World War II

in Europe

Kelly Rodgers
World War II
in Europe

Kelly Rodgers
Consultant
Jennifer M. Lopez, NBCT, M.S.Ed.
Teacher Specialist—History/Social Studies
Office of Curriculum & Instruction
Norfolk Public Schools

Publishing Credits
Rachelle Cracchiolo, M.S.Ed., Publisher
Conni Medina, M.A.Ed., Managing Editor
Emily R. Smith, M.A.Ed., Content Director
Véronique Bos, Creative Director
Robin Erickson, Art Director
Michelle Jovin, M.A., Associate Editor
Fabiola Sepulveda, Graphic Designer

Image Credits: front cover, p.1, p.7 (bottom), p.10, p.17 (bottom) Everett Historical/
Shutterstock; pp.2–3 U.S. Air Force; pp.4–5 World History Archive/Alamy; p.6 (left) 360b/
Shutterstock; p.6 (right) Three Lions/Getty Images; p.7 (top) FDR Presidential Library &
Museum; p.8 Corbis via Getty Images; p.9 (top) TCM; p.9 (left), p.14 (top), p.24 (top), p.25
(left), p.26, p.27, p.28 (bottom right) U.S National Archives; p.9 (right) Wellcome Library;
p.11 Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images; p.12 Library of Congress [LC-DIG-
ppmsca-12898]; p.13 (top) Pictorial Press Ltd/Alamy; p.13 (bottom) National Museum
of the U.S. Navy; p.14 (bottom) U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command; p15 (top)
LOC [ LC-USW33-000138-ZE]; p.15 (bottom) LOC [LC-DIG-ppmsca-13260]; p.16 (left) LOC
[LC-USZC4-4435]; p.16 (right) Linda Steward/iStock; p.17 (top) LOC [LC-DIG-fsac-1a35369];
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LOC [LC-DIG-fsa-8d29109]; p.19 (top) San Jose State University Department of Special
Collections and Archive; p.19 (bottom) Everett Collection Historical/Alamy; pp.20–21
Russian International News Agency; p.21 (right) U.S. Navy; p.22 U.S. Army; p. 23 (bottom)
World History Archive/Alamy; p.24 (bottom) German Federal Archives; p.25 (right) United
States Holocaust Memorial Museum, courtesy of Belarusian State Archive of Documentary
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Museum; p.32 U.S. Coast Guard, photo by Chief Photographer's Mate Robert F. Sargent; all
other images from iStock and/or Shutterstock.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Rodgers, Kelly, author.
Title: World War II in Europe / Kelly Rodgers.
Other titles: World War 2 in Europe
Description: Huntington Beach, CA : Teacher Created Materials, [2020] |
Summary: “World War II was the bloodiest, most destructive war in
history. The European Theater played host to some of the most
significant events of the war. When the war drew to a close in 1945,
more than 40 million people were dead. Cities lay in ruins. Millions of
people were homeless. It would take decades for Europe to recover from
the devastation.”-- Provided by publisher.
Identifiers: LCCN 2019024372 (print) | LCCN 2019024373 (ebook) | ISBN
9781425850708 (paperback) | ISBN 9781425850708 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: World War, 1939-1945--Europe--Juvenile literature. | World
War, 1939-1945--United States--Juvenile literature. | Holocaust, Jewish
(1939-1945)--Juvenile literature.
Classification: LCC D756.3 .R63 2020 (print) | LCC D756.3 (ebook) | DDC
940.53/4--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019024372

All companies, websites, and products mentioned in this book are registered trademarks
of their respective owners or developers and are used in this book strictly for editorial
purposes. No commercial claim to their use is made by the author or the publisher.

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© 2020 Teacher Created Materials, Inc.
 Table of Contents
The World at War . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

An Uneasy Peace. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Europe Ignites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

America Enters the War . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

On to Victory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

The Holocaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Legacy of Hope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Stage It!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Your Turn! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

3
 The World at War
World War II was one of the most important
and devastating events of the twentieth century.
More than 40 million people lost their lives. The
war cost over $1 trillion. Cities were ruined.
People around the world were affected.
At the same time, great progress was made.
New technologies were invented. Medicines were
created. Discoveries changed the lives of people
all over the world. Important social changes arose
during the war. Women, African Americans, and
others were encouraged to join the work force—
many for the first time. The Great Depression
came to an end in most countries.
How could such a destructive event bring
about so much good? What was it about the
war that showcased the worst and the best in
humanity?
World War II was a global war; nearly every
country took part in it in some way. The war was
fought between the Axis powers and the Allied
forces. The Axis side included Germany, Italy,
and Japan. The countries leading the Allies were
Great Britain, the Soviet Union, and the United
States. After six long years of fighting, the Allies
won. When the war ended, people everywhere
hoped peace would last.

4
The Slinky
In 1943, American engineer Richard
James was working to solve a problem
for U.S. naval ships. The navy needed
a way to keep sensitive instruments
from bouncing around in rough
waters. While working, James
bumped a box of tools off a shelf.
A spring fell to the ground and
seemed to walk. James and his wife
took out a loan for $500 to develop
their walking toy. His wife came up
with the name—Slinky®.

Medical Marvels
Great medical advancements
were made during World War II
to treat wounded and sick
soldiers. New medicines
helped fight infections. Skin
grafting was used for
treating burn victims. The
process for transferring blood
from one person to another
was perfected. New vaccines
were introduced. In the
middle of so much death,
improvements in health
care held great promise.

5
 An Uneasy Peace
The Price of When World War I ended in 1918, an uneasy peace
Bread settled over the world. For a short time, people
Germany’s economy was celebrated. But peace did not bring stability. The
ruined after World War I. end of the war did not solve everything. The Treaty
Before the war, a loaf of
of Versailles of 1919 had ended the war. But the
bread cost less than 1 mark
(about $4 in 1913). After
treaty set harsh terms for Germany. The German
the war, German money had government had to pay to fix all damage to the
completely lost its value. Allied countries from the war. The terms wrecked
That same loaf of bread cost Germany’s economy. They were not alone. Many
200 trillion marks (about countries had spent a lot of money during the war.
$4 billion in 1923). The Now, they owed large debts. To add to the chaos,
German government printed governments across Europe were becoming
bills worth $10 billion marks unstable. Revolutions and civil wars broke out.
each. Workers used laundry
baskets and suitcases to carry
their earnings home.

German marks became so worthless that

some children used them as toys.

The People’s Car

In 1934, the German government
was trying to fix its economy. They
thought building a new roadway
would help. They called it the
autobahn. To promote travel, they
created Volkswagen, or the “People’s
Car.” Their cars sold for $140 each
(around $2,000 today). This brand of
car is still sold.

6
 President Roosevelt

Then, in 1929, the Great Depression began.

During this time, millions of people lost their
jobs. People were homeless and starving. These
people looked to their governments for help. In
the United States, Americans elected President
Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932. He set to work
right away and started new programs to create
jobs and help people. Elsewhere, nationalist
leaders rose to power in parts of Europe and Japan.
They promised a better future for their citizens.
Instead, their actions would soon lead to a second
world war.

Many homeless people lived in settlements

like this during the Great Depression.

7
 Threatening Dictators
Nationalist leaders were making sweeping changes. The Soviet leader,
Joseph Stalin, said only the government could own businesses and land. In
Italy, Prime Minister Benito Mussolini got rid of free press. Both Mussolini
and Stalin stressed the good of the nation over the good of the people.
In the early 1930s, Adolf Hitler was rising to power in Germany. In 1934,
Hitler became president of Germany. His Nazi Party worked to build an
empire called the Third Reich (RIKE). Hitler hoped to create a master race.
He planned to take over more land so Germans could live and thrive.
In 1936, Hitler made his first move. He sent German soldiers to an area of
land on the French border called the Rhineland. After World War I, German
leaders had agreed to remove all military forces from the Rhineland. Hitler’s
move broke that agreement. Two years later, German troops took control
of Austria. Still, Hitler was not satisfied. He wanted more land and more
power. French and British leaders grew worried. Hitler asked them to meet
with him in Munich. There, Hitler said that he was uniting the German
people. He told them he only wanted one more piece of land and then
he would stop. The leaders believed him. So, they made a deal called the
Munich Agreement. The pact gave part of Czechoslovakia to Germany.

