Road to war- WWII

1. EVENTS LEADING TO
WWII
The Road to War!!

2. War Debts & Reparations
Also weakened efforts to maintain peace
Allied countries owed the US $10 billion
German reparations were set at $32 billion
In the end most war debts go unpaid

3. The Rise of Totalitarian
Governments
One political party has complete control over the govt.
& bans all other parties
Rely on terror to suppress individual rights & silence
opposition
Adolf Hitler (Nazi Party) elected into power in
Germany 1933
Josef Stalin assumes power in the Soviet Union in 1924
“The Man of Steel”
Benito Mussolini seizes power in Italy 1922 “Il Duce”
Japanese expansion into China begins

4. Two Harsh Dictators

5. The Rising Nazi Menace
Hitler violates Versailles
Expansion of Nazi empire
1936 annexation of Austria
Seizes Sudentenland, German speaking region of
Czechoslovakia
Rearms the country
“The buildup or armed forces is the most important
precondition for ….. Political power”
1938 Munich Agreement – Great Britain &
France allow Hitler to expand without
consequence, he agrees to cease expansion
6 months later Hitler took the rest of
Czechoslovakia

6. Why Appeasement???
1. France was demoralized
2. Britain did not want to confront Germany
3. Many thought Communism was the bigger threat
4. Great Depression “sapped” energy of western
democracies
5. US neutrality acts; to avoid involvement in another
European war

9. Nazi – Soviet
Pact of 1939
Nazi – Soviet Pact
(1939), German and
Soviet
“nonaggression” pact

10. War in Europe
War begins in September 1939 when British and
French declare war on Germans for invading Poland
By end of 9/1939 Germans and Soviets divide Poland
Blitzkrieg – or lightening war; heavy plane bombing
followed by ground troops
Poland and France surrender to Germany & Italy
Germans bombed London for 57 nights, called the
“London Blitz”
1941 Germans attempt to conquer the USSR, Hitler
unexpectedly invades despite pact

13. Modifying Isolationism - FDR
Battles with Congress
11/39 “Cash and Carry”
You want it…..come and get it!
1941 Lend Lease Act
FDR’s way around isolationism
Allowed the US to sell or lend war materials to
“any country whose defense the President deems
vital to the defense of the US”
FDR – said the US would be the “arsenal of
democracy”

14. Japanese Expansion, 1931 - 1941
Japan felt expansion was necessary to compete w/
other countries
Began invading Chinese territory 1931 where the
US was enjoying favorable trade conditions
Japan relied on the US for 80% of its fuel imports
US was enjoying “Open Door” policy in China
FDR then restricted oil exports to Japan.

16. Japan Attacks Pearl Harbor
December 7th, 1941 – Japanese war planes attacked a US
Navy Fleet at Pearl Harbor Hawaii (2 hours)
20 warships & 200 aircraft were destroyed; 2400 Americans
were killed (1,103 in the USS Arizona)
FDR says it is a day that will “live in infamy”
Shattered the American belief the Atlantic & Pacific Oceans
would safely isolate the US from foreign attack
Fueled American nationalism & patriotism
The day after the attack FDR requested that Congress
declare war on Japan

21. Major Powers of WWII
26 Allied Nations v. 8 Axis Powers
Major Allied Powers – Great Britain, Soviet Union &
the US
Major Axis Powers – Germany, Italy & Japan
The war was fought in 2 major regions: Europe/North
Africa & The Pacific

22. Defeat of the Axis Powers

23. D – Day – “The Day of Days”
Operation “Overlord” attack on German
“impregnable” forts along French coast
50 – 50 chance of success
Attack was planned 200 miles south of where the
Germans were expecting
June 6th, 1944 5,000 troop transports, landing craft
and warships; 150,000 American, British &
Canadian soldiers; 23,000 airborne troops
“Stormed the beaches of Normandy”

24. D – Day & After
Very nearly failed, first units lost almost 90% of
troops
By nightfall 5000 allied troops were dead
German losses were worse, Hitler refused to quit,
assassination attempt failed
2 weeks later: 1 million troops, 556,000 tons of
supplies & 170,000 vehicles
Seized 60 mile wide beach
By August 1944 Paris was liberated

27. The End is Near
Yalta Conference - FDR, Churchill & Stalin meet @
the to draw up peace and agree on division of Germany
V.E. Day 5/7/45 The Germans surrender