World War II World War II (WWII or WW2), also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945, though related conflicts began earlier. It involved the vast majority of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. It was the most widespread war in history, and directly involved more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. In a state of "total war", the major participants threw their entire economic, industrial and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, erasing the distinction between civilian and military resources. World War II altered the political alignment and social structure of the world. Chronology The start of the war in Europe is generally held to be 1 September 1939,[9][10] beginning with the German invasion of Poland; Britain and France declared war on Germany two days later. Others follow the British historian A. Background
War witness THE WAR . For Educators . Lesson Plan These lesson plans have been developed to help teachers bring Ken Burns’s THE WAR into the classroom. Classroom activities are appropriate for students in grades 9-12 and cover major themes addressed in the film. Many of the lessons also incorporate video clips from the film and other resources found on this site. Double V (PDF) » Subjects: American History, Media Literacy, Civics, Language Arts Grade level: 9 - 12 During World War II African Americans found themselves with conflicting feelings about supporting the war effort when their own country did not offer them the freedom America was fighting for overseas. In this lesson students wage their own Double V campaign in their classroom and/or school through writing news articles, mounting photographic exhibits, producing radio programs and generating banners, slogans and songs. Video clips incorporated into this lesson: The War Through the Eyes of Al McIntosh (PDF) » Subjects: U.S. While big-name journalists like Edward R. Just War (PDF) »
Military History Online - D-Day June 6, 1944 D-Day, Normandy, France June 6, 1944 by Brian Williams and John Barratt The Atlantic Wall After the invasion and subsequent fall of France in 1940, the German army controlled the entire coast of Northern France. Following the Allied evacuation at Dunkirk, Hitler had hoped that Britain would agree to settle the war. But, because of British determination and Germany's inability to carry out an invasion of England, Germany was forced to maintain a defensive posture along the coast. The Airborne Landings The first three of these units were given the missions of securing the eastern and western flanks of the beachhead by destroying bridges and laying mines. The capture of Ste. The left flank of the invasion force was much more vulnerable to German armored attack since the 21st Panzer was stationed just outside of Caen and the 12th SS Panzer miles to the east. Gold Beach Gold Beach was the code name for the center of the landings on the Normandy coast. John Barratt and Brian Williams
World War 2 The PIAT, for Projector, Infantry, Anti Tank, was the first effective anti-tank weapon based on the HEAT shell. It was developed by the British starting in 1941, reaching the field in time for the invasion of Sicily in 1943. Unlike the US bazooka and it's German copy, the Panzerschreck, the PIAT could be used in enclosed spaces which made it more useful in close-combat and for hiding in houses. At the start of World War II, all major armies were investing in research into HEAT to produce an infantry weapon capable of defeating modern armor. Instead they turned to a prewar weapon known as the Blacker Bombard, a small man-portable mortar using a large spring for propulsion. The Blacker Bombard was never used operationally, but was perfect for modification as the launcher for a HEAT round. The three pound HEAT warhead was able to penetrate about 100mm of armor at 100m, the weapon's rate range. << World War 2 Weapons | World War 2 >>
Top 10 Battles of World War II History World War II was the bloodiest conflict in human history. The world was in a state of “total war.” Motivated by the threat of global tyranny, the Allies eventually prevailed, but this victory was marked by battles won and lost. This list looks at ten battles that decisively changed the course of the war. After the German conquest of Poland in September 1939, Hitler turned his attention to the west. The German Army was actually outnumbered by the Allies. By the summer of 1944, the Red Army was at Germany’s doorstep. Operation Overlord commenced with the Normandy landings in June of 1944. Up until August 1942, the Allies had been on the defensive in the Pacific Theatre. On 7 August, 11,000 Marines of the 1st Marine Division under the command of Major General Alexander Vandergrift landed on Guadalcanal. In June 1944 the Americans had breached Japan’s inner defensive ring and had bases that could be used by B-29 Superfortresses to bomb the Japanese home islands.
Sergeant Stubby the War Dog Sgt. Stubby Sergeant Stubby was a stray, homeless mutt who saved more lives, saw more combat, and performed more badass feats of heroic awesomeness than most people could ever hope to accomplish even WITH the advantage of prehensile thumbs and the ability to utilize 100 percent of their brain power without exploding into a burst of ball lightning. The American version of Voytek the Soldier Bear, this fearless, ass-destroyingly ferocious Pit Bull Terrier started his humble life as most stray animals do – hungry, cold, alone, and stranded in the town of New Haven, Connecticut. Living garbage can to garbage can without so much as a doghouse roof over his head, one day this poor dejected little canine happened to stumble onto the parade ground on the campus of Yale University, where it just so happened that the men of the 102nd Regiment, 26th Infantry Division were training for their eventual deployment to fight in World War I. This is where it gets good. But this thing wasn't done yet. Main
World War II: The Invasion of Poland and the Winter War - Alan Taylor - In Focus In August of 1939, Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union signed a non-aggression treaty. One week later, Germany invaded Poland and World War II began. The first attack of the war took place on September 1, 1939, as German aircraft bombarded the Polish town of Wielun, killing nearly 1,200. Use j/k keys or ←/→ to navigate Choose: View of an undamaged Polish city from the cockpit of a German medium bomber aircraft, likely a Heinkel He 111 P, in 1939. In 1939, the Polish army still maintained many cavalry squadrons, which had served them well as recently as the Polish-Soviet War in 1921. Associated Press correspondent Alvin Steinkopf broadcasting from the Free City of Danzig -- at the time, a semi-autonomous city-state tied to Poland. Soviet premier Josef Stalin (second from right), smiles while Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov (seated), signs the non-aggression pact with German Reich Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop (third from right), in Moscow, on August 23, 1939.
