World War I and II (2024) PDF

WORLD WAR I  THE GREAT WAR The spark that ignited World War I was struck in Sarajevo, Bosnia, where Archduke Franz Ferdinand heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire—was shot to death along with his wife, Sophie, by the Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip on June 28, 1914. Princip an...

WORLD WAR I  THE GREAT WAR The spark that ignited World War I was struck in Sarajevo, Bosnia, where Archduke Franz Ferdinand heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire—was shot to death along with his wife, Sophie, by the Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip on June 28, 1914. Princip and other nationalists were struggling to end Austro-Hungarian rule over Bosnia and Herzegovina. Blamed the Serbian government for the attack and hoped to use the incident as justification for settling the question of Serbian nationalism. July 5- Kaiser Wilhelm secretly pledged his support, giving Austria- Hungary a so-called carte blanche, or “blank check” assurance of Germany’s backing in the case of war. The Dual Monarchy of Austria- Hungary then sent an ultimatum to Serbia, with such harsh terms as to make it almost impossible to accept.  World War I Begins July 28, 1914- Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, and the tenuous peace between Europe’s great powers quickly collapsed. Triple Alliance- Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy. Triple Entente- France, Russia, and the United Kingdom. The Western Front An aggressive military strategy known as the Schlieffen Plan (named for its mastermind, German Field Marshal Alfred von Schlieffen), Germany began fighting World War I on two fronts, invading France through neutral Belgium in the west. s  August 4, 1914- German troops crossed the border into Belgium. In the first battle of World War I, the Germans assaulted the heavily fortified city of Liege. First Battle of the Marne First Battle of the Marne, fought from September 6-9, 1914, French and British forces confronted the invading German army, which had by then penetrated deep into northeastern France, within 30 miles of Paris. Trench War Long and costly battles in this campaign were fought at Verdun (February-December 1916) and the Battle of the Somme (July- November 1916). German and French troops suffered close to a million casualties in the Battle of Verdun.  The Eastern Front Russian forces invaded the German-held regions of East Prussia and Poland but were stopped short by German and Austrian forces at the Battle of Tannenberg in late August 1914. Russian Revolution From 1914 to 1916, Russia’s army mounted several offensives on World War I’s Eastern Front but was unable to break through German lines. Russia’s simmering instability exploded in the Russian Revolution of 1917, spearheaded by Vladimir Lenin and the Bolsheviks, which ended czarist rule and brought a halt to Russian participation in World War I.  America Enters World War I The United States remained on the sidelines of World War I, adopting the policy of neutrality favored by President Woodrow Wilson. 1915- Germany declared the waters surrounding the British Isles to be a war zone, and German U-boats sunk several commercial and passenger vessels, including some U.S. ships. 1917- Congress passed a $250 million arms appropriations bill intended to make the United States ready for war.  Second Battle of the Marne July 15, 1918- German troops launched what would become the last German offensive of the war, attacking French forces (joined by 85,000 American troops as well as some of the British Expeditionary Force) in the Second Battle of the Marne. The Allies successfully pushed back the German offensive and launched their own counteroffensive just three days later. Toward Armistice By the fall of 1918, the Central Powers were unraveling on all fronts. Austria-Hungary, dissolving from within due to growing nationalist movements among its diverse population, reached an armistice on November 4. Facing dwindling resources on the battlefield, discontent on the homefront and the surrender of its allies, Germany was finally forced to seek an armistice on November 11, 1918, ending World War I.  Treaty of Versailles Paris Peace Conference in 1919- Allied leaders stated their desire to build a post-war world that would safeguard itself against future conflicts of such a devastating scale. Treaty of Versailles signed on June 28, 1919 League of Nations “peace without victory,” President Wilson- Fourteen Points speech of January 1918. World War I Casualties World War I took the lives of more than 9 million soldiers; 21 million more were wounded. Civilian casualties numbered close to 10 million. The two nations most affected were Germany and France, each of which sent some 80 percent of their male populations between the ages of 15 and 49 into battle. WORLD WAR II  World War II World War II (1939–1945) was the deadliest conflict in human history, involving more than 30 countries and resulting in an estimated 70–85 million deaths. It reshaped the global political landscape and set the stage for the modern world. Political and economic instability in Germany, and lingering resentment over the harsh terms imposed by the Versailles Treaty, fueled the rise to power of Adolf Hitler and National Socialist German Workers’ Party, abbreviated as NSDAP in German and the Nazi Party in English.  