World War II: 1939-1942

The Outbreak of World War II

1. In the 1930s, events throughout the world led to conditions that started World War II
a. High unemployment, desperation, & feelings of betrayal led to the rise of totalitarian
dictators
b. Fascist dictators Mussolini & Hitler threatened to conquer new territories for Italy &
Germany
c. Extreme nationalism & a need for raw materials led to a desire to expand in Japan under
Hideki Tojo
2. By the 1930s, the world was moving towards another war but few nations were in a position
to prevent war
a. Britain & France were the leaders of the League of Nations but both wanted to avoid
another war
b. The United States was focused on the depression & wanted to avoid foreign affairs
c. Japan, Italy, & Germany aggressively expanded in Africa, Asia, & Europe
d. In 1936, Germany, Italy, & Japan formed an alliance called the Axis Coalition
3. Japanese Expansion
a. In 1931, Japan invaded Manchuria in order to seize its iron & coal mines
b. In 1937, Japan conquered northern China & killed 300,000 unarmed soldiers & civilians
during the “Rape of Nanjing”
4. Italian Expansion
a. In 1935, Mussolini began his campaign to create an Italian Empire by invading Ethiopia
b. The Italian army easily defeated the Ethiopians
c. The League of Nations condemned Japanese & Italian aggression but did nothing to stop
the attacks in an effort to maintain peace in the world
5. German Expansion
a. The failure of the League of Nations to stop Italy or Japan encouraged Hitler to expand
Germany too
b. In 1935, Hitler defied the terms of the Treaty of Versailles & expanded the size of the
German military
c. In 1936, Hitler moved his army to the Rhineland
d. Both times, the League of Nations refused to stop Hitler in order to keep peace in
Europe
e. In 1938, Hitler annexed Austria
f. Next, Hitler demanded that the western border of Czechoslovakia, an area known as the
Sudetenland, be given to Germany
6. The Munich Conference, 1938
a. In 1938, leaders from England & France met with Hitler & Mussolini at the Munich
Conference in order to work out an agreement to avoid war
b. Germany was allowed to keep the Sudetenland if Hitler promised to stop expanding
 7. Appeasement
a. Britain & France used appeasement with Hitler: they gave in to his demands in order to
avoid war
b. Six months after the Munich Conference, Hitler broke his promise & annexed all of
Czechoslovakia
8. The Nazi-Soviet Pact and Invasion of Poland, 1939
a. In 1939, Hitler demanded that western Poland be returned to Germany but he did not
want to provoke a war with the Soviet Union
b. Stalin & Hitler agreed to the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact, promising never to attack
each other
c. Secretly, Germany & the Soviet Union agreed to divide Poland
d. On September 1, 1939, Hitler ordered the German military to attack Poland
e. On September 3, 1939, Britain & France declared war on Germany; World War II had
begun

Fighting World War II, 1939-1942

1. Total War
a. The Allies & Axis Powers converted to total war for the second time in 20 years
2. The European Theatre
a. World War II was a two “theatre” war with fighting taking place in Europe & in the
Pacific
3. German Blitzkrieg
a. When World War II began, Germany used a “lighting” strategy called blitzkrieg that
relied on fast, strong attacks using air raids, artillery, & tanks
b. By 1940, Germany conquered Poland, Denmark, Norway, Netherlands, Belgium, &
France
4. The Battle of Britain
a. When France fell to the Nazis, Britain was the only nation at war with Germany
b. In 1940, Germany began a massive bombing campaign using its air force called the Battle
of Britain
c. The British air force fought German planes aided by radar & the ability to crack German
codes
d. Prime Minister Winston Churchill vowed that the British would “never surrender”
e. After eight months, Hitler called off the attacks & focused on Eastern Europe
5. The United States
a. The United States vowed to remain neutral when World War II began
b. After the fall of France & attack on Britain, the United States began selling war supplies
to the Allied Powers
6. German Invasion of the Soviet Union, 1941
a. In 1940, Italian & German troops moved to take control of North Africa
b. Meanwhile, Hitler took control of the Balkans
c. In 1941, Hitler broke the Nazi-Soviet Pact & invaded the Soviet Union
 d. By 1942, the Axis Powers controlled most of Europe & North Africa but were unable to
defeat Britain & the Soviet Union
7. The Pacific Theatre
a. Meanwhile, the Japanese were expanding throughout the Pacific
b. From 1939-1941, Japan conquered European colonies in Asia including French Indochina
c. Japan threatened to take the United States’ colonies of Guam & the Philippines
8. Pearl Harbor Attack, 1941
a. In 1941, the United States cut off sales of iron & oil with the Japanese
b. Japan interpreted the embargo as interfering with their right to expand
c. On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor in
Hawaii
d. The surprise attack cripples the United States navy & killed 2,300 Americans
e. After the attack, the United States declared war on the Axis Powers & entered World
War II
f. After Pearl Harbor, the Japanese took the Philippines & threatened to take India and
Australia
g. By 1942, Japan controlled a large empire in the Pacific, “Asia for the Asiatics”
9. The War by 1942
a. From 1939 to 1942, the Axis Powers (Germany, Italy, Japan) dominated Europe, North
Africa, & Asia
b. But, 1942 was a turning point for the Allies who were able to win the war by 1945
Critical Thinking Decision #1: How should the League of Nations respond to aggression by Japan and
Italy?

In 1931, the Japanese army seized Manchuria, an area rich in iron and coal. Japanese engineers and
technicians built mines and factories. In 1937, a full-scale war began between Japan and China. Japanese
forces swept into northern China. Despite having a million soldiers, China’s army was no match for the
better equipped and trained Japanese. Beijing and other northern cities as well as the capital, Nanjing,
fell to the Japanese in 1937. Japanese troops killed tens of thousands of captured soldiers and civilians in
Nanjing. Meanwhile in Europe, Italian leader Benito Mussolini dreamed of building a colonial empire in
Africa like those of Britain and France. Mussolini ordered a massive invasion of Ethiopia in October 1935.
The spears and swords of the Ethiopians were no match for Italian airplanes, tanks, guns, poison gas.

The Japanese and Italian attacks were the first direct challenges to the League of Nations. How should
the League respond to these acts of aggression?
a. Protest the attacks but do not try to stop them due to fear that doing so would bring an end to
peace and lead to a war
b. Cut off all trade with both nations until the Japanese and Italian armies are removed and order is
restored
c. Intervene in Asia to stop Japan because innocent civilians were massacred, but do not intervene
in Ethiopia
d. Send an international military to fight Japan and Italy and forcibly remove them from China and
Ethiopia

Critical Thinking Decision #2: How should the League of Nations respond to aggression by Germany?

On November 5, 1937, Hitler announced his plans to absorb Austria and Czechoslovakia into the Third
Reich, or German Empire. The Treaty of Versailles outlawed a union between Austria and Germany.
However, many Austrians supported unity with Germany. In March 1938, Hitler sent his army into Austria
and annexed it. France and Britain ignored their pledge to protect Austrian independence. Hitler next
turned to Czechoslovakia. About three million German-speaking people lived in the western border
regions of Czechoslovakia called the Sudetenland. This heavily fortified area formed the Czechs’ main
defense against Germany. The German-Austrian union raised pro-Nazi feelings among Sudeten Germans.
In September 1938, Hitler demanded that the Sudetenland be given to Germany. The Czechs refused and
asked France for help.

How should the League of Nations respond to these acts of aggression?

a. Protest Hitler’s demand for the Sudetenland but do not try to stop it due to fear that doing so
would lead to a war
b. Have a meeting with Britain, France, Germany, and Italy to negotiate an agreement that would
avoid a war
c. Encourage Britain and France to mobilize their armies and encourage them to attack Germany if
the Sudetenland is taken by Germany
 d. Immediately declare war on Germany to restore Austria and keep the Sudetenland from being
taken by Germany

Critical Thinking Decision #3: How should Britain and France respond to the German invasion of
Poland?

Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin signed a nonaggression pact with Hitler who promised Stalin territory. In a
secret part of the pact, Germany and the Soviet Union agreed to divide Poland between them. They also
agreed that the Soviet Union could take over Finland and the Baltic countries of Lithuania, Latvia, and
Estonia. After signing this nonaggression pact, Hitler quickly moved ahead with plans to conquer Poland.
His surprise attack took place at dawn on September 1, 1939. German tanks and troop trucks rumbled
across the Polish border. At the same time, German aircraft and artillery began a merciless bombing of
Poland’s capital, Warsaw.

How should Britain and France respond to these acts of aggression?

a. Protest Hitler’s invasion of Poland but do not try to stop it due to fear that doing so would lead
to a war
b. Have another meeting with Germany to negotiate an agreement that would avoid a war
c. Prepare the British and French militaries for war and demand that Germany withdraw from
Poland
d. Declare war on Germany in order to bring an end to Hitler’s aggressive territorial expansion

Critical Thinking Decision #4: How should the United States respond to Japanese aggression in the
Pacific?

Like Hitler, Japan’s military leaders also had dreams of empire. Japan’s expansion had begun in 1931.
That year, Japanese troops took over Manchuria in northeastern China. Six years later, Japanese armies
swept into the heartland of China. They expected a quick victory. Chinese resistance, however, caused
the war to drag on. This placed a strain on Japan’s economy. To increase their resources, Japanese
leaders looked toward the rich European colonies of Southeast Asia. By October 1940, Americans had
cracked one of the codes that the Japanese used in sending secret messages. Therefore, they were well
aware of Japanese plans for Southeast Asia. If Japan conquered European colonies there, it could also
threaten the American-controlled Philippine Islands and Guam. In July 1941, the Japanese overran
French Indochina (Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos).

How should the United States respond to these acts of aggression?

a. Protest the attacks but do not try to stop them due to fear that doing so would bring an end to
peace and lead to a war
b. Cut off all trade with Japan until they remove their army and restore order in Asia
c. Hold a meeting with Japan in order to resolve these differences without having to go to war
d. Send an international military to fight Japan and forcibly remove them from their Asian colonies