# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Franklin D. Roosevelt was the 32nd president of the United States. Kids learn about his biography and life story.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Biography >>World War II for Kids

Joseph Stalin
by Unknown

Occupation: Leader of the Soviet Union

Born: December 8, 1878 in Gori, Georgia

Died: 5 March 1953 Kuntsevo Dacha near Moscow, Russia

Best known for: Fighting the Germans in WW2 and starting the Cold War

Biography:

Joseph Stalin became leader of the Soviet Union after the founder of the Soviet Union, Vladimir Lenin, died in 1924. Stalin ruled up until his own death in 1953. He was known as a brutal leader who was responsible for the deaths of over 20 million people.

Where did Stalin grow up?

He was born in Gori,Georgia (a country just south of Russia) on 8 December 1878. His birth name was Losif Jughashvili. Stalin's parents were poor and he had a rough childhood. At the age of 7 he got the disease smallpox. He survived, but his skin was covered in scars. He later went to seminary to become a priest, however, he was expelled for being a radical.

The Revolution

After leaving the seminary, Stalin joined up with the Bolshevik revolutionaries. This was an underground group of people that followed the communist writings of Karl Marx and were led byVladimir Lenin. Stalin became a leader within the Bolsheviks. He led riots and strikes and even raised money by robbing banks and other crimes. Soon Stalin became one of Lenin's top leaders.

In 1917, theRussian Revolution took place. This was when the government led by the Tsars was overthrown and Lenin and the Bolsheviks came into power. Russia was now called the Soviet Union and Joseph Stalin was a major leader in the government.

Lenin's Death

Stalin as a young man
from the book "Josef Wissarionowitsch Stalin-
Kurze Lebensbeschreibung"

In 1924 Vladimir Lenin died. Stalin had been General Secretary of the Communist Party since 1922. He had been growing in power and control. After Lenin's death, Stalin took over as sole leader of the Soviet Union.

Industrialization

In order to strengthen the Soviet Union, Stalin decided that the country should move away from agriculture and become industrialized. He had factories built through the country. These factories would help the Soviet Union to fight the Germans in World War II.

Purges and Murder

Stalin was one of the most brutal leaders in world history. He had anyone that didn't agree with him killed. He also caused famines in areas of the country so people he wanted dead would starve. Throughout his rule he would order purges where millions of people he thought were against him would be killed or put into slave labor camps. Historians aren't sure how many people he had killed, but they estimate between 20 to 40 million.

World War II

At the start ofWorld War II, Stalin formed an alliance with Adolf Hitler and Germany. However, Hitler hated Stalin and the Germans made a surprise attack on the Soviet Union in 1941. In order to fight off the Germans, Stalin joined the Allies of Britain and the United States. After a terrible war, where many on both sides died, the Germans were defeated.

After World War II, Stalin set up puppet governments in the Eastern European countries that the Soviet Union had "freed" from Germany. These governments were ran by the Soviet Union. This started the Cold War between the two world superpowers, the Soviet Union and the United States.

Interesting Facts

He got the name Stalin while he was a revolutionary. It comes from the Russian word for "steel" combined with "Lenin".

Before Lenin died he wrote a Testament where he recommended that Stalin be removed from power. Lenin referred to Stalin as a "course, brutish bully".

Stalin created the Gulag slave labor camp. Criminals and political prisoners were sent to these camps to work as slaves.

Before he had the name Stalin, he used the name "Koba". Koba was a hero from Russian literature.

Stalin's right hand man was Vyacheslav Molotov.

Activities

Take a ten questionquiz about this page.

Listen to a recorded reading of this page:

Your browser does not support the audio element.

Works Cited

Back to Biography for Kids Home Page

Back to World War II Home Page

Back to History for Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Biography >>World War II for Kids Joseph Stalin by Unknown Occupation: Leader of the Soviet Union Born: December 8, 1878 in Gori, Georgia Died: 5 March 1953 Kuntsevo Dacha near Moscow, Russia Best known for: Fighting the Germans in WW2 and starting the Cold War Biography: Joseph Stalin became leader of the Soviet Union after the founder of the Soviet Union, Vladimir Lenin, died in 1924.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Biography >> World War II

Occupation: Prime Minister of Great Britain

Born: November 30th, 1874 in Oxfordshire, England

Died: 24 January 1965 in London, England

Best known for: Standing up to the Germans in World War II

Biography:

Winston Churchill was one of the great world leaders of the 20th century. His leadership helpedBritain to stand strong against Hitler and the Germans, even when they were the last country left fighting. He is also famous for his inspiring speeches and quotes.

Childhood and Growing Up

Winston was born November 30th, 1874 in Oxfordshire, England. He was actually born in a room in a palace named Blenheim Palace. His parents were wealthy aristocrats. His father, Lord Randolph Churchill, was a politician who held many high offices in the British government.

Winston Churchill
from the Library of Congress

Joining the Military

Churchill attended the Royal Military College and joined the British cavalry upon graduation. He traveled to many places while with the military and worked as a newspaper correspondent, writing stories about battles and being in the military.

While in South Africa during the Second Boer War, Winston Churchill was captured and became a Prisoner of War. He managed to escape from prison and traveled 300 miles to be rescued. As a result, he became something of a hero in Britain for a while.

Rise to Power

In 1900 Churchill was elected to Parliament. Over the next 30 years he would hold a number of different offices in the government including a cabinet post in 1908. His career had many ups and downs during this time, but he also became famous for many of his writings.

Prime Minister

At the outbreak of World War II, Churchill became First Lord of the Admiralty in command of the Royal Navy. At the same time the current Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, wanted to appease Germany and Hitler. Churchill knew this would not work and warned the government that they needed to help fight Hitler or Hitler would soon take over all of Europe.

As Germany continued to advance, the country lost confidence in Chamberlain. Finally, Chamberlain resigned and Winston Churchill was chosen to be his successor as Prime Minister on May 10, 1940.

World War II

Soon after becoming Prime Minister, Germany invaded France and Britain was alone in Europe fighting Hitler. Churchill inspired the country to keep fighting despite the bad circumstances. He also helped to forge an alliance ofAllied Powers with the Soviet Union and the United States. Even though he did not like Joseph Stalin and the communists of the Soviet Union, he knew the Allies needed their help to fight Germany.

Tehran Conference
from the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library
Churchill with President Roosevelt and Joseph Stalin

With the Allies help, and Winston's leadership, the British were able to hold off Hitler. After a long and brutal war they were able to defeat Hitler and the Germans.

Churchill waving to the crowd after the end of World War II
Churchill on VE Day
by a War Office official photographer

After the War

After the war, Churchill's party lost the election and he was no longer Prime Minister. He was still a major leader in the government, however. He was again elected Prime Minister in 1951. He served the country for many years and then retired. He died on January 24, 1965.

Churchill was concerned about the Soviet Union and the Red Army. He felt they were just as dangerous as Hitler now that the Germans were defeated. He was right as soon after World War II ended, the Cold War between the Western nations of NATO (such as Britain, France, USA) and communist Soviet Union began.

Famous Quotes

Winston Churchill was famous for his rousing speeches and quotes. Here are a few of his famous quotes:

In a speech criticizing the appeasement of Hitler, he said "You were given the choice between war and dishonor. You chose dishonor, and you will have war."

He also said of appeasement: "An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last."

In his first speech as Prime Minister he said "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat."

In a speech about fighting the Germans he said "We shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender."

When talking about the RAF during the Battle of Britain he said "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few."

Fun Facts about Winston Churchill

He wrote a number of historical books and won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1953.

He was named an honorary citizen of the United States.

Churchill married Clementine Hozier in 1908. They had five children including four daughters and one son.

Winston did not do well in school as a child. He also had trouble getting into the Royal Military College. Although, once in, he finished near the top of his class.

He was not healthy during World War II. He had a heart attack in 1941 and pneumonia in 1943.

Works Cited

Biography >> World War II

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Biography >> World War II Occupation: Prime Minister of Great Britain Born: November 30th, 1874 in Oxfordshire, England Died: 24 January 1965 in London, England Best known for: Standing up to the Germans in World War II Biography: Winston Churchill was one of the great world leaders of the 20th century.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Allied Powers and Leaders - World War 2 - History for Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Allies during World War II were those leaders who stood against Germany and its allies during the Second World War. While not every country fought Germany from the very beginning of the war, all played a part in the defeat of the Axis powers.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Kids learn about the biography of Adolf Hitler, leader and dictator of Germany during World War II. His Nazi party committed the Holocaust.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Axis Powers and Leaders - World War 2 - History for Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Axis powers were those countries that joined to attack Europe, Africa, the Mediterranean and the Pacific. When Germany, Italy and Japan became allies, the Axis powers were born. Other names for the Axis Powers are "The Three Party Pact" or the "Tripartite pact."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Kids learn about the biography of Benito Mussolini, the Italian dictator and fascist who ruled Italy and allied with Adolf Hitler during World War II.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Scholastic Teaching Tools | Resources for Teachers

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Explore Scholastic Teaching Tools for teaching resources, printables, book lists, and more. Enhance your classroom experience with expert advice!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Battle of Iwo Jima, (February 19-March 16, 1945), World War II conflict between the United States and the Empire of Japan. The United States mounted an amphibious invasion of the island of Iwo Jima as part of its Pacific campaign against Japan. A costly victory for the United States, the battle was one of the bloodiest in the history of the U.S. Marine Corps and was cited as proof of the Japanese military's willingness to fight to the last man.

Context

Shortly after its attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Japan gained control over much of Southeast Asia and the central Pacific. The Japanese sphere of control extended west to Burma ( Myanmar), south to the Dutch East Indies (now Malaysia) and New Guinea, and east to Wake Island. However, the United States assumed command of Allied forces in the Pacific theatre and mounted a counteroffensive that incorporated a strategic combination of land, air, and naval assaults.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCOS)-Adm. Ernest King, Adm. William Leahy, Gen. George Marshall, and Gen. Henry ("Hap") Arnold-was created in 1942 to provide a body of high command to direct U.S. operations during the war. Each member was a four-star officer from the U.S. Army, Navy, and Army Air Forces (AAF). The Marine Corps was not represented in this body during World War II. Convention dictated that a single officer should command all armed forces in the Pacific, but the JCOS could not agree on any one person to do so. At King's urging, the body chose to bifurcate the theatre and gave Army Gen. Douglas MacArthur and Adm. Chester Nimitz command over one half each. Even then, however, there was contention over how to make progress toward the Japanese homeland. MacArthur wanted to retake the Philippines en route to Tokyo, while Nimitz wanted an "island-hopping" approach that focused on small strategic gains throughout the Central Pacific. In 1944 the JCOS agreed on a two-pronged plan that combined both strategies. By October of that year, MacArthur had landed on Filipino soil, and Nimitz had seized the Mariana Islands, severely crippling Japanese naval and air power along the way.

Arnold was of the opinion that the Bonin Islands could be useful for conducting B-29 Superfortress air raids on Tokyo. He was convinced that Iwo Jima (now Iō-tō) in particular, being halfway between the Mariana Islands and the Japanese capital, would place his fighters in range of the city so that they could support bombing operations in the region. Arnold had to rely on the Navy to take these islands for him, however. At the JCOS's direction, Nimitz initially intended to take Formosa ( Taiwan) rather than Iwo Jima, but recommendations from his subordinate admirals prompted him to propose that he seize Iwo Jima and Okinawa instead. The JCOS approved the plan, and in October 1944 Nimitz began preparations for an Iwo Jima invasion, later known as Operation Detachment.

Battle

Iwo Jima is located about 760 miles (1,220 km) from Tokyo. It is a small island covering an area of about 8 square miles (20 square km) and spanning about 5 miles (8 km) in length. A volcanic island, Iwo Jima is dotted with hundreds of caves and is covered with volcanic sand and ash. At the southwest tip of the island is Mount Suribachi, a largely dormant volcano that provides a sweeping view of most of the island. Two beaches flank the northwest and southeast parts of the western sector. At the time of the U.S. invasion, there were two airfields in the middle of the island, Motoyama 1 and 2. A third airfield to the north was unfinished.

In May 1944 Japanese Prime Minister Tōjō Hideki had sent seasoned Lieut. Gen. Kuribayashi Tadamichi to organize the defense of Iwo Jima. Despite the apparent futility of resistance, Kuribayashi resolved to make the United States bleed for its victory. He began by ordering the construction of a tunnel network beneath the island to provide both protection and a means to circumvent enemy lines. He then had his troops erect hundreds of pillboxes, blockhouses, and gun sites for aboveground coverage, many of which were so well constructed that only a direct hit from a battleship could cause serious damage. However, rather than heavily defending the coastline, he planned to keep his soldiers in caves and tunnels until the Americans advanced far enough inland to be decimated by coordinated infantry and artillery fire. Finally, in a break from traditional Japanese defensive strategy, Kuribayashi gave his men strict orders to abandon the often-suicidal banzai charges and instead kill 10 Americans each from their hideouts. By the time U.S. forces initiated their assault, Kuribayashi's Iwo Jima garrison had grown to an estimated 21,000 soldiers.

Nimitz created a U.S. Joint Expeditionary Force of Navy and Marines to carry out Operation Detachment. At its disposal was an armada of 11 warships that were intended to soften up Japanese defenses with sustained bombardment. Maj. Gen. Harry Schmidt took charge of Marine operations. He fielded the largely veteran 3rd, 4th, and 5th Marine divisions, totaling some 70,000 troops. U.S. intelligence had reported only 13,000 Japanese defenders and excellent beach terrain for landing, so planners chose to have the Marines land on the southeastern beach in seven sections (listed southwest to northeast): Green, Red 1, Red 2, Yellow 1, Yellow 2, Blue 1, and Blue 2. The 28th Regiment at Green would plow across the 0.5-mile (0.8-km) stretch to the other side of the island to cut off and eventually take Mount Suribachi. The 27th Regiment at Red 1 and 2 would head northward past Motoyama 1, which would be taken by the 23rd Regiment at Yellow 1 and 2. The 25th Regiment at Blue 1 and 2 would head east to secure the right flank. Schmidt was prepared for Japanese banzai attacks and expected the swarm of bodies to expedite the invasion process, anticipating total control of the island in no more than four days.

Before landing his Marines on the beaches, Schmidt had requested that the Navy bombard the island for 10 consecutive days. His request was denied, however, and he was granted a mere three days on account of Nimitz's tight schedule ahead of the Okinawa invasion. The brief period of shelling was blighted by poor weather, and, when compounded with the island's well-protected defenses, the bombardment did little to soften up the Japanese. About 9:00 am on February 19, 1945, Marines began to land on the beach in intervals. They were surprised to encounter embankments of volcanic ash towering some 15 feet (4.6 meters) high. What was supposed to be an easy and methodical landing process quickly became congested, and Kuribayashi maximized the confusion by directing his troops and artillery to fire on the U.S. soldiers.

Schmidt sent in U.S. Naval Construction Battalion units (Seabees) with bulldozers to clear some of the ash, and by the end of that day the 28th Regiment had successfully isolated Suribachi from the rest of the island. On February 21 Kuribayashi executed a kamikaze attack on U.S. Navy vessels, badly damaging several ships. U.S. Marines continued to press forward on land, though, and on February 23 they secured Suribachi. Marines twice raised the American flag on Suribachi's summit. The second flag raising was photographed by Pulitzer Prize-winner Joe Rosenthal of the Associated Press, and his photograph became one of the most famous combat images of World War II.

The 23rd, 25th, and 27th regiments began to measure their advances in yards. The 23rd Regiment managed to take Motoyama 1 by February 24 and Motoyama 2 by February 27, but progressing past that point proved exceedingly difficult. The first main Japanese line of defense lay beyond a sulfur field filled with man-made and natural defenses. Japanese soldiers battered the Marines with artillery by day, and at night they would slip behind the U.S. rear and plant mines along roads to disrupt enemy movements. On February 27 the central regiments, reinforced by the 21st Regiment from the 3rd Marine Division, mounted a massive coordinated assault that broke through the centre of the Japanese line and overran the heights adjacent to the unfinished Motoyama 3 airfield the following day. However, intense fighting continued on the right flank at the Amphitheater, Turkey Knob, and Hill 382, a rise that would be dubbed "the Meat Grinder." From their defensive positions, the Japanese fired on the Marines relentlessly, and U.S. soldiers resorted to using flamethrowers to snuff out every possible defender, but the area remained at a stalemate even after Marines took the Meat Grinder on March 2.

On the northern end of the island, the 28th Regiment fought alongside troops from the 5th Division for control of Hills 362A and 362B, seizing them both with considerable difficulty by March 3. Similarly, the 21st Regiment managed to take Hill 362C near the island's northeast shore, leaving only a small but resilient group of Japanese soldiers in that sector holding out at a site known as Cushman's Pocket. On March 8 Japanese Navy Capt. Samaji Inouye led a nighttime banzai attack against Kuribayashi's orders in hopes of driving the Americans off of their hill. His attack proved futile, however, and the casualties inflicted provided an opening for the Marines. By March 10 U.S. troops had finally cleared the Amphitheater and Turkey Knob of its defenders.

Despite areas of intense resistance at Cushman's Pocket, the northwest coast, and a small area on the east coast, the U.S. declared Iwo Jima secure on March 16. In actuality the island would not be secure until March 26, when a few hundred Japanese troops moved behind enemy lines toward Motoyama 1 and killed about 100 Americans in their sleep before being gunned down themselves. With the other pockets of defenders killed or captured, that night attack marked the last major engagement at Iwo Jima.

Aftermath and criticism

Operation Detachment was one of the deadliest conflicts in U.S. Marine Corps history. The Japanese death toll approached 18,500 soldiers, and some 6,800 U.S. Marines were killed and 19,200 were wounded. Twenty-seven Medals of Honor were awarded at the conclusion of the battle. The fact that Marines were forced to kill the Japanese virtually to the last man is a testament to the iron grip that Japan's military indoctrination had on its servicemen. Even Kuribayashi refused to surrender in the end, by some accounts preferring to commit seppuku rather than fall into American hands alive. Those few Japanese soldiers who survived were often ostracized at home because of their failure to defend the homeland with their lives.

