World War II

 World War II Blog

This is Adolf Hitler, leader of the Nazi Party in Germany. Hitler is the main reason that World War II started because he wanted complete power over Europe

 

Causes

World War II was caused by a variety of factors, although the ending of The Great War 20 years prior and a pretty strong influence. At the end of the Great War, Germany was in such a fragile state that they would do anything for a good leader. That is where Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party came in and promised a better future. Hitler’s main plan was world domination became allies with Italy and Japan. World War II officially started in September 1939 when Hitler invaded Poland, which made Great Britian and France officially declare war on Germany, beginning the war. 

This is another World War II political cartoon. It's talking about how Hitler just wants to dominate the entire world.

This map shows all of Germany's conquests in Europe before the end of the war. It shows just how close Hitler was coming to total European domination.

The right facing swastika is the Nazi's symbol. It was commonly used on all of their uniforms and flags.

Setting

Most of the fighting in World War II was over in Europe but some was also in Japan. Towards the end of the war the Allies started bombing Germany so there was lots of fighting going on over there. Also a huge part of the setting is Normandy, France where D-Day happened. This was so significant because it was basically marking the end of the War. Also a lot of fighting happened on the islands of Japan when the US started island hopping to start closing in on Japan.

 

A map of what happened on D-Day. It shows what parts of the Allies went where on the beaches of Normandy.

 

US Involvement

The Unites States of America tried to stay out of the war for a long time. But on December 7^th, 1941 everything changed. Japan surprised the US with an attack on Pearl Harbor, a Hawaiian Naval base. The next day, on December 8^th the United States went right into World War II in both Hawaii and Europe. The US right away became Allies with Great Britain and fought to take down Germany and Japan. The United States entering the war was one of the main reasons that World War II ended the way that it did. 

View of Pearl Harbor during the bombings.This view is from 

port 1010 overlooking the harbor.

Japanese kamikaze. These kamikaze pilots were suicide pilots who risked their life for the war.

 

Home front

            After the attack on Pearl Harbor, America was officially in the war. Everything changed on the home front from there on out. Most of the young men were drafted or signed up to go and fight, leaving all of their loved ones in the United States alone. The only way for their family and friends to know about the war was through entertainment or on the radio. When the men of the household left, women stepped up and took over. Many of them even started working in jobs that their husbands left. Many basic necessities such as gas, food and even clothes were cut down. 

An American political cartoon. It's encouraging everyone to buy savings bonds to help with the war efforts while at home

The End of the War

            The start of the end of the war was on June 6^th, when the D-Day invasion happened on the shores of Normandy, France. D-Day was when 156,000 Allied soldiers landed on the beach and invaded France hoping to blockade Germany. This worked because Russia was moving in on the East and the Allies were moving in on the West. There was nowhere else for Hitler and the Nazi’s to go because they were being completely surrounded and blocked in. Also during this time World War II officially ended when Adolf Hitler committed suicide in his home on April 30^th, 1945. 

View of the D-Day invasion. This was taken just as the soldiers were unloading.

The Peal Harbor memorial still in Hawaii today. Part of is is underground while a little bit is up top.

 

Quotes

1.    President Franklin D. Roosevelt was president during the Pearl Harbor attack. He said that this is a “date that will live in infamy.” (wikipedia) He said this because there was no warning about these attacks.

2.   Adolf Hitler started prepping his soldiers for the days to come. "Soldiers of the Reich! This day you are to take part in an offensive of such importance that the whole future of the war may depend on its outcome." He says that they are the future of what will happen in the war.

3.   Hitler was still trying to get everything that he could out of the war. "Defend Paris to the last, destroy all bridges over the Seine and devastate the city." Hitler wanted to fight until the end.