WAW: Lesson - World War II
World War II
Introduction
We will jump into the war itself in a moment, but first, let's address a few things. World War I was an extremely brutal war: the introduction of improved machines of war (tanks, airplanes capable of midair combat) and improved methods of causing pain and suffering (chemical warfare) created a new era of human warfare. World War II saw the expansion of those technologies and cruelties and resulted in some of the largest instances of human death in history. This war involved genocide, which is the designated slaughter of whole groups of people, along with the introduction of the most devastating weapon ever used by humans: the Atomic Bomb. Some of the content on the following pages will be disturbing, but it is important to look back and recognize what happened, if for no other reason than to attempt to prevent it from happening again.
Who Was Involved?
The table below shows the major and minor players involved in World War II. The two sides were called the Axis Powers and the Allied Powers. Take notes on how these nations were divided (and how alliances shifted between World War I and II):
| Degree of Involvement | Axis Powers | Allied Powers |
|---|---|---|
| Major Powers |
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| Additional Powers (not an exhaustive list) |
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Early Axis Victories: The Start of World War II
Germany was incredibly successful at the beginning of the war. During the first year, German troops took over Poland, France, Norway, Denmark, Luxembourg, Belgium, and Holland. With each conquest, Hitler set up "puppet governments." In no time at all, the continent of Europe seemed more like one police state than a collection of nations.
Also, during that first year, Germany, Italy, and Japan signed the Tripartite Pact officially allying themselves with each other as the Axis Powers for the duration of the war. As most of Europe had fallen to the German war machine, Great Britain was the only powerful nation left in Europe to stand up against Germany. For months, Germany subjected Great Britain to daily air raids. Known as the Battle of Britain, these air raids included attacks on military and civilian targets alike. But the Luftwaffe (the German air force) could not get around Great Britain's impressive air defense network or defeat Great Britain's Royal Air Force (RAF).
Image note: This poster shows a British family at a picnic on the coast, with the father waving to RAF airmen. This British WWII propaganda poster demonstrates how important the RAF was to the British War effort since the Luftwaffe attacked families.
The Axis Powers Awaken a Bear (USSR) and an Eagle (USA)
Previously, The USSR and Germany signed a Non-Aggression Pact to split Poland. In 1941, Hitler gave the order to void the Non-Aggression Pact and invade the USSR. Out of options, the Soviet Union joined (what was left of) the Allied Powers against Germany. The German invasion of the Soviet Union involved over three million men—it was and is the largest invasion force in history. Known as Operation Barbarossa, the invasion was incredibly successful — by the year's end, German troops were poised to take over Moscow.
In the 1930s, America had stopped trading with Japan, but Japan needed more resources for its war effort. On December 7, 1941, the Japanese air force flew over the islands of Hawaii, destroying the American naval base at Pearl Harbor and ending the United States' neutrality. Prior to that, the Japanese military was taking over Asia and the Pacific islands with the same level of success as the Germans in Europe. Thousands of American navy and army personnel were killed, and five battleships were sunk.
Image note: Photo from the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. An American battleship is sunk, surrounded by fire and smoke.
The next day, Great Britain and the United States declared war on Japan—the United States then declared war on Germany and Italy.
The US and USSR Enter the War
With the entrance of the Soviet Union and the United States into the war, the Allied Powers received a huge boost—in physical support and emotional morale. In 1943, the leaders of the United States, the Soviet Union, and Great Britain met in Tehran, Iran to discuss how to win the war. Topics discussed at the Tehran Conference included D-Day, war strategy, and defeating Japan. It took time, but the war started to turn in favor of the Allies.
Theaters of War
Select each Theater of War (areas of conflict) below for additional details on the battles that happened there.
African Theater
- 1942-1943: Operation Torch.
- British and American allies attacked Northern Africa to distract Germany from invading the USSR and to give the Allies a “base” for a future attack of Italy.
European Theater
- 1942-1943: Battle of Stalingrad and Battle of Kursk
- Soviet victories forced gradual German retreat
- 1943: Operation Avalanche
- Allies moved north through Italy and forced Mussolini to resign
- 1944: Operation Overlord
- Allies moved through the French side of the English Channel, and returned France to the Allied side.
- 1945: Battle of the Bulge
- Germany’s last major offensive attack, but the Allies won
Pacific Theater
- 1942: Battle of Midway and Battle of Guadalcanal
- Allied forces attacked Axis powers in the Pacific and won. This started the “island hoping” campaign, where Allied troops took islands closer and closer to Japan.
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