The World War II
Essential Knowledge
Causes of World War II
• Political instability and economic devastation in Europe resulting from World War I
– Worldwide depression
– High war debt owed by Germany
– High inflation
– Massive unemployment
• Rise of Fascism
– Fascism is a political philosophy in which total power is given to a dictator and individual freedoms are denied.
– Fascist dictators included Adolf Hitler (Germany), Benito Mussolini (Italy), and Hideki Tojo (Japan).
– These dictators led the countries that became known as the Axis Powers.
The Allies
• Democratic nations (the United States, Great Britain, and Canada) were known as the Allies. The Soviet Union joined the Allies after being invaded by Germany.
Allied leaders included Franklin D. Roosevelt and later Harry S. Truman (United States), Winston Churchill (Great Britain), Joseph Stalin (Soviet Union)
Gradual change in American policy from neutrality to involvement
• Isolationism (Great Depression, legacy of World War I)
• Economic aid to Allies
• Direct involvement in the war
War in the Pacific
• Rising tension developed between the United States and Japan because of Japanese aggression in East Asia.
• On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked the United States at Pearl Harbor without warning.
• The United States declared war on Japan.
• Germany declared war on the United States.
Major events and turning points of World War II
• Germany invaded Poland, setting off war in Europe. The Soviet Union also invaded Poland and the Baltic nations.
• Germany invaded France, capturing Paris.
• Germany bombed London and the Battle of Britain began.
• The United States gave Britain war supplies and old naval warships in return for military bases in Bermuda and the Caribbean.
• Japan bombed Pearl Harbor.
• After Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, Germany declared war on the United States.
• The United States declared war on Japan and Germany.
• The United States was victorious over Japan in the Battle of Midway. This victory was the turning point of the war in the Pacific.
• Germany invaded the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union defeated Germany at Stalingrad, marking the turning point of the war in Eastern Europe.
•American and Allied troops landed in Normandy, France, on D-Day to begin the liberation of Western Europe.
• The United States dropped two atomic bombs on Japan (Hiroshima and Nagasaki) in 1945, forcing Japan to surrender and ending World War II.
Discussion Topic:
· How did post-World War I Europe set the stage for World War II?
· How did the rise of fascism affect world events following World War I?
· How did American policy toward events in Europe and Asia change over time?
· What drives the Japanese to occupy Indonesia during the World War II?
Resources:
- Matroji, 2004, Sejarah SMP Jilid 2, Erlangga, Jakarta
- Ilmu Pengetahuan Sosial Terpadu SMP / MTs Jilid 3, Bumi Aksara, Jakarta
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_War
