Content Overview
Unit 7: c. 1900-Present
World War 2
Causes of the War
Aggression by Axis Powers
German Aggression
Germany invaded Rhineland in 1936 & Austria in 1938
Italian Aggression
Italy invaded Ethiopia (Abyssinia) in 1935-36 & Albania in 1939
Japanese Aggression
Japan invaded Manchuria in 1931 & attacked China in 1937
The 2 Alliances
Axis
Allies
Germany
Italy
Japan
Britain
France
Russia
Start of the War
Germany invaded Sudetenland in 1938
Britain & France opposed this, but they signed Munich Accord (1938) with Germany, allowing it to conquer Sudetenland but nothing else, in an effort to prevent war
German broke the Munich Accord by conquering Poland in Sep 1939, causing Britain & France to declare war on Germany
The Middle of the War
German Blitzkrieg
German forces quickly took over most of Europe (Poland, Scandinavia, France, etc.)
In July 1940, German forces occupied France → Allied forces retreat to Dunkirk (a port in France)
German forces bombed London (Sep 1940 - May 1941) → Lots of damage in London → British air force drove away the German bombers
Germany attacked USSR (Operation Barbarossa, Jun - Dec 1941) → Defeated Leningrad → Failed to attack Moscow due to lack of resources in Russian wintertime
Germany used U-boats (submarines) to sink Allied ships
Japan's Entry into WW2
German victories in Europe inspired Japan
Japan conquered many places in East & Southeast Asia, including French Indochina & Singapore
US imposed an oil embargo on Japan in retaliation for Japan's occupation of French Indochina
US's Entry into WW2
Japan bombed Pearl Harbor (Dec 1941) in retaliation for US's oil embargo on Japan
US declared war on Japan
Germany & Italy declared war on US