The Second World War
Teacher Resources
Driving Question: What were the causes of the Second World War?
There has never been a war on the scale of World War II. It killed more people than any other war in history. It transformed global power, devastating the economies and populations of many industrial empires. The war ended with the deployment of horrifying weapons of mass destruction and attacks on civilian populations. Should we call this the Second World War, or was this war simply a continuation of thirty years of conflict from 1914 to 1945?
- Describe the causes of World War II and the factors that led to Allied victory.
- Use the historical thinking practice of claim testing to assess some enduring questions from World War II.
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Guiding Questions
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Note: For more detailed directions on completing the three close reads below, refer to the Three Close Reads – Introduction activity.
Skim
Before you read, you should quickly skim the article, by looking at the headings of each section and the charts. Read the questions below as well, so you know what to look for when you read!
Key Ideas
- When did World War II start, and why is the date somewhat unclear? What do you think is the most appropriate date to use?
- In Europe, what forces dominated the early years of World War II?
- How and why did the Soviet Union enter the Second World War?
- When and why did the US join World War II?
- What was the big ideological difference between Britain and the Soviet Union? How did they find common ground?
- What factors shifted the tide of the war around 1942?
Evaluate
- How would this article be different without including Getz’s grandfather in the narrative? Do you think you would still understand and remember the major developments in World War II in the way that you do now? Does this personal story help you deepen your understanding of the war? Why or why no?
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Guiding Questions
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Note: For more detailed directions on completing the three close reads below, refer to the Three Close Reads – Introduction activity.
Skim
Before you read, you should quickly skim the article, by looking at the headings of each section and the charts. Read the questions below as well, so you know what to look for when you read!
Key Ideas
- How does the author define a “total war economy”?
- What was Japan’s economic motivation for conquering and colonizing in Asia?
- Why did the Soviet Union have an advantage in directing resources toward a total war economy?
- How did the outbreak of war affect the American economy?
- Japan and Britain are both small island nations. Why did the British not have to invade and conquer in order to supply its war effort?
Evaluate
- What developments during the long nineteenth century gave the Allied powers an advantage in this twentieth-century conflict?
Use the claim cards to evaluate several claims about the century of global conflict.
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Guiding Questions
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Note: For more detailed directions on completing the three close reads below, refer to the Three Close Reads – Introduction activity.
Skim
Before you read, you should quickly skim the article, by looking at the headings of each section and the charts. Read the questions below as well, so you know what to look for when you read!
Key Ideas
- Where was nuclear fission discovered? How did it get into the hands of the American military?
- What was the Potsdam Declaration?
- According to Peter Zimmerman, Japanese cities were being bombed every week, with about as many people dying every week as died as a result of the nuclear bomb attack on Hiroshima. What claim does this evidence support?
- Why did the Japanese surrender, according to Tsuyoshi Hasegawa?
- What “race” did the United States, Soviet Union, United Kingdom, China, France, and India participate in after the Second World War?
Evaluate
- Tsuyoshi Hasegawa argues that the Soviet Union played a considerable role in Japan’s surrender, more so than American use of nuclear weapons. Do you find the author’s argument convincing? Why or why not? Use evidence from this unit’s materials to support your claim.
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Guiding Questions
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Note: For more detailed directions on completing the three close reads below, refer to the Three Close Reads – Introduction activity.
Skim
Before you read, you should quickly skim the article, by looking at the headings of each section and the charts. Read the questions below as well, so you know what to look for when you read!
Key Ideas
- How was nationalism an important thread connecting the two world wars?
- How do the continuities of empire and colonialism connect to the two world wars?
- How did the treatment of Germany following the First World War help lead to the Second World War?
Evaluate
- Do you agree with the author’s assertion that we should treat the period from 1914 to 1945 as a “continuous war”? Why or why not?
The Fallen of World War II
Key Ideas
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Guiding Questions
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Before you watch
Before you watch the video, it’s a good idea to open and skim the video transcript. And always read the questions below so you know what to look and listen for as you watch!
While you watch
- What was the general profile of people who make up military deaths as opposed to civilian deaths?
- In which military campaign did the most Germans lose their lives?
- What country lost the most casualties as a percentage of its population?
- Who lost the most soldiers and civilians in the war and why?
- Which side purposely targeted civilians during World War II? Give some examples.
- Was World War II the deadliest war in history?
- What does this video mean by the “Long Peace”?
After you watch
- The video concludes that, since World War II, large conflicts have been less common and less deadly. How do you explain this trend?
- Do you think World War II was the most devastating event in world history? Why or why not?
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Guiding Questions
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Note: For more detailed directions on completing the three close reads below, refer to the Three Close Reads – Introduction activity.
Skim
Before you read, you should quickly skim the article, by looking at the headings of each section and the charts. Read the questions below as well, so you know what to look for when you read!
Key Ideas
- What does “appeasement” mean in the context of this article?
- Why did Neville Chamberlain pursue the policy of appeasement?
- How did the policy of appeasement shape Hitler’s ideas about the leaders of Britain and France?
- How has the memory of appeasement been used since the end of the Second World War?
Evaluate
- Do you think there is anything that liberal democracies like France and Britain could have done to prevent a war with fascist Germany?
- Based on the chart in the article, at what point do you think Neville Chamberlain should have declared war on Germany?