WW2

What To Know:

  • Holocaust notes 

  • Ww2 

  • Theaters 

  • causes/pre war 

  • Battles 


WW2 Alliances & Leaders: DATE (1939 - 1945) 

AXIS POWERS ; 

  • Germany (Adolf Hitler)

  • Italy (Bennito Mussolini) 

  • Japan (Emperor Hichto, Military Government - Military generals Admiral Yamoto)

  • As War progresssed, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary ALL joined in! 

The ALLIES:

  • France (General Charles Degaule)

  • Vicky Regime (Puper government that oversed to the Nazis)

  • Great Britain  (King George VI, PM Chamerblain replaced by Minster Winston CHurchhill) 

  • US ( FDR -> Truman) 

  • USR (Stallin) 

The Opening Battles of WW2 

Due to intense military aggression by the axis, powers in both europe and in Asia, WW2 was fought in 2 primary “theaters of war”; EUROPEAN & PACIFIC Theater. 

  1. The European Theater 

  1. Germany Invades Poland: 1939 WW2 begins so France & Britain declare war on Germany 

  2. THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN 

  • 1940-1941

  • LED BY BRITISH PM WINSTON CHURCHILL

  • The British Royal Airforce (RAF) defended Britain against the brutal bombing of industrial citries by the German LuftWall (German Airforces)

  • Hitler/Nazis Could be Stormed

  • France (North Region falls by 1940)

  • HITLERS FIRST MAJOR DEFEAT

SUM IT UP: The Battle of Britain (1940-1941) was the RAF's defense against Germany's Luftwaffe bombing campaign. Led by Winston Churchill, Britain resisted despite France's fall, marking Hitler’s first major defeat and stopping a German invasion.

THIS LEADS TO …..

  1. Germany & Italy Invade North Africa 

  • Axis Powers reclaimed Egypt & Libya to control trade & ports in the Medditerran Sea 

  • Geopolitics: Axis Powers wanted control of oil  in North Africa and Middle East, The Suez Canal,  & recliam colonies in WW2 

  • Strategic importance: Suez Canal & oil resources were key objectives.

  1. Germany Invadreds the USSR ‘

  • Germany broke the non aggression pact woyth the USSR 

  • The USSR joins the Allies 

  • German blistering tactaetics are successful but the USSR will be sared again fropom further adnces by the winter 

Sum it up: The Non-Aggression Pact (Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact) was a 1939 agreement between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. Both nations promised not to attack each other and secretly agreed to divide Eastern Europe, including Poland. Germany broke the pact in 1941 by invading the USSR during Operation Barbarossa.

Question of America Isolationism?

  • Lend/LEASE Act And the Atalantic Charter 

    • These Acts allowed free trade to continue -> Political and diplomatic releated increased between the US and the Allies

    • The atlantic charter defined british & us war goals, promoting free trade & diplimoacy 

    • Q: Will the US Actually Hoin? US public was NOT interested in joining the War 

    • US tried to follow a policy of isolnayiocomes from 1939 - 1941

  • Strategics/Tactics (European Theater) 

    • Use of Aircraft and bombing of civilian and indutrial cities increased

    • German blitzkrieg with the surprise use of force ajd tanks were devastating 

    • The French: significant underground rebellion targeted Nazi industrial centers 

PACIFIC THEATER

  • BATTLE OF MIDWAY

    • Admiral Chester Nimitz led us fleets in a battle tp defeat Japan in this battle fpr the island in the Pacific

    • Signifcant use of aircraft carriers were used in this battle 

    • Significant for the Allies: It proved - that Japan could be stopped and placed on the defensive 

    • Island - hopping strategy; The Allies began to attack islands controlled by the Japenese 

  • BATTLE of Cooresgidor AND BATTAN OF DEATH MARCH 

    • January 1942 - May 1942

    • US and Filipino forces defended by Japan in defense to Allied headquarters in the Phillipines 

    • Heavy fighting outside of Manillia at the island of corregidor to control the base

    • April 9-15: 5,000 US and Filipiono soldiers died in a deayth march t[ the prision camps 

    • Propaganda used: Japan was perceivded as “animals” because of their tactics 

  • BATTLE Of Guadlacana 

    • General Douglas MacAurther, Commander of The Alluied Forces in the Pacfic, was able to avoidd capture at the Battle of Corregidor in the PI

    • He led forces that prevented Japan fron taking over more islands and the north coast of Aystralia 

SUM: