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World War II

A collaboration between Mr. Irwin and his Honors U.S. History students -
2008/09
World War II

The Road to War


World War II
Note:
This PowerPoint Presentation has not yet been
finalized. At this stage of completion it is mostly text
only. In it’s current form, the second half of the
presentation contains a number of unedited/unrefined
slides (…but soon to be completed).

Even though this presentation is not yet complete,


you are still welcome to view it.
World War II – After effects of Versailles

o In less than two decades after the end of World


War I, the continent of Europe was embroiled
in another major conflict.

o World War I was felt by many to have been


“the war to end all wars.”

o So…What caused another major war to break


out?
World War II – After-effects of Versailles

o The treaty of Versailles did not create a just


and secure peace.

o Germany had been blamed for being the


primary aggressor of World War I.

o The negative consequences imposed upon


Germany at Versailles, were too much for the
new democratic Weimar Republic to overcome.
World War II – The Rise of European
Dictators
o When Germany’s new democracy failed to bring about
prosperity, the conditions were right for a dictator to
rise to power.

o Based on ideas of strong nationalism and racial


superiority, Adolf Hitler, of the Nazi Party, rises to
power and becomes Chancellor of Germany in 1933.

o With the help of thousands of “brown shirt” “storm


troopers,” Hitler declares himself Der Fuhrer, and
becomes the absolute dictator of Germany in 1934.
World War II – Hitler in Power
o In 1933, Hitler took Germany out of the League of
Nations.

o He initiated a massive rearmament program, which


was a violation of the Treaty of Versailles.

o Hitler strengthened Germany’s military forces and


expanded its borders.

o In 1936, Hitler sent troops into the Rhineland, even


though it had been “demilitarized” by the Treaty of
Versailles.
World War II – Hitler’s Initial Invasions

o In 1939, Hitler invaded Austria and annexed it


to his Third Reich.

o Hitler also demanded that Sudentland (western


Czechoslovakia) be joined to the Third Reich.

o At first, the weak League of Nations stood by


helplessly, as did the Allied nations of World
War I.
World War II – Hitler’s Initial Invasions
o Initially, the powers of Europe did not want to get pulled
into another large-scale war.

o France and Great Britain who were bound by treaties


to protect Czechoslovakia, did not act.

o These European powers chose appeasment as the


way to deal with Hitler and to avoid another large scale
conflict.
World War II - Appeasement

Appeasement - giving in to a competitor’s


demands in order to keep the peace.

• When Hitler made demands, other nations


gave in…they attempted to appease Hitler.

• Appeasement was used to avoid conflict.


World War II – Hitler’s Initial Invasions

o Once Hitler realized that the major powers of Europe


did not want to challenge him, he became even more
aggressive.

o In 1939, Hitler seized the rest of Czechoslovakia, took


part of Lithuania, and invaded Poland.
World War II – Hitler’s in Power
o Hitler removed “undesirable” people from
Germany (Non- Aryan race).

o Committed Genocide of Jews, Blacks, Gays,


and other minorities.

o Ultimately, He attempted to dominate the


European continent.
World War II – Hitler’s Attack on Britain

o Once Hitler had control of France, he attacked Great


Britain.

o He had a 2-part strategy for taking Britain:


World War II – Hitler’s Attack on Britain

o First…

o weaken England by bombing strategic resources such


as:
o ports, airfields, radar installations, aircraft factories, oil
storage tanks

o … and later on, the city of London, itself.


World War II – Hitler’s Attack on Britain

o Second…

o Would be to launch a ground invasion of Great Britain.


World War II – Hitler’s Attack on Britain
• The term, blitzkreig is used to describe Germany’s air
attacks of England.

• Ultimately, the Germans launched 20,000 air raids over


Great Britain.

• The British had a sophisticated air defense system (for


the times), as the result, British fighter pilots were able
to shoot down many German bombers.
World War II – Hitler’s Attack on Britain

• In February 1940, British scientists cracked the


German communication code.

