World War IIOutcome: The European Theater

EQ: Elaborate on the Conditions of WWII in Europe, including major battles, events and the scope of the

Holocaust.

Content Standard 4: The student will analyze the United States role in international affairs by examining the major causes, events, and effects of the nation’s involvement in World War II, 1933 to 1946.

1. Cite specific textual and visual evidence to examine the transformations in American society and government policy as the nation mobilized for entry into World War II.

A.Examine the roles of appeasement and isolationism in the United States’ reluctance to respond to Fascist military aggression in Europe and Asia including the Neutrality Actsand the Lend-Lease program.

B. Evaluate the mobilization for war as stated in President Roosevelt’s Day Which Will Live in Infamy speech including the role of women and minorities in the war effort, rationing, the internment of Japanese-Americans and the Korematsu v. United States decision, and the internment of Americans of German and Italian descent.

2. Cite specific textual and visual evidence to analyze the series of events affecting the outcome of World War II including major battles, military turning points, and key strategic decisions in both the European and Pacific Theaters of operation including Pearl Harbor, the D-Day Invasion, development and use of the atomic bomb, the island-hopping strategy, the Allied conference at Yalta, and the contributions of Generals MacArthur and Eisenhower.

3. Summarize American reactions to the events of the Holocaust resulting in United States participation in the Nuremburg Trials, which held Nazi leaders accountable for war crimes

The European Theater1. Aggression in Europe

a. Italy invaded Ethiopia and took control in 1935b. Spain’s Civil War was won by the fascists in 1936c. Germany

i. 1936: Hitler had rearmed and sent troops to the Rhinelandii. 1938: Hitler annexed Austria & demanded the Sudetenland (W. Czech)

The European Theateriii. 1938: Munich Conference (Germany, Italy, Britain, & France)

1. Goal: To stop further German aggression in Europe2. Result: The Munich Pact gave Hitler the Sudetenland if he promised to end

territorial demands3. Policy: “Appeasement”- Giving in to Germany’s demands for territory

in Europe in exchange for a promise that Germany would not attack any other nations.

iv. March 1939: Germany took rest of Czechoslovakia (appeasement failed)v. France & Britain pledged war if aggression continued

vi. 1939: Hitler & Stalin signed a “Non-Aggression Pact”

The Sudetenland

Neville Chamberlain Prime Minister

of Great Britain – signed Munich Pact of appeasement of Germany

The European Theaterd. United States’ reaction to foreign aggression

i. 1935: passed Neutrality Act – no arms to warring nationsii. 1939: “Cash-n-Carry” policy (purpose to aid the Allies)

The European Theater2. War in Europe (Early Period)

a. Sept. 1, 1939: Germany invaded Poland with blitzkrieg attack (WWII begins)

i. France & Great Britain declare war the next day ii. The Holocaust intensifies

The European Theaterb. “Phony War” Period (“Sitzkrieg”) ---> Sept 1939-April 1940c. April, 1940: Germany resumed “Blitzkrieg” attacks

i. Neutral nations fell quickly ---> Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium, Norwayii. France fell to Hitler in late June 1940

The European Theaterd. Summer/Fall, 1940: Battle of Britain (German Luftwaffe vs. Royal Air Force RAF)

e. June, 1941: Hitler double crossed Stalin and invaded Russia through Polandi. Big Mistake! Stalin used Scorched Earth military tactic

ii. Harsh winter and lack of useable supplies resulted in over 1 million Nazi loses

The European Theater3. Diplomacy was Failing

a. Appeasement was ineffective when dealing with Hitlerb. Sept 1940: Germany, Italy, and Japan signed the Tripartite Pact (Axis Powers)c. U.S. Neutrality? Biased?

i. 1940: WWI destroyers given for bases deal with Great Britainii. 1941: Lend-Lease Act --> U.S. became the “Arsenal of Democracy”

iii. 1941: FDR and W. Churchill (Britain) agreed to the Atlantic Charter

The European Theater4. Last Events to U.S. Entry

a. 1941: U.S. attempted to stop Japan’s invasion of China (in Civil War)i. Sent ultimatum (warning)

ii. Issued a scrap metal and oil embargo

The European Theaterb. By Aug. 1941: Indo-China fell to Japan

i. U.S. began a full trade embargo against Japanii. Japan responded by:

1. Sending a negotiator to Washington D.C. 2. Preparing for an attack on the U.S. (decoded message)

Pacific TheatreJapan expanded its territory by invading oil-rich Manchuria (1931), much of China’s East coast (1935), and numerous other Pacific Islands.