For the United States, the Pyrrhic victory at Iwo Jima provided the AAF with important airfields that would be used throughout the rest of the Pacific War, but the impetus for the battle has drawn criticism from both high-ranking generals and prominent historians. Military historian and Marine Capt. Robert Burrell found that the provision of fighter escorts on bombing raids-the principal reason for Operation Detachment-was minimal overall, as only 10 escort missions ever occurred. B-29 bomber raids did originate from the island and were especially impactful, but these raids were not cited as a justification for the assault prior to the conclusion of the war. The primary postwar justification was Iwo Jima's capacity to provide emergency landings, but, while 2,251 B-29s landed on the island throughout the rest of the war, the majority of them were not strictly emergencies. Most concerning, though, was the fact that the JCOS did not consider either the opinion of the Marines or the doubts of their planners ahead of ordering the invasion. Had they done so, thousands of lives might have been saved.
Myles Hudson

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Battle of Iwo Jima | Facts, Significance, Photos, & Map

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Battle of Iwo Jima (February 19-March 16, 1945), World War II battle fought between the United States and Japan over a strategically important island some 760 miles (1,220 km) south of Tokyo. A photo of Marines raising the American flag atop Iwo Jima's Mount Suribachi became one of the Pacific War's iconic images.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Battle of Midway was an epic clash between the U.S. Navy and the Imperial Japanese Navy that played out six months after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The U.S. Navy's decisive victory in the air-sea battle (June 3-6, 1942) and its successful defense of the major base located at Midway Island dashed Japan's hopes of neutralizing the United States as a naval power and effectively turned the tide of World War II in the Pacific.

Japan's Ambitions in the Pacific

Japan's efforts to establish clear naval and air superiority in the western Pacific first hit a snag in the Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942, when the U.S. fleet turned back a Japanese invasion force headed for New Guinea. Despite the setback, Admiral Isaroku Yamamoto, commander of the Imperial Japanese Navy, was convinced his forces enjoyed a numerical advantage over the Americans.

Hoping to replicate the success of the Pearl Harbor attack, Yamamoto decided to seek out and crush the rest of the U.S. Pacific fleet with a surprise attack aimed at the Allied base at Midway Island. Midway is located in the Pacific Ocean almost directly in between the United States and Japan.

After a diversionary attack by a smaller Japanese force on the Aleutian Islands, off the coast of Alaska, Yamamoto planned a three-pronged approach toward Midway. First, an air attack on the island launched from four first-line Japanese aircraft carriers, the Akagi, Kaga, Hiryu and Soryu, commanded by Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo. Second, an invasion force of ships and soldiers led by Vice Admiral Nobutake Kondo. And finally, once expected U.S. reinforcements from Pearl Harbor arrived, a joint strike by Nagumo's forces and Yamamoto's own fleet, which would be waiting 600 miles to the west.

Did you know? Six months before the Battle of Midway, the islands were attacked on December 7, 1941, less than two hours after Pearl Harbor.

United States Military Academy's Department of History

U.S. Gains Advantage Thanks to Navy Codebreakers

U.S. Navy cryptanalysts had begun breaking Japanese communication codes early in 1942, and knew for weeks ahead of time that Japan was planning an attack in the Pacific at a location they called "AF." Suspecting it was Midway, the Navy decided to send out a false message from the base claiming it was short of fresh water. Japan's radio operators sent out a similar message about "AF" soon afterward, confirming the location of the planned attack.

With Japan's fleet so widely dispersed, Yamamoto had to transmit all strategy over the radio, enabling Navy cryptanalysts based in Hawaii to figure out when Japan planned to attack (June 4 or 5) and the planned order of battle of the Imperial Japanese Navy. With this information, Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, commander in chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, could develop a plan to combat the invasion.

The Japanese assumed that the U.S. aircraft carrier Yorktown, which been damaged during the Battle of the Coral Sea, would be unavailable at Midway. In fact, the damaged carrier was repaired in only two days at the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard, and left on May 30 to regroup with other U.S. ships near Midway in preparation for Japan's attack.

The Battle of Midway Begins

After the diversionary Japanese attack on the Aleutian Islands on June 3, a group of U.S. B-17 Flying Fortress bombers flew from Midway to attack Kondo's invasion force, which they mistakenly assumed was the main Japanese fleet. This unsuccessful attack marked the first military engagement in the Battle of Midway.

Before dawn the next day, more B-17s left Midway for a second attack on the Japanese invasion force, also unsuccessful. Meanwhile, Nagumo launched the first phase of Japan's attack as planned, sending 108 Japanese warplanes from the four aircraft carriers to strike Midway. After inflicting severe damage to the U.S. base, the first Japanese attack ended by 7 a.m., leaving the airfield still useable and U.S. anti-aircraft defenses still functioning.

Shortly after that, just as his pilots informed Nagumo that another airstrike against the base would be necessary, U.S. aircraft launched from Midway began attacking the four Japanese carriers, without success. As Nagumo was rearming Japanese planes for a second air attack, a Japanese scout plane spotted portions of the U.S. fleet, including USS Yorktown, to the east of Midway. Nagumo switched tactics, ordering planes that were still armed to prepare to attack the U.S. ships once the rest of the Japanese planes returned from Midway.

Meanwhile, a wave of U.S. Devastator torpedo bombers from the U.S. carriers Hornet and Enterprise arrived to attack the Japanese ships. Unescorted by fighter planes, nearly all of them were shot down by Japanese Zero fighters. But about an hour later, as the Japanese refueled and rearmed their planes, another wave of U.S. carrier-launched bombers struck, hitting three Japanese carriers- Akagi, Kaga and Soryu -and setting them ablaze.

In response, Japan's surviving carrier, Hiryu, launched two waves of attacks on the Yorktown, which had to be abandoned but remained afloat. U.S. dive-bombers from all three carriers returned to attack the Hiryu and set it ablaze as well, putting all four Japanese carriers out of commission.

Significance of U.S. Victory in the Battle of Midway

Though major combat in the Battle of Midway was over by the evening of June 4, U.S. troops at sea and on Midway Island continued their attacks on the Japanese over the next two days.

The destroyer USS Hammann provided cover for the disabled carrier Yorktown during salvage operations, but a Japanese submarine arrived on June 6 and launched four torpedoes that struck both U.S. ships. The Hammann sank in minutes; the Yorktown eventually capsized and sank the following day.

On June 6, Yamamoto ordered his ships to retreat, ending the Battle of Midway. In all, Japan had lost as many as 3,000 men (including more than 200 of their most experienced pilots), nearly 300 aircraft, one heavy cruiser and four aircraft carriers in the battle, while the Americans lost the Yorktown and Hammann, along with around 145 aircraft and approximately 360 servicemen.

As a result of the U.S. victory in the Battle of Midway, Japan abandoned its plan to expand its reach in the Pacific, and would remain on the defensive for the remainder of World War II. The battle injected U.S. forces with confidence and drained Japanese morale, turning the tide of war in the Pacific strongly in favor of the Allies.

Sources

The Battle of Midway, National WWII Museum.

Andrew Lambert, "The Battle of Midway." BBC, February 17, 2011.

1942: The Battle of Midway, CBS News.

The Battle of Midway, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge and Battle of Midway National Memorial.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Battle of Midway was an epic WWII clash between the U.S. Navy and the Imperial Japanese Navy that played out six months after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The U.S. Navy's decisive victory in the air-sea battle (June 3-6, 1942) dashed Japan's hopes of neutralizing the United States as a naval power and effectively turned the tide of World War II in the Pacific.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Atomic Bomb Mushroom Cloud

Atomic Bomb Facts: Fast Fact Sheet for kids
Fast, fun facts and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) about the Atomic Bomb.

Who invented the Atomic Bomb? The Atomic bomb was invented by scientists working in the WW2 Manhattan Project. Robert Oppenheimer was the scientific director of the Manhattan Project and is referred to as the "father of the atomic bomb"

What is an Atomic Bomb? An Atomic Bomb is an explosive weapon of great destructive power which results from the rapid release of an immense quantity of energy in a chain reaction of nuclear fission, especially of uranium-235 or plutonium-239. The term 'Fission' is given to the process of "splitting" atoms through their bombardment by neutrons.

When was the first test of the Atomic Bomb? The first test of the Atomic Bomb was made during the Manhattan Project on July 16, 1945 at Alamogordo, New Mexico. The first atomic bomb was called "The Gadget", laboratory euphemism for a bomb.

Who dropped the Atomic Bomb in WW2? The WW2 Atomic Bomb was dropped at Hiroshima by Colonel Paul Tibbets in a Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber that he named 'Enola Gay'. The name given to the Hiroshima bomb was "Little Boy"

Atomic Bomb Facts for kids: The Decision to Drop the Atomic Bomb - Was it the Right Decision? The momentous decision to drop the Atomic Bomb was made by President Harry Truman. Ever since the Atomic Bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki a debate has raged over whether it was the right decision. Even before the bombs were dropped scientists and politicians hotly debated the issue. The WW2 Potsdam Declaration or the Proclamation dated July 26, 1945 contained an ultimatum stating that, if Japan did not surrender, it would face "prompt and utter destruction". The Japanese did not reply. Those totally opposed to dropping the Atomic Bomb argued that it would indiscriminately kill civilians and that conventional bombing and economic sanctions would force Japan to surrender. Some argued that the Japanese should be warned about the bomb others argued that the only way that Japan would surrender was if the atomic bomb was dropped without warning, and the shock would force the Japanese into surrendering. President Truman had been warned by his military advisors that there would be massive casualties if the United States invaded Japan. President Truman made a public statement on why the atomic bombs were used:

What were the effects of the Atomic Bomb? The Effects of the Explosion
The effects of an atomic bomb explosion produces an intense light flash, a sudden wave of heat, followed by a tremendous roar due to the shock wave of the explosion. A ball of fire rises rapidly, followed by a mushroom cloud that extends to heights of 40,000 feet (12,200 metres).

