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World War II. Early Challenges to World Peace Japan’s War in China. Conquest of Chinese Manchuria 1931-1932 Full-scale invasion in 1937 The Rape of Nanjing Ariel bombing of urban center 400,000 Chinese used for bayonet practice, massacred 7,000 women raped 1/3 of all homes destroyed.
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Early Challenges to World PeaceJapan’s War in China • Conquest of Chinese Manchuria 1931-1932 • Full-scale invasion in 1937 • The Rape of Nanjing • Ariel bombing of urban center • 400,000 Chinese used for bayonet practice, massacred • 7,000 women raped • 1/3 of all homes destroyed
Early Challenges to World PeaceSept. 1931: Japan Invades Manchuria; Withdraws from League of Nations • World Reaction?: • W. nations did not want to get involved b/c they had their own problems to deal with • Result: • Continue aggression
Early Challenges to World PeaceChinese Resistance • Japanese aggression spurs “United Front” policy between Chinese Communists and Nationalists • Guerilla warfare ties down half of the Japanese army • Yet continued clashes between Communists and Nationalists • Communists gain popular support, upper hand by end of the war
Early Challenges to World PeaceOct. 1935: Italy invades Ethiopia • Benito Mussolini invades Ethiopia with overpowering force • 2,000 Italian troops killed, 275,000 Ethiopians killed • Also takes Libya, Albania • World Reaction?: • League of Nations ordered sanctions against Italy • Refused to sell them weapons, continued to sell them oil • Refused to get involved for fear of another conflict
Early Challenges to World PeaceGermany • Adolf Hitler (1889-1945) withdraws from League of Nations • Remilitarizes Germany • Anschluss (“Union”) with Austria, 1938 • Pressure on Sudetenland (Czechoslovakia)
Early Challenges to World Peace • July 1936: • Spanish Civil War Begins • March 1936: • German troops occupy Rhineland • Oct. 1936 • Hitler & Mussolini sign Rome-Berlin Axis Japan signs Tripartite Pact with Germany, Italy (1940), Non-Aggression Pact with USSR (1941)
Early Challenges to World PeaceMunich Conference (1938) • Italy, France, Great Britain, Germany meet • Allies follow policy of appeasement • Hitler promises to halt expansionist efforts • British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain (1869-1940) promises “peace for our time” • Hitler signs secret Russian-German Treaty of Non-Aggression (Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, August 1939)
Early Challenges to World PeaceSept. 1938: Munich Conference • Hitler promised British Prime Minister Chamberlain he would leave Europe alone if given Sudetenland (appeasement)
Early Challenges to World PeaceSept. 1938: Munich Conference • Oct. 1938 – Germany occupies Sudetenland • 6 Months Later – Takes all of Czechoslovakia – clear at this point appeasement won’t work
Early Challenges to World PeaceAug. 1939: Hitler & Stalin sign Nazi-Soviet Pact • Advantages for Hitler: • Removal of threat of attack from the east • Division of Poland • Advantages for Stalin: • Division of Poland • Takeover of Finland & Baltic countries • Safety from German attack
Early Challenges to World PeaceSept. 1, 1939: Germany invades Poland • Hitler’s Strategy: • Blitzkrieg – “lightning war” • Use fast-moving mechanized weapons • Planes, Tanks, Artillery, Infantry – all at ONCE!!! • Air forces soften up target, armored divisions rush in • German U-boats (submarines) patrol Atlantic, threaten British shipping • Poland fell in ONE month!
Early Challenges to World PeaceSept. 3, 1939: Britain & France Declare War on Germany WORLD WAR II OFFICIALLY BEGINS!!!
The European CampaignApril 1940: Hitler invades Denmark & Norway; Heads for France • Hitler’s Plan: • Pave a way to France & distract Allies by invading Holland, Belgium, & Luxembourg, then send massive force through the Ardennes Forest
The European CampaignThe Fall of France • 1940: Germany occupies Denmark, Norway, Belgium, France • Pave a way to France & distract Allies by invading Holland, Belgium, & Luxembourg, then send massive force through the Ardennes Forest • Hitler forces French to sign armistice agreement in same railroad car used for the armistice imposed on Germany in 1918
The European CampaignJune 1940: France Surrenders • What Happened at Dunkirk?: • Britain rescued Allied soldiers stranded at Dunkirk & ferried them to safety across the English Channel
The European CampaignJuly 1940: Battle of Britain • What Happened?: • German Luftwaffe (Air Force) bombed British cities for 3 months • “The Blitz” • 40,000 British civilians killed in urban bombing raids • Especially London • Goal: Hitler wanted to destroy British morale before invading • Outcome: • RAF fighters & British resistance forced Germany to call off the attack – Hitler could be stopped!
