Key Events, Causes, and Consequences of World War II

Key Events of WW2

1939 September → Invasion of Poland (Trigger event)

1940 June → Germany invades France and defeats her in six weeks

1941 June - December → OPERATION BARBAROSSA

- Germany invades Russia. It is the largest military operation in history

1941 December → PEARL HARBOR

- Japan attacks on Pearl Harbor

1942 June → Battle of Midway

- The US Navy defeats the Japanese Navy.

1943 February → Stalingrad

- The German army surrenders at Stalingrad. One of the bloodiest battles, Hitler suffers a major defeat.

1944 June → Operation Overlord

- The Allies launch the largest assault in history on Normandy

1945 August → Hiroshima and Nagasaki

- The USA drops atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. 200.000 killing. Japan announces its surrenders.

Causes of WW2

1919 The Treaty of Versailles signed

1924 Hitler writes “Mein Kampf”

Oct 1929 The Crack of 29

Jan 1933 Hitler becomes chancellor of Germany

Mar 1933 Hitler begins to rebuild his army in secret

Oct 1935 Abyssinia was invaded

Mar 1936 Rhineland is re-occupied

Nov 1936 Rome-Berlin Axis: Hitler-Mussolini Alliance

April(July) 1937 The Spanish Civil War (Germany rehearses arms and aircraft)

Mar 1938 Annexation between Germany and Austria (Anschluss)

Sep 1938 Germany, Italy, Great Britain, and France sign the Munich agreement

Mar 1939 Nazis invade Czechoslovakia

Aug 1939 German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact

Oct(Sep) 1939 Invasion of Poland

Sep 1939 Britain declares war on Germany

Sep 1939 The Second World War begins

The End and Consequences of WW2

Peace talks

- Potsdam

- Yalta

Creation of the UNITED NATIONS:

1.- The USA and the Soviet Union were not allies anymore (mutual mistrust and military and nuclear build-up)

2.- UK & USA were democratic and capitalist VS. USSR (communist)

3.- The Soviet Union set up communist systems in eastern European countries

4.- Two new superpowers (USA & USSR) each wanted to be the world leader

5.- Decolonisation began (Africa and Asia)

6.- The USA feared that the deteriorating economic situation could lead to the spread of communism in Western Europe (No benefits for America)

7.- The Soviet Union was afraid the USA would bring the pre-war (1939) borders back, and they thought those territories were essential to prevent further attacks.

Axis: Alliances of WW2

Italy; Reasons: Empire in the Pacific, extending into China and India

Japan; Reasons: Empire in the Pacific, extending into China and India

German: Reasons: To unite German-speaking people Lebensraum (living space) in order to gain self-sufficiency To dominate Europe and the World

ALLIES

Great Britain: Reasons: Poland was invaded and they have to react

France; Reasons: Poland was invaded and they have to react

USA; Reasons: Japan bombed them

Soviet Union: Reasons: The Nazis broke the pact (Nazis Soviet pact)

The Axis: Germany (Adolf Hitler), Japan (Hideki Tojo), Italy (Benito Mussolini)

The Allies: USA (Franklin D. Roosevelt), USSR (Joseph Stalin (manipulated photos)), UK (Winston Churchill), France (Charles de Gaulle)