What were the effects of the Atomic Bomb? The Effects on the Ground
The effects of an Atomic Bomb are truly terrifying, much of the surrounding areas of the bomb are vaporized. Most damage caused by an Atomic Bomb comes from the explosive blast. The nuclear blast causes a shock wave of air to radiate outward, producing changes in air pressure that can crush objects and produce high winds that can knock objects down. When an Atomic bomb is detonated, the blast creates a large crater. Debris from the crater is carried up into the air and made radioactive by the explosion. This deadly material returns to the earth as radioactive fallout. The city streets of Hiroshima and Nagasaki burned bright red, like live charcoal. Roof-tiles and granite stone melted due to the intense heat.

What were the effects of the Atomic Bomb? Black Rain
The Hiroshima and Nagasaki explosions carried particles of uranium and plutonium that escaped fission. Following the explosions, these and other irradiated materials were carried high into the atmosphere and mixed with the heat and thermal currents from the firestorms led to rainfall in the form of "Black Rain". The "Black Rain" was produced by fallout particles were mixed with carbon residue from numerous city fires. Within 30-40 minutes of the bombings, in both Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the deadly "Black rain" fell.

What were the effects of the Atomic Bomb? The Effects on the People
When an atomic bomb explodes, as in Hiroshima and Nagasaki during WW2, people receive two doses of radiation. One dose during the explosion and another from fallout. The rapid release of an immense quantity of energy results in an intense burst of heat that causes skin burns as far as 5 miles from the nuclear blast. The dead were found carbonized. Direct radiation occurs at the time of the nuclear explosion. Intense exposure to radioactive material kills nerve cells and small blood vessels causing seizures, heart failure and immediate death. Damage to the intestinal tract lining causes nausea, bloody vomiting and diarrhea. Radiation sickness destroys the cells in the body including blood cells, reproductive cells and hair cells. Delayed effects can appear months to years after irradiation and include a wide variety of effects involving almost all tissues or organs resulting in cancer, decreased fertility, and genetic mutations.

Atomic Bomb Facts for kids The following fact sheet contains interesting information, history and facts on Atomic Bomb for kids.

Atomic Bomb Facts for kids

The atomic bomb was developed by scientists on the Atomic Bomb Facts - 2: Manhattan Project during WW2. The first test of the A-Bomb was made on July 16, 1945 at Alamogordo, New Mexico.

Atomic Bomb Facts for kids

Facts about the Atomic Bomb Facts for kids The following fact sheet continues with interesting information, history and facts on Atomic Bomb for kids.

Atomic Bomb "Gadget", Trinity Test

Facts about the Atomic Bomb Facts for kids The following fact sheet continues with interesting information, history and facts on Atomic Bomb for kids.

Atomic Bomb Facts for kids

Atomic Bomb Facts - 16: Hiroshima: The first atomic bomb, "Little Boy" was dropped at 08.15am on Hiroshima, a city in Honshu, Japan's main island during WW2 on August 6, 1945. The Atomic Bomb destroyed 76,000 buildings, about 63% of the city. It is estimated that 265,000 people have died due to this atomic bomb, including its radioactive fallout.

In 1946 Atomic Bomb Facts - 22: Operation Crossroads began nuclear tests at Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands. The "Able" test detonation was on July 1, 1946 and the "Baker" test was detonated on July 25, 1946

The development of the Atomic Bomb led to the Atomic Bomb Facts - 23: Cold War Arms Race which led to the development of the hydrogen bomb and intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Atomic Bomb Facts for kids

Atomic Bomb - President Harry Truman Video
The article on the Atomic Bomb provides detailed facts and a summary of one of the important events during his presidential term in office. The following Harry Truman video will give you additional important facts and dates about the political events experienced by the 33rd American President whose presidency spanned from April 12, 1945 to January 20, 1953.

Atomic Bomb Facts

● Interesting Facts about Atomic Bomb for kids and schools
● Atomic Bomb Facts for kids
● Atomic Bomb Facts with important dates and key events
● Harry Truman Presidency from March 4, 1933 to April 12, 1945
● Fast, fun, Atomic Bomb Facts for kids
● WW2 and the Atomic Bomb
● Harry Truman Presidency and Atomic Bomb Facts for schools, homework, kids and children

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Atomic Bomb Facts: US History for Kids ***

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Atomic Bomb Mushroom Cloud Atomic Bomb Facts: Fast Fact Sheet for kids Fast, fun facts and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) about the Atomic Bomb. Who invented the Atomic Bomb? The Atomic bomb was invented by scientists working in the WW2 Manhattan Project.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Many Americans worried that citizens of Japanese ancestry would act as spies or saboteurs for the Japanese government. Fear - not evidence - drove the U.S. to place over 127,000 Japanese-Americans in concentration camps for the duration of WWII.

Over 127,000 United States citizens were imprisoned during World War II. Their crime? Being of Japanese ancestry.

Despite the lack of any concrete evidence, Japanese Americans were suspected of remaining loyal to their ancestral land. Anti-Japanese paranoia increased because of a large Japanese presence on the West Coast. In the event of a Japanese invasion of the American mainland, Japanese Americans were feared as a security risk.

Succumbing to bad advice and popular opinion, President Roosevelt signed an executive order in February 1942 ordering the relocation of all Americans of Japanese ancestry to concentration camps in the interior of the United States.

Evacuation orders were posted in Japanese-American communities giving instructions on how to comply with the executive order. Many families sold their homes, their stores, and most of their assets. They could not be certain their homes and livelihoods would still be there upon their return. Because of the mad rush to sell, properties and inventories were often sold at a fraction of their true value.

After being forced from their communities, Japanese families made these military style barracks their homes.

Until the camps were completed, many of the evacuees were held in temporary centers, such as stables at local racetracks. Almost two-thirds of the interns were Nisei, or Japanese Americans born in the United States. It made no difference that many had never even been to Japan. Even Japanese-American veterans of World War I were forced to leave their homes.

Ten camps were finally completed in remote areas of seven western states. Housing was spartan, consisting mainly of tarpaper barracks. Families dined together at communal mess halls, and children were expected to attend school. Adults had the option of working for a salary of $5 per day. The United States government hoped that the interns could make the camps self-sufficient by farming to produce food. But cultivation on arid soil was quite a challenge.

Most of the ten relocation camps were built in arid and semi-arid areas where life would have been harsh under even ideal conditions.

Evacuees elected representatives to meet with government officials to air grievances, often to little avail. Recreational activities were organized to pass the time. Some of the interns actually volunteered to fight in one of two all-Nisei army regiments and went on to distinguish themselves in battle.

Fred Korematsu challenged the legality of Executive Order 9066 but the Supreme Court ruled the action was justified as a wartime necessity. It was not until 1988 that the U.S. government attempted to apologize to those who had been interned.

On the whole, however, life in the relocation centers was not easy. The camps were often too cold in the winter and too hot in the summer. The food was mass produced army-style grub. And the interns knew that if they tried to flee, armed sentries who stood watch around the clock, would shoot them.

Fred Korematsu decided to test the government relocation action in the courts. He found little sympathy there. In Korematsu vs. the United States, the Supreme Court justified the executive order as a wartime necessity. When the order was repealed, many found they could not return to their hometowns. Hostility against Japanese Americans remained high across the West Coast into the postwar years as many villages displayed signs demanding that the evacuees never return. As a result, the interns scattered across the country.

In 1988, Congress attempted to apologize for the action by awarding each surviving intern $20,000. While the American concentration camps never reached the levels of Nazi death camps as far as atrocities are concerned, they remain a dark mark on the nation's record of respecting civil liberties and cultural differences.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In February 1942, President Franklin Roosevelt signed an executive order authorizing the confinement of ALL Americans of Japanese ancestry for the duration of WWII. Over 127,000 American citizens were imprisoned, though there was no evidence that they had committed or were planning any crimes.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why did Japan attack Pearl Harbor? US History for Kids ***

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Why did Japan attack Pearl Harbor? United States history and the reason why Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. Facts about the reason why Japan attacked Pearl Harbor for kids, children, homework and schools.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The First World War had to be fought mainly on the ground. World War Two was a different kind of war as it was both on the ground and from the air.

Operation Sealion

In July 1940, Hitler gave orders for the preparation of a seaborn invasion of Britain, called Operation Sealion. To make this easier, he sent the Luftwaffe (German air force) to destroy Britain's Royal Air Force first.

German Messerschmitts Bf 109

The Messerschmitt Bf 109 was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt in the early 1930s.

Why did the German air force attack?

German leaders felt it was essential to destroy the British air force to stop it sinking the ships that would carry German soldiers across the Channel.

Royal Air Force plane - Spitfire

What is known as the 'Battle of Britain'?

Battle of Britain is the name commonly given to the effort by the Luftwaffe to gain air superiority over the Royal Air Force (RAF), before a planned sea and airborne invasion of Britain during the Second World War. The Luftwaffe tried to destroy the Royal Air Force.

Royal Air Force plane - Supermarine Spitfire Mk XVI

The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries through the Second World War.

On 10 July, 1940, the Luftwaffe made their first bomber attack on British ships in the Channel.

In August, 1940 the German air force began its mass bomber attacks on British airfields, harbours, aircraft factories and radar stations. During the next three months the Royal Air Force lost 792 planes and over 500 pilots were killed.

Royal Air Force Avro Lancaster B I
PA474

The Avro Lancaster was a British four-engined Second World War night bomber.

When did the Battle of Britain end?

31 October 1940, is generally considered to be the end of the Battle of Britain, after the RAF caused considerable damage to the Luftwaffe.

1,547 allied aircraft were lost during the Battle of Britain.

