World War II
An Internet Hotlist on World War II

created by Mrs. Cinco in partnership with Mr. Nordland
Sagamore Middle School

Introduction | People | Ideas and Weapons | Battles | Events | Cite Your Resource


Introduction
 During the early decades of the 20th century the world was divided into three main political camps.

The first consisted of democratic nations, where people elected their own governments. Such countries included Britian, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, and the United States.

The second group of countries were ruled by powerful dictators and were fascist Italy and Spain, Nazi Germany, nationalist Japan, and other one-party countries of eastern Europe.

The final camp had only one member, the Soviet Union under the rule of Josef Stalin.

Conflicts between the three ideologies concerning territory and economic wealth led to the world war that broke out in 1939.

In 1933, Adolf Hitler's Natzi Party came to power in Germany and began to build up the country's military strength. The Rhineland, a German industrial area which was next to the border with France and Belgium, had been set as a military free zone at the end of World War I. Hitler moved his troops back into the Rhineland in 1936, and then took over Austria and parts of Czechoslovakia in 1938. Meanwhile, Italy was expanding its power in the Mediterranean and North Africa, and Japan invaded China in 1937. Ties between Germany, Italy, and Japan grew stronger. At first, France and Britain tried to appease the agressors. However, by the end of the 1930's both countries were equipping their armed forces. On the sidelines, the United States remained neutral, but watched the rise of Japan in the Pacific Ocean with growing concern.

Twenty years after the end of World War I, the world was preparing for war once more.


The Internet Resources

People

Ideas and Weapons

Battles

Events

Cite Your Resource
created by Filamentality Content by Mrs. Cinco in partnership with Mr. Nordland, dcinco@sachem.edu
http://www.kn.att.com/wired/fil/pages/listworldwaci2.html
Last revised Thu Oct 8 7:27:33 US/Pacific 2009