British, French, German, and

Italian leaders at the signing
of the Munich Agreement

8
 Germany’s Movements 1936–1938
Denmark

The Berlin Olympics

Great Britain In August 1936, the Olympic
Netherlands Games® took place in Berlin. Due
Belgium Germany to Hitler’s racist views, only one
non-Aryan athlete was put on the
Czechoslovakia
German team. African American
athlete Jesse Owens struck gold
Switzerland
Hungary for the U.S. team. He won four
Italy
track‑and‑field events. He was
proof that Hitler’s prejudiced
beliefs were false.
Rhineland Munich Agreement land

Austria German territory by 1955

Chamberlain’s Error
British Prime Minister Neville
Chamberlain (shown above)
was one of the leaders who
met with Hitler in Munich.
When Chamberlain
returned home, he told the
British people that there
would be peace, not war.
He thought giving Hitler
what he wanted would
be enough.

Hitler salutes his troops in November 1935. 9

 Underground
Europe Ignites
Winston Churchill became Hitler had succeeded in his plan to unite the
Great Britain’s prime Germanic people of Europe. Yet he still wanted
minister on May 10, 1940. more land and power. Hitler set out to take both.
When the Blitz began,
he and his advisors
moved to an underground
bunker for the rest of
Blitzkrieg
the war. They had maps, On September 1, 1939, German forces
food, and a phone line to invaded Poland. British and French leaders
President Roosevelt. They declared war on Germany two days later. There
stayed underground for
was no turning back. German troops had a
days or weeks at a time.
Each time they came to
new strategy for taking over Europe called
the surface, they saw just blitzkrieg (BLITS‑kreeg), or “lightning war.”
how much damage the Blitz World War I had been fought largely in the
was causing. trenches. With blitzkrieg, German forces
moved quickly and struck at the enemy
with heavy firepower. It proved to be very
successful. Within a year, the German Army
Dunkirk controlled much of Europe, including France.
As German troops stormed
across France, British officer
John Vereker retreated to the
French port of Dunkirk. A call
went out across England for
all boats to make their way to A German
the port to help. Fishing boats, bomber plane
ferries, and motorboats flooded flies over London
into Dunkirk. Over the next few during the Blitz.
days, 338,000 Allied troops were
rescued. These men were able
to continue the fight against the
Axis powers.

10
Battle of Britain
Hitler set his sights on Great Britain next. To be successful, Hitler had
to fight a new type of war from the air. From July 10 to October 31, 1940,
German planes attacked nonstop in a move known as the Blitz. The British
Royal Air Force kept the country safe from a German invasion. They were
helped by a new technology called radar. It allowed the British to track
German planes, even in the dark. Great Britain stood strong. But to fight
back, they would need help from their ally across the ocean.

This building was destroyed

during the Blitz.

11
 American Neutrality
Great Britain wanted the United States to enter the war. However,
during the 1930s, the U.S. Congress passed laws called the Neutrality
Acts. These acts were meant to keep the country out of war. Some
Americans believed that World War I was a mistake. They did not
want to be drawn in to another war on a foreign continent. Still,
Roosevelt knew he had to help the war effort in Europe.
In 1940, Roosevelt created new policies to send aid to countries
fighting Hitler. In a program called Lend-Lease, the United States sent
guns and ships to the British. Meanwhile, members of Congress knew
the United States could not completely stay out of the war forever. So,
they increased the amount of money that was spent on the military.
They also began a draft—the first one during a time when the country
was not actively at war.
Knowing that the nation was in
danger, Roosevelt ran for a third
term as president. Presidents serving
only two terms was a long‑standing
tradition. Roosevelt broke the
tradition because he felt it was not the
right time for a change in leadership.
Voters agreed and re‑elected
Roosevelt in 1940.
On June 22, 1941, Hitler attacked
the Soviet Union. Stalin joined the
Allies in their effort to defeat Hitler.
Three months later, a British aircraft dropped a bomb near a
German submarine. The Germans believed a U.S. ship, the USS Greer,
was responsible for the bomb. They fired upon the U.S. ship. After
that, Roosevelt ordered the navy to shoot German submarines on sight.

12
 The Arsenal of Democracy
When Roosevelt was elected, he began
addressing the nation over the radio.
He called these speeches “fireside
chats.” In 1940, Roosevelt gave one of
these chats. Even though Americans
were not fighting, he said they played
an important role. He said they had
to help defeat Hitler. In that speech,
he said, “We must be the great
German troops invade the Soviet Union.
arsenal of democracy. For us,
this is an emergency as serious as
war itself.”

USS Greer

Switching Sides
Before the war started, Stalin
tried to get Great Britain and
France to stand up to Hitler.
However, British and French
leaders thought war could
be avoided. So, Stalin joined
Hitler instead. For two years,
the Soviet Union fought with
the Axis side. Hitler’s 1941
invasion caused the Soviet
Union to switch sides and
join the Allies.

13
 America Enters
Women in the War
Service
On December 7, 1941,
In August 1943, the
Women Airforce Service
Japanese planes bombed the
Pilots (WASP) was formed. Pearl Harbor naval base in
More than 25,000 women Hawai'i. Thousands of people
applied to the program. were killed or wounded.
Less than 10 percent were People were stunned. The next
accepted. Those who were day, Congress declared war
chosen had to go through an against Japan. On December
intense training program. 11, the Axis powers
By the end of the war, the responded by declaring war
women of WASP had flown
more than 60 million miles
on the United States. That same day,
(100 million kilometers). the United States declared war on all Axis powers.
The United States had finally joined the war.

A Duck Gets Drafted

During the war, Walt Disney This photograph was taken from a Japanese plane
during the attack on Pearl Harbor.
and others created cartoons
to keep Americans supporting
the war effort. Disney’s most
famous wartime cartoon was
called Der Fuehrer’s Face. In it,
Donald Duck® has a dream that he
is forced to work in a Nazi factory
making weapons. At the end of
the episode, Donald wakes up. The
final scene is a tomato hitting Hitler
in the face.

14
 The draft had been in place
for over a year. Still, the United
States needed more soldiers.
So, Congress passed laws that
let women serve in noncombat
roles. Hundreds of thousands
of women answered the call.
Millions of men volunteered to
join the armed forces too.
African American pilots
Americans sign up to join
the military in January 1942. trained at an air base in
Tuskegee, Alabama. The men
there fought for the “Double V
Campaign.” The two Vs stood
for victory over America’s
enemies in the war and victory
over racism at home. Many
Tuskegee Airmen won awards
for their courage in battle.
These men paved the way
for the civil rights movement
20 years later. But for now, the
Allies needed more than just
soldiers to win the war.

Tuskegee Airmen receive

instructions for their next mission.
15
 How the Nation Responded
As soldiers fought overseas, they relied on help from the
home front. The home front describes nonsoldiers who
help in a war effort. Work on the home front often makes
the difference between winning and losing a war.
From cars to food, American factories helped win the
war. People in car factories built jeeps, tanks, and planes.
In soda factories, workers filled bottles with explosives
instead of drinks. Factory owners needed help to fill the
gaps from the men who left to fight in the war. Those
people who had been denied jobs in the past, including
women and racial minorities, were now in demand. Some
defense plants ran 24-hour day cares, which allowed
mothers to work at all times of day and night.
There was a war to be won. Every man,
woman, and child knew they had a role to
play. Prices on goods were frozen and taxes
were raised. War bonds were sold to raise
more money. The government distributed
ration books. Under this system,
Americans could only buy small amounts
of certain things. These restricted items
included gasoline, coffee, sugar, and meat.
Families planted “victory gardens” and
grew their own food. People tried to
help in any way they could.

ad for war bonds

ration book

16
 Rosie the Riveter
In 1942, a song called “Rosie the
Riveter” was released. The lyrics tell
of a girl named Rosie who is “making
history, working for victory.” Rosie
helped change public opinion about
women joining the workforce. One
year after the song was released,
artist Norman Rockwell drew his
version of Rosie. Rockwell’s Rosie
wore a work jumpsuit and had a
copy of Hitler’s book, Mein Kampf,
under her feet.

This woman works in a factory assembling

war planes in 1943. Young Collectors
During the war, children
collected recyclables to help
the war effort. Foil wrappers
from chocolate bars were used
to confuse radar systems. Old
toothpaste tubes were turned
into weapons. And cooking fat
was made into explosives.

Factory workers assemble bomber planes.

17
 The war took millions of men away from their
jobs including those men who worked on farms.
But Americans at home and troops overseas still
Tax Facts needed food. To help with labor shortages on farms,
The Sixteenth Mexican workers were asked to come to the United
Amendment to the U.S. States. These workers were called braceros. They
Constitution was passed provided a much‑needed service during the war.
in 1913. It charged a tax This was meant to be a temporary act. However,
on what people earned
American farmers came to rely on Mexican labor.
in their jobs. Before
World War I, the top rate
someone paid to the
government was 7 percent
of their total income. Due
to tax increases during
World War II, that number
jumped to 94 percent!

Braceros Today
American farmers started to
depend on foreign labor. After
the war, the Bracero Program Braceros arrive in Stockton, California.
was replaced with the H-2
Program. This program allows Braceros harvest sugar beets in 1943.
foreign-born people to enter
the United States to find work.
Today, foreign-born workers
make up 78 percent of all U.S.
farmworkers. They also make
up 16 percent of the rest of the
workforce.

18
 At the same time, there was prejudice and fear. Minority workers often
faced racism. In California, violence broke out between Mexican American
workers and U.S. sailors. The riots lasted for six days. Military police had to
step in and take control.
After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese
Americans were targeted. On Roosevelt’s
order, around 125,000 Japanese Americans on
the West Coast were forced into internment
camps. These people had to give up their
homes and jobs. Life in the camps was difficult.
It was common for around 25 people to share a
room that was meant for 4 people. They were
under the constant watch of armed guards.
They lived behind barbed-wire fences. Their
lives would never be the same.

This poster notifies

people of the plan
to move them to
internment camps.

People in internment
camps stand behind
barbed wire and wave
to a passing train.

19
 On to Victory
Overseas in Europe, the Allied forces were on the offensive.
On November 8, 1942, they entered French North Africa. Six
months of fierce fighting resulted in a win for the Allies. Next,
they turned to Italy. With the help of the Tuskegee Airmen,
the Allies took control there too.
Meanwhile, Germany progressed through the Soviet Union.
The Battle of Stalingrad raged into the new year. It lasted
six months and was the war’s deadliest battle. The Soviets
suffered 1,000,000 casualties; the Axis powers had 800,000.
Even though they lost fewer men, it was the Germans who
surrendered. They hoped to escape the harsh Soviet winter.
This surrender proved to be the turning point of the war.

Soviet soldiers advance in the

Battle of Stalingrad.

20
 London Blackout
On August 11, 1939, London went dark.
Outside lights turned off and blackout
Next, the Allies planned Operation curtains drew closed. The British
Overlord. It would later be known as government had ordered the blackout,
D-Day. On June 6, 1944, more than having correctly guessed that the
160,000 Allied soldiers stormed five nation would be a target for German
beaches in Normandy, France. With them bombings. The blackout later spread
to all the United Kingdom and was in
came thousands of ships and planes. A effect until September 1944. As the
long, bloody battle against German forces government became more confident
followed. After a month of fighting, there in their win, they lessoned the
were more than 500,000 casualties. In the restrictions to a so‑called “dim‑out.”
end, the Allies won. Now, they were ready All restrictions on lighting were
to push through and free the rest of Europe. removed by April 1945.
France, Belgium, and Luxembourg were free
by September. It was time for the Allies to
turn their attention to Germany.

Kid Vet
To serve in the U.S. armed
forces, people must be at least
17 years old. Calvin Graham
lied about his age—he was
only 12—and joined the
U.S. Navy. He also lied to his
mother. Graham said he
was going to visit relatives.
Graham served on the USS
South Dakota and saw
some of the most brutal
fighting of the war. He
was injured and earned a
Purple Heart—a medal
given to soldiers who are
wounded or killed while
serving.
21
 The Battle of the Bulge
In December 1944,
A Future Queen’s Hitler’s troops made one
War Effort last attempt to win the
war. Faced with a likely
When England’s Princess
defeat, they turned back
Elizabeth was 18 years
old, she made a bold move. to their former blitzkrieg
She joined the Women’s tactics. They wedged
Auxiliary Territorial Service. into the center of the
That was the women’s Allied battle line. The
branch of the British Army. front line of fighting
She worked as both a took on a bulging
mechanic and a truck driver appearance. Hitler U.S. soldiers take cover during
during the war. Within a hoped to split the the Battle of the Bulge.
decade of the end of the war,
Allied forces in two.
she would be crowned queen
of England. However, the Allies stayed strong and held their
position. American forces attacked the sides of the
German forces. The German troops were forced
to retreat. The last German soldiers withdrew
Cracking the Code on January 16, 1945, as the Allies won the battle.
Colossus, built in 1943, was Now, there was little to stand in the way of an
one of the world’s earliest Allied victory in the war in Europe.
digital computers. It took up an
entire room and was made from
1,700 vacuum tubes. Colossus
was used in Project Ultra, which
Victory in Europe
cracked the Axis powers’ secret Allied troops next pushed their way into
codes. By cracking the codes, the Berlin. They hoped to capture the German
Allies knew where the Axis troops leaders. However, before they could reach
would be located. Code breaking
Hitler, he killed himself in an underground
was key to winning the war.
bunker. The next week, Germany surrendered.
At midnight on May 8, 1945, the war in
Europe was finally over. The full horror of
Nazi rule was exposed for the world to see.

22
Allied countries before Allied countries that Axis powers neutral countries
the Japanese attack on entered the war after the
Pearl Harbor attack on Pearl Harbor

A crowd in London celebrates V-E Day—

Victory in Europe Day.

23
 The
Holocaust
Allied troops making their way
across Europe made a grim discovery—
concentration camps. Six million Jewish
men, women, and children had been cruelly
murdered. Millions of other non-Jewish
people met the same fate. This campaign
of terror is known as the Holocaust. Part of
Hitler’s plan had been taking over land to
make room for people he thought were worth
Survivors at a concentration
more. This included blond, blue‑eyed Aryans. camp lie in their beds.
He and his followers murdered millions of
people to make that vision a reality.

New prisoners arrive at the Auschwitz

concentration camp in the summer of 1944.

24
 We Are Free!
Eva Mozes Kor was 10 years old when the
Allies came to get her out of Auschwitz.
On January 27, 1945, Allied soldiers arrived She remembered a woman running
through the camp yelling that they
at Auschwitz, Poland. It was the site of the
were free. Kor went outside, and
camp with the highest death toll. Allied through the snow, she could see Allied
troops saw thousands of sick and starving troops coming into the camp. She and
victims. They also discovered millions of the other prisoners ran to the soldiers.
items of clothing. They found thousands of “They gave us chocolates, cookies, and
pounds of human hair. hugs. And this was my first taste of
freedom,” Kor said.
Over the next year, war crime trials were
held in Germany. Hitler was dead, but other
Nazi leaders were held responsible for the
Holocaust. Judges from the Allied countries
oversaw 22 trials. Some people were sentenced
to death. Others had to serve time in prison.
The trials showed that even leaders could be
punished for crimes against humanity.
Survivor
Elie Wiesel was 15 years old
when he and his family were
sent to concentration camps.
Wiesel’s mother, father,
and sister all died in the
Holocaust. When the Allies
opened the camps, Wiesel
was freed. He moved to the
United States. He worked as
an author and a professor.
Wiesel was awarded the
Nobel Peace Prize in 1986.
When he accepted the
award, he said, “Human
suffering anywhere
concerns men and women
World leaders watch the sentencing of war criminals everywhere.”
responsible for the Holocaust during the Nuremberg Trials.
25
 Legacy of Hope
As peace returned to Europe, people paused
A New President to ref lect on the past six years. The war brought
Harry S. Truman was many changes. Women and minorities had new
vice president for only
opportunities in the United States. Old prejudices
82 days. That’s when
Roosevelt died, and
were being examined. The economy of the United
Truman became president. States was booming. But all this social change had
Truman’s first months come at a terrible cost. Millions of people had died
in office were filled with in the war. Nations lay in ruins. How had the world
challenges. The United been consumed by war again so quickly? Was there
States was still fighting something that could be done to prevent such
Japan in World War II’s devastation in the future?
Pacific Theater. Many people
around the world were On May 8, 1945, the Allies had celebrated V-E
suffering. It was Truman’s Day, victory in Europe. Sadly, President Roosevelt
job to help steer the country did not live to see it. He had died one month
out of the war and into a earlier, on April 12. Before Roosevelt died, he
more peaceful future. began working on a plan for peace, a legacy of
hope. The plan called for a group of representatives
from around the world to help keep peace—this
Finding a Home organization was to be called the United Nations.
As war drew to a close in The United Nations still exists.
Europe, it is believed that
Since the end of World
around 21 million people were
refugees. Refugees are people War II, there have been no
who have been forced to flee major world wars. This
their homelands in a crisis. More time has been called the
than half of those people had “Long Peace.” A legacy of
been forced to do hard labor. hope for a more peaceful
By 1951, there were still one world continues.
million refugees without homes.

After her husband’s death, Eleanor Roosevelt

26 helped make the United Nations a reality.
Americans celebrate V-J Day—
Victory over Japan Day—
on September 2, 1945.

27
 Stage It!
The wartime speeches of President Roosevelt and Prime Minister
Churchill were important weapons for the Allies. Their words
encouraged American and British soldiers to keep fighting and win
the war.
Find some of Roosevelt’s and Churchill’s speeches online. Listen to
a few recordings. Think about what people might have been feeling
as they heard these words. How might people have reacted to their
leaders in this time of crisis? Were they nervous, or did their leaders
give them confidence? Then, choose one speech that you find the
most impactful. Write and perform a skit as if you were listening to
these words for the first time during the war.

28
29
 Glossary
aid—help or assistance Nazi—German political party, ruled
by Adolf Hitler, which controlled the
arsenal—a place for collecting or
country from 1933 to 1945
manufacturing something
noncombat—not actively fighting,
Aryan—term used in Nazism to refer
especially in a war
to non-Jewish Caucasians
pact—a formal agreement between
bunker—a shelter that is dug into the
two countries or groups, especially to
ground to protect someone from attack
agree to stop fighting
casualties—people who are killed,
ration books—books that tell people
captured, or seriously injured during
how much food or supplies they are
warfare
allowed per day
concentration camps—prisons where
retreated—moved away from the
civilians are kept during wars
threat of danger or attack
debts—money owed to others
riots—public disturbances
draft—a selection of people from
skin grafting—a medical procedure
the general population for military
that involves removing skin from one
service
area of the body and moving it to a
internment camps—prisons where damaged part of the body
people are kept for political reasons
stability—the state of something that is
during wars
not likely to change
mark—an old form of German money
trenches—ditches dug into the ground
master race—people believed by Nazis that can be used to protect soldiers
to be racially superior and fit to rule
war bonds—government investments
others
sold to raise money for war efforts
nationalist—refers to people who
think their countries are superior to
other countries

30
Index
Battle of Britain, 11 Nazi, 8, 14, 22, 25
Battle of Stalingrad, 20 Neutrality Acts, 12
Battle of the Bulge, 22 Olympic Games, 9
Blitz, 10–11 Operation Overlord, 21
blitzkrieg, 10, 22 Owens, Jesse, 9
braceros, 18 Pearl Harbor, 14, 19, 23
British Royal Air Force, 11 Roosevelt, Eleanor, 26
Chamberlain, Neville, 9 Roosevelt, Franklin D., 7, 10,
12–13, 19, 26
Churchill, Winston, 10
Rosie the Riveter, 17
Colossus, 22
Stalin, Joseph, 8, 12–13
D-Day, 21
Third Reich, 8
Double V Campaign, 15
Truman, Harry S., 26
Dunkirk, 10
Tuskegee Airmen, 15, 20
Graham, Calvin, 21
United Nations, 26
Great Depression, 4, 7
USS Greer, 12–13
Hitler, Adolf, 8–14, 17, 22,
24–25 V-E Day, 23, 26
Holocaust, 24–25 V-J Day, 27
home front, 16–17 Women Airforce Service Pilots
(WASP), 14
Lend-Lease, 12
World War I, 6, 8, 10, 12, 18
Munich Agreement, 8
Mussolini, Benito, 8

31
 Your Turn!
Operation Overlord was the Allied invasion of western
Europe. It began on June 6, 1944, which is often called
D-Day. The invasion had been carefully planned for over
a year. At 6:30 a.m., British, Canadian, and U.S. soldiers
landed on five beaches in Normandy, France. They were
met with fierce resistance from German soldiers. Slowly,
Allied soldiers made their way farther inland. By the end of
August, all of northern France was free from Axis control.
This photograph was taken by Robert F. Sargent at 7:40 a.m.
on D-Day. It is called Into the Jaws of Death and shows U.S.
soldiers leaving a coast guard boat to invade Omaha Beach.
In the background, clouds and smoke waft over the beach.
Write a poem about how this photograph makes you feel.

32
Reader’s Guide
1. What were the causes of World War II?

2. Why did the Soviet Union join the Axis powers and
later switch to the Allies?

3. Describe how the home front played an important

role in the war.

4. What were some positive effects of the war?

5. How did World War II affect women and racial

minorities?

6. Create an illustrated time line of World War II in

Europe.
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