What happened next?

They decided to concentrate on bombing London and other British cities
( The Blitz).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The First World War had to be fought mainly on the ground. World War Two was a different kind of war as it was both on the ground and from the air. Operation Sealion In July 1940, Hitler gave orders for the preparation of a seaborn invasion of Britain, called Operation Sealion.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
World War II History: Battle of Stalingrad for Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Kids learn about the history of the Battle of Stalingrad during World War II. Germany attacks the Soviet Union.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
D-Day the Invasion of Normandy - World War 2 - History for Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Allied Forces Backstory The Invasion of Normandy began on June 6th 1944 and ended on August 1944, and was a joint effort by all of the Allied Forces. Comprised of 156,000 British, American and Canadian forces, D-Day was an invasion that required a massive amount of deception and tactics.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
World War II History: Battle of the Bulge for Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Kids learn about the history of the Battle of the Bulge during World War II. Germany tries to push back the Allies.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
World War II for Kids: Battle of the Atlantic

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Kids learn about the Battle of the Atlantic in WW2 including who fought, the commanders, major events of the battle, who won, facts, and the results.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Winston Churchill, Harry Truman, and Josef Stalin meet at the Potsdam Conference. They discussed the post-war order and peace treaty issues.

America had the bomb. Now what?

When Harry Truman learned of the success of the Manhattan Project, he knew he was faced with a decision of unprecedented gravity. The capacity to end the war with Japan was in his hands, but it would involve unleashing the most terrible weapon ever known.

American soldiers and civilians were weary from four years of war, yet the Japanese military was refusing to give up their fight. American forces occupied Okinawa and Iwo Jima and were intensely fire bombing Japanese cities. But Japan had an army of 2 million strong stationed in the home islands guarding against invasion.

A "mushroom" cloud rises over the city of Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, following the detonation of "Fat Man." The second atomic weapon used against Japan, this single bomb resulted in the deaths of 80,000 Japanese citizens.

For Truman, the choice whether or not to use the atomic bomb was the most difficult decision of his life.

First, an Allied demand for an immediate unconditional surrender was made to the leadership in Japan. Although the demand stated that refusal would result in total destruction, no mention of any new weapons of mass destruction was made. The Japanese military command rejected the request for unconditional surrender, but there were indications that a conditional surrender was possible.

Regardless, on August 6, 1945, a plane called the Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima. Instantly, 70,000 Japanese citizens were vaporized. In the months and years that followed, an additional 100,000 perished from burns and radiation sickness.

This map shows the range of the destruction caused by the atomic bomb dropped over Hiroshima. Exploding directly over a city of 320,000, the bomb vaporized over 70,000 people instantly and caused fires over two miles away.

Two days later, the Soviet Union declared war on Japan. On August 9, a second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, where 80,000 Japanese people perished.

On August 14, 1945, the Japanese surrendered.

Critics have charged that Truman's decision was a barbaric act that brought negative long-term consequences to the United States. A new age of nuclear terror led to a dangerous arms race.

Some military analysts insist that Japan was on its knees and the bombings were simply unnecessary. The American government was accused of racism on the grounds that such a device would never have been used against white civilians.

On August 6, the city of Hiroshima, Japan remembers those who lost their lives when the atomic bomb fell. Thousands attend the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony annually.

Other critics argued that American diplomats had ulterior motives. The Soviet Union had entered the war against Japan, and the atomic bomb could be read as a strong message for the Soviets to tread lightly. In this respect, Hiroshima and Nagasaki may have been the first shots of the Cold War as well as the final shots of World War II. Regardless, the United States remains the only nation in the world to have used a nuclear weapon on another nation.

Truman stated that his decision to drop the bomb was purely military. A Normandy-type amphibious landing would have cost an estimated million casualties. Truman believed that the bombs saved Japanese lives as well. Prolonging the war was not an option for the President. Over 3,500 Japanese kamikaze raids had already wrought great destruction and loss of American lives.

The President rejected a demonstration of the atomic bomb to the Japanese leadership. He knew there was no guarantee the Japanese would surrender if the test succeeded, and he felt that a failed demonstration would be worse than none at all. Even the scientific community failed to foresee the awful effects of radiation sickness. Truman saw little difference between atomic bombing Hiroshima and fire bombing Dresden or Tokyo.

The ethical debate over the decision to drop the atomic bomb will never be resolved. The bombs did, however, bring an end to the most destructive war in history. The Manhattan Project that produced it demonstrated the possibility of how a nation's resources could be mobilized.

Pandora's box was now open. The question that came flying out was, "How will the world use its nuclear capability?" It is a question still being addressed on a daily basis.

Conversation on the Existence of the Bomb
On July 24 I casually mentioned to Stalin that we had a new weapon of unusual destructive force. The Russian Premier showed no special interest. All he said was that he was glad to hear it and hoped we would make 'good use of it against the Japanese.' -President Harry Truman, Year of Decisions.

Report broken link

If you like our content, please share it on social media!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Decision to Drop the Bomb [ushistory.org]

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Winston Churchill, Harry Truman, and Josef Stalin meet at the Potsdam Conference. They discussed the post-war order and peace treaty issues. America had the bomb. Now what? When Harry Truman learned of the success of the Manhattan Project, he knew he was faced with a decision of unprecedented gravity.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
World War II

Clockwise from top left:

Date

1 September 1939 - 2 September 1945 (6 years and 1 day)

Location

Result

Allied victory

Belligerents

Allies
United Kingdom
Soviet Union (from 1941)
United States (from 1941)
China (from 1937)

and more

Axis
Germany
Japan (from 1937)
Italy (from 1940)

and more

Commanders and leaders

Allied leaders Winston Churchill
Joseph Stalin
Franklin D. Roosevelt

Chiang Kai-Shek

Axis leaders Adolf Hitler
Hirohito

Benito Mussolini

Casualties and losses

Over 61,000,000

Over 12,000,000

World War II ( WWII or WW2), in the Soviet Union, the Great Patriotic War, and in Japan, the Second Sino-Japanese War, was a global war involving fighting in most of the world and most countries. Most countries fought in the years 1939-1945 but some started fighting in 1937. Most of the world's countries, including all the great powers, fought as part of two military alliances: the Allies and the Axis Powers. World War II was the largest and deadliest conflict in all of history. It involved more countries, cost more money, involved more people, and killed more people than any other war in history. Between 50 to 85 million people died. The majority were civilians. It included massacres, the deliberate genocide of the Holocaust, strategic bombing, starvation, disease, and the only use of nuclear weapons against civilians in history.

The two sides were the Allies (at first China, France and Britain, joined by the Soviet Union, United States and others) and the Axis ( Germany, Italy and Japan). The war in Asia began when Japan invaded China on July 7, 1937. The war began in Europe when Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. France and Britain reacted by declaring war on Germany. By 1941, much of Europe was under German control, including France. Only Britain remained fighting against the Axis in North Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Atlantic. Germany gave up plans to invade Britain after losing an airplane battle. In June 1941, Germany invaded the Soviet Union, starting the largest area of war in history. On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked the United States at Pearl Harbor and invaded British and French colonies in Asia, and the two wars became one.

After the war, the United Nations was set up to develop support between countries and to prevent future wars. The Cold War among the major winners soon started, but they did not fight each other in an actual war. Decolonization of Asia and Africa, where those countries controlled by European countries were given their independence, happened as well. This was because European power was weakened from the war. Economic recovery and the political integration (the process of uniting countries) were among other results of the war.

The two sides

The countries that joined the war were on one of two sides: the Axis and the Allies.

The Axis Powers at the start of the war were Germany, Italy and Japan. There were many meetings to create the alliance between these countries. Finland, Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Thailand joined the Axis later. As the war continued, some Axis countries changed to join the Allies instead, such as Italy.

The Allied Powers were the United Kingdom and some Commonwealth members, France, Poland, Yugoslavia, Greece, Belgium and China at the start of the war. China had been fighting a civil war. In June 1941, Germany attacked the Soviet Union in Operation Barbarossa. In December 1941 came Japan's Attack on Pearl Harbor against the United States. These two large, powerful countries then joined the Allies.

Background

World War I had greatly changed the way of diplomacy and politics in Asia, Europe, and Africa with the defeat of the Central Powers. Empires which sided with the Central Powers were destroyed. The Russian Empire, which did not side with the Central Powers, died as well. The war also changed the borders in Eastern Europe, with many new countries born. The war led to strong irredentism and revanchism. These senses were especially strong in Germany, which had no choice but to sign the Treaty of Versailles. The Germans also had 13% of their homeland area and all colonies taken away, and they had to pay back a very large sum of money to the Allies. The size of their army and navy was also limited, while its air force was banned.

After the Kuomintang (KMT), the governing party of China, unified the country in the 1920s, the civil war between it and its past ally Communist Party of China began. In 1931, Japan used the Mukden Incident as a reason to take Manchuria and set up its puppet state, Manchukuo, while the League of Nations could not do anything to stop it. The Tanggu Truce, a ceasefire, was signed in 1933. In 1936, the KMT and the communists agreed to stop fighting against each other to fight Japan instead. In 1937, Japan started a Second Sino-Japanese War to take the rest of China.

