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World War II Sides Axis Powers: Known as the Rome-Tokyo-Berlin Axis, these three powers tried to conquer territory for themselves while other powers were in decline. Germany After World War I, Germany fell into economic problems that weakened the new democratic government. Former soldier, Adolf Hitler led the new National Socialist Party that railed against the weakness of the government and its many failures. Hitler Highlights Burning of Reichstag: Shortly after Hitler took power, the Reichstag building was burned. Communists were blamed for a fire probably set by the Nazis Enabling Act: Fearing a Communist coup, the Reichstag voted to allow suspend the Constitution and to allow the Chancellor (Hitler) to run the government alone for four years (later indefinitely) Japan After World War I, Japan initially enjoyed economic success. However, during the Depression, the democratic government could not fix the economy. So, the Japanese military seized control of the government. Japan’s Strategic Weakness Upon their ascension to power, the military sought to spread Japan into a true empire. To do so, they needed access to many natural resources. Something that their nation lacked. They made plans to seize areas of Asia where these resources could be found. Italy After World War I, the Italian monarchy was torn by rising threats from the Communist left and the Fascist right. Former army officer Benito Mussolini founded the Italian Fascist party in 1920. Fascism A right-wing political philosophy based on order over liberty Celebrates militarism Celebrates obedience to authority Celebrates Private Property Hates democracy Hates Communism Hates Socialism Fasces: Roman symbol of power and status Allied Powers Britain and France: Both nations, weakened by World War I, tried to rebuild their economies. The Great Depression hit both hard and made them unable to challenge the rise of Fascism in Europe. They relied on the League of Nations to stop Hitler and it failed. Soviet Union Following the rise of the Communist party in 1917, the USSR went through a bloody civil war. In 1923, Lenin died and Josef Stalin became the new leader of the USSR. USSR Stalin was a paranoid who oppressed and often killed anyone who was perceived as a threat to his power. He purged most of the best officers and politicians out of his army and government. By the late 1930s, the USSR was weak from the removal of its best and brightest. United States After World War I, America had receded into its safety behind its two oceans and went back to its own business. During the 1930s, America’s economy kept its focus internal and it was not a member of the League of Nations to do anything about the rise of aggressive states in Europe. March to War Germany Rhineland: In 1936, Hitler seized the DMZ as his first act of defiance. He challenged the Allies to do something. They declined. Anschluss After the 1934 assassination of Austrian dictator Englebert Dollfuss, the Nazis engineered a bloodless union with Austria absorbing it into the Reich. Czechoslovakia In 1938, Hitler put pressure on Czechoslovakia to give up the Sudetenland. The Sudetenland is the section that juts into Germany and is mainly populated with ethnic Germans. Czechoslovakia When the Czechs refused, Hitler threatened to take the area by force. In an effort to avert war, the British and French PMs met with Hitler and Mussolini in Munich. Munich In the Munich Accord, Hitler agreed that the Sudetenland would be his last territorial demand. British PM Chamberlain declared that they had achieved “Peace in Our Time”. By the end of 1938, Hitler took the rest of Czechoslovakia. Poland In 1939, Hitler demanded access to their separated lands in East Prussia through Poland, including the port city of Danzig. Stung by his lies from Munich, France and Britain promised the Polish government that if they would assist Poland if it were attacked. Nonaggression Pact Given their reluctance to go to war, Hitler did not fear the Western Allies. He was concerned about the USSR joining the war. So, he signed a nonaggression pact with Stalin where each side promised not to attack the other and to split Poland evenly between them. Poland After dealing with the Soviets, Germany invaded Poland on 1 September 1939. In response, Britain and France declared war on Germany. Japan Launched wars of aggression to secure natural resources. Manchuria in 1932 China in 1937 US opposition to Japanese expansion fomented crisis with America. Japan/US Conflict The United States objected to Japanese aggression in China. They asked Japan to withdraw from China. When Japan refused, the US cut Japan off from vital military resources: oil and scrap metal. Sparks Europe: On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland. Britain and France declared war on Germany, but they could not save Poland. USSR also invaded Poland from the East. Poland surrendered on September 20th. Pearl Harbor On December 7th, 1941, the Japanese fleet launched a surprise attack on the US fleet in Hawaii. They sunk several battleships and killed 2,500 American troops. The US declared war on Japan the next day, FDR decrying the “Day which will live in infamy”. Early War in Europe 1939-1941 By December 1941, Hitler had overrun all of Western and Southern Europe including France, Holland, Belgium, Greece, Yugoslavia, and Norway. The Fall of Western Europe On December 7, the Germans were stopped 3 miles short of Moscow in Russia, their first land defeat of the war. Early War in the Pacific 1941-1942 After their victory at Pearl Harbor, the Japanese overran most of the Western Pacific including Indochina, Malaysia, Burma, Philippines, Indonesia, and the Marianas. The US rapidly sought to even the odds with the Japanese and launched their first counterstroke in May 1942 with the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo. Turning Points Europe El Alamein: In 1942, Rommel’s Afrika Korp was driving across Libya and into Egypt. British General Bernard Montgomery (Monty) stopped them, saving Egypt and the oil of the Middle East from the Germans. Battle of El Alamein Stalingrad In 1942, Germany