World War II Overview

Key Statistics

• Death toll: Approximately 55 million people
• Largest and most destructive conflict in history

Prelude to War

• Treaty of Versailles
  • Ended WWI, seen as unfair by Germans
  • Triggered collapse of the Weimar Republic in 1933
  • Germany had to pay 20 billion Goldmarks in reparations

Rise of Hitler

• Hitler became Chancellor and later Fuhrer after Hindenburg's death
• Claimed Germany lost WWI due to fighting on two fronts
• Signed a non-aggression pact with Stalin on August 23, 1939

Outbreak of World War II

• Invasion of Poland (September 1, 1939)
  • Marked the beginning of WWII
  • Blitzkrieg strategy utilized
  • 1.5 million German troops deployed
  • Poland fell in 2 days, resulting in 6 million casualties

Allied Response

• Britain and France declared war on Germany (September 3, 1939)
• Ultimatum for Germany to withdraw from Poland was ignored

Further German Aggression

• Occupation of Denmark and Norway
• Fall of the Netherlands (May 1940)
  • Surrender in 5 days
  • Queen Wilhelmina fled to England
• Blitzkrieg advances into Belgium, successful evacuation at Dunkirk (miraculous event)

Western Front Developments

• France Occupied (June 1940)
  • French forces fled to England
• Germany's attacks on England failed
• British Royal Air Force retaliated by bombing Berlin (August 25, 1940)

The Battle of Britain

• German aerial bombardment on London began (September 7, 1940)
  • Caused panic and significant damage
• Winston Churchill sought U.S. intervention

Axis Powers Alliance

• Japan attacked Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941)
  • U.S. entered WWII
• Military pact between Germany, Italy, and Japan (September 27, 1940)

Eastern Front

• Operation Barbarossa (June 22, 1941)
  • Ambition to control Soviet land
  • Deployed 3 million troops, 3,350 tanks, among others
• Initial German success, but Soviet counteroffensive launched in Stalingrad (November 1942)
  • German Sixth Army surrendered (February 2, 1943)

Turning Points in the Eastern Front

• German defeat at Stalingrad marked a shift in power
• Soviet forces regained control of Eastern Europe

Allied Invasion of Italy

• Allied troops landed in Sicily (July 1943)
• Italy surrendered on September 8, 1943

D-Day and Liberation of France

• Allied invasion of Normandy (June 6, 1944)
  • France liberated by August 1944
• First American troops entered Germany (September 11, 1944)

Final Stages of the War

• Battle of the Bulge (December 1944)
  • Counteroffensive by Germany but failed
• Allied bombing of German cities, notably Dresden (February 1945)
• Fall of Berlin (April 16, 1945)
  • Hitler and Goebbels committed suicide
  • Germany surrendered (May 8, 1945)

End of the War in Asia

• U.S. victory over Japan marked by atomic bombings (Hiroshima and Nagasaki)
• Japan surrendered (August 14, 1945) and signed agreement (September 2, 1945)

Conclusion

• End of WWII marked by the surrender of Italy, Germany, and Japan
• Subsequent peace agreements followed.