After the German Empire was disestablished, the democratic Weimar Republic was set up. There were disagreements between the Germans which involved many political ideologies, ranging from nationalism to communism. The fascist movement in Germany rose because of the Great Depression. Adolf Hitler, leader of the Nazi Party, became the Chancellor in 1933. After the Reichstag fire, Hitler created a totalitarian state, where there is only one party by law. Hitler wanted to change the world order and quickly rebuilt the army, navy and air force, especially after Saarland was reunited in 1935. In March 1936, Hitler sent the army to Rhineland. The Spanish Civil War began in July 1936. The war ended with the nationalist victory, supported by Italy and Germany.

In March 1938, Germany sent its army into Austria, known as the Anschluss, which had only a little reaction from European countries. Shortly after that, the Allies agreed to give Sudetenland, part of Czechoslovakia, to Germany, so that Hitler would promise to stop taking more land. But the rest of the country was either forced to surrender or invaded by March 1939. The Allies now tried to stop him, by promising to help Poland if it was attacked. Just before the war, Germany and the Soviet Union signed a peace agreement, agreeing that they would not attack each other for ten years. In the secret part of it, they agreed to divide Eastern Europe between them.

Course of the war

War breaks out

Germany then signed an agreement to work together with the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union forced the Baltic countries to allow it to keep Soviet soldiers in their countries. Finland did not accept the Soviet call for its land, so it was attacked in November 1939. With peace, the world war broke out. France and Britain thought that the Soviet Union might enter the war on the side of Germany and drove the Soviet Union out of the League of Nations.

Axis early victories

By June 1940, the Soviet Union moved its soldiers into the Baltic states and took them, followed by Bessarabia in Romania. Although there had been some collaboration between the Soviet Union and Germany earlier, this event made it serious. Later, when the two could not agree to work more closely together, relationships between them became worse to the point of war.

At the same time, Japan's progress in China was still not much, although the nationalist and communist Chinese began fighting each other again. Japan was planning to take over European colonies in Asia while they were weak, and the Soviet Union could feel a danger from Germany, so a non-aggression pact (which was an agreement that both countries would not attack each other) between the two was signed in April 1941. However, Germany kept preparing an attack on the Soviet Union, moving its soldiers close to the Soviet border.

The war becomes global

On June 22, 1941, the European Axis countries attacked the Soviet Union. During the summer, the Axis quickly captured Ukraine and the Baltic regions, which caused huge damage to the Soviets. Britain and the Soviet Union formed a military alliance between them in July. Although there was great progress in the last two months, when winter arrived, the tired German army was forced to delay its attack just outside Moscow. It showed that the Axis had failed its main targets, while the Soviet army was still not weakened. This marked the end of the blitzkrieg stage of the war.

By December, the Red Army facing the Axis army had received more soldiers from the east. It began a counter-attack that pushed the German army to the west. The Axis lost a lot of soldiers but it still saved most of the land it received before.

By November 1941, the Commonwealth counter-attacked the Axis in North Africa and got all the land it lost before. However, the Axis pushed the Allies back again until stopped at El Alamein.

By April 1942, many South East Asian countries: Burma, Malaya, the Dutch East Indies and Singapore, had almost fallen to the Japanese. In May 1942, the Philippines fell. The Japanese navy had many quick victories. But in June 1942, Japan was defeated at Midway. Japan could not take more land after this because a large part of its navy was destroyed during the battle.

Allies are advancing

On the Eastern Front, the Axis defeated Soviet attacks during summer and began its own main offensive to southern Russia along Don and Volga Rivers in June 1942, trying to take over oil fields in Caucasus, critical to the Axis for fueling their war effort, and a great steppe. Stalingrad was in the path of the Axis army, and the Soviets decided to defend the city. By November the Germans had nearly taken Stalingrad, however the Soviets were able to surround the Germans during winter After heavy losses, the German army was forced to surrender the city in February 1943. Even though the front was pushed back further than it was before the summer attacks, the German army still had become dangerous to an area around Kursk. Hitler devoted almost two-thirds of his armies to The Battle of Stalingrad. The Battle of Stalingrad was the largest and deadliest battle in this world's time.

In the Soviet Union, on July 4, 1943, Germany started an attack around Kursk. Many German soldiers were lost because of the Soviets' well-created defenses. Hitler canceled the attack before any clear outcome. The Soviets then started their own counter-attack, which was one of the turning points of the war. After this, the Soviets became the attacking force on the Eastern Front, instead of the Germans.

Late in 1943 Japan conquered some islands in India and began an invasion of the Indian mainland. The Army of India and other forces expelled them in early 1944.

The end in Europe

On D-Day, June 6, 1944, the Allies began the invasion of Normandy, France. The code name for the invasion was Operation Overlord. The invasion was successful, and led to the defeat of the German forces in France. Paris was freed on August 1944 and the Allies continued eastward while the German front collapsed. Operation Market-Garden was the combined aerial invasion of the Netherlands launched on September 17, 1944. The purpose of the invasion was to seize a series of bridges that included a bridge in Arnhem, which spanned the Rhine river. Market was the name for the airborne invasion. The ground invasion, named Garden, reached the Rhine river, but could not take the Arnhem bridge. .

On June 22, the Soviet offensive on the Eastern Front, codenamed Operation Bagration, almost destroyed the German Army Group Centre. Soon after, the Germans were forced to retreat and defend Ukraine and Poland. Arriving Soviet troops caused uprisings against the German government in Eastern European countries, but these failed to succeed unless helped by the Soviets. Another Soviet offensive forced Romania and Bulgaria to join the Allies. Communist Serbs partisans under Josip Broz Tito retook Belgrade with some help from Bulgaria and the Soviet Union. By early 1945, the Soviets attacked many German-occupied countries: Greece, Albania, Yugoslavia and Hungary. Finland switched to the side of the Soviets and Allies.

On December 16, 1944, the Germans tried one last time to take the Western Front by attacking the Allies in Ardennes, Belgium, in a battle is known as the Battle of the Bulge. This was the last major German attack of the war, and the Germans were not successful in their attack.

By March 1945, the Soviet army moved quickly from Vistula River in Poland to East Prussia and Vienna, while the Western Allies crossed the Rhine. In Italy, the Allies pushed forward, while the Soviets attacked Berlin. The allied western forces would eventually meet up with the Soviets at the Elbe river on April 25, 1945.

German forces in Italy surrendered on April 29, 1945. Germany surrendered to the Western Allies on May 7, 1945, known as V-E Day, and was forced to surrender to the Soviets on May 8, 1945. The final battle in Europe was ended in Italy on May 11, 1945.

The end in the Pacific

The Allies wanted Japan to surrender with no terms, but Japan refused. This resulted in the United States dropping two atomic bombs over Hiroshima (August 6, 1945) and Nagasaki (August 9, 1945). On August 8, 1945, the Soviets invaded Manchuria, quickly defeating the primary Imperial Japanese Army there. On August 15, 1945, Japan surrendered to the Allies. The surrender documents were formally signed on board the USS Missouri on September 2, 1945, ending the war.

After World War II

The United Nations was formed on October 24, 1945, to keep peace between countries in the world. However, the relationship between the Western Allies and the Soviet Union had worsened during the war and, soon after the war, each power quickly built up their power over controlled area. In Western Europe and West Germany, it was the United States, while in East Germany and Eastern Europe, it was the Soviet Union, in which many countries were turned into Communist states. The Cold War started after the formation of the American-led NATO and the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact.

In Asia, Japan was put under American occupation. In 1948, Korea was divided into North and South Korea, each claiming to be the legal representative of the Koreans, which led to the Korean War in 1950. Civil war in China continued from 1946 and resulted in the KMT retreating to Taiwan in 1949. The communists won the mainland. In the Middle East, the Arab disagreement on the United Nations plan to create Israel marked the beginning of conflicts between the Arabs and Israel.

Economic recovery was different in many parts of the world. In general, it was quite positive. The United States became richer than any other country and, by 1950, it had taken over the world's economy. It also ordered the Marshall Plan (1948-1951) to help European countries. German, Italian, and French economies recovered. However, the British economy was badly harmed and continued to worsen for more than ten years. The Soviet economy grew very fast after the war was over. This also happened with the Japanese economy, which became one of the largest economies in the 1980s. China returned to the same production level as before the war by 1952.

Concentration camps and slave work

Other than the Holocaust, about 12 million people, mostly Eastern Europeans, were forced to work for the German economy. German concentration camps and Soviet gulags caused a lot of death. Both treated prisoners of war badly. This was even the case for Soviet soldiers who survived and returned home.

Japanese prisoner-of-war camps, many of which were used as labour camps, also caused a lot of deaths. The death rate of Western prisoners was 27.1%, seven times that of prisoners under Germans and Italians. More than 10 million Chinese civilians were made slaves and had to work in mines and war factories. Between 4 and 10 million people were forced to work in Java.

Between 1942 and 1945, Roosevelt signed an order which made Japanese Americans go to internment camps. Some Germans and Italians were included too.

The Allies agreed that the Soviet Union could use prisoners of war and civilians for forced labor. Hungarians were forced to work for the Soviet Union until 1955.

Home fronts and production

Before the war, in Europe, the Allies had a larger population and economy than the Axis. If colonies are included, the GDP of the Allies then would be two times of that of the Axis. While in Asia, China had only 38% higher GDP than the Japanese if their colonies are counted.

The Allies' economy and population compared with the Axis' lessened with the early Axis victories. However, this was no longer the case after the United States and Soviet Union joined the Allies in 1941. The Allies were able to have a higher production level compared with the Axis because the Allies had more natural resources. Also, Germany and Japan did not plan for a long war and had no ability to do so. Both tried to improve their economies by using slave laborers.