Japanese Attack Pearl Harbor

The European Theater5. December 7th, 1941: Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor

a. U.S. Pacific Fleet was based at Pearl Harbor in Hawaiib. Attack was meant to cripple U.S. fleet so couldn’t interfere with Japanc. Six aircraft carriers and 353 Japanese planes attacked in two wavesd. 2,403 died (1,177 killed on the U.S.S. Arizona)e. U.S. declared war on Japan the next day “…Date that will live in Infamy…”f. Germany & Italy declared war on the U.S. on Dec 8, 1941 (Tripartite Pact)g. The U.S. was officially in the war! (Isolationism was over)

U.S.S. Arizona

U.S.S. Arizona Today

Home Front• US had to ration

supplies to ensure that the armies were properly supplied

• The increased industrial production combined with conscription (the draft) created thousands of jobs for women.

Home Front• Fearful of Japanese

spies, the United States forces thousands of Japanese-American citizens into Internment Camps (upheld by Supreme Court as necessary to the war effort in Korematsu v United States).

The European Theater6. Key Nations at War

1. Allies: Great Britain, France, Soviet Union, United States2. Axis: Germany, Italy, Japan

The European Theater7. European Theater

a. Name given to the fighting that took place in Europeb. 1942: Britain stood alone against Axisc. Gen. Dwight Eisenhower = Supreme Allied Commander of the European Theaterd. Allies first invaded through Sicily and up into Italye. Mussolini was overthrown and killed

Pacific Theatre• Japan invaded the Philippines the day

after Pearl Harbor.• Bataan Death March - the Japanese army

forced 76,000 American and Filipino soldiers to march 60 miles to a Prisoner of War (POW) camp (15,000-20,000 died).

Midway (1942)US used cracked Japanese codes to surprise Japan’s Navy near MIdway, sinking 4 of 6 aircraft carriers.

Turning Point in Pacific Theatre (Japan won no other major battles.

The European Theaterf. Eastern Front: Stalingrad

i. The Nazis were fighting the Russians in Stalingrad (Aug 1942-Feb 1943)ii. One of the bloodiest battles in the history of warfare

iii. Nazis are defeated; turning point of the war for the Allies

D-Day

The European Theaterg. Western Front: D-Day

i. General Eisenhower planned D-Day for June 6, 1944ii. Allied invasion across English Channel into Normandy, France

iii. Largest military invasion in historyiv. Allies success allowed them to push further into France

D-Day Map

The European Theaterh. Battle of the Bulge

i. Hitler’s last major offensiveii. Allies were pushing from the West (from France), South through

Italy, and from the East (Soviets)iii. Germany was surrounded

The European Theater8. German Surrender

a. Hitler committed suicide before he could be capturedb. Germany officially surrendered on May 7, 1945; following day is known as VE Day

c. Now the Allies had to figure out how to defeat Japan

The Pacific - Iwo Jima• Although the island is very

small, it is strategically significant for the US (bombers can reach Tokyo)

• Japanese hoped the kamikaze, or “divine wind,” would be able to stop the American advance.

The Pacific - Okinawa• US defeats Japan on

Okinawa• Japan loses 100,000

soldiers• The only step left for

the US is an invasion of the Japanese mainland

Manhattan ProjectFDR began project to develop the first nuclear weapon, following Einstein’s letter warning him of Germany’s pursuit of atomic weapons.

Employed 130,000, led by Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer to develop first nuclear weapons.

Hiroshima (August 6, 1945) and Nagasaki (August 9, 1945)

The final acts of aggression were the US’s dropping of “Little Boy” on Hiroshima and “Fat Man” on Nagasaki.

✱ More than 200,000 combined casualties

✱ Land was uninhabitable for decades.

Truman’s DecisionExperts deemed an invasion of Japan would likely have incurred over 1 million Japanese casualties and 100,000