WORLD WAR II:

1939-1945
Individuals & Societies

Erica Mejia Arango

 OBJECTIVE: Analyze the series of events that lead the Axis
Power and Allies into a world war and their effect in the planet
CAUSES
- TREATY OF VERSAILLES: Germany had to accept guilt for the war and to pay
reparations, lost territory and was prohibited from having a large military, causing
the spread for ultra nationalism ideas.
- Rise of Fascism and Nazism:
Fascism under Benito Mussolini present himself as the most secure way against
communism, more effective than democracy, as he established the 1 st fascist
dictatorial power in Europe in 1922. Nazism under Adolf Hitler leadership promised
Germans to overturn from Versailles Treat, recovering the glory and power they
deserved.
- Failure of disarmament: League of Nations failed in reaching an agreement, and
Germany declared that they wont be bounded by the military clauses of the Treaty of
Versailles in February 1935
- World economic crisis: People around the world were looking for a leader to recover
economy, and Hitler rose as the one able to do it for the Axis Power
- Appeasament: During the 1930s, politicians in Britain and France began to believe
that the Treaty of Versailles was unfair to Germany and that Hitler’s actions were
understandable and justifiable. Also Britain felt that economic recovery of Germany
will be in its interest as Germany was the major customer of British goods and thus
enjoys a great trade relation with it.
Rise of Japan CAUSES
Aggression in Manchuria (1931)

Italian invasion German expansion

Reoccupation of Rhineland (1936)
Attacked and sized Czecholovakia
Ethiopia invaded by Italy (1935) (1938)
Invasion of Poland (1939) - Blitzkrieg
(lightning war)

Allies

Britain and France declared war to

Germany
Effects

The after War

Death Borders changed UN born

Even though the UN was
established by the Atlantic
Germany was divided, creating Chapter before WWII, UN started
70-85 million deaths, including
West and East Germany as a hope for humanity to work
civilians and military personnel
together to keep peace and
nations to have a safer place to
live.
 EFFECTS

USA & URSS

United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference, at Bretton
During World War II the leaders of Woods, New Hampshire (July 1–22,1944), drew up a project for the
Liberal Democracy, the US, joined International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD - now
forces with the Communist Soviet known as World Bank) to make long-term capital available to
Union, to break down the Fascist states urgently needing such foreign aid, and a project for
Regime. the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to finance short-term
imbalances in international payments in order to stabilize
The development of nuclear exchange rates.
weapons during World War II also
heightened the tensions.

It left these two differentiated

societies virtually competing
against each other for world power
TIME LINE WWII

1
Phoney War:
Sept 1939-April 1940

1940: 1942:
Japanese invasion of April-May: Hitler invades
Manchuria (1931) 18th April: Doolittle
1939: Denmark & Norway
Raiders bomb Japan
March – April: 10th May: Blitzkrieg
German “Anschuluss” Britain rearms and Chamberlain resigns 1941: June: Battle of Midway
with Austria (1938) reassures Poland 26th May: Dunkirk Italy & Germany August: Allies invade
11th June: Italy enters war
attacks Yugoslavia North Africa
on Axis power 23th October: Battle of
Treat of Munich August: Russia and 22nd June: Hittler
22nd June: Armistice signed El Alamein
(30/09/1938) Germany sign a pact attacks Russia –
by France with Germany
Barbosa Operation November: Battle
10th Jul- 31st Oct: Battle of
Hitler invades 1st September: Britain 7th December: Pearl Stalingrad
Czechoslovakia Hitler invades Poland 22nd Sept: Tripartite pact: Harbor attack by Japan
(03/1939) 3rd September: France Italy, Germany, Japan
8th December: USA &
and Britain declare war Dec: British rout Italy at
Britain declare war on
to Germany North Africa
Japan
TIME LINE WWII

6
Phoney War:
Sept 1939-April 1940

1943: 1945:
1944: March: Allies cross the
12th May: Axis
January: German siege Rhine river
surrenders North Africa
of Leningrad edges April: Russia reach Berlin
July: Allies invade Sicily 1945:
5th June: Rome liberated 28th April: Mussolini
August: Allies take Sicily 6th August: Atomic bomb
captured and killed
6th June: Normandy D- dropped on Hiroshima
3rd Sept: Italy surrenders 30th April: Hitler commits
Day 9th August: Atomic bomb
November: Allies meet suicide
26th August: Paris dropped on Nagasaki
at Tehran 7th May: Germany
liberated unconditionally surrenders
14th August: Japan
8th Sept: V2 Flying 8th May: VE Day Surrender
Bombs – London 5th July: Churcill loses 2nd September:
16th December: Battle of election MacArthur accepts
the Bulge begins Japan’s unconditional
surrender
MEMORY FOR HUMANITY

The systematic method of killing associated

with the Holocaust is one feature which
differentiates it from other mass killings
throughout history

Over six million Jews were killed along with an

estimated 11.5 million Slavic civilians, Prisoners Of
War, political dissidents, handicapped,
homosexuals & Jehovah’s Witness in extermination
camp.

There was a mass migration of Jews leading to the

creation of Israel, which has had a profound effect
on world politics and today is one potentially one
of the most likely causes of future conflict.

The loss of a large proportion of the world’s young

people, particularly men changed the way society
operated with women more likely to perform tasks
previously taken on by men.
WHAT WOULD
BE THE MAIN
LESSON
HUMANITY
SHOULD LEARN
FROM WWII?
Formative for: Concepts,
Communications & Critical thinking.