World War II
World War II (WWII) was a long and bloody war that lasted for six years. Officially beginning on September 1, 1939 when Germany invaded Poland, World War II lasted until both the Germans and the Japanese had surrendered to the Allies in 1945. For more resources, click here WWII Interactive by History.com.
Rationing
World War II, similar to World War II brought about rationing of many common items. The idea was to make sure that there was plenty of supplies for the war effort. In addition, many factories began producing only war supplies and thousands of men went off to fight in the war. These changes meant that less products could be made and farms produced less food. As a result rationing limited everything from gasoline and tires to various food products. You can learn all about WWII rationing here.
Additional Links:
BBC's Interactive Rationing Page for Kids
Additional Links:
BBC's Interactive Rationing Page for Kids
Pearl Harbor
December 7th, 1941 Pearl Harbor was a surprise attack on Hawaii made by the Empire of Japan. This surprise attack is what finally convinced the United States that they needed to enter World War II. On December 8, 1941, a day after the attack President Roosevelt gave his his memorable speech declaring war on Japan. You can watch the videos posted and visit some of the links below to learn more about this infamous event.
Additional Links
Additional Links
D-Day Invasion
D-Day was the most important battle of World War II in Europe. Germany had continually advanced and taken over most of Europe. The battle of D-Day was a combined effort of both the United States and Britain to gain a foothold in Europe by storming the Normandy beaches in France. To learn more about June 6, 1944 visit the links below.
Additional Helpful Links:
Additional Helpful Links:
Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima was a strategic island that would give the Americans safe passage all the way to Japan on firebombing missions. Iwo Jima was an uninhabited island, but was a strategic military stronghold which the Japanese fought fiercely to defend. The Americans defeated the Japanese on the island and then moved on to Okinawa. These two islands were going to be the launching point for an invasion of Japan.
Additional Helpful Links:
Additional Helpful Links:
Hiroshima and Nagasaki
President Truman made the controversial decision to use the atomic bomb to end World War II, rather than risk American lives in a full fledge attack on Japan. To learn all about the atomic bombs visit this link to History.com. The dropping of the bombs led to the eventual surrender of Japan on August 15, 1945. This day became known as V-J Day. The first bomb was dropped on Hiroshima and the second was dropped on Nagasaki 3 days later when the Japanese still refused to surrender. After the second bomb the Japanese finally surrendered.
Additional Links Hiroshima & Nagasaki Remembered
Additional Links Hiroshima & Nagasaki Remembered
these are pictures taken by an american soldier after the bomb had dropped.
Important People of World War II
These are the people who were important during this war and were a part of why the war developed as it did. The Allied Powers were the ones on the same side as the United States and the opposing countries were the Axis Powers.
Harry S. Truman
Harry Truman became President of the United States in 1945, just before the end of World War II. Truman was informed of the top secret Manhattan project as soon as President Roosevelt had died. Just a few short months later, in August, Truman gave the highly controversial order to drop an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima in Japan.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt...FDR
Franklin D. Roosevelt was the President of the United States during World War II. He made his famous "day of infamy" speech the day after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He would not live to see the final days of the war, but would instead die in his vacation home in Warm Springs, Georgia.
Winston Churchill
Churchill was the Prime Minister (leader) of Great Britain during World War II. Despite Hitler's best effort and the attacks that were part of the Battle of Britain, England was the only European country to effectively resist Germany's attempt to invade.
Tuskegee Airmen
The Tuskegee Airmen were the first black pilot in the United States military. They overcame racism and prejudice in the U.S. and successfully fought the Axis powers in Europe and North Africa. You can learn more about the Tuskegee Airmen by watching the video imbedded below.
Adolph Hitler
Hitler was the mastermind behind the Holocaust and the dictator of Germany before and during World War II. Overall, he has become known as one of history's all time worst bad guys. You can visit the sites below to learn more about Hitler:
Joseph Stalin
Although Stalin ended up fighting with the Allies by the end of World War II, he certainly was not a very nice man. Originally he sided with Hitler, but when Germany invaded the Soviet Union, Stalin and the Soviet Union quickly joined the Allied forces. Stalin, like Hitler, was a ruthless dictator who was also a mass murderer.
Rosie the Riveter
Rosie the Riveter was a fictional woman used as propaganda in the United States during World War II. Rosie was used to get women involved in the war effort. Thousands of women became a "Rosie the Riveter" and began working in factories to help make war supplies.
The Holocaust
On April 1, 1933, the Nazis began their action against German Jews by announcing a boycott of all Jewish-run businesses.
The Holocaust began in 1933, when Adolf Hitler came to power in Germany and ended in 1945, when the Nazis were
defeated by the Allied powers.
It is estimated that 11 million people were killed during the Holocaust. Six million of these were Jews.
The Nazis killed approximately two-thirds of all Jews living in Europe. An estimated 1.1 million children were murdered in the Holocaust.
Life within Nazi camps was horrible. Prisoners were forced to do hard physical labor and given very little food.
The food the prisoners did receive was not nutritious or sanitary in most circumstances. Prisoners slept with three or more
people on a crowded wooden bunk that had no mattress or pillow.
Torture within the concentration camps was common and deaths were frequent. At a number of Nazi concentration camps, Nazi doctors conducted medical experiments on prisoners against their will. While concentration camps were meant to work and starve prisoners to death, extermination camps(also known as death camps) were built for the sole purpose of killing large groups of people quickly and efficiently.
The Nazis built six extermination camps: Chelmno, Belzec, Sobibor, Treblinka, Auschwitz, and Majdanek. Auschwitz and
Majdanek were both concentration and extermination camps. Auschwitz was the largest concentration and extermination camp built.
It is estimated that 1.1 million people were killed at Auschwitz.
The Holocaust began in 1933, when Adolf Hitler came to power in Germany and ended in 1945, when the Nazis were
defeated by the Allied powers.
It is estimated that 11 million people were killed during the Holocaust. Six million of these were Jews.
The Nazis killed approximately two-thirds of all Jews living in Europe. An estimated 1.1 million children were murdered in the Holocaust.
Life within Nazi camps was horrible. Prisoners were forced to do hard physical labor and given very little food.
The food the prisoners did receive was not nutritious or sanitary in most circumstances. Prisoners slept with three or more
people on a crowded wooden bunk that had no mattress or pillow.
Torture within the concentration camps was common and deaths were frequent. At a number of Nazi concentration camps, Nazi doctors conducted medical experiments on prisoners against their will. While concentration camps were meant to work and starve prisoners to death, extermination camps(also known as death camps) were built for the sole purpose of killing large groups of people quickly and efficiently.
The Nazis built six extermination camps: Chelmno, Belzec, Sobibor, Treblinka, Auschwitz, and Majdanek. Auschwitz and
Majdanek were both concentration and extermination camps. Auschwitz was the largest concentration and extermination camp built.
It is estimated that 1.1 million people were killed at Auschwitz.
