World War II
An Introduction
Causes of WWII
• W: World War I and the Treaty of Versailles
• A: Appeasement
• R: Rise of Totalitarianism
WWI and the Treaty of Versailles
• Germany lost land to surrounding nations.
• War Reparations (Debt)- Germany owed lots ofmoney.
• Desperate people turn to leaders to save them.
Appeasement
• Hitler demanded land that did not belong to Germany and other nations willingly gave it to him to avoid future conflict.
• This boosted Hitler’s ego and gave him the idea that he could do/control whatever he wanted.
Rise of Totalitarianism
• Individual rights are not as important as the needs of the nation.
• This took away someone’s right to vote or free speech.
• The government controlledall aspects of the economy.
Axis Leaders
• Adolf Hitler: Germany
• Hideki Tojo: Japan
• Emperor Hirohito: Japan
• Benito Mussolini: Italy
The Allied Leaders
Winston Churchill:Great Britain
FD Roosevelt: United States
Josef Stalin:USSR
How Did Hitler Make Nations Mad?
• He wanted to rearmGermany (he wanted a military again). This broke the Treaty of Versailles.
• Moved troops into the Rhineland territory which also broke the Treaty of Versailles.
Why Did the War Start?
• Germany invaded Poland.
• Allies declared war on Germany.
• Hitler invaded France, Belgium and Russia.
• Blitzkrieg: “Lightning War”
Blitzkrieg
War in the Pacific
• Mostly between the United States and Japan. • The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on
December 7th, 1941 (“A day that will live in infamy”).
• The United States retaliated with two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
• Japanese surrender after the atomic bombs are dropped.
Pearl Harbor
Atomic Bombs in Japan
How Did the War End in Europe?
• Operation Overlord: Invasion of France by the Allies.
• 1 million Allied troops were stationed in Europe which contributed to its surrender.
• Germany surrendered after Hitler committed suicide in 1945.
• Trials are held to try the people responsible for war crimes in Europe and Japan.
Credits
• PowerPoint adapted from:http://www.slideshare.net/janetdiederich/world-war-ii-power-point