Ch 14: World War II (1939-1945)

1. Occupations, Agreements & Appeasement: Causes of the Second World War

In this lesson, we will learn about the events leading up to the Second World War. We will focus on the occupations, agreements, and appeasements that preceded Hitler's invasion of Poland in 1939.

2. World War II: The Start of the Second World War

Learn all about the start of World War II and why the League of Nations could not stop aggression by Italy, Germany and Japan in the 1930s, which led to the outbreak of this second global conflict.

3. The Attack on Pearl Harbor: The Beginning of American Involvement in World War II

On December 7, 1941, the Empire of Japan launched a surprise attack against Allied possessions in the Pacific, including the American military base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. After decades of conflict between the two nations, the U.S. declared war.

4. The European Theater in WWII: The Eastern Front, Western Front & Fight for North Africa

Hitler and Nazi Germany dominated the European fields of battle early in WWII. This lesson is an overview of key military operations between 1939 and 1943 in Europe on both the Eastern and Western fronts.

5. The Holocaust: Anti-Semitism and Genocide in Nazi Germany

The Holocaust was the persecution and mass murder of as many as 11 million people by Adolf Hitler and the Nazis between 1933 and 1945. Learn about the people they targeted, the progression of events leading up to the Final Solution and the end of the genocide in this lesson.

6. The Pacific Ocean Theater of WWII: Japan vs. The Allies

After the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the United States entered WWII. Watch this video to learn about some of the key battles, as well as the general nature, of the Pacific theater of the war.

7. The D-Day Invasion: The Beginning of the End of Nazi Germany

Operation Overlord, the invasion of Nazi-occupied Western Europe, began with the D-Day landings on the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944, with Hitler's last stand taking place at the Battle of the Bulge. Learn about these and other events that contributed to the end of Nazi Germany.

8. Hiroshima and Nagasaki: How the Atomic Bomb Changed Warfare During WWII

As America and its WWII allies considered invading Japan, the Manhattan Project successfully developed an atomic weapon. Its use on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, precipitated VJ Day, the end of the Pacific war, on August 14, 1945.

9. The Yalta Conference and The Potsdam Conference: US Diplomacy & International Politics During World War II

Throughout the course of WWII, leaders of many Allied nations met many times to discuss strategy. Then, near the end of the war, two historic conferences shaped the post-war world.