background preloader

World War Two (WW2) for Kids

Remembrance Day For almost six years from 1939 to 1945 Britain fought the toughest war it had ever experienced. World War II was total war - every person, every business, every service was involved. Britain did not fight alone, the war also involved many countries. Fifty million people lost their lives and hundreds of millions people were injured. After World War One ended in 1918, Germany had to give up land and was banned from having armed forces. In 1933 the German people voted for a leader named Adolf Hitler, who led a political party in Germany called the National Socialists or Nazis. Shortly before 5am on Friday 1st September, 1939, German forces stormed the Polish frontier. World War Two in Europe began on 3rd September 1939, when the Prime Minister of Britain, Neville Chamberlain, declared war on Germany. Click on the play button below to hear Chamberlain's speech (now the full speech) The Second World War was started by Germany in an unprovoked attack on Poland.

Bomb Sight - Mapping the World War 2 London Blitz Bomb Census Children and World War Two Children were massively affected by World War Two. Nearly two million children were evacuated from their homes at the start of World War Two; children had to endure rationing, gas mask lessons, living with strangers etc. Children accounted for one in ten of the deaths during the Blitz of London from 1940 to 1941. World War Two was the first war when Britain itself was the target of frequent attacks by the enemy. The impact of evacuation on children depended to an extent on which social strata you were in at the time. ‘Operation Pied Piper’ was a huge undertaking. ‘Operation Pied Piper’ planned to move 3.5 million children in three days. With such numbers involved, it was to be expected that some children would have a smooth passage to their reception area while some would not. What impact this had on the children involved was never overly studied at the time as the government simply wanted to herald evacuation as an overwhelming success. MLA Citation/Reference

What were the major effects of WW2? Hitler Youth: Prelude to War 1933-1939 On the night of January 30, 1933, Nazis in Berlin celebrated the appointment of Adolf Hitler as Chancellor of Germany by conducting massive torchlight parades. Hitler Youth units were among those in the columns passing under the watchful gaze of Hitler and Paul von Hindenburg, the elderly president of Germany. Within two months, Hitler acquired dictatorial powers resulting from the Enabling Act passed by the Nazi-controlled Reichstag. Terms of use: Private home/school non-commercial, non-Internet re-usage only is allowed of any text, graphics, photos, audio clips, other electronic files or materials from The History Place.

WWII History: World War II for Kids World War II was fought between the Axis Powers (Germany, Italy, Japan) and the Allied Powers (Britain, United States, Soviet Union, France). Most of the countries in the world were involved in some way. It was the deadliest war in all of human history with around 70 million people killed. When was it? World War II started in 1939 when Germany invaded Poland. Where was it? World War II started in Europe, but spread throughout the world. Learn More Check out these pages to learn about the events, battles, and people of World War II: Go here to test your knowledge with a World War II crossword puzzle or word search. For reference and further reading: The Good Fight: How World War II was Won by Stephen E.

Primary History - World War 2 - Children at war Pearl Harbor, Memorials, Monuments, Museums, Honolulu, Hawaii Nazi Germany - Hitler Youth | HistoryOnTheNet In the early 1920s, the Nazi party had established a youth movement led by Kurt Gruber, with the aim of attracting young men who could be trained to become members of the SA (Stormtroopers). On 4th July 1926 the group was renamed the Hitler Youth, League of German Worker Youth and became attached to and run by the SA. The Hitler Youth (Hitler Jugend) wore uniforms and attended meetings and rallies where they were indoctrinated with Nazi views. Adolf Hitler believed that the support of the youth was vital to the future of the third Reich and aimed, through the Hitler Youth programme, to produce a generation of loyal supporters of Nazi views. Posters were used to attract more members and membership rose from 5,000 in 1925 to 25,000 in 1930. When the Nazis came to power in 1933 other youth groups were forcibly merged into the Hitler Youth and by the end of 1933 membership stood at just over 2 million. There were separate Hitler Youth groups for boys and girls:

Children in World War 2 - WW2 Children & Evacuation Impact The effect of war on children, particularly young children cannot be measured but it would be hard to say anything other than the effect on their lives was monumental. The disruption of homes, the threat from aerial attacks and the loss of fathers to war had a huge effect on them emotionally. The death rate of children in London due to the Blitz was approximately 1 in 10 with children struggling to escape and lacking the physical strength of adults. World War 2 brought events to a child’s life which they shouldn’t have to live through. Most were separated from their families due to evacuations while others had to deal with death and loss of family. The British government in 1933 re-empted this threat to children and began the evacuation process when Hitler took power. With the advance in technology from World War One, Britain worried that the mainland would be at threat from aerial bombings which meant they evacuated children from the main cities. The Application process:

World War 2 for Kids When did World War Two begin? World War Two in Europe began on 3rd September 1939, when the Prime Minister of Britain, Neville Chamberlain, declared war on Germany. It involved many of the world's countries. Why did the Second World War start? he Second World War was started by Germany in an unprovoked attack on Poland. When did World War Two end? The War ended in the Summer of 1945. How did people protect themselves during the war? Children and some women were evacuated from the big cities into the countryside. Bomb Sight - Mapping the World War 2 London Blitz Bomb Census With Bomb Sight you can discover what it was like in London, during WW2 Luftwaffe Blitz bombing raids, exploring maps, images and memories. The Bomb Sight web map and mobile app reveals WW2 bomb census maps between 7/10/1940 and 06/06/1941, previously available only by viewing them in the Reading Room of The National Archives. How to use the Map Use the search box to find a street or postcode of interest You can move around the map by clicking on the pan controls Use the zoom controls to change the detail on the map: Click the plus (+) to see more detail and click the minus (-) to see less map detail Use the layer button in the top left to explore the different types of map information that is available Click on individual bomb icons to find out more information Click on the to have a look at the map legend (this button is not available when viewing the website on a small screen) What information is available?

Websites about World War 2 (WW2) Homework for Kids World War Two Discover what life was like for Children growing up during the Second World War. A BBC site. London at War Learn about the impact of the Second World War at home. The site includes excellent photographs, it describes daily life for ordinary people, rationing, the role of women, air raids, life in the shelters, and the evacuation of children from London.

Related: