Aggression Throughout the 1930s

Dictators throughout the 1930s took aggressive actions but nothing was done. Mussolini, Hitler and Tojo (Japan) viewed the desire for peace as weakness. Japan desired an empire equal to those of western countries.

In 1931, Japan invaded Manchuria.

Mussolini also had imperialist ambitions and invaded Ethiopia in 1935.

Appeasement

Hitler began to defy the Treaty of Versailles and militarized Germany and sent troops into the Rhineland. Western democracies denounced his actions but took no real action. They adopted the policy of appeasement.

Appeasement= giving into the demands of an aggressor in order to keep the peace
Many countries sought to keep peace at any price, this is know as pacifism.

Neutrality Acts

In the mid-1930s the US Congress passed the Neutrality Acts. One law forbade the sale of arms to any nation at war. Others outlawed loans to nations

Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis

Germany, Italy, and Japan formed an alliance known as the Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis (a.k.a. the Axis Powers) The three nations opposed communism at home and abroad and agree to fight Soviet Communism They also agreed not interfere with each others plans for expansion.

Invasion of Poland

Hitler and Stalin signed the Nazi-Soviet Pact agreeing not to fight if the other went to war and to divide up Poland equally. A week after the pact was signed, on Sept. 1, 1939 Hitler invaded Poland. Two days later Britain and France declared war on Germany. World War II had started.

Blitzkrieg

The invasion of Poland showed the power of Hitlers Blitzkrieg, or lightning war Blitzkrieg used improved tanks and airpower technology to strike the enemy.

A year after the invasion of Poland Hitler began his blitz on London in Sept. of 1940.
Throughout the night of Sept. 7th Germany ruthlessly bombed London and continued for 57 nights in a row.

The Allies Turn the Tide

Who were the Allies? What do you think the term turn the tide means? Think about what you have learned about WWII so far!

The Allies Turn the Tide

The Allies were able to pull things together at home in order to start winning the war. They started using Total War.
What does Total War mean?

Total War
Nations devoted all their resources to the war effort. In particular, the US and GB stopped making cars and started making airplanes, tanks, and other war machinery. In order to raise money, governments would issue war bonds. What are war bonds?

Japanese Internment
Because of Pearl Harbor, Japanese-Americans started losing their civil rights.

Many lost their jobs, businesses, and property.

Most were sent to interment camps away from the Pacific coast.

Women and War

Once men started joining the military many jobs began to open up. Women who were not part of the military began to work in these factories producing war goods.

Women who did join the military had jobs driving ambulances, delivering war goods, and decoding messages.

1942-1943
The Allies began winning victory after victory. The war was now being fought in four different places: The Pacific North Africa and Italy

The Soviet Union

France They began pushing the Axispowers back.

Air-Craft Carriers
Naval ships stopped seeing actual combat Now they provided for a landing and launching pad for aircrafts.

The Big Three

The Big Three

Although these men came together, they did not trust each other.
Churchill and Roosevelt felt that Stalin wanted to dominate Europe. Stalin believed they wanted to end communism.

These men were united by their common goal of defeating Hitler.

They all knew this goal could not be met with out each others help.

Dwight Eisenhower
Eisenhower took charge of a joint British and American command in North Africa (Morocco and Algeria). What did he become after the war?

When was D-Day? Now that North Africa was under control, the Allies wanted to continue the front. They wanted to invade the coast of France to stop the Germans. Thousands of British and American soldiers landed on the beaches of Normandy. They Allies were successful in driving out Hitler and the Nazis The Allies continued to cripple the Germans by incessantly bombing their industries and destroying the morale of citizens.

D-Day

Victory in Europe
By March 1945, the Allies had successfully reached German ground. That same year Mussolini was executed by guerillas and Hitler committed suicide. Victory in Europe (V-E Day) commenced on May 8, 1945.

Pacific Theater
The US lead the force in the Pacific. They embarked on an island-hopping campaign.

What do you think this means?

The Allies were able to pour most of their energy and resources into this campaign. Why?

Potsdam Conference
In 1945, the Big Three met again in Potsdam, Germany. This time they discussed the Pacific Theater. A warning was issued to Japan to surrender or face utter destruction and devastation. What do you think this meant? What was to come?

The Atomic Bomb

Japan refused to surrender. For years prior, the US had been working on the Manhattan Project.

The goal of the Manhattan Project was to develop a weapon of mass destruction.
On August 6, 1945, the Enola Gay took off from America toward Japan loaded with the Atomic Bomb. The Atomic Bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan and then later Nagasaki.

With these bombings Japan was left devastated and had no choice but to surrender, thus ending WWII.