The History of the United The History of the United StatesStates

Unit NineUnit Nine

World War IIWorld War II

World War II: 1939-1945I) Rise of Adolf Hitler

A) Collapse of the Weimar Republic

1) Great Depression

Germany’s government after WWI until Hitler

brought down the Weimar Republic

B) Fascism

fascist leader of Germany (German fascists = Nazis)

Hitler’s stated goal: unite the German speaking people

1) all fascists promise to restore past glory

C) Military Moves

1) Rhineland land around the Rhine River

reaction of England & France: nothing

2) Austria reaction of England & France: nothing

Why? Because they were dealing with the Great Depression

3) Czechoslovakia

reaction of England & France: Munich Conference

a) Munich Conference

England & France agreed to let Germany have Czechoslovakia as long as Hitler promised…

(“no further aggression”)

b) Neville Chamberlain: “peace in our time”

England’s Prime Minister who said he had secured for the world…

appeasementappeasement: giving the bully what he wants : giving the bully what he wants so he’ll leave you aloneso he’ll leave you alone

4) Poland

reaction of England & France: threatened to declare war

a) Non-Aggression Treaty with Stalin of RussiaStalin = communist leader of Russiagot:got: half of Poland half of Poland gained:gained: time time

b) September 1, 1939Germany invaded Poland (WWII began)

II) Rise of Benito Mussolinifascist leader of Italy (Italian fascists = Fascists)Mussolini’s stated goal: bring back the Roman Empire

A) Italy had an alliance (“Pact of Steel”) with Germany & Japan

1) same 3 countries were called the “Axis Powers”

Axis Powers: Japan, Italy, Germany

“Big Three” Allies: England, America, Russia

III) Rise of ImperialImperial (“fascist”) Japan

A) Tojo—fascist leader; but Emperor Hirohito—real leader

B) Manchuria located in Northern China

C) “Southern Plan” Japan’s plan to invade the South Pacific

stated goal: unite the Asian people under the Emperor

needed OIL, METAL, and RUBBER for their military

the US Pacific fleet at Pearl Harbor stood in the way

B) Ethiopia located in Africa

Why invade? Because it was one of the few remaining African countries not yet taken over by another European country and they thought it would be an easy victory

IV) England Stands Alone

A) Fall of France (Blitzkrieg) “lightning war”

1) Chamberlain government fell from power, & Winston Churchill took over2) Dunkirk

saved the British army to fight another day & proved Hitler could be beaten

a) Spitfire

air battleB) Battle of Britain (1940)

a superior British airplane that helped win the Battle of Britain

RAF = (“Royal Air Force”) British air force Luftwaffe = German air force

1) RAF vs. Luftwaffe

b) “The Blitz” the bombing of British citiesGermany lost the Battle of Britain because they stopped bombing RAF targets and started bombing British cities

3) Germany & Italy declare war on US

a) 2nd of Hitler’s 2 big mistakes

4) Japanese-Americans put into internment camps

C) Operation Barbarossa1) Germany invaded Russia

a) 1st of Hitler’s 2 big mistakes

attacking Russia before finishing off EnglandV) America

A) neutrality (isolationists)isolationists = those who wanted America to remain neutral

1) Lend-Lease Act

compared to lending your neighbor a garden hose when his house is on fire. Once the fire was out, your neighbor would return the hose

B) Undeclared War In The North Atlantic

C) Relations With Japan1) embargo

embargo = not selling something to someone (oil, metal, and rubber)

a) “Rape of Nanking” (Nanjing)

2) Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941)

a) USS Arizona iiiiUSS Oklahoma

blew upcapsized

Admiral Yammamoto: “I fear all we have done is awaken a sleeping giant and Admiral Yammamoto: “I fear all we have done is awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve.”fill him with a terrible resolve.”

3) Germany & Italy declare war on US

a) 2nd of Hitler’s 2 big mistakes

4) Japanese-Americans put into internment camps

VI) War In Europe European Theater

A) Turning Points = the side that was winning starts losing & the losing side starts winning

1) Stalingrad, Russia turning point for Russia

2) El Alamein, North Africa turning point for England

B) American Influence1) Operation Torch the invasion of (N. Africa)

America’s 1st entry into WWII

2) Dwight D. Eisenhower

a) Allied Supreme Commander in Europe

3) D-Day (June 6, 1944) “Operation Overlord”

a) invasion of Normandy (France)

b) Utah, Omaha, Sword, Gold, Juno

4) Liberation of France

Utah & Omaha were the American beaches (Omaha had the most casualties)

C) Holocaust (“final solution of the Jewish question”)1) Concentration Camps

prison camps used for the systematic slaughter of human beings

a) Jews, homosexuals, gypsies, the insane, POWs (prisoners of war), and political rivals

b) Auschwitz most infamous concentration camp

VII) War In The Pacific Pacific Theater

A) Early American Setbacks

1) the Philippines (“Bataan Death March”)

American soldiers who surrendered in the Philippines were forced to march to prison camps (hundreds were murdered along the way)

2) General Douglas MacArthur ordered to leave the Philippines

a) “I shall return”b) Allied Supreme Commander in the Pacific

B) Japanese Setbacks

1) Doolittle Raid on Tokyo

bombing raid (boosted American morale)

2) Island Hopping Campaign:“hit ‘em where they ain’t”attack the smaller, weaker Japanese-held islands surrounding the stronger ones leaving them to surrender or starve

a) Guadalcanal (1st big island hopping battle)

b) Iwo Jima (flag raising on Mt. Sarabachi)

c) Okinawa (closest US got to Japan)--Japanese fighting to the death (many US casualties)

C) Turning Point

1) Midway

VIII) War Ends (1945)

A) FDR died at Warm Springs, GA

Italy surrendered 1st

1) Harry S. Truman took over

B) V-E Day Victory IN Europe1) Germany surrendered after Hitler committed suicide2) Germany & Berlin divided

Berlin

Germany

West: England France America

West: England France America

East: Russia

East: Russia

C) V-J Day Victory OVER Japan

1) Japan wouldn’t quit a) invasion planned (heavy casualties

expected due to tough fighting America encountered as they moved closer to Japan, especially the resistance the Japanese put up on Okinawa that cost so many lives)

WWII ends

a) “Fatman & Littleboy”

b) Japan surrendered

2) atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima & Nagasaki