August 1939, Hitler and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin signed the German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact, which incited a frenzy of worry in London and Paris. Hitler had long planned an invasion of Poland, a nation to which Great Britain and France had guaranteed military support if it were attacked by Germany.  Causes of World War II Treaty of Versailles (1919) Ended World War I but imposed harsh penalties on Germany. Reparations, territorial losses, and military restrictions fostered resentment. Hitler exploited this to gain support, promising to restore Germany’s pride. Rise of Totalitarian Regimes Germany- Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Party sought to overturn the Treaty of Versailles and expand eastward. Italy- Benito Mussolini aimed to build a new Roman Empire. Japan- Militarists sought to dominate Asia and the Pacific, driven by a need for resources and national expansion.  Global Economic Depression (1929) Destabilized many economies, leading to social unrest. Fascist leaders in Germany, Italy, and Japan gained power by promising economic revival and national glory. Policy of Appeasement Britain and France allowed aggressive moves by Germany and Japan to avoid conflict 1936: Germany reoccupied the Rhineland. 1938: Germany annexed Austria (Anschluss). Munich Agreement (1938): Britain and France allowed Hitler to take the Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia. Failure of the League of Nations Unable to prevent aggression, as seen with Japan’s invasion of Manchuria (1931) and Italy’s conquest of Ethiopia (1935).  War Breaks Out (1939) September 1, 1939- Germany invaded Poland, using Blitzkrieg tactics. September 3, 1939- Britain and France declared war on Germany. Soviet Invasion- The Soviet Union invaded eastern Poland under the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, a non-aggression treaty with Germany.  Early Axis Victories (1940–1941) Western Europe- Germany conquered Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France by mid-1940. Fall of France- France surrendered in June 1940. The country was divided into German-occupied and Vichy-controlled zones. Battle of Britain (1940)- Germany launched an air campaign to prepare for an invasion, but Britain’s Royal Air Force (RAF) resisted effectively. North Africa- Italy, supported by Germany, fought British forces for control of the region.s Balkan Campaign- Germany invaded Yugoslavia and Greece in 1941.  Axis Expansion in the Pacific (1941) Japan- Expanded aggressively into China and Southeast Asia. Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941)- Japan attacked the U.S. naval base, leading to the U.S. entering the war. December 8 1941- U.S. declared war on Japan; Germany and Italy declared war on the U.S. shortly after.  TURNING POINTS (1942–1943) EASTERN FRONT Battle of Stalingrad (1942–43)- Soviet forces defeated the German 6th Army in a brutal, decisive battle. Kursk (1943)- Largest tank battle; the Soviet Union maintained momentum. WESTERN FRONT North Africa- Allies defeated Axis forces at El Alamein. Operation Torch- Allied invasion of North Africa led to German and Italian surrender by May 1943.  PACIFIC THEATER Battle of Midway (June 1942)- The U.S. Navy inflicted a decisive defeat on Japan, turning the tide in the Pacific. Guadalcanal (1942–43)- First major Allied offensive in the Pacific; marked Japan's strategic decline.  Allied Offensives (1944–1945) June 6, 1944- The Allied invasion of Normandy, France, marked the beginning of the liberation of Western Europe. Eastern Europe- Soviet forces advanced, capturing key cities and liberating countries under Nazi control. Italy- Mussolini was deposed; Allied forces fought up the Italian peninsula. Pacific- The U.S. captured key islands (Iwo Jima, Okinawa) through intense battles, setting the stage for an invasion of Japan.  END OF THE WAR (1945) Fall of Berlin (April 1945)- Soviet forces captured Berlin. Hitler committed suicide on April 30. Germany Surrenders Unconditionally on (May 7, 1945). Atomic Bombs August 6, 1945- The U.S. dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. August 9, 1945- A second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. Japan Surrenders (September 2, 1945)  Human Cost Estimated 70–85 million deaths, including civilians. Holocaust- Systematic genocide resulted in the deaths of 6 million Jews and millions of others. Millions displaced, cities destroyed, and economies devastated. Political Changes Fall of Fascism- Germany, Italy, and Japan’s totalitarian regimes were dismantled. Cold War- The U.S. and the Soviet Union emerged as superpowers with opposing ideologies, leading to decades of geopolitical tension. United Nations- Established in 1945 to promote international cooperation and prevent future wars.  Decolonization European powers weakened, leading to independence movements in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Economic Impact Marshall Plan: U.S.-funded program to rebuild Europe.Japan and Germany: Reconstructed economies became global leaders by the 1950s.  World War I The Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy Triple Entente (France, Britain, Russia). Alliances drew countries into war after regional tensions escalated. World War II Axis Powers (Germany, Italy, Japan) Allied Powers (U.S., Soviet Union, Britain, France, China) REFERENCES https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-i/world-war- i-history https://www.loc.gov/collections/stars-and- stripes/articles-and-essays/a-world-at-war/timeline- 1914-1921/ ANSWER THE FOLLOWING: