World war 2
World War II was the deadliest global conflict in history, involving most of the world’s nations and
causing over 70 million deaths. It was fought mainly between two alliances:
Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan
Allied Powers: Britain, France, Soviet Union, United States, China, and others
Causes
Harsh terms of the Treaty of Versailles (1919) after World War I
Rise of dictatorships (Hitler in Germany, Mussolini in Italy, militarists in Japan)
Economic instability from the Great Depression
Aggressive territorial expansion by Axis powers
Failure of international peace efforts (League of Nations)
Major Events
1. Beginning of the War (1939)
Germany invaded Poland on 1 September 1939
Britain and France declared war on Germany
2. Axis Expansion (1939–1941)
Germany conquered much of Europe using blitzkrieg tactics
Italy joined Germany; Japan expanded in Asia
Germany invaded the Soviet Union in 1941
3. War Becomes Global (1941)
Japan attacked Pearl Harbor (USA) in December 1941
The United States entered the war
4. Turning Points (1942–1943)
Battle of Stalingrad (Germany’s major defeat)
Battle of Midway (Japan weakened in the Pacific)
Allied forces began pushing Axis powers back
5. End in Europe (1944–1945)
D-Day invasion (June 1944) liberated Western Europe
Soviet forces advanced from the east
Hitler committed suicide; Germany surrendered in May 1945
6. End in Asia (1945)
USA dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Japan surrendered in August 1945
World War II was the deadliest global conflict in history, involving most of the world’s nations and
causing over 70 million deaths. It was fought mainly between two alliances:
Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan
Allied Powers: Britain, France, Soviet Union, United States, China, and others
Causes
Harsh terms of the Treaty of Versailles (1919) after World War I
Rise of dictatorships (Hitler in Germany, Mussolini in Italy, militarists in Japan)
Economic instability from the Great Depression
Aggressive territorial expansion by Axis powers
Failure of international peace efforts (League of Nations)
Major Events
1. Beginning of the War (1939)
Germany invaded Poland on 1 September 1939
Britain and France declared war on Germany
2. Axis Expansion (1939–1941)
Germany conquered much of Europe using blitzkrieg tactics
Italy joined Germany; Japan expanded in Asia
Germany invaded the Soviet Union in 1941
3. War Becomes Global (1941)
Japan attacked Pearl Harbor (USA) in December 1941
The United States entered the war
4. Turning Points (1942–1943)
Battle of Stalingrad (Germany’s major defeat)
Battle of Midway (Japan weakened in the Pacific)
Allied forces began pushing Axis powers back
5. End in Europe (1944–1945)
D-Day invasion (June 1944) liberated Western Europe
Soviet forces advanced from the east
Hitler committed suicide; Germany surrendered in May 1945
6. End in Asia (1945)
USA dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Japan surrendered in August 1945
