World War IIWorld War II

Causes of World War IICauses of World War II1. Treaty of Versailles1. Treaty of Versailles

A. Germany lost land to A. Germany lost land to surrounding nationssurrounding nations

B. War ReparationsB. War Reparations

1) Allies collect $ to 1) Allies collect $ to pay back war debts to pay back war debts to U.S.U.S.

2) Germany must pay 2) Germany must pay $57 trillion (modern $57 trillion (modern equivalent)equivalent)

3) Bankrupted the 3) Bankrupted the German economy & German economy & embarrassed Germansembarrassed Germans

2. World-wide Depression2. World-wide Depression

A. The Depression A. The Depression made Germany’s debt made Germany’s debt even worseeven worse

B. Desperate people B. Desperate people turn to desperate turn to desperate leadersleaders

1) Hitler seemed 1) Hitler seemed to provide to provide solutions to solutions to Germany’s Germany’s problems problems

1923 - Wallpapering with German Deutchmarks

3. Rise of Totalitarian Regimes3. Rise of Totalitarian Regimes

A. In a A. In a TotalitarianTotalitarian country, individual rights are country, individual rights are not viewed as important as the needs of the nationnot viewed as important as the needs of the nation

Communist Dictatorship

(USSR)

Totalitarianism

Fascist Dictatorship

(Germany, Italy)

Military Dictatorship

(Japan)

Fascism: military government with

based on racism & nationalism with strong support

from the business community

4. Isolationism of Major Powers4. Isolationism of Major Powers

A. Why was the U.S. Isolationist?A. Why was the U.S. Isolationist?

1. Great Depression (problems at home)1. Great Depression (problems at home)

2. Perceptions of WWI2. Perceptions of WWI

a. WWI did not seem to solve mucha. WWI did not seem to solve much

b. People began to think that we’d b. People began to think that we’d got into WWI for the wrong reasons got into WWI for the wrong reasons (greedy American businessmen!)(greedy American businessmen!)

So What Was Hitler Asking For?So What Was Hitler Asking For?• Return of German Speaking Lands - Return of German Speaking Lands -

““LebensraumLebensraum””

•AustriaAustria - - Peacefully Peacefully Annexed in 1938Annexed in 1938

German Troops Parade in Streets of Czechoslovakian Town, ca. 1939

•Munich Munich ConferenceConference - - Great Britian & Great Britian & France give to France give to Hitler in return for Hitler in return for peacepeace

•SudentenlandSudentenland - - (now part of Czech (now part of Czech Republic) Republic)

•Hitler then invades Hitler then invades the rest of the rest of CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia

•Nonaggression Nonaggression PactPact Russia stays Russia stays out of the war in out of the war in return for 1/2 of return for 1/2 of PolandPoland

•Great Britain & Great Britain & France finally France finally declare war on declare war on GermanyGermany

Hitler's triumphal entry into Danzig, Poland 1939

How Did Hitler Make How Did Hitler Make War?War?

In the next year, In the next year, Hitler invades:Hitler invades:

•DenmarkDenmark

•NorwayNorway

• The The Netherlands, Netherlands,

•France France

Hitler in Paris

Battle of StalingradBattle of Stalingrad (June 1941 – January 31, 1943)(June 1941 – January 31, 1943)

• Germans violated nonaggression pact with Soviet Union and attacked them

• Hitler hoped to captured Soviet oil fields

• Germans nearly won (controlled 9/10 of the city)

• Hitler expected the invasion to take only three months, the tides turned when they hit the winter.

• Soviets lost 1,100,000 people in this battle

• From that point on, Soviet army began to move westward towards Germany

Normandy Invasion (D-Day)Normandy Invasion (D-Day)

• June 6, 1944June 6, 1944

• During this time, Soviet During this time, Soviet Union was pushing into Union was pushing into Poland and Allies were Poland and Allies were pushing North in Italypushing North in Italy

  • Generals Dwight D. Generals Dwight D.

Eisenhower and George Eisenhower and George Patton influential in Patton influential in leading attackleading attack

  • 3 million ally troops to 3 million ally troops to

attackattack

D – DayD – Day•     60 mile stretch of 60 mile stretch of

beachbeach• 156,000 troops156,000 troops

• 4,000 landing craft4,000 landing craft•     600 warships600 warships

• 11,000 planes11,000 planes•       Largest land-sea-air Largest land-sea-air

operation in historyoperation in history• Omaha beach Omaha beach known known as one of the as one of the

most most brutal areasbrutal areas

Battle of the BulgeBattle of the Bulge

• December 16, 1944December 16, 1944

• German tanks broke through American lines German tanks broke through American lines (80 mile front)(80 mile front)

  • Fought in Belgium - Germany was trying to Fought in Belgium - Germany was trying to

capture Antwerpcapture Antwerp  • Very brutal war - one of the most extensive of Very brutal war - one of the most extensive of

U.S. military (120 American GIs captured and U.S. military (120 American GIs captured and mowed down by SS machine guns and pistols)mowed down by SS machine guns and pistols)

• Germans were Germans were winning in the winning in the beginningbeginning

• 120,000 Germans 120,000 Germans died (also lost 600 died (also lost 600 tanks and guns and tanks and guns and 1,600 planes – 1,600 planes – leading to defeat))leading to defeat))

  • 80,000 Americans 80,000 Americans

dieddied  • Americans won, but Americans won, but

were close to losingwere close to losing

The end of HitlerThe end of Hitler

• April 30, 1945 Hitler April 30, 1945 Hitler and Eva Braun commit and Eva Braun commit suicide (gun shot and suicide (gun shot and cyanide)cyanide)

• Bodies burned in Bodies burned in streetstreet

• Cover of Time Cover of Time magazine May 7, 1945magazine May 7, 1945

V-E DayV-E Day

• May 8, 1945May 8, 1945

• General Eisenhower accepted a surrender General Eisenhower accepted a surrender by the Third Reichby the Third Reich

  • V-E day = Victory in Europe dayV-E day = Victory in Europe day  • 11stst part of War was over part of War was over  

• July – August 1945July – August 1945

• Truman, (Churchill and then Clement Atlee) and Stalin met in Truman, (Churchill and then Clement Atlee) and Stalin met in Potsdam, GermanyPotsdam, Germany

• Drew up a blueprint to disarm Germany and eliminate the Drew up a blueprint to disarm Germany and eliminate the Nazi regimeNazi regime

• Divided Germany into 4 sections (occupied by France, Britain, Divided Germany into 4 sections (occupied by France, Britain, U.S. and Soviet Union)U.S. and Soviet Union)

• Berlin to be divided up in East (or Soviet Germany)Berlin to be divided up in East (or Soviet Germany)

• Set up the Nuremberg Trials to persecute Nazi leaders Set up the Nuremberg Trials to persecute Nazi leaders

• Japan must “unconditionally surrender”Japan must “unconditionally surrender”

Nuremberg TrialsNuremberg Trials

• International tribunal court tried Nazi International tribunal court tried Nazi officialsofficials

• Over 23 nations tried Nazi war Over 23 nations tried Nazi war criminals in Nuremberg, Germanycriminals in Nuremberg, Germany

• 12 of the 22 defendants were 12 of the 22 defendants were sentenced to deathsentenced to death

• 200 other officials were found guilty, 200 other officials were found guilty, but give lesser sentencesbut give lesser sentences

V-J DayV-J Day

• August 15, 1945: Japan offers August 15, 1945: Japan offers unconditional surrenderunconditional surrender

• September 2, 1945: V-J Day = Victory September 2, 1945: V-J Day = Victory in Japan Day (Formal surrender)in Japan Day (Formal surrender)