was making a bid for the oil fields of southern Russia, and they needed to take the city of Stalingrad. To do so, the Germans sent the 6th army with its 250,000 men, 500 tanks, and 1,000 planes. Stalingrad In the city, 55,000 defenders turned every building into a fortress. While the Germans fought house to house, the Russians assembled a 1 Million man army east of the city. Stalingrad The Russians surrounded the city and cut off the Germans from retreat. Russian Counterattack The Germans surrendered their entire force, their worst defeat of the war. Stalingrad The largest battle in history claimed: 1.5 million lives 3,000 aircraft 3,500 tanks 75,000 total vehicles Turning Points The Pacific Midway: In 1942, the Japanese fleet wanted to bring the US into decisive battle to finally destroy the US carriers that it had failed to destroy at Pearl Harbor. Midway The US carriers were widely dispersed at the start of the battle. The Japanese had completed an attack on the American base at Midway and were returning when the US carriers struck. Midway Planes from the American carriers Hornet, Enterprise, and Yorktown savaged the Japanese carriers with bombs and torpedoes. In less than 20 minutes, the four Japanese carriers Akagi, Kaga, Hiryu, and Soryu were burning. Japanese planes that managed to sink the Yorktown in response. The cream of Japan’s Navy was gone. Guadalcanal Just after Midway, the US made its first offensive landing on an island in the Pacific. Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands became the scene of the first major land battle of the war in the Pacific Guadalcanal From August 1942 to February 1943, Japan tried everything to eject the US from the island. Their defeat cost them 25,000 dead and created an American foothold in the Pacific. Allied Advances Europe North Africa: Following El Alamein, a US/British force landed in Morocco and pushed East while Monty pushed West. The Germans were squeezed out of Africa by early 1943. Sicily and Italy In 1943, the US and British invaded the island of Sicily and the Italian peninsula. They were trying to open a second front in Europe to ease pressure on the USSR. They Allies knocked Mussolini out of power and captured most of Italy by early 1944. Battle of Sicily and Italy D-Day On June 6, 1944, 170,000 Allied troops supported by 500 warships and 11,000 aircraft landed in France to open the longsought second front. Intense misdirection against the Germans had allowed the Allies to make the landings a nearly complete surprise. D-Day Landings D-Day After the landings on 5 beaches: Omaha, Utah, Gold, Juno, and Sword, the Allies broke out and swept across France. Allied Breakout They liberated Paris by July and approached the German border from the West. Allied Advances Pacific Island-Hopping: After the victory at Guadalcanal, the Allied moved forward jumping from island to island. They used Marine landings supported by warships and carrier aircraft. Island Hopping This flexibility allowed the Allies to cut off Japanese retreats and bypass strong points to strike the most strategically important islands. By mid 1945, they were approaching the Japanese home islands. Major victories included Philippines, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. New Advances Blitzkrieg: Also known as “combined arms warfare” combined aircraft and massed tank attacks for maximum shock and speed. Blitzkrieg Tactics It is considered the model for modern armored warfare. Panzer Divisions Germany removed the tank from simple infantry support They massed them into armored formations (200 per division) supported by mechanized infantry They could drive fast and deep into enemy territory. RADAR Radio beams used to locate and identify objects on the ground or in the air. Works with direct LOS using radio reflection. It was the key tool in the British victory in the Battle of Britain in 1940. SONAR Sound waves used to locate objects underwater It uses echo-location to locate ships and submarines. It was a key tool used against German U-Boats in the Atlantic. SONAR Ballistic Missiles A German invention V-2 Rocket: One of Hitler’s Vengeance Weapons to win the war. This design was later adopted by the US and USSR for space launches and ICBMs. ICBMs Russian SS-20 American Pershing Jet Engines Even though several nations were working on jets, Germany got there first with the Messerschmitt 262 (the first jet fighter) It was over 100 miles faster than the fastest Allied plane. However, it did not enter service until the end of the war. If it had come sooner… Jet Planes Me-262 Atomic Bomb Fat Man The most devastating weapon known to man. It was used by the US to end the war. It would succeed in changing the world and the way of war. Little Boy End of the War Europe Hitler and Berlin: As the Russians advanced on Berlin, Hitler married his longtime girlfriend Eva Braun in the late hours of April 30, 1945. Later he killed himself. Germany surrendered on May 7. Holocaust 6 Million Jews and 4 Million other “undesirables” were exterminated by the Nazis People who did not fit the Nazi vision of the “Master Race” were targeted for destruction. Hitler’s Final Solution Nuremberg The top Nazis were put on trial. It had never been done before. They were charged with Crimes Against Humanity. It is still used today in the ICC. The German defense was that they were following orders. It didn’t save them from justice. Sectioning of Germany To prevent a German rise to power again, Germany was divided into four zones controlled by the US, USSR, Britain, and France. The Western three zones were joined into West Germany. Map Berlin was divided into similar zones. Hiroshima and Nagasaki These two cities were destroyed by atomic bombs. 210,000 Japanese citizens were killed. They were used to end the war quickly and to avoid a US invasion of the Home Islands. Hiroshima Before and After Japanese Surrender On September 2, 1945, Japan surrendered to the US. Almost 6 years to the day, WWII was over. Worldwide, 70 Million people had died. War Crimes Trial Just as the leaders of Germany, the Japanese leaders were put on trial for war crimes. Japanese leader Hideki Tojo was executed for his crimes.