Operation Overlord Preparations for D-Day[edit] The decision to undertake a cross-channel invasion within the next year was taken at the Trident Conference in Washington in May 1943. Churchill favoured making the main Allied thrust into Germany from the Mediterranean theatre, but was over-ruled by his American allies, who were providing the bulk of the men and equipment. British Lieutenant-General Frederick E. Morgan was appointed Chief of Staff, Supreme Allied Commander (COSSAC) to begin detailed planning. The Pas de Calais is the closest point in continental Europe from Britain and was the location of launch sites for V-1 and V-2 rockets, which were still under development. Allied invasion plan[edit] D-day assault routes into Normandy "Overlord" was the name assigned to the establishment of a large-scale lodgement on the Continent. The coastline of Normandy was divided into seventeen sectors, with codenames using a spelling alphabet – from Able, west of Omaha, to Roger on the east flank of Sword.
Top 10 Little-Known Events in World War II History I love researching WWII, people, places, technology, anything. WWII had an amazing impact on the world and there is a ton of information out there. Studying all the battles, effects and the causes might get a little boring. Aleutian Islands Campaign On June 3rd, 1942, Japanese forces invaded and occupied Attu and Kiska, two islands which were part of the state of Alaska. Japanese holdouts were Japanese soldiers stationed on islands throughout the Pacific who refused to surrender, or did not know that Japan had surrendered. South American Involvement Although it is called “World War II”, many people do not include any South American countries on the list of combatants. Vichy France vs. the Allies After the French surrender in 1940, Germany created a puppet government in Vichy. Typically, people think of U-boats attacking ships in the Atlantic, around Greenland or closer to Europe, rather than off the coast of the United States. Other Europeans in Nazi Forces
6 Mind-Blowing Things Recently Discovered From WWII We think of the world as a crowded place -- in an era when even Mt. Everest has cell phone coverage, you wouldn't think that anything could go undiscovered for long. But you'd be surprised -- for instance, nearly seven decades after World War II ended, stuff is still turning up -- and we're not talking about an old rusty Luger here or a set of dog tags there. Note: The Nazis were kinda like a huge tub of Legos that we poured out on our living room floor -- even though we thought we cleaned it up seventy years ago, we still can't walk around barefoot without getting little chunks jabbing us in the heel. #6. Berliner-Unterwelten Just as Godwin's Law states that every argument approaches the mention of Nazis the longer it drags on, so too does every construction project in Berlin approach Nazi bunkers the deeper it digs. For instance, while trying to build a Holocaust memorial in 1998, construction workers stumbled across Joseph Goebbles' bunker. #5. #4. Reuters via Wikipedia
166 random WWII facts! 1 Marion Robert Morrison was the real name of John Wayne he starred in 14 WWII movies but because of a football injury, he never served in the war. However several famous actors did and were decorated, 1A Henry Fonda won a Bronze Star in the Pacific, Walter Matthau was awarded six battle stars while serving in a B-17, and David Niven was awarded the U.S. Legion of Merit. Christopher Lee was a pilot in the Royal Air Force and also won a number of awards serving with the R.A.F the Long Range Desert Group and the Special Operations Executive.2 It is said that Hitler kept a photo of Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motors on his desk. and that Henry kept a photo of the Nazi on his desk in Dearborn Michigan3 Private Slovik was shot for desertion, the only American executed for the crime during WW24 Thailand saw an opportunity with the fall of France and the creation of the Vichy puppet government. Source and read more by Anthony Molloy
8 Bizarre Facts About World War II Nearly 70 years on, two countries that never fought each other on the level that the Soviet Union did with Germany, or the level that Japan did with the United States continue to have a dispute over four islands. Though today, Germany and Russia as well as Japan and the US have fairly good relationships, the four Southern Kurile islands remain an issue of conflict between Japan and Russia. As World War II drew to a close, Soviet forces had occupied these islands, but today both countries consider these islands to be theirs. In September 1951, the Soviet Union declined to sign the San Francisco Peace Treaty because Japan believed the four islands were theirs. It has been a source of conflict ever since. Japan still considers the islands theirs, and Russia still considers them theirs. There have been countless attempts to remedy the problem over the years, but none have proved successful. (Source)