Sources Used

http://www.primaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk/war/end.html

http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/us-home-front-during-world-war-ii

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_World_War_II_weapons_of_the_United_States

http://ww2db.com/intro.php?q=2

http://www.gwu.edu/~erpapers/teachinger/glossary/world-war-2.cfm

 

The War Begins

World War II began when Nazi controlled Germany attacked Poland. Hitler hoped that this attack would create room for the "Racially superior race" (The Germans) during their time of expansion. German expansion had otherwise been tolerated until the attack on Poland. German forces had successfully annexed Austria and occupied Sudetenland and then after gained control of Czechoslovakia in 1939. Hitler's plan was to keep expanding German without the surrounding nations getting aggressive. Great Britain and France did not approve of Germany's growing power and took notice of Hitlers advancement in Poland and demanded that Hitler cease his attack. When Hitler denied the demand of Britain and France to abandon his invasion, Great Britain and France declared war against German in 1939. World War II consisted of six continents, and two groups of alliances called the Axis Powers and the Allied Powers. The Axis Powers was included Germany, Japan, and Italy; The Allied powers were America, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union.

The photo shown above is Adolf Hitler and his Nazi soldiers in Poland before the attack. In the photo you can see the mass that is Hitlers Army, and how heavily armed they are. This display of Nazi power foreshadows the attack on Poland.

The photo shown above displays how heavily the Axis Powers were outnumbered. The Axis Powers only consisted of 4 countries while the Allied Powers had 15. The map provides a visual reference, and gives an outside perspective on the enormity of this war.

The United States Enters the War
The United States did not enter the war until Japan bombed Pearl Harbor Hawaii on December 7th 1941. Japan bombed the U.S because of an Embargo that prevented Japan from receiving the supplies they normal got from America and needed to support their growing economy, this left Japan wounded and in a panic for resources. President Roosevelt appealed to congress asking them to lift the Neutrality Embargo, this would allow America to trade and supply Great Britain and the Soviet Union with weapons and other supplies. After France fell in 1940 Roosevelt began a major military build up, preparing for war. 

The photo shown above is from December 7th 1941, the day the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. It shows a ship after the explosion, sinking surrounded by a large cloud of black smoke. This day was a major turning point in the war.

Setting, Weaponry, and Tactics

World War II mostly took place in Europe but it also took place in other areas such as Eastern Asia, and numerous islands in the Pacific. During this time, Island hopping became popular after the Battle of Midway Island. The term island hopping refers to a strategy used by the United States to have military bases on as many islands as possibly, it was also a major part in their victory. In the United States, weapons such as the M1903 Springfield rifle and the Browning M1917A1 were used in battle. Among rifles and machine guns, Rocket Launchers (Bazooka's), Flamethrowers, and Mk.2 Fragmentation Hand Grenades were also used. German Air Force, or Luftwaffe, was the best Germany had, its use was to support the Army, and the planes were much more advanced than the Allied Air Force.