World War II: Lesson 2

​World War II: Lesson 2

Standard: 6.5.CE

I can explain battles between the Allied Powers and the Axis Powers during World War II.

​MAIN IDEAS

1. The war in Europe began with Germany’s invasion of Poland, and the war in the Pacific began with Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor.

2. The Germans controlled much of Europe before the Allies invaded on D-Day.

3. The Japanese controlled much of Asia and the Pacific until the Allies defeated Japanese naval forces at the Battle of Midway.

​Key Terms and People

1) Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, and Japan during World War II

2) Allied Powers: Great Britain, France, the Soviet Union, and eventually, the United States

3) blitzkrieg (blit·skreeg): a “lightning war” in which tanks, trucks, and bombers quickly strike the enemy

4) Winston Churchill: prime minister of Great Britain from 1940 to 1945 and from 1951 to 1954

5) Dwight D. Eisenhower: U.S. general who was Supreme Allied Commander in charge of planning the Allied invasion

Multiple Select

What were the countries in the Axis powers?

• Germany

• Italy

• United States

• Japan

• China

Multiple Select

What were the countries in the Allied powers?

• Great Britain

• Italy

• France

• Soviet Union

• United States

​THE WAR BEGINS

After Adolf Hitler became ruler of Germany, he formed an alliance with Italy and Japan in 1936. This group became known as the Axis Powers. Hitler wanted to expand Germany and unite all people of German heritage. He easily took over Austria and part of Czechoslovakia. Using tanks and trucks and bomber planes, Germany quickly defeated Poland in what the Germans called a blitzkrieg, or “lightning war.” When Germany attacked Poland, the Allied Powers—Great Britain and France—declared war on Germany. France fell to the German army in 1940. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill inspired his people with well-known speeches to fight against the Germans.

Open Ended

What did Hitler want to do as leader of Germany?

Open Ended

What action caused the Allies to declare war on Germany?

​The United States wanted to avoid becoming involved in other nations’ affairs. But on December 7, 1941, Japan attacked the U.S. naval at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. With fighter planes and bombers, the Japanese killed more than 2,000 American soldiers. The United States declared war against the Axis Powers and joined the Allies.

Open Ended

Why did the United states join the allied Powers in World War II?

Multiple Choice

With fighter planes and bombers, the Japanese killed more than ________ American soldiers.

• 900

• 1000

• 2000

• 3000

​Final Years Of The War In Europe
The Axis Powers controlled much of Europe at the beginning of the war. In 1941, Hitler’s troops invaded the Soviet Union. The German troops were not prepared for the harsh Russian winter. The Soviet army was able to push the Germans back. The British air force and American bombers began to bomb Germany. In 1943, Allied forces defeated Axis troops in Africa and then invaded Italy.

Multiple Choice

In 1945, Hitler’s troops invaded the Soviet Union. The German troops were not prepared for the harsh Russian winter.

• True

• False

​U.S. general Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander, led the planning of an allied invasion of Europe from the west. On June 6, 1944, called D-Day, over 156,000 Allied troops landed on Normandy’s beaches in France. It was the largest invasion by sea in history. The German forces were waiting and a huge number of soldiers died. Two months later, Allied forces entered Paris. Germans fought hard through April of 1945, until the Soviets made it to Berlin, Germany’s capital.

Open Ended

What happened on D-day?

​War In Asia and The Pacific

For several months after Pearl Harbor, Japan controlled the Pacific. In mid-1942, American bombers sank four Japanese carriers at the Battle of Midway. From that point on, the Allies began to attack and take control of Japanese-held islands. By the fall of 1944, U.S. forces regained control of the Philippines and Burma and started bombing targets in Japan. The defeat of Japan was near.