World War II Review

World War II Review

Causes of World War II

• Increased militarism in some weak nations like Japan, Italy, and Germany leading to a desire for resources

• Treaty of Versailles: Shame over the War Guilt Clause, economic ruin, and the desire to regain territories lost in the Treaty

Multiple Choice

All of the following actions took place due to the causes previously listed EXCEPT

• The Japanese invasion of Manchuria

• Intervention by the League of Nations

• The election of Hitler to power in Germany

• The rise of Fascism in Italy and Germany

Prelude to the War in Europe

• First, Mussolini creates the Fascist Party to strengthen and control Italy

• Next, Hitler became an admirer of Mussolini

• Afterwards, Hitler took control of the National Socialist Party and converted its members to Fascism

• After failing to gain power in the Beer Hall Putsch, Hitler is imprisoned

• Hitler is elected Chancellor of Germany

• Hitler began a strategy of occupying and controlling territory to expand Germany's borders

Multiple Choice

What was the response of Britain and France to the chain of events in the previous slide?

• To forcefully stop Hitler from further expanding its borders

• To begin rebuilding their military defense capabilities

• To attempt to appease Hitler and hope he will stop

• To attempt to rebuild the Triple Entente

Hitler and Stalin

Before the outbreak of War, Hitler and Stalin signed a pact pledging to keep peaceful relations between themselves, but they had a secret motive behind this treaty.

Multiple Choice

What did both Germany and the Soviet Union (Russia) cooperate to accomplish as a result of their Non-Aggression Pact on September 1, 1939?

• They unified to invade & defeat France

• They developed new military technology

• They planned to rule the world together

• They invaded and conquered Poland

The Battle of Britain

The Nazi Blitz on London used bombing raids on both civilian and military targets, not only killing people, but also leaving a great number of people homeless.

Multiple Choice

What new technology (pictured) provided early warnings to the Allies to gain an edge over the Axis Powers in encounters like The Battle of Britain and U-Boat attacks?

• RADAR

• SONAR

• The Enigma Machine

• "Bouncing Betty" bombs

Japanese involvement

In the 1937, an increasingly militaristic Japan began to attack places like Manchuria in order to gain access to resources to feed their war industry. As a result, the United States began an embargo of scrap metal sales to Japan, cutting off the supply of a much-needed resource to the Axis state.

Multiple Choice

What action did Japan eventually take to retaliate against America's refusal to trade with them?

• They attacked American industries in the Philippines and Guadalcanal

• They sent agents, disguised as tourists, to sabotage US Steel and the embassy in Hawaii

• They declared War on the US on December 6, 1941, and began to bomb Oregon

• They launched a surprise attack on the US Navy base in Pearl Harbor

Japanese culture and history

• Before the European Middle ages, the Japanese had developed their own "Code of Chivalry," the Bushido code, or Code of the Samurai

• Among the 8 Virtues of Bushido are the ideas of Courage, Honor, and Loyalty. Even today, the Bushido Code is a part of Japanese culture.

(continued)

• In the 1930s as Japan became increasingly Militaristic and Imperialistic, Emperor Hirohito was seen not just as a political leader, but also as a Divine Being (like a god).

• These ideas combined to create an ethical code that made the idea of surrender unthinkable. In other words, virtually all Japanese people were willing to fight to the death before accepting defeat.

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Multiple Select

Check the boxes to indicate which of the following actions were inspired by the Bushido Code:

• The surprise bombing of Pearl Harbor

• Poor treatment of Allied soldiers who surrendered

• The Island-hopping strategy

• Kamikaze pilots ready to die for their Emperor

The Eastern Front

Both Hitler and Stalin had signed a non-aggression pact with the intent of later betraying the other with a surprise attack.

Hitler attacked Russia on June 22, 1941.

Operation Barbarossa

• When Germans first invaded Russia, Stalin was not yet prepared to face them in battle

• The initial Anschluss (Invasion) was very successful, tearing through Russia at a rapid pace

• The peasants of Russia burned their crops, destroyed their homes, and slaughtered their livestock to prevent German soldiers from using them for food or shelter.

• With their supply lines worn thin, the Nazis attacked both Leningrad and Stalingrad in what was to become a prolonged seige.

Total War

• The Russians mobilized to counter-attack, stopping the Germans from penetrating deeper into their country.

• Every Soviet man, woman, and child capable of joining the war effort did so

• Russia's ultimate weapon, winter, dealt the fatal blow.

• Germany began their retreatless than six month later, on December 5, 1941

Multiple Choice

Which of the following events cost Hitler the most in terms of personnel losses and proved to be a turning point in the War?

• Battle of Britain

• Battle of the Bulge

• Operation Himmler

• Operation Barbarossa

Allied Advances

With the Soviet Army pushing in from their East, American and British forces pushed north through Italy, and planned to attack German-held France. Allied forces were finally fighting back effectively against the Nazis.

D-Day

Planning the D-Day Invasion was a highly complex process. General Eisenhower had to select a location with fewer German fortifications... meaning geographically, their target would probably be difficult to get to, since all of the best places to launch an Allied attack were well-guarded.

D-Day (continued)

Additionally, Eisenhower would have to plan an attack coordinated with multiple branches of the military since the assault would have to be similar to Hitler's Blitzkrieg attacks, using every resource possible. Persuading the Army, the Navy, and the Marine's commanders to coperate was tricky.

Finally, on June 6, the invasion of Normandy beach began.

Multiple Choice

Who commanded the Allied forces on June 6, 1944 as the Allied assault on Germany in France began?

