CHAPTER 29 (PP. 838 – 854)

World War II

The Rise of Fascism

The Rise of Fascism

After WWI, Italy and Germany Sought dramatic gov’t reforms Blamed ethnic minorities for troubles

Fascist politicians Promised empire building & employment Fought spread of communism Used propaganda & secret police to

instill fear

Mussolini’s Italy

After WWI, veterans in Italy struggled to find jobs Joined fasci di

combattimento (fighting units) Demanded aid from politicians Promoted militant nationalism Turned into Fascist Party

Benito Mussolini WWI vet. & leader of Fascists Glorified warfare 1921, elected Prime Minister

Forbid other political parties Jailed opponents

Hitler’s Germany

Treaty of Versailles & Great Depression ruined German economy

Adolf Hitler WWI vet. Wrote Mein Kampf Member of National Socialist

German Worker’s Party (Nazis)1933, Hitler elected Chancellor

Revenge for Treaty of Versailles Annex all German-speaking

territories (lebensraum) Eliminate all Jews from Europe Created social/economic policies

that revived Germany

The Road to War, 1933 - 1939

The Road to War, 1933 - 1939

1933, Hitler & Mussolini began to mobilize Germans

Increased military power (conscription)

Militarized the Rhineland & invaded Austria

Italians Invaded Ethiopia

Munich Conference Allied leaders (England,

France) did not object to Hitler’s actions

Appeasement

The Road to War, 1933 - 1939

1939, Hitler invaded Czechoslovakia Allied forces sought alliance with USSR Hitler & Stalin had already signed Nazi-Soviet Pact

agreeing to conquer and split Poland

The War of Movement

The War of Movement

WWII was a series of offensive battles Motorized armaments Germany’s Blitzkrieg US & Japan’s use of

aircraft carriers“Total War” again

put citizens in danger Blockades, bombing

raids, etc. Ex. Dresden

THE EUROPEAN THEATER

War in North Africa and Europe

War in North Africa and Europe

1939 – 1940, Germans conquered: Poland Denmark Norway Netherlands Belgium France

War in North Africa and Europe

Fall 1940, Battle of Britain British RAF successfully defended against German air

strikes Better planes, radar & code-breaking machines

War in North Africa and Europe

1941, Battle of Stalingrad Hitler broke Nazi-Soviet Pact Germans were successful until winter of 1941 – 1942 Massive Russian casualties

War in North Africa and Europe

North African Campaign Mussolini conquered Egypt &

British SomalilandGermans aided the Italians

Erwin RommelUS aided the British

Dwight EisenhowerAllies (US, England and

France) defeated Axis (Germans, Italians, Japanese) in North Africa

THE PACIFIC THEATER

War in Asia and the Pacific

War in Asia and the Pacific

1941, Japan conquered French Indochina In retaliation, Allies (US

specifically) stopped shipments of fuel and industrial products to Japan

December 7, 1941, Japan attacked US forces at Pearl Harbor

Japan then proceeded to conquer Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands Bataan Death March in the

Philippines

War in Asia and the Pacific

Allies led a series of offensives in the PacificBattle of the Coral

Sea prevented Japanese from conquering Australia

Battle of Midway was a major Allied victory and signaled waning power of the Japanese

The End of the War

The End of the War

1943, Soviets began offensive against Germany

1944, Allies liberated France

1945, Battle of the Bulge Germany’s final offensive Hitler committed suicide Germany surrendered

May 8, 1945: V.E. Day

The End of the War

1944, Allied forces “leap-frogged” Pacific Islands Slowly eroded power of

Japanese Battle of Iwo Jima & Okinawa Massive US & Japanese

casualtiesAugust 1945, US dropped

atomic bombs on Hiroshima & Nagasaki Japan surrendered

August 14, 1945: V.J. Day