As men went off to fight, women took over many of the jobs they left behind. At factories, women were employed to make bombs, guns, aircraft, and other equipment. In Britain, thousands of women were sent to work on farms as part of the Land Army. Others formed the Women's Royal Naval Service to help with building and repairing ships. Even Princess Elizabeth, who later became Queen Elizabeth II, worked as a mechanic to aid the war effort. By 1945 some weapons were made almost entirely by women.

In the beginning, women were rarely used in the labour forces in Germany and Japan. However, Allied bombings and Germany's change to a war economy made women take a greater part.

Occupation

Germany had two different ideas of how it would occupy countries. In Western, Northern, and Central Europe, Germany set economic policies which would make it rich. During the war, these policies brought as much as 40% of total German income. In the East, the war with the Soviet Union meant Germany could not use the land to gain resources. The Nazis used their racial policy and murdered a lot of people they thought non-human. The Resistance, the group of people who fought Germany secretly, could not harm the Nazis much until 1943.

In Asia, Japan claimed to free colonised Asian countries from European colonial powers. Although they were welcomed at first in many territories, their cruel actions turned the opinions against them within a short time. During the occupation, Japan used 4 million barrels of oil left behind by the Allies at the war's end. By 1943, it was able to produce up to 50 million barrels of oil in the Dutch East Indies. This was 76% of its 1940 rate.

Developments in technology

Other developments included better encryption for secret messages, such as the German Enigma. Another feature of military intelligence was the use of deception, especially by the Allies. Others include the first programmable computers, modern missiles and rockets, and the atomic bombs.

Countries suffering the most warship losses in World War II

Countries suffering the most military losses in World War II

The actual numbers killed in World War II have been the subject heretofore. Most authorities now agree that of the 30 million Soviets who bore arms, there were 13.6 million military deaths.

*total, of which 7,800,000 battlefield deaths
**Inc. Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, etc.

Countries suffering the most civilian losses in World War II

Deaths among civilians during this war - many resulting from famine and internal purges, such as those in China and the USSR - were colossal, but they were less well documented than those among fighting forces. Although the figures are the best available from authoritative sources, and present a broad picture of the scale of civilian losses, the precise numbers will never be known.
The Axis Powers
Germany, Italy, Japan, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria
The Allied Powers
U.S., Britain, France, USSR, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Greece, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, South Africa, Yugoslavia

Related pages

Images for kids

In Spanish: Segunda Guerra Mundial para niños

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Effects of World War II - History for Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Part of their job was to make sure that everyone in Britain was following the rules to keep everything on the ground hidden from German bombers at night, so that they would not be able to see their targets.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Aircraft in World War Two - History for Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In World War I, aircraft were dangerous flying tin cans. At the beginning of World War II, the situation was the same, but then with advanced technology the planes became stronger, faster, safer, and more accurate. The Allies and the Axis used planes over Europe, North Africa, The Pacific, and Asia to fight in World War II.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In September 1939, Britain entered into what would become the world's most devastating war to date. Learn all about the events that changed the lives of millions in our World War 2 facts....
World War 2 facts

1. World War 2 was a battle between two groups of countries

- the " Allies" and the " Axis ". The major Allied Powers were Britain, France, Russia, China and the United States. The major Axis Powers were Germany, Italy and Japan.

(AD)

2. Before World War 2 began, Germany was ruled by a man named Adolf Hitler

Together with the Nazi Party, he wanted Germany to rule Europe. To gain more land and power, on 1 September 1939 German troops invaded Poland. After Hitler refused to stop the invasion, Britain and France declared war on Germany - World War II had begun.

3. During the course of the war, German forces advanced through Europe

Did you know that we have a FREE downloadable Second World War primary resource? Great for teachers, homeschoolers and parents alike!

4. Millions of Germans were imprisoned and killed because they didn't fit the image of the 'perfect' German

Hitler wanted to create what he thought was the "best" and strongest race - and to the Nazi Party, this excluded certain groups, such as Jews, Gypsies and those with physical and mental disabilities. In an attempt to eliminate a "racial enemy" outside of Germany, such groups were also persecuted in the countries invaded by German forces.

5. The group most heavily targeted by the Nazis were the Jews

Around six million Jewish people were killed during World War 2 in one of history's most terrible events - the Holocaust. Racist in his views, Hitler blamed Jewish people for Germany losing World War I and claimed they were dangerous to German people and society.

6. Around the same time that Germany fought for power in Europe, Japan wanted to control Asia and the Pacific

In 1937 (before World War 2 had officially begun) under Emperor Hirohito, Japan attacked China, bringing the two nations into years of conflict.

7. The US didn't join the war until 1941, when Japan attacked the United States

- at their Naval Base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. On 8 December 1941 (the very next day), the US declared War on Japan and, in turn, its German allies.

8. Some countries remained 'neutral' in World War 2

Such countries were Spain, Sweden and Switzerland - who chose not to join either side.

9. The Germans surrendered on 8 May 1945

In 1944, an Allied army crossed from Britain to free France from Nazi rule. One year later, Allied armies invaded Germany, forcing the Germans to surrender. After nuclear attacks on Japan's major cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan also surrendered to Allied forces in August the same year. World War 2 had ended.

Did you know we have a FREE downloadable Anne Frank primary resource? Perfect for teachers, homeschoolers and parents alike, the resource introduces children to the young girl whose tragic tale from WWII became a story of hope.

10. Around 64 million people died in World War 2

- that's more than the entire population of the United Kingdom.

*Yugoslavia was a country established in 1918 in south-east Europe, which included modern-day Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, Slovenia and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

*USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, or the Soviet Union) was a former country which included modern-day Russia, Ukraine and Estonia, as well as other socialist states.

What did you think of our World War 2 facts? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Likes

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In September 1939, Britain entered into what would become the world's most devastating war to date. Learn all about the events that changed the lives of millions in our World War 2 facts.... - the " Allies" and the " Axis ". The major Allied Powers were Britain, France, Russia, China and the United States.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
DK Learning: Make every lesson your best yet

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
DK's uniquely visual approach engages students, enhancing their learning experience

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Causes of WW2 for kids: US History for Kids ***

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Find a summary, definition and facts about the Causes of WW2 for kids. United States history and the Causes of WW2 for kids. Information about the Causes of WW2 for kids, children, homework and schools.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
History >>World War 2 for Kids Women played an important role for the United States in World War II. Although they did not enter combat as soldiers, many women helped by serving in thearmed forces. They also helped to keep the country together at the home front. Women worked in factories producing ships, tanks, munitions and other much needed products for the war effort.

Poster recruiting women for the armed forces
Source: National Archives

Women in the Armed Forces

Many women served in the armed forces during the war. Some served as nurses in the Army Nurse corps. This could be a dangerous job as some nurses worked in hospitals that were close to the war front. They served in a variety of areas including field hospitals, ship hospitals, medical transport planes, and evacuation hospitals. Many soldier's lives were saved by these brave nurses.

Women also served in the Women's Army Corps or WAC. This was a branch of the armed forces started up in 1942. Women served in non-combat areas such as mechanics repairing vehicles, army post offices sorting mail, and working in communications and warning systems. There were 150,000 women in the WAC by the end of the war. They served throughout the military, even landing in Normandy only a few weeks after D-Day.

Nurses in the Army
Source: National Archives

At first many men did not want women in the armed forces. It was Eleanor Roosevelt and General George Marshall who eventually got the WAC approved. Later, women troops were such good soldiers that some leaders suggested that women should be drafted.

Women's Air Force Service Pilots

Women also served as pilots as Women's Air Force Service Pilots or WASPs. These were women who already had pilot's licenses. They flew military planes between army bases and flew cargo planes carrying supplies. This freed up male pilots for combat missions.

Rosie the Riveter
Source: National Museum of American History

Rosie the Riveter

Perhaps one of the largest contributions of women during World War II was keeping our factories running. With 10 million men in the army, many women were needed to run the country's factories. They produced much needed planes, tanks, warships, guns, and other munitions for the war.

In order to inspire women to work in the factories, the US government came up with the "Rosie the Riveter" campaign. Displayed on posters and magazines, Rosie the Riveter was a character that portrayed a strong patriotic woman who worked in the factories to help the country. There was even a popular song called "Rosie the Riveter". The campaign was successful as hundreds of thousands of women entered the work force taking on jobs that had been previously done by men.

Famous Women

Here are a few of the women from around the world who became famous during World War II:

Eleanor Roosevelt - The First Lady and wife of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Eleanor was a strong supporter of the troops and for civil rights. She opposed the internment camps of the Japanese Americans and was active in boosting moral on the US home front.

Eleanor Roosevelt on a plane
Source: National Park Service

Queen Elizabeth - The Queen was a symbol of unity for the British against Hitler. She was a great source of moral for the troops. When she was advised to take her children and flee London, she refused saying that the King would never leave and neither would she.

Tokyo Rose - This was the name given to the Japanese women who voiced radio propaganda to the US Troops fighting Japan. She tried to demoralize the troops by continuously telling them that they could not win the war.

Eva Braun - Eva was Hitler's mistress. She married him at the end of the war, right before they committed suicide together.

Sophie Scholl - Sophie was a German woman who actively opposed the Nazis and the Third Reich. She was arrested for protesting the war and later executed. She is considered a great hero giving her life to try and stop the Nazis.

Anne Frank - Anne Frank was a Jewish girl who became famous for her diaries written while hiding from the Nazis for two years in a secret room. She eventually was caught and died in a concentration camp.

Activities

Take a ten questionquiz about this page.