• Admiral Chester Nimitz

• Commander Erwin Rommel

• General George S. Patton

• General Dwight D. Eisenhower

The beginning of the End

• Allied forces pushed ahead through France, Belgium, and finally, Germany.

• The Germans fought back with incredible force, but eventually began to give more and more ground as they retreated.

The Allied Plan for Victory

• Conquer German forces in Africa

• Invade Italy (just like Carthage did!)

• Invade from the North & re-take control of France, Denmark and Belgium

• Coordinate with the USSR on the Eastern front to crush Germany from all sides.

Ending the War in Europe

The Russian forces were able to invade Germany from the East, the British and American troops came in from the West.

When the downfall of Berlin became inevitable (unavoidable), Hitler poisoned his wife and pet German Shepard and then shot himself before he could be captured.

Multiple Select

Which of the following leaders were MOST responsible for the Allied victory in Europe? (Select all that apply.)

• Dwight Eisenhower

• Josef Stalin

• Douglas MacArthur

• Winston Churchill

• Erwin Rommel

The War in the Pacific

• After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, a very weakened US Navy took on the Imperial Japanese Navy

• Our early battles were unsuccessful, especially on the ground in places like the Philippines and Bataan.

• When he was forced to abandon the Philippines, General MacArthur pledged, "I shall return."

• The turning point in the war came with a victory at Midway Island, using both air and Naval forces.

Midway's Importance

• From a strategic point of view, Midway Island was a key place to base refueling stations and supplies, as well as troops.

• From a psychological perspective, both fighting the Japanese to a stalemate at The Battle of the Coral Sea, then a victory at Midway let the Allied forces know they COULD win against their enemy

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After Midway

• General MacArthur, who had been forced to abandon his base in the Philippines, had a plan to re-take territories lost

• His strategy, called "Island Hopping" called for attacking each island the Japanese had taken and conquering it before moving on to the next.

Island Hopping

• MacArthur's strategy was effective... he was even able to fulfill his promise to the Filipino people. He did return!

• Eventually, even the Japanese realized that all was lost in the war they started.

• Despite this, the Japanese were prepared to fight street by street, even house by house, rather than surrender.

A New President

Due to the death of President Franklin Roosevelt on April 12, 1945, America had a new President, Harry Truman. As the War in the Pacific continued to grind on, the new President wanted to end the needless deaths of as many Americans and Japanese as possible.

TOP SECRET

After taking office, President Truman learned about a top-secret program led by scientists who wanted to learn to split the atom, and use the energy it released to fuel the biggest explosion ever made by man. The program was called the Manhattan Project, and the device they built was the Atom Bomb.

An Impossible Decision

• To allow the winning strategy of Island Hopping to bring victory against Japan would mean countless thousands soldiers and civilians would die as the war stretched on.

• To end the war quickly by using the bomb, the President knew he was condemning many innocent Japanese civilians to death.

In the end, Truman chose a quick end to the War, and ordered the bombing of the non-military Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Multiple Choice

Why was Midway an important battle in World War II?

• It was the Allies' first major victory in the Pacific

• It allowed the states the West coast to end blackouts.

• It was another powerful victor for Japan

• It proved that the Island-Hopping strategy would work.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following maps illustrates MacArthur's Island Hopping strategy?

Multiple Choice

Which of the following happened FIRST in the War in the Pacific?

• MacArthur's Return to the Philippines

• The death of FDR

• Truman's decision to use the atomic bomb.

• The Bataan Death March

Multiple Choice

Why did the President decide to use the Atomic Bomb?

• He was interested in science

• He wanted revenge for Pearl Harbor

• He was frustrated by the lack of Allied progress

• He believed it would save lives.

Meanwhile, in Europe...

• As allied troops began taking more and more land from the Third Reich, they began to realize the true extent of the horrors of World War II.

• The Russian, British, and American forces began to discover the labor camps and death camps the Nazis used to exterminate "undesirables."

Learning the Facts

After realizing the true extent of the evil that the Nazis were capable of, Allied forces began the process of helping the survivors of the Holocaust.

With proper medical care, food, and time, these survivors were able to explain how the Nazi's "Final Solution" for dealing with anyone who did not conform to their idea of "Arian Supremacy."

Justice is Served

Rather than seeking vengeance, the authorities of the newly-formed United Nations decided to seek Justice, instead, for the first time in history.

In Nuremburg, the city where Nazis first created their "Final Solution" a decade earlier, trials were used to hold the guilty accountable for their actions.

A New World

As the world began to experience peace for the first time since 1939, a serious effort was made to correct the circumstances that led to the near-destruction of humanity.

A new organization, the United Nations was formed that was able to deter major wars through both diplomacy AND strength of force (police actions).

Multiple Choice

What new word was created to describe the systemic attempt to destroy a racial, ethnic, or religious group?

• Holocaust

• Genocide

• Final Solution

• Ethnic Cleansing

Multiple Choice

Why were Nazis believed to be responsible for genocide given fair, legal trials?

• To punish all Nazis for the evils of Hitler

• To bring Justice, not Vengeance

• To force Hitler to face his accusers

• All of these are true.

Multiple Choice

Which new organization was formed to help avoid future conflicts more effectively than the League of Nations?

• The United Nations

• The Allied States

• The League of Justice

• The SuperFriends

Poll

What is your view of World War II? (Select all that apply... there are no wrong answers.)

• Horrible, but at least the good guys won.

• A needless waste of money and people

• Fun to learn about

• A reason we have some technology we use every day.

• BO-ring!