocco and Algeria and quickly pushed eastward. In 1943 the two allies met in Tunisia trapping the German forces under General Rommel. The Invasion of Italy In 1943 General George Patton invaded the island of Sicily. After conquering Sicily Mussolini was overthrown and Italy surrendered. German soldiers did not surrender in Italy however. At the Battle of Anzio American forces finally pushed through and later captured Rome. American forces suffered nearly 190, 000 casualties while the Germans lost 500, 000 during the Italian Campaign. George Patton
War in the Soviet Union l l l Hitler broke his pact with Stalin and invaded the Soviet Union. The Battle of Stalingrad After the Soviet Union’s Red Army had been pushed back to Stalingrad they made one last stance against Germany. The Red Army used the bitter cold to its advantage and surrounded the Germans and won. Germany never regains upper hand in war
The Invasion of Western Europe l l l A massive buildup of Allied forces began to mass in southern England to invade northern France. While they did this, the Germans strengthened their stance there. D-Day (Operation Overlord) On June 6, 1944 the allies invaded Normandy 150, 000 allied troops came ashore after military planes bombed the shore line along 60 miles of the Normandy coastline. At Omaha Beach the allies suffered 2, 000 casualties. German resistance was fierce.
D-Day Defense
Battle of the Bulge After D-Day Allied powers pushed the Germans all the way to Germany’s borders. This is where the Germans launched a counterattack drafting young boys as early as 15 to fight in 1944. This would be known as the Battle of the Bulge l George Patton moved in to help with 250, 000 troops to stop the German advance. l This was the biggest battle during WWII, and it involved some 600, 000 GIs, of whom 80, 000 were killed, wounded or captured. l
War Ends in Europe l l l l Now the US pushed east into Germany while the Soviets pushed westward. The Soviets would push through Berlin and Meet the Americans at the Elbe River in Germany Surrenders Hitler committed suicide? ? and three days later Germany surrendered on May 8, 1945. The Yalta Conference At the end of the war, FDR, Stalin, and Churchill met in Yalta, a city in the Soviet Union near the Black Sea to discuss the post war. They agreed to split Germany into 4 zones each of the allies would control one of these zones. Berlin would be divided. Stalin agreed to enter the war against Japan
War in the Pacific l l l l Japanese Advance After the bombing of Pearl Harbor just hours after, Japanese planes bombed an American air base in the Philippines called Clark Field. Half of the commanding generals army (Douglas Mac. Arthur) was destroyed. Mac. Arthur held out for four months on the Bataan Peninsula until they had to leave. The remaining soldiers and personnel fled to the island of Corregidor where they later surrendered to Japanese forces. 76, 000 Filipinos and Americans surrendered and had to march some 60 miles to a railroad station to be deported to camps. Around 10, 000 prisoners died on this march that lasted 6 -12 days. This would later be called the Bataan Death March
The War at Sea l Battle of Coral Sea was the first naval combat carried out entirely by aircraft. Enemy ships never came within sight of each other. l This battle was just northeast of Australia. l Both sides lost about half of their aircraft.
Allied Victories l l l l l Battle of Midway This battle took place in June of 1942 just Northwest of Hawaii. Again this was fought entirely in the air. Here the Americans caught the Japanese ships off guard. They were still loading bombs onto their vessels when the US struck. 4 Japanese carriers were destroyed and 250 planes that they carried. Battle of Guadalcanal 11, 000 marines landed on the island. This was their first experience in jungle warfare. By the time the Japanese slipped off the island, their with drawl went undetected until the marines discovered their empty boats on the beach. The US now made its way through the Pacific island hoping to win strategic positions in the war. Off the island of the Philippines one of the greatest naval battles in world history took place in the three day battle of Leyte Gulf. This battle saw the first use of Kamikazes or suicide planes. This word means divine wind. The US severely weakened the Japanese fleet here and won a tremendous victory. It was not until 1945 when the Philippines was secure.
Iwo Jima and Okinawa Iwo Jima This was a tiny volcanic island 700 miles from Japan. US first bombed the island with its planes. Then the marines were brought ashore and took the island. Only 216 Japanese surrendered. The Americans lost 25, 000 men. l The US troops suffered 25, 000 casualties on the 14 miles square island. l l Battle of Okinawa Only 350 miles from Japan that was occupied with 100, 000 defenders. l This is the second in size to the Normandy inavasion. l The Japanese flew Kamikaze attacks and Banzai charges against the allies. l This was the most costly engagement of the Pacific war for the American forces losing up to 50, 000 troops. l l
Manhattan Project l l l Starting in 1939 when Albert Einstein wrote a letter to FDR explaining that a new type of bomb could be developed and that the Germans where already doing so. Einstein came to America to escape the Nazis. Roosevelt called this the Manhattan Project Enrico Fermi, a scientist who had left Fascist Italy, accomplished such a chain reaction of the uranium atom, in a laboratory at the University of Chicago to cause a massive explosion. They tested this bomb in New Mexico. This bomb left a crater in the earth and shattered windows up to 125 miles away.
The Decision to drop the bomb l l l A committee called the Interim Committee assembled to talk about different alternatives to defeating the Japanese. The decision was left to the President Harry S. Truman who had only been in office for three months. When he gave the order, he said that people should do their weeping at Pearl Harbor. On August 6, 1945 a US plane dropped a bomb on Hiroshima in Southern Japan. It is estimated that 140, 000 people died. Some would die from severe burns or radiation. Read quote pg. 449 Three days later a second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. Japan then surrendered.
Holocaust l l l l Start of Persecution Holocaust – Systematic murder of European Jews. More than 6, 000 Jews would be massacred Nazis take action 1935 Nazis pass the Nuremberg Laws, stripping Jews of their German citizenship and forbidding marriage between Jews and non-Jews. Nazis marked Jew identification card with a J and gave all Jews new middle names – Sarah for women and Israel for men. Kristallnacht (Night of the Broken Glass) After Hitler Annexed Austria, Nazis throughout Germany and Austria on November 9 -10 destroyed Jewish stores, houses and synagogues.
From Murder to Genocide l l l When Hitler invaded Poland in 1939 he rounded up 350, 000 Jews and forced them to live in Warsaw. In a space in about 3% of the cities area. People would die from disease, starvation, malnutrition, and other means by being place in ghettos throughout Europe. The Einsatzgruppen (mobile killing units) These killing units would kill at first political leaders, Jewish teachers, and priest. Later in 1942 German government officials met at the Wannsee Conference to discuss what to do about the Jews. They decided to put them into concentration camps and begin to exterminate them.
Death Camps l l l l l The method of killing they used was with a gas called Zyclon B, that they disguised with showers. These camps had unbearable conditions. They would shave their heads, they did not have any bathrooms, they were forced to live in bunks with others. Conditions where of the worst you could think of. Auschwitz was where the most Jews were killed. 1. 5 million. Fighting Back In 1943 700 Jews fought back at the Warsaw Ghetto with little more than hand guns and make shift bombs. Some people escaped and their were revolts inside the death camps. One was Treblinka where the Nazis had to close the camp it was so badly damaged. Read chart p. 453 When Americans finally liberated the death camps they were sickened. Read quote pg. 454. The allies placed 24 leading Nazis on trial for crimes against humanity. At the Nuremberg Trials 12 of them received the death sentence. Read Why study History on p. 455
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