Listen to a recorded reading of this page:

Your browser does not support the audio element.

Learn More about World War II:

Works Cited

History >>World War 2 for Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Kids learn about the history of United States women during World War II. How they contributed to the fight.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Kids learn about the history of African Americans in WW2 including the Tuskegee Airmen, the 761st Tank Battalion, segregation, and desegregation of the armed forces.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The very first African-American United States Army Air Force aviators are known as the Tuskegee Airmen. They fought for the first time in World War II, at a time when racial segregation was still in place in the United States. African-Americans had to fight for their right to serve as pilots in the U.S.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Perhaps nothing represents the community-minded patriotism of the US Home Front in World War II better than the scrap drive.

Seventy-five years ago, the United States began its first major national scrap drive - for rubber.

Enemy conquests cut off supplies of crucial raw materials such as tin and rubber, and the need for products made from these materials skyrocketed due to the war. Since useful materials often ended up in the trash can or languished unused in homes and on farms, the War Production Board encouraged scrap drives throughout the war.

Rubber Drive

Rubber was vital for war use, and acute shortages affected the United States from early in the war (See "Make It Do - Tire Rationing in World War II"). From June 15-30, 1942, the United States held a nationwide rubber drive. People brought in old or excess tires, raincoats, hot water bottles, boots, and floor mats. In exchange they received a penny a pound. Although 450,000 tons of scrap rubber was collected, used rubber was found to be of poor quality.

Scrap Metal Drives

Metal shortages were also critical ( Make It Do - Metal Shortages in World War II). In 1942 citizens scoured their homes, farms, and businesses for metal. Housewives donated pots and pans, farmers turned in farm equipment, and children even sacrificed their metal toys. Many people removed bumpers and fenders from their cars for the war effort. Communities melted down Civil War cannons and tore down wrought iron fences, sacrificing their history for their future.

These drives were often great community events, with performers, speeches, and opportunities to throw your scrap metal at a bust of Hitler.

Competitions were held to see which town, county, and state produced the most scrap, and the winners boasted of their feats. These drives had mixed results. Used aluminum was found to be useless for aircraft, but used tin, steel, and copper were easily melted down and reused.

Tin Can Drives

The use of tin packaging was greatly reduced during the war, due to the use of alternative packaging materials and to rationing of canned goods. However, consumer use of tin continued throughout the war, and this irreplaceable resource needed to be recovered.

Most communities collected tin cans once a month. In some towns, people places boxes of cleaned and crushed tin cans by the curb for collection, and other towns had central collection sites. Youth groups, especially the Boy Scouts, were highly involved in these drives.

Paper Drives

The need for paper increased during the war. The military's love for paperwork could be blamed, but the military also used lots of paper packaging for supplies. On the civilian side, paper packaging had replaced tin for many products.

A paper drive in mid-1942 brought in so much paper that mills were inundated and actually called for a stop. However, by 1944 an acute paper shortage existed.

The lumber industry was hard-hit by the manpower shortage caused by the draft. Lumberjacks went on strike, demanding a higher meat ration, which they did not receive. Many of these men left for higher-paying jobs in the defense industry.

Publishers found their paper allotment cut by 15 percent. Newspapers, magazines, and books were printed on fewer pages with thinner paper and narrow margins. Paperback books had been introduced in 1939 and also allowed for less paper. However, more scrap paper was needed.

The children of America stepped up. The Boy Scouts and local schools organized regular paper drives, often coordinated with the tin can drives. The War Production Board started the Paper Troopers program, designed to sound like "paratroopers," to involve schoolchildren in the effort. Participants received arm patches and certificates for collecting certain amounts.

Results

Scrap drives were a vital part of the American war effort. While not all scrap materials proved useful, many did and provided a small but significant source of material. Most importantly, these drives galvanized the Home Front and made each individual, even children, feel like a crucial part of the war effort.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Make It Do - Scrap Drives in World War II

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Perhaps nothing represents the community-minded patriotism of the US Home Front in World War II better than the scrap drive. Seventy-five years ago, the United States began its first major national scrap drive - for rubber. Enemy conquests cut off supplies of crucial raw materials such as tin and rubber, and the need for products made from these materials skyrocketed due to the war.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Get in the Scrap! | Service Learning Project From The National WWII Museum

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Inspired by the scrapping efforts of students during World War II, Get in the Scrap! is a national service learning project for students about recycling and energy conservation.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Battle of Midway

The Battle of Midway was one of the most important naval battles of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. It was fought between the U.S. and Japanese navies June 4-7, 1942. This battle turned the tide of the war in the Pacific in favor of the Americans. The Japanese navy wanted to eliminate the United States as a strategic power in the Pacific, which would have given Japan the ability to establish its Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. Eliminating U.S. interference would also have extended the Japanese defensive perimeter in the Pacific.

The Japanese had planned to lure the American naval forces into a trap around the U.S.-held island of Midway; however, American code breakers were able to determine the details of the attack and defend against it. The Japanese navy suffered heavy losses including four aircraft carriers and a heavy cruiser, while Americans only lost one aircraft carrier and a destroyer. These heavy losses permanently weakened the Imperial Japanese navy, which had previously been one of the strongest in the world at the time. Whereas Japan had been expanding its territory before the Battle of Midway, after the battle, its empire slowly began to shrink.

Secondary Sources

The Battle of Midway: The Destruction of the Japanese Fleet (Graphic Battle of World War II) by Steve White and Richard Elson

Midway: The Battle that Doomed Japan, the Japanese Story by Mitsuo Fuchida, Masatake Okumiya, Clarke H. Kawakami, and Roger Pineau

Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway by Jonathan B. Parshall and Anthony P. Tully

Midway, Dauntless Victory: Fresh Perspectives on America’s Seminal Naval Victory of World War II by Peter C. Smith

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Research Starters: The Battle of Midway | The National WWII Museum | New Orleans

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Fought between the U.S. and Japanese navies June 4-7, 1942, this battle turned the tide of the war in the Pacific in favor of the Americans.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
American Women in World War II: On the Home Front and Beyond
American women played important roles during World War II, both at home and in uniform. Not only did they give their sons, husbands, fathers, and brothers to the war effort, they gave their time, energy, and some even gave their lives.

Reluctant to enter the war when it erupted in 1939, the United States quickly committed itself to total war after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. That commitment included utilizing all of America's assets-women included. The Axis powers, on the other hand, were slow to employ women in their war industries. Hitler derided Americans as degenerate for putting their women to work. The role of German women, he said, was to be good wives and mothers and to have more babies for the Third Reich.

When the war began, quickie marriages became the norm, as teenagers married their sweethearts before their men went overseas. As the men fought abroad, women on the Home Front worked in defense plants and volunteered for war-related organizations, in addition to managing their households. In New Orleans, as the demand for public transportation grew, women even became streetcar "conductorettes" for the first time. When men left, women "became proficient cooks and housekeepers, managed the finances, learned to fix the car, worked in a defense plant, and wrote letters to their soldier husbands that were consistently upbeat." (Stephen Ambrose, D-Day, 488) Rosie the Riveter helped assure that the Allies would have the war materials they needed to defeat the Axis.

Nearly 350,000 American women served in uniform, both at home and abroad, volunteering for the newly formed Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAACs, later renamed the Women's Army Corps), the Navy Women's Reserve (WAVES), the Marine Corps Women's Reserve, the Coast Guard Women's Reserve (SPARS), the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPS), the Army Nurses Corps, and the Navy Nurse Corps. General Eisenhower felt that he could not win the war without the aid of the women in uniform. "The contribution of the women of America, whether on the farm or in the factory or in uniform, to D-Day was a sine qua non of the invasion effort." (Ambrose, D-Day, 489)

Women in uniform took office and clerical jobs in the armed forces in order to free men to fight. They also drove trucks, repaired airplanes, worked as laboratory technicians, rigged parachutes, served as radio operators, analyzed photographs, flew military aircraft across the country, test-flew newly repaired planes, and even trained anti-aircraft artillery gunners by acting as flying targets. Some women served near the front lines in the Army Nurse Corps, where 16 were killed as a result of direct enemy fire. Sixty-eight American service women were captured as POWs in the Philippines. More than 1,600 nurses were decorated for bravery under fire and meritorious service, and 565 WACs in the Pacific Theater won combat decorations. Nurses were in Normandy on D-plus-four.

At the war's end, even though a majority of women surveyed reported wanted to keep their jobs, many were forced out by men returning home and by the downturn in demand for war materials. Women veterans encountered roadblocks when they tried to take advantage of benefit programs for veterans, like the G.I. Bill. The nation that needed their help in a time of crisis, it seems, was not yet ready for the greater social equality that would slowly come in the decades to follow.

The National WWII Museum recognizes the contribution that women played in the success of the Allied victory in World War II and explores that contribution in depth in its newest permanent exhibit,The Arsenal of Democracy: The Herman and George Brown Salute to the Home Front.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
History At a Glance: Women in World War II | The National WWII Museum | New Orleans

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
American Women in World War II: On the Home Front and Beyond American women played important roles during World War II, both at home and in uniform. Not only did they give their sons, husbands, fathers, and brothers to the war effort, they gave their time, energy, and some even gave their lives.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Find a summary, definition and facts about the Lend-Lease Act for kids. United States history and the Lend-Lease Act. Information about the Lend-Lease Act for kids, children, homework and schools.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Kids learn about the technology of World War II including new tanks, aircraft carriers, submarines, radar, flying bombs, rockets, the atom bomb, secret codes, and communications.