World War II

World War II was a global conflict that reshaped international power, transformed the United States, and had lasting consequences that still influence the modern world. Students studying WWII examine the causes of the war—including the Treaty of Versailles, global economic instability, and the rise of totalitarian regimes—along with the expansion of Axis power and the failure of appeasement. The U.S. entry into the war after the attack on Pearl Harbor marked a major turning point in American history.

Key topics include major battles and strategies in both the European and Pacific theaters, the role of Allied cooperation, and the impact of wartime mobilization on the home front. Students also explore the Holocaust and other war crimes, the use of propaganda, rationing, and the complex debates surrounding Japanese American incarceration. The war’s end brings focus to the Yalta and Potsdam conferences, the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the creation of the United Nations.

The resources on this page support instruction on causes, turning points, and consequences of World War II through lessons, primary sources, DBQs, maps, timelines, projects, and assessments. Teachers can use these materials to build historical thinking skills, strengthen document analysis, and connect WWII to postwar issues like the Cold War and decolonization.