World War II Overview What was World War

World War II Overview

What was World War II? Who was involved? • Major war from 1939 -1945 • Fought between the Allies and Axis, primarily in Europe, North Africa, and Asia/the Pacific

Where did fighting occur? • Primarily in • Europe • Asia • North Africa • Pacific Ocean

How & why was Asia involved? • Military leaders took control of Japan in 1937 • Invaded China • Committed horrible atrocities (crimes) in the Rape of Nanjing • “Kill all, burn all, loot all” policy • Trading competition with USA • Japan had an alliance with Germany; China had an alliance with the Soviet Union

What caused World War II? • Rise of dictators (totalitarianism) • Hitler (Germany), Mussolini (Italy), Tojo (Japan) • Militarism • Japan, Germany & Italy increased their militaries to help solve their economic problems & show strength • Policy of appeasement • Appeasement: a policy of compromising in order to keep the peace & avoid conflict • League of Nations lacked power to aggressively respond to Germany • As Germany slowly invaded other places, the Allies made threats but never took action

Who were the Nazis? What were their beliefs? • One former soldier, Adolf Hitler, was extremely angered by the Treaty of Versailles & the depression • He created a small political party called the National Socialists (Nazis for short) that quickly grew powerful • Nazi beliefs & goals: • Restore German pride • Fix the Germany economy • Autarky: make Germany self-sufficient so they didn’t need to rely on others • Germans (Aryans) were superior to other ethnic groups, especially Jews

How did the Nazis gain popularity & control? • Promised the people what they wanted • Hope for the future! • Effective use of propaganda • Provided jobs & improved economy • Offered Jews as a scapegoat • Scapegoat: a person or group who is blamed for a problem • Discrimination against Jews = anti-Semitism • Later in the 1930 s, they used fear & intimidation

How did Hitler get control of Germany? • Hitler & Nazis were elected to gov. positions • The president, Paul von Hindenburg, appointed Hitler chancellor of Germany in 1933 • Hindenburg thought he could control Hitler • Instead, Hitler took total control • Fear & intimidation used to convince people to elect Hitler • He was now fuehrer of Germany with total control

How did the Nazis spread Anti-Semitism? v In school, to reach the youth v. Taught that Jews were scientifically inferior v. Hitler Youth groups v. Slowly added anti-Semitic laws v. Jewish children = separate schools, no parks, no cinema v. No Jewish professors, only shop 3 -5 pm, star on clothing… v. Media & propaganda v. List of Jewish crimes, anti-Semitic movies & news v. Nazis also discriminated against many other groups of people, like the disabled, Roma, homosexuals, & Communists

What started the war? When? • September 1, 1939: Germany invaded Poland • Great Britain declared war on Germany

What was the Holocaust? • The Nazis “Final Solution”: plan to exterminate all the Jews in Europe • System of work & death camps where Jews & other “offenders” against the Nazis were imprisoned • Jews were arrested for no crime at all & sent across Europe as prisoners • Horrible conditions- disease, torture, starvation common • Certain extermination camps included gas chambers to more “efficiently” kill people

• Forcibly transported to the camps in cattle car trains • Separated by gender & age upon arrival • All belongings taken • Young, old, & ill typically killed right away • Used as slave labor until death