Everything you Need to know

about

WWII
From Struggles to Success

By Luke Thomas
 Taste
That
Victory

1
Table of Contents

Page #

3 Transition page for Issues

4 Japanese Aggression Destroys East Asia
5 “A Date in Which Will Live in Infamy”
6 D-Day and End of the Nazis
7 The Two Bombs that Ended the Bloodiest War
8 Biographies transition page
9 Life and Legacy of Winston Churchill
10 The Crimes of Benito Mussolini
11 America on the Homefront transition page
12 America on the Homefront
13 America on the Homefront
14 America on the Homefront
15 WWII Comic transition page
16 Escape from Darkness Comic
17 Escape from Darkness Comic
18 Black Heros Transition page
19 Black Heros Feature page
20 Black Heros Feature page
21 Glossary
22 Glossary
23 Index
24 War Propaganda

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WW2 Events and
Issues

3
Japanese Aggression Destroys East Asia
If you think that WWII was all about the bad things Adolf Hitler did,
then you are WRONG! 30 million people died between 1941 and 1945
in East Asia in the war. Japan took over a bunch of countries and killed
everyone in their way.

"I fear that we would become a third-class nation after two or

three years if we just sat tight,"(Newsela,2019) Hideki Tojo, Japan's
prime minister announced. So they didn't. They first captured
Manchuria, China in 1931. Then, they joined the Axis powers in 1940
with Nazi Germany and fascist Italy. By then they were a huge empire.
Then it all backfired. They had just bombed Pearl Harbor, Hawaii,
weakening the US. But a day later the US declared war on them on
12/8/1941. Four years later, the US bombs Japan back and destroys
two cities, forcing Japan to surrender.

Japanese aggression was a huge part of WWII. However, Japan

was deeply weakened by the two atomic bombs. They never tried to
rise to power again. They became friends with the US after a while.

“Japan set out to prove it wasn't a "second-class power" in WWII”,

Newsela,2019

Japanese Flag

Japanese empire (in red)

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“A Date in Which Will Live in Infamy”
Now that you know what Japan did to East Asia, do you
know what Japan did to the US? They destroyed our naval base
and made us join WWII. More than 2,400 people died in an attack
that lasted less than one and a half hours.

It's a peaceful morning on December 7, 1941. The Japanese

naval army has been sailing since November 26. The US
expects nothing. Then, at 6:00 in the morning, the first wave of
fighters came in. Then at 8:10, the mighty USS Arizona sinks. 5
more ships sank between 8:10 and 9:00. A few US Army air corps
shot down about 12 Japanese fighters. The Japanese soon
turned back home hoping it was a successful attack.

You might think that the attack was a big victory for Japan.
But it wasn't. The US declared war a day later on Japan. Soon,
the US would devastate Japan by bombing them. “A date in
which will live in infamy.” (World Book Student, 2025) says
President Franklin Roosevelt after he declares war on Japan.
This would be a turning point in the bloody war.

Doerr, Paul W. "Pearl Harbor." World Book Student, 2025

USS Arizona destroyed.

Japanese Navy

5
 D-Day; The biggest
invasion ever and the turning
D-Day and the
point of the bloodiest war.
Five beaches were captured
by allies in Normandy,
End of the Nazis
France hoping to see France "You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade,
freed and Germany toward which we have striven these many months.
destroyed. However, more The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes
than 10,000 died in battle on and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere
the first day. march with you. In company with our brave Allies
June 6, 1944, just the right
and brothers-in-arms on other Fronts, you will
day to attack. Hitler was
bring about the destruction of the German war
nowhere near France and
machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the
most German soldiers were
oppressed peoples of Europe and security for
off fighting the Soviet Union
in the east. It's 6:30 AM and ourselves in a free world,” (Newsela, 2017) FDR
the US has landed on commanded right before D-Day. And he was right,
Omaha Beach. Then, an the Nazis were defeated. The Italian empire
hour later, the British landed already surrendered just a year before Germany
on Gold Beach. By 9:00, 3 did. So that meant there was only one axis power
more beaches are secured left; Japan.
and fighting is massive. By Jackson, Kenneth T. “WWII Part Four: D-Day
the end of the day, beaches and the War's End.” Newsela, 2017
are captured and the
remaining allies march to
free France. Then finally
Allies freed France and
Germany surrendered.

D-Day timeline
6
The Two Bombs that
Ended the Bloodiest War
It was finally time for the United States to get revenge on Japan. They
already defeated Germany and Italy, so Japan was the last Axis power.
However, since Japan was located across the Pacific Ocean, the U.S. couldn't
just drive over to attack. Instead, they came up with a different strategy;
dropping bombs on Japan, similar to what they did to Pearl Harbor.
On the early morning of August 6, Colonel Tibbets and Charles Sweeney
boarded their B-29 bombers, carrying two atomic bombs. “We’re carrying the
world’s first atomic bomb,”(National Park Service, 4/4/2023) Colonel Tibbets
said as he entered the Enola Gay. A few hours later, at 9:15 AM, the Little Boy
bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, and a minute later it exploded killing
around 140,000 people in the explosion. Then 3 days later the Fat Man bomb
was dropped on Nagasaki and between 40,000 and 75,000 died.
Japan finally surrendered on September 2, 1945. The Allied Powers won
World War 2. Both cities were destroyed. Atomic bombs would be never again
used in war. Hiroshima and Nagasaki wouldn't be visited again for a while
because of the radiation.
“The Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki”. Manhattan Project National
Historical Park

7 Enola Gay
Atomic bomb
explodes
Biographie s

8
The life and legacy of Winston
Churchill

Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill is one of the most famous prime
ministers of England. He served as Prime Minister of Great
Britain twice. He led Great Britain to victory during WW2 and
helped rebuild it after the war. He even won a Nobel Peace
Prize.

Inspired by his father, he was great at politics. He created

many important rules like minimum wage and rights for
prisoners. He also fought in WWI. At the beginning of WW2,
he tried to keep peace with Adolf Hitler. But that didn't work.
He said, “‘I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and
sweat,’” (Newsela, 2016) he said about WW2. In 1944,
Churchill, FDR, and Joseph Stalin came together to plan
D-Day. WW2 ended and Britain won.

He was elected prime minister again in 1951. He helped

rebuild England and became very famous. He won a Nobel
Peace Prize in 1953. He retired in 1955. He soon died ten
years later.

“Famous Speeches: Winston Churchill's ‘Blood,

Toil, Tears and Sweat’”, by Winston Churchill
adapted by Newsela, 2016

9
The Crimes of
Benito Mussolini
One of the most famous dictators of all is Benito Mussolini.
He was the creator of fascism. He was the Il Duce of the Italian
Empire during World War Two. He actually inspired the leader of
the Nazi Party; Adolf Hitler.
000A few decades before