Causes and Course of WWll

Invasion of Ethiopia (1935)

Italy invaded Ethiopia to expand its empire under Benito Mussolini.

Showed the weakness of the League of Nations and encouraged more aggression in Europe.

Rome-Berlin Axis (1936)

Alliance between Italy and Germany.

Strengthened fascist cooperation and helped lead to World War II alliances.

Concentration Camps

Camps used by Nazi Germany to imprison and exploit people seen as enemies.

Millions suffered and died, becoming a key part of the Holocaust.

Kristallnacht (1938)

A violent attack on Jewish homes, shops, and synagogues in Nazi Germany.

Marked a shift to open, large-scale violence against Jews.

Anschluss (1938)

Germany annexed Austria into the Nazi state.

Expanded Hitler’s power and violated the Treaty of Versailles.

Appeasement

Policy of giving in to Hitler’s demands to avoid war.

Allowed Germany to grow stronger and made war more likely.

Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact (1939)

Non-aggression pact between Germany and the Soviet Union.

Allowed Hitler to invade Poland without fearing Soviet attack.

Blitzkrieg

“Lightning war” tactic using fast attacks with tanks and planes.

Helped Germany quickly defeat many countries early in the war.

Battle of Britain (1940)

Air battle between Germany and United Kingdom.

First major German defeat, stopping Hitler’s invasion plans.

Operation Barbarossa (1941)

Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union.

Opened a major Eastern Front and led to heavy losses for Germany.

Pearl Harbor (1941)

Surprise attack by Japan on a U.S. naval base in Hawaii.

Caused the United States to enter World War II.

Holocaust

Systematic murder of about 6 million Jews by Nazi Germany.

One of the worst genocides in history, shaping human rights laws.

Potsdam Conference (1945)

Meeting of Allied leaders after Germany’s defeat to decide Europe’s future.

Increased tensions between the U.S. and Soviet Union, leading to the Cold War.