• This breakthrough gave the Allies information about


Hitler’s battle plans.

• The German ground invasion never came because


Germany was never able to establish air superiority
over Great Britain.
World War II - The U.S. Reacts
o The U.S. attempts to stay out of the war and to remain
neutral with the Neutrality Acts of 1935, 1936, & 1937.

o 1935: Congress bans the U.S. from providing weapons to


nations at war.

o 1936: Congress bans loans to nations at war.

o 1937: The U.S. begins trading with the nations at war in


non-military goods, on a cash and carry basis.
World War II - U.S. Deficit Spending
o Deficit Spending - Paying out more money from the
annual federal budget than the government receives in
revenues.

o The U.S. employed deficit spending as a strategy to


turn the economy around during the Great Depression.

o The process of deficit spending continued well into


WWII.
World War II - U.S. Deficit Spending

o It was the massive war production that finally brought


the U.S. out of the Great Depression.
World War II – U.S. Liberty Ships

o Industrialist Henry J. Kaiser introduced mass


production techniques into ship building.

o His techniques cut the time required to build supply


ships from 200 days to 40 days.

o These ships were nicknamed “Liberty Ships” because


the supplies that they would carry would help to
“liberate” Europe from the Germans.
World War II – Battle of the Bulge
o After the battle, most Nazi leaders recognized
that the war was lost.

o Hitler started drafting people as young as 15.

o Knocked the Germans back and restarted the


allied drive into Germany.
World War II – VE Day
o VE Day stands for victory in Europe Day.

o Fighting in Europe came to an end on May 8th,


1945 when Germany officially surrendered

o Although fighting had stopped in Europe, the


war wouldn’t be over until Japan was defeated.
World War II – U.S. Internment Camps

o After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, U.S. government


officials became concerned that Japanese living on the
West Coast might try to help a Japanese invasion of
the U.S. mainland to take place.

o President Roosevelt issued an executive order that


required persons of Japanese ancestry, and living on
the West Coast, be relocated to internment camps.
World War II – U.S. Internment Camps

o The President’s executive order isolated Japanese-


Americans from other American citizens.

o Some felt the relocation and internment of Japanese-


Americans during WWII was Unconstitutional.

o The President claimed that during times of war, the


government has the right to temporarily restrict the
rights & freedoms of its citizens.
World War II – U.S. Internment Camps

o About 110,000 citizens and non-citizens were


moved and “relocated” under the executive
order.
World War II – Dwight D. Eisenhower

o U.S. General, Dwight D. Eisenhower was the


Supreme Commander of the Allied
Expeditionary Force in Europe.

o He oversaw the Invasion of Normandy and the


D-Day landings in France.

o He forged agreements among Allied military


commanders.
World War II – Dwight D. Eisenhower

o The war helped Eisenhower establish a world-


class reputation. This helped him after the
war, when he ran for and won the U.S.
presidency in 1952.
World War II
*NOTE:
o This is the end of the edited portion of this
presentation.

o The subsequent slides have not yet been put


into their final form.

o Feel free to read on anyway.


World War II
 the Allies confront Japanese aggression
 Military planners wanted to bypass the Philippine
islands and head straight for Japan.
 MacArthur and other generals opposed the idea and
felt we are obligated to free the Filipino people.
 Roosevelt reversed this decision and ended up
freeing the Filipino people.
 After the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa the US had
more casualties than expected, making a ground attack
on Japan not possible.
World War II
 The War Finally Ends
 On August 6,1945, the “Enola Gay,” an American
plane, dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima
 80,000 died and many were injured by fire, radiation
sickness, and the force of the explosion
 90% of Hiroshima’s buildings were damaged or
destroyed
 3 days later, a second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki
 August 14, Japan accepted American terms for
surrender
 The formal surrender agreement was signed on
September 2, 1945, aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo
Bay
World War II

The End

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