1. Introduction to
WWII
Adapted from McIntyre at
http://worldhistory.pppst.com

2. 2
Key Concept: What were the four main
causes of WWII? Give an example of each.
•Treaty
•of
•Versailles
1. Failure of the Treaty of Versailles
Germany’s borders were changed, and
its economy was bankrupted by
reparations payments.
4. Appeasement and
Isolationism:
England and France were still
recovering from WWI and
unsuccessfully tried to use
diplomacy to stop Hitler. Some
countries, such as the United States,
isolated themselves to try to avoid
being drawn into other nations’
wars.
3. Nationalism:
Extreme nationalism gave rise to
Fascism in Italy and Nazism in
Germany and caused Japan to colonize
Asia.
2. Economic Factors:
All countries suffered
the effects of the Great
Depression, and people
blamed their
governments and sought
change.

3. 3
Quick Facts
A. War Costs
1. US Debt 1940 - $9 billion
US Debt 1945 - $98 billion
„ The war cost $330 billion -- 10
times the cost of WWI & as much
as all previous federal
spending since 1776

4. 4
Quick Facts:
B. Human Costs
1. 50 million people died
(compared to 15 million in
WWI)„ 21.3 million Russians (7.7 million civilians
„ 11 million died as a result of the HOLOCAU
(6 million Jews + 5 million others)

5. 5
When?
1939
Sept.1 -
Germany
invades
Poland
(official
start to
the war)
Sept. 3 -
Britain &
France
declare
war on
Germany
Dec. 7 ‟
Japan
bombs
Pearl
Harbor; US
enters the
War
1941
May -
Germans
Surrend
er
Sept. -
Atomic
Bombing
of
Hiroshim
a &
Nagasaki,
Japanese
Surrend
1945
„1939-1945
„US involvement 1941-1945

6. 6
Who?
Allies Axis
Great Britain
France
(note: France
surrendered to
Germany in 1940 (after
6 weeks of fighting)
United States
Russia
German
y
Ita
ly
Japan
(major
powers)
(major powers)

7. 7
Major Leaders
Adolf Hitler
Nazi Germany
Benito Mussolini
Italy

8. 8
Major Leaders
Hideki Tojo
Japanese Prime Minister
Winston Churchill
British Prime Minister

9. 9
Major Leaders
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
US President
Joseph
Stalin
Russian
Leader

10. 10
Why? (underlying causes of WWII)
1. Failure of Treaty of
Versailles
A. Germany lost land to
surrounding nations
and wanted them back.
B. War Guilt Clause
1) Germany forced pay $57
trillion (modern
equivalent). These
payments bankrupted the
German economy and
left them hopeless and
embarrassed.
C. The U.S. Congress rejected the
treaty. embarrassed
Germans
Lloyd George, Georges Clemenceau, and
Woodrow Wilson during negotiations for the
Treaty of Versailles

11. 11
Why?
2. Economic Factors
A. The Depression made
Germany’s debt even worse.
B. Desperate people turn to
leaders who make them
feel better about themselves
and put the blame on
others. In this case, Hitler
blamed the former
government, Jews, foreigners,
communists, Roma (Gypsies),
the mentally ill, and
homosexuals.
C. Similar situations existed in
other countries such as Italy.
1923 - Wallpapering with
German Deutschmarks
1938- Evidence of Kristallnacht, or the Night of
the Broken Glass

12. 12
Why?
3. Nationalism
A. Extreme nationalism gave
rise to Fascism in Italy
and Nazism in Germany and
caused Japan to colonize
Asia.
B. It is an extreme form of
having pride in one’s country. It
creates a situation in which
people think, “My country and
people are the best, we
deserve the best, and
we’re going to take it from
you.”
C. To support nationalism,
countries increase their
military strength to get

13. 13
Why? 4. Appeasement and Isolationism
A. Why was the U.S. isolationist?
1. The Great Depression
caused economic problems
in the U.S.
2. Perceptions of WWI:
a. WWI did not seem to
solve much and cost too
much in money and
lives.
3. People thought that the U.S.
got into WWI for the wrong
reasons (greedy
businessmen!).
B. This led to “Appeasement.”
1. Appeasement: give dictators
what they want and hope
that they won’t want
anything else.
2. Appeasements included
allowing the Japanese
invasion of Manchuria,
the Italian invasion of
Ethiopia, and Germany’s
invasion of taking
of part of
Czechoslovakia called the

14. 14
Rise of Totalitarian Regimes
In a Totalitarian country, individual rights are
not viewed as important as the needs of the
nation. The government controls every aspect of
public and private life.
Totalitarianis
m
Communist
Dictatorship
(USSR)
Fascist
Dictatorship
(Germany, Italy)
Military
Dictatorship
(Japan)
Fascism: military
government with
based on racism &
nationalism with
strong support
from the business
community

15. 15
What else did
Hitler get?
„ Hitler peacefully
annexed (took
over) Austria in
1938.
„ Hitler signed a
nonaggression
pact with the USSR.
„ They agreed not
to fight each
other and split
Poland between
them
„ Hitler would
later break the
pact and
attack the USSR.
„ The USSR then
Hitler's triumphal entry into Danzig,
Poland 1939

16. 16
How Did Hitler Make War?
Blitzkrieg = “Lightning War”
In the next year,
Hitler invades:
„ Denmark
„ Norway
„ The Netherlands
„ France
Hitler in Paris

17. 17
US Assistance
Roosevelt provided aid to the
Allies: Lend-Lease - 1939
• US “lent” war materials
to cash-strapped Great
Britain
London Firefighter Tackles an Air Raid
Blaze
Atlantic Charter
• US secretly meets with
England to commit to
defeating Germany

18. 18
Meanwhile … in the Pacific
Pearl Harbor: “a date which will live in
infamy”
USS Arizona sinking in Pearl Harbor
What?
„ Surprise attack by
the Japanese on
American forces in
Pearl Harbor,
Hawaii
Effect
?
„ US declares war on
Japan & other Axis
powers

19. 19
Key Concept: What were the four long-
term effects of WWII? Give an example of
each.
Effect Examples
Power Shifts U.S. and U.S.S.R become world powers,
replacing England and Germany.
Tensions
Rise
Arms Race and Cold War begin.
Communism
Spreads
U.S.S.R. sets up satellite nations in Eastern
Europe.
Hope
Survives
United Nations and Marshall Plan implemented.