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WWII Overview and Key Facts

Jun 24, 2025

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Overview

This lesson introduces the basics of the Second World War, focusing on its scale, key participants, global impact, and setting up foundational knowledge for further study.

Scale and Impact of the Second World War

  • The Second World War involved over 30 countries and lasted six years (1939–1945).
  • Approximately 60 million people died during the war.
  • More than 900,000 aircraft, 4,000 warships, and 270,000 tanks were produced.
  • Millions of soldiers participated, and millions of civilians, including Jews, were systematically killed in the Holocaust.
  • The war saw the first and only use of nuclear weapons in combat.

Major Participants: Axis and Allied Powers

  • The two sides were the Axis Powers and the Allied Powers.
  • Axis Powers: Germany (Adolf Hitler), Italy (Benito Mussolini), and Japan (Hideki Tojo; Emperor Hirohito).
  • The main Axis alliance was called the Tripartite (Berlin) Pact.
  • Allied Powers: France (Charles de Gaulle), United Kingdom (Winston Churchill; King George VI), Soviet Union (Joseph Stalin), China (Chiang Kai-Shek), and the United States (Franklin D. Roosevelt).
  • The "Big Four" Allies were the USA, UK, Soviet Union, and China (France's power was neutralized early).
  • The "Big Three" refers to the USA, UK, and Soviet Union.

Key Events and Timeline

  • The Second World War followed the First World War (1914–1918).
  • World War II began in 1939 and ended in 1945.
  • The Cold War began in 1947 and lasted until 1991.
  • Japan's conflict began earlier with the invasion of Manchuria (1931) and China (1937).
  • The Soviet Union and USA joined the Allied Powers in 1941 after Germany invaded the USSR and Japan attacked Pearl Harbor.

Key Terms & Definitions

  • Axis Powers — Alliance of Germany, Italy, and Japan during WWII.
  • Allied Powers — Alliance of France, UK, Soviet Union, China, and USA (main members).
  • Holocaust — Systematic killing of millions, mainly Jews, by Nazi Germany.
  • Nationalism — Movement promoting a nation's self-governance and freedom from outside control.

Action Items / Next Steps

  • Review the Google Slides/PowerPoint linked in the lesson description.
  • Complete the self-marking assignment provided.
  • Prepare for the next lesson by revisiting these basics if needed.

Full transcript