The European Campaign • Sept. 1940 • Italy moves to seize Egypt & Suez Canal • Feb. 1941 • Hitler sends Gen. Rommel to help Italian troops seize Egypt & Suez Canal
The European CampaignJune 1941: Operation Barbarossa • Lebensraum (“living space”) • June 22, 1941 Hitler double-crosses Stalin and invades USSR • Stalin caught off-guard, rapid advance • But severe winter, long supply lines weakened German efforts • Soviets regroup and attack Spring 1942 • Turning point: Battle of Stalingrad (ends February 1943)
The European CampaignJuly 1942: Battle of El Alamein • What Happened?: • Gen. Montgomery vs. Gen. Rommel • Forced Rommel and his forces to retreat westward from Egypt • Operation Torch: Gen. Eisenhower arrived with American troops in N. Africa
The European CampaignJuly 1942: Battle of El Alamein • Result: • Trapped Rommel’s forces b/w American & British & finally defeated Rommel’s Afrika Korps
The European CampaignJuly 1942-Feb.1943: Battle of Stalingrad • Outcome: • Hitler attacked, Soviets eventually put German forces on defensive with Soviets pushing them westward
The European CampaignJuly 1942-Feb.1943: Battle of Stalingrad • Comparison to Napoleon: • In both invasions, Russia’s terrible winter & its strategy of destroying everything in the enemy’s path created severe hardships for the invaders
The European CampaignSept. 1943: Invasion of Italy • Outcome: • Resulted in Allied conquest of Sicily & forced eventual surrender of Italy
The European Campaign • Nov.-Dec. 1943 • Tehran Conference
Tehran ConferenceWhen? • November 28-December 1, 1943
Tehran ConferenceMembers Present? • Franklin Roosevelt (USA) • Winston Churchill (Britain) • Joseph Stalin (USSR)
Tehran ConferencePurpose of Meeting? • Coordinate military strategy against Germany & Japan • Decide on important issues of post-WWII era
Tehran ConferenceWhat was decided? • Coordination of D-Day invasion • Poland’s post-war borders • First discussions about splitting up Germany into zones of occupation • First discussions of the future United Nations between Stalin & FDR • *Many issues left for final decisions at later conferences
The European CampaignJune 6, 1944: D-Day Invasion • Outcome: • 800,000 Allies landed at Normandy Beach • Opened a 2nd front in Europe • Led to liberation of France, Belgium, Luxembourg, & much of Netherlands from Nazi occupation
The European CampaignDec. 1944: Battle of the Bulge • Outcome: • German’s final attack in Ardennes Forest • Patton marched his army 100 miles in 2 days & attacked w/ 3 division to save the line • Resulted in heavy losses for Hitler
The European Campaign • Feb. 1945: • Yalta Conference
Yalta ConferenceWhen? • February 4-11, 1945
Yalta ConferenceMembers Present? • Franklin Roosevelt (USA) • Winston Churchill (Britain) • Joseph Stalin (USSR)
Yalta ConferencePurpose of Meeting? • Make final decisions about the end of the war
Yalta ConferenceWhat was decided? • Divide Germany into 4 zones controlled by Allied military forces • Germany must pay the USSR • Stalin agreed to join war against Japan 90 days after end of war in Europe • Stalin promised free elections in Eastern Europe
The European CampaignApril 1945: Leaders Fall • Italy: • Mussolini captured & killed by Italians • USA: • April 12: President Roosevelt dies & Vice-President Harry Truman becomes President • Germany: • April 30: Hitler & other top Nazis commit suicide
The European Campaign • May 8, 1945: • V-E Day (Victory in Europe) • Germany surrenders • July-Aug. 1945 • Potsdam Conference
Allied Victory in Europe • Red Army (USSR) gains offensive after Stalingrad (February 1943) • British, US forces attack in North Africa, Italy • D-Day: June 6, 1944, British and US forces land in France • US, Britain bomb German cities • Dresden, February 1945: 135,000 Germans killed in shelters • 30 April 1945 Hitler commits suicide, 8 May Germany surrenders
US Involvement in WWII before Pearl Harbor • US initiates “cash and carry” policy to supply Allies with arms • “lend-lease” program: US lends war goods to Allies, leases naval bases in return • US freezes Japanese assets in US • US places embargo on oil shipments to Japan • Japanese Defense Minister Tojo Hideki (1884-1948) plans for war with US
Pacific CampaignDec. 7, 1941: Japan Bombs Pearl Harbor • What Happened? • Japanese launched surprise attack sinking or damaging almost the entire U.S. Pacific fleet – used kamikazes (suicide pilots)
Pacific CampaignDec. 7, 1941: Japan Bombs Pearl Harbor • Outcome of the Attack? • U.S. declares war on Japan
Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941) • FDR: “A date which will live in infamy” • Destroyed US Navy in the Pacific • Hitler, Mussolini declare war on the US on December 11 • US joins Great Britain and the USSR
Japanese Victories • Japan dominates south-east Asia, Pacific islands • Establishes “Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere”