World War II: Axis Powers

• World War II took place from 1939 to 1945.

Axis Powers

• Germany, Italy, and Japan formed the Axis of Power
• Agreements instigated by Hitler brought these countries together in the late 1930s.
• The Rome-Berlin Axis was established in 1936 by Hitler, creating a political understanding with Mussolini
• The Pact of Steel in 1939 formalized a military alliance between Italy and Germany.
• The Anti-Comintern Pact was formed in 1936 between Germany and Japan, agreeing to support each other if the Soviet Union was attacked
• Italy joined the Anti-Comintern Pact in 1937.

Germany

• Adolf Hitler was the leader of Germany.
• Germany's government was Fascist Totalitarian
• Germany sought to reestablish dominance and believed in Nationalism where the state comes before the individual.

Japan

• Emperor Hirohito and General Tojo were the leaders
• Japan's government was Militaristic, with the military in control.
• Japan entered WWII in 1931 by invading Manchuria, and subsequently invaded the rest of China in 1937.
• Japan was a small island lacking natural resources, leading the military to seize power and resources from other countries

Italy

• Benito Mussolini was the leader of Italy.
• Its government was Fascist and Totalitarian.
• Italy entered WWII in 1935 by invading Ethiopia.
• Italy was upset that the Treaty of Versailles did not give them the land they wanted.
• Mussolini promised to restore Italy to its former glory.

The Allies

• The Allies included Great Britain and its empire (Australia, New Zealand, Canada, India).
• France, the United States, and the Soviet Union (Russia) were also Allies

Great Britain

• Winston Churchill - Prime Minister was the leader
• Great Britain's government was a Democracy.
• Great Britain declared war on Germany in 1939, working with France.

United States of America

• Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry Truman were the leaders.
• The government was a Democracy.
• The U.S. entered WWII on December 7, 1941 after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
• Japan claimed the U.S. Naval base was too close and a threat, attacking without warning.
• Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto famously commented it was Japan’s choice to bomb the U.S.

Russia

• Josef Stalin was the leader
• Russia had a Communist government.
• Russia signed the Munich Agreement with Germany in 1939 and joined the Allies in 1941.
• Russia was initially on the Axis side but joined the Allies after Germany broke their agreement and invaded the Soviet Union

Declaration of War in Europe

• Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, achieving victory in five weeks.
• Germany used the "Blitzkrieg" or 'Lightning War' tactic - a combination of air power, artillery, armor, and infantry.
• Germany formed Einsatzgruppen mobile killing squads to eliminate those deemed racially or politically unacceptable to the Nazi regime, paving the way for German colonization.
• Britain and France declared war on Germany on September 3, 1939.
• Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies also declared war in support of Britain.

The Phoney War

• From October 1939 to March 1940, Britain and France were still preparing for war and did not take major military action, despite committing to assist Poland.
• This lack of action persisted even when German forces invaded and occupied Norway and Denmark.

Blitzkrieg on Poland

• A military strategy of blitzkrieg on Poland.
• In point form summarise the sequence of events of the invasion of Poland.
• Dates
• How this invasion served as the basis for WWII
• Highlight the human and political impact of this invasion
• Include a map to support your discussion
• Effectiveness of the tactic

Task Two: Researching, Analyzing and Evaluating

• World War II Events
• Name and explanation of event
• Key locations, dates, duration
• Numbers involved and casualties
• Strategies used
• Problems
• Fighting conditions
• Axis and Allied countries involved
• Outcome - Who won?
• Relevance or impact the event had on the overall war
• Any other relevant details

List of Events

• The Enigma Code (1940)
• French Occupation (May 1940)
• Evacuation of Dunkirk (May 1940)
• Battle of Britain (July 1940)
• Tobruk (June 1941)
• Japan attacks Pearl Harbor (Dec 1941)
• Manhattan Project (1942)
• Battle of Midway (June 1942)
• Battle of Stalingrad (July 1942)
• The Kokoda Track Campaign (Nov 1942)
• Bombing of Darwin (Feb 1942)
• Normandy Invasion (June 1944)

Evaluating Events

• Decide whether one battle or event was more important than the other in determining the result of the war.
• Use as much evidence as you can to justify your position