WWII

World War II

Allies - Great Britain, France, U.S., Russia Axis - Germany, Italy, Japan, Serbia

Dictators Mussolini - Italy Stalin - Russia Hitler - Germany

Nazi Party - preached German racial superiority facism - a political movement that preached an extreme form of patriotism and nationalism - often linked to racism


 * 1935 - Hitler and Mussolini formed an alliance known as the Rome-Berlin Axis


 * 1938 - In violation of the Treaty of Versailles Hitler invaded Austria.

1938 - Hitler and Chamberlain (Britain) met. Munich Agreement - Hitler agreed to stop seeking any more territory. Chamberlain declared "peace in our time."

7 months later Hitler conquered Czechoslovakia.
 * 1939 - Hitler invaded Poland

France and Great Britain declare war on Germany.

1939 Hitler conquered: Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. 1940 - Hitler conquered France

After the Battle of Britain in which Hitler unleashed massive bombing attacks on Great Britain, the people still did not surrender. The RAF (Britain's Royal Air Force) held off the Luftwaffe (the German Air Force).


 * 1939 - Stalin's troops invade Finland. He then conquers Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

Hitler wanted Russia for the wheat and oil fields. Nazis are unable to capture Stalingrad and Hitler gives up hopes of conquering the Soviet Union.

In the U.S. the Lend-Lease Act sends $50 billion worth of war goods to the Allies.

December 11, 1941 Germany and Italy declare war on the U.S
 * December 7, 1941 - Japan attacked Pearl Harbor

  The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor pulled the U.S. into the war. Millions volunteer, millions more were drafted. Under the Selective Service Act, all men between the ages of 18 and 38 had to register for military service.

WAC - Women's Army Corps

Battle in Africa. British needed access to the Suez Canal to get to the Middle Eastern oil fields. American General Dwight D. Eisenhower landed in northern Africa to fight the Nazis. Eventually the allies were successful. June 1944 - D-Day - largest seaborne invasion in history. Allies were successful in crossing the English Channel and taking the beach at Normandy, France. 850,000 Allied troops died.

December 1944 - Battle of the Bulge. Germany troops attacked Allied forces in the Ardennes region in Belgium and Luxembourg. U.S. forces defeated the Germans.

Yalta Conference - Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin. leaders made plans for the end of the war and the future of Europe.

1945 President Roosevelt dies. Harry S. Truman takes his place. Adolph Hitler commits suicide


 * May 8, 1945 - V-E Day (Victory in Europe Day).

Holocaust - Nazis killed about 6 million Jewish men, women, and children. An estimated 11 million people were killed in all.

War in the Pacific U.S. General Douglas MacArthur fought the Japanese. Bataan Death March. - U.S. troops surrendered to the Japanese

Battle of the Midway - U.S. Navy destroyed four Japanese carriers and at least 250 planes. Turned the tide of the war.

Code Talkers - Navajos used to transmit important messages.

1945 - U.S. marines invaded Iwo Jima. & Okinawa - conquered both islands

Manhattan Project - top secret program to build an atomic bomb.

Hiroshima and Hagasaki - atom bombs dropped on these Japanese cities. Over 100,000 killed. Japan surrenders to the U.S.

The Home Front War Production Board - Government agency to oversee the factories that produced materials for the war.

rationing - a system to divide scarce goods among citizens.

Internment of Japanese Americans - response to anti-Japanese hysteria following Pearl Harbor attack. Japanese Ameicans were put in camps.

Legacy of the War

More than 400,000 American soldiers died and more than 600,000 were wounded.

After the war the U.S. economy continued to grow.

Marshall Plan - helped boost the economies of Europe. the U.S. gave more than $13 billion to help Europe get back on its feet.

G.I. Bill of Rights - Provided educational and economic help to veterans.

Nuremberg Trial - International court to try Nazi leaders for their role in WWII. Nuremburg Trials - 25 Nazi's put on trial for "crimes against humanity" Made people realize they were responsible for their actions, even during war. *1945 - U.N. created to secure world peace. Delegates from 50 nations include the U.S. met 
 * 1948 - Nation of Israel established.