Lessons of Totalitarian Governments in World War II

1. Warm Up • 1) What did the three major totalitarian governments we studied (Italy, Russia, Germany) have in common? • 2) What were some major differences between the three countries? • 3) Is it possible to have a totalitarian government that is “good”? Why or why not? • 4) In your opinion, what if anything could have been done to prevent World War II from happening?

2. Hitler Learns Lessons • Germany-Hitler sees League of Nations do nothing to stop them • In 1936, Spain had Civil War between Fascist Francisco Franco & Spanish who wanted democracy; Germany assisted Franco & used war as opportunity to “practice” air-raid bombings

3. Vehemently Violating Versailles • Hitler wanted lebensraum(living space) for Germans • March 1936 moves troops into Rhineland • March 1938 invades Austria & makes it part of Germany • Western countries & League of Nations do nothing (appeasement—agreeing to demands to avoid war)

5. Salivating over the Sudetenland • British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain says Europe has avoided war (but he’s wrong) • March 1939 Hitler breaks Munich Agreement & takes all of Czechoslovakia

6. Enemies Become Allies?? • Stalin & Hitler do not like each other; Stalin has warned West about Hitler, but West does not trust Stalin either, SO… • August 1939-Nazi-Soviet Pact-USSR will not attack Germany & will divide Poland

7. World War 2 Begins • Sept 1, 1939—Invasion of Poland • Surprise attack by Germany • Officially started war • Blitzkrieg -“lightning war”- • using surprise attacks • Fast airplanes followed by • Massive infantry forces

8. World War 2 Begins • Sept 3, 1939—England & France declare war on Germany, but do not fight Germany for 7 months - Phony War (Sitzkrieg) • West slow to arm, have old weapons; Hitler has new weapons • Fighting in WWII takes place in three theatres • 1. Europe, 2. Pacific Islands, 3. North Africa

9. Fall of France • French built Maginot Line after WW1, but had gap near Belgium • June 1940— Germans go around Maginot Line & take Paris • Leads to Evacuation at Dunkirk – Allies trapped by Germans saved by GB

10. Fall of France • France split: • Nazis occupy northern France • Hitler creates Vichy governmentin South France (French leaders who work with Nazis) • Free France—rebels led by Charles DeGaulle French General committed to reconquering France

11. Battle of Britain • Great Britain Stands alone against Germany • German air force bombed England for 8 straight months; England held off Germans

15. Hitler Turns on Stalin • Hitler felt USSR would provide enough living space for Germans; led surprise attack in June 1941 & pushed close to Moscow; but… • Stalin used scorched- earth policyto stop Germans; USSR counter- attacked

16. Adolf Hitler in Germany • Final Solution (Holocaust)—Hitler began plan to eliminate Germany of all non-Aryans (Jews, Slavs, homosexuals, political opponents) • 6 million Jews were murdered in firing squads & gas chambers throughout Europe by special killing units called the SS

21. Warm Up • Why did each of the three Axis powers fight in WW2? • Who was a worse person, Stalin or Hitler? Why? • Tell me your best (school appropriate) joke.

22. Meanwhile…

23. Meanwhile... • July 1940-Italy declared war on England & France; attacked Egypt • Dec 1941-Japan attacked Indochina. US responded to attack by banning sale of scrap iron to Japan

24. Pearl Harbor • Japan was mad at US for interfering with expansion • Dec 7, 1941—Japan bombed Pearl Harbor(Hawaii); US declared war on Japan • Wanted to take out US navy so could freely conquer Dutch East Indies

26. 1942-Tide Turns • Battle of Stalingrad — Stopped German eastern advance army was held & forced to surrender to Russians • Battle of El Alamein, Egypt -Allies defeated Germany’s AfrikaKorps

27. Invading Italy • July 1943—Allies attack Italy • Italian king Victor Emmanuel III had Mussolini jailed; Italy surrendered

29. V-E Day • D-Day —June 6, 1944— Operation Overlord. Allies invaded Nazi-held France at Normandy & marched towards Germany – Lead by General Eisenhower

30. One last stand • Battle of the Bulge – January 1945 • Hitler’s last stand • Germans started a strong offensive • Eventually the Allied forces won out

31. V-E Day • May 8, 1945- V-E Day (Victory in Europe) • Germany surrenders unconditionally

32. The End of World War II Conferences

33. End of the War in Europe • May 7, 1945—Germany surrendered • US, England, Russia met to reconstruct Europe after the war: • Yalta Conference (Feb 1945) • Potsdam Conference (July, Aug 1945)

34. Yalta Conference • “Big Three” (Churchill of England, Roosevelt of USA, Stalin of USSR) met to discuss Europe after WW2 • This is FDR’s last meeting (died in April)

35. Yalta Conference • 6 Topics Discussed: • Want unconditional surrender of Axis Powers (Germany, Italy, Japan) • League of Nations was ineffective—US, England, Russia, France, China should form United Nations (international organization to keep peace after war)

36. Yalta Conference • Topics Discussed: • Russia would declare war on Japan (& help USA invade Japan) after Germany surrendered • Divide Austria, Germany & capital Berlin into 4 occupied zones (controlled US, England, France, & USSR)

37. Yalta Conference • Topics Discussed: • Roosevelt & Churchill afraid Stalin would make Eastern Europe communist after war; wanted Self Determination (right to choose democracy or communist) for Eastern European Countries: Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, & Bulgaria

38. Yalta Conference • Stalin agreed to self-determination if could have part of Poland; Poland—should have free elections

39. Potsdam Conference (Stalin, Truman, Churchill)

40. Potsdam Conference • After German surrender, Stalin began pressuring Eastern European countries to become communist • Truman unhappy with these new pro-Soviet governments; Demanded Stalin allow free elections as he agreed to at Yalta • Stalin refused to allow freely elected governments in Eastern Europe; feared they would be anti-Soviet

41. War in the Pacific

42. War in the Pacific • USA Pacific forces led by Douglas MacArthur & Chester Nimitz fought to defeat Japan; needed to conquer Japanese-controlled islands to get to Japan • June 1942—Battle of Midway —Turning point in the Pacific, Japanese navy is wiped out and Allies take the offensive

43. War in the Pacific • US & Australian troops fought to defeat Japan; Japanese refused to surrender & fought to the last man; made fighting for islands difficult • August 1942—Guadalcanal— 6-month land, air, sea battle; Japanese kamikaze (suicide) pilots bombed US ships & bases

44. War in the Pacific • Allies could never take all Japanese-controlled islands (too costly), so US began island-hopping strategy—capture some islands, skip others; hoped to cut off Japanese supply lines & “starve” other Japanese-controlled islands

45. War in the Pacific • By March 1945, US won Iwo Jima& Okinawa in the worst fighting of Pacific War— US suffered most marine casualties in these 2 island invasions • Needed these islands as bases to use for invasion of Japan

47. V-J • US faced with decision: invade Japan OR use new weapon—atomic bomb • Atomic Bomb secretly developed in New Mexico desert during Manhattan Project

48. Warm Up- Wednesday 12/18 • 1) List as many causes of WWII as you can think of • 2) What was the name of the turning point battles in each of the three theaters? • 3) Which countries were Allied powers? Which countries were Axis powers? • 4) How did relations between the Allied powers change from the Yalta to Potsdam Conference? Why did the change?