World War II

Interesting Facts

This country suffered the

most casualties?
Russia
More than 21 million (equivalent to the entire
population of New York)

Number of Jews
killed during the
Holocaust?
6 million
That is like losing the entire
population of Indiana

Number of German
generals executed
by Hitler?

84

Number of bombs the

allies dropped during
World War 2?
3.4 million tons

What percentage of
males born in the
Soviet Union survived
the war?

20%

What age was the

youngest US soldier
in World War 2?

12
Calvin Graham lied about his age to
get into the US Navy

Russia and Japan

have never officially
signed a peace treaty
True

What percentage of
casualties were
civilians in World War
2?

50%

How many sheets of

toilet paper did British
soldiers get a day?
3 sheets
US soldiers got 22

Japanese war criminal,

Tojo Hideki, attempted
suicide after the
surrender. He was
saved and resuscitated
by Allied forces, who
then hanged him

Poet Stanislaw Jerzy Lec

survived a German
concentration camp by
killing his guard with a
shovel that was given to
him to dig his own grave
and then escaping in the
guards uniform.

A WW2 observation pilot

got bored of not being in
combat and decided to
strap 6 bazookas to his
plane destroying several
tanks and armored
vehicles.

Cats were dropped from

planes during WWII with
a bomb strapped to
them hoping the cat
would avoid the water
and land on the decks of
enemy ships.

Causes of
World War 2

Treaty of Versailles
The treaty punished Germany and left
bitter feelings.

Germany forced to accept blame for the

war
-Pay millions in reparations to Britain
and France.

Italy disappointed, denied territory

promised by Britain and France.

The Rise of Fascism in Italy

Fascism- totalitarian
form of government:
Glorifies the state
One leader, one party
Society controlled by
the government
Opposition not
tolerated
Benito Mussolini (1922), sided
with Axis powers.

Propaganda and
censorship widely
practiced

Worldwide Economic Depression

European economies unstable.
The boom in U.S. (1920s)
sustained worldwide trade.
1929 stock market crash in the
U.S. and Great Depression spread
globally.

German breadlines

As economies plummeted and

unemployment rose, people turned
to powerful leaders and
governments
Success through military
buildup and the conquest of
territory.

Japanese children eating

radish roots during famine

In Germany, depression, unemployment and

hard times led to a dramatic increase in votes
for Hitler and the Nazi Party.
Election date

Votes in
millions

Share

May 20, 1928

0.81

2.6%

September 14, 1930

6.41

18.3%

July 31, 1932

13.75

37.3%

November 6, 1932

11.74

33.1%

March 5, 1933

17.28

43.9%

Voting for Hitlers party increased as

unemployment rates rose

Japanese Expansionism
1931 Japan
invaded Manchuria
for raw materials.

In 1938, Japan
went to war with
the Soviet Union
(Border Wars)

Anti-Communism
Communism- Production
controlled by the
government, as are property,
the media, and all other
aspects of society.

1930s- Rise of many

totalitarian regimes; but
most people chose fascism
over communism.

Hitler exploited fear of

communist takeover in
Germany
A Battle for Germany: Nazi
anti-communist book from
1933

Rose to power in 1933.

Appeasement
Appeasement- Act of
giving in to an enemys
demands to avoid conflict.

1938- Hitler demanded

that Czechoslovakia cede
the Sudetenland to
Germany.

The British and French

prime ministers agreed to
Hitlers demands
Hope to avoid war

Militarism
Glorification of
war, strengthen
military to prepare
for war.
All levels of
society,
including
education of
the nations
youth.

Hitler Youth group

Ancient Sparta is an example of a

militaristic society

Nationalism
Nationalism- belief
in the superiority of
ones own nation over
all others.
Hitler, Mussolini,
and Japans Tojo each
touted their nations
ability to dominate all
others in the years
leading up to WWII.

Nazi flag, Italian fascist logo,

Japanese flag

American Isolationism
Failure of peace efforts

Depression meant US
concerned with its own
problems.

Conflict in Europe
seemed distant
U.S. tried to remain
neutral.
Weakened the
European
democracies.

The Nye Committee- U.S.

tricked into entering WWI by
arms manufacturers and Allied
propaganda.

Theaters of War: Where WWII Was Fought

Europe
North
Africa

Atlantic
Ocean

Asia
Pacific