WW2 basic presentation

1. World War 2 Basics
By Austin Rousse

2. What is World War II?
• World War 2 was the 1939 – 1945 conflict between the Allied
Powers (Great Britain, France, Soviet Union, and United States)
and the Axis Powers (Germany, Italy, Japan)
• 50 million – 70 million lives lost during the conflict, making it the
bloodiest and largest war in history

3. Causes of World War II
• Treaty of Versailles – At the end of WWI, Allied
Powers decided to place reparations for Germany
to pay for their actions in WW1. Germany was also
prohibited from having a large military.
• The Great Depression – During the late 1920s, the
world was impacted by such by reducing the
amount of money, jobs, and trading available
worldwide. In 1933, Adolf Hitler was appointed
chancellor of Germany, and promises to restore
Germany’s wealth and power.

4. Causes of WWII cont.
• Germany’s militarization – For Germany, once Hitler became
chancellor, he began mass producing weapons and creating armies
in secret. Hitler made an alliance with Japan and Italy to form the
Axis Powers.
• Japan’s militarization - As for Japan, once the great depression
had fully taken hold in 1931. The Japanese people lost faith in
their government and turned towards the military for aid. To
provide goods, Japan needed more natural resources and thus
invaded neighboring countries such as China, Korea, and Vietnam.

5. Beginning of WWII
• World War II officially began on September 1st, 1939, when
Germany began to invade Poland. Two days later, Great Britain and
France declare war on Germany.
• Japan invaded China in 1937 and attacked China’s region of
Manchuria.
• Italy joins the war on the side of the Axis Powers on June 11th,
1940.
• In 1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii believing the United
States military was threatening Japanese expansionism. Which
caused the US to enter the war on the side of the Allied Powers.

6. Battle of Stalingrad
• A bloody conflict revolved around the
Russian city of Stalingrad.
• The conflict lasted a little over 5 months
during a harsh winter.
• Costing almost 2 million people in
casualties including civilians from both
sides.
• The Allied victory was not easily
achieved, however the victory did halt
German advances.

7. Battle of Okinawa
• The final battle of World War II, focused on
United States forces invading Japan’s fifth
biggest island Okinawa.
• Battle of Okinawa lasted three long months
with an Allied victory.
• The United States suffered from more than
12,000 casualties.
• Japan lost 100,000 soldier and 150,000
civilian casualties.

8. Dropping of the Atom Bombs
• In 1945, the US decided to drop two separate atomic bombs
on the cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima to hasten Japan’s
surrender and prevent anymore further loss.
• What lead the US to using nuclear weapons was that Russia
planned to aid in the fight against Japan, and that Japan
vowed to fight to the bitter end.
• On August 6, 1945, the “Little Boy” atom bomb is dropped
on Hiroshima killing between 70,000 to 135,000 people.
• Three days later, the “Fatman” atom bomb is dropped on
Nagasaki wiping out 60,000 to 80,000 people.

9. Trinity Test Video
• The Trinity test was
the world’s first
nuclear test which
occurred on July
16th 1945 in Los
Almos, New Mexico.
• In the silent video
you can see the
sheer destruction of
the plutonium
bomb.

10. Conclusion
• Operation Husky, a month long invasion of Sicily, Italy.
• Due to the success of Operation Husky, and Italy’s forces
losing the African and Mediterranean campaigns. Italy was
forced to surrender on September 8th 1943.
• With Adolf Hitler committing suicide on April 30th 1945,
Germany surrendered on May 7th 1945.
• After bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan had
little to no resources or people left willing to willing to
continue the conflict causing Japan to surrender on
August 15th 1945.
• World War II ended with the Allied Powers being
victorious.

11. Citations
• Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center. “Trinity: World’s First Nuclear Test.” Www.afnwc.af.mil,
www.afnwc.af.mil/About-Us/History/Trinity-Nuclear-Test/. Accessed 19 Oct. 2023.
• FCPS HS Social Studies. World War II: Causes (1919–1939). 2014,
www.lcps.org/cms/lib/VA01000195/Centricity/Domain/10599/Causes%20of%20WWII.pdf.
Accessed 19 Oct. 2023.
• Gilbert, Adrian. “Allied Invasion of Sicily | World War II.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 31
Oct. 2018, www.britannica.com/topic/Allied-Invasion-of-Sicily. Accessed 19 Oct. 2023.

12. Citations cont.
• History.com Editors. “Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.” HISTORY, A&E Television Networks, 18 Apr. 2023,
www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/bombing-of-hiroshima-and-nagasaki. Accessed 19 Oct. 2023.
• “Occupying Germany and Japan.” The National WWII Museum | New Orleans, 21 Oct. 2021,
www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/united-states-occupying-germany-and-
japan#:~:text=The%20formal%20surrender%20of%20Nazi. Accessed 19 Oct. 2023.
• United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. “Hitler Comes to Power.” United States Holocaust Memorial Museum,
23 Feb. 2022, encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/hitler-comes-to-power. Accessed 19 Oct. 2023.
• World War II Foundation. “Timeline of WWII.” WWII Foundation, 2020, wwiifoundation.org/timeline-of-wwii/.
Accessed 19 Oct. 2023.
• Twinkl.com, 2023, www.twinkl.com/teaching-wiki/the-major-ww2-battles. Accessed 19 Oct. 2023.