In 1939 the Nazis invaded Poland, marking the beginning of World War II. The Nazis moved swiftly taking over much of Europe in the fist year. On December 7, 1941 the Japanese launched their surpise attack on Pearl Harbor, bringing the US into the war against the Axis Powers. The truly world war was now being fought in Asia, North Africa, and Europe. In 1941 Hitler launched an invasion of the Soviet Union, breaking the non-agression pact. The Allied and Axis Powers fought for four more years. In May of 1945 Hitler committed suicide in his bunker as Allied troops entered the German cities, forcing a German surrender. The war in the Pacific would last several more months, until the US dropped two atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, forcing the Japanese surrender. It is estimated that 60 million people, civilians and soldiers, died in World War II, including 6 million of Europe’s Jews in the Holocaust.
Presentations
Readings
- 14.1 From Appeasement to War
- 14.2 The Axis Advances
- 14.3 The Allies Turn the Tide
- 14.4 Victory in Europe and the Pacific
Activities
Video
- A Path to Nazi Genocide - The US Holocaust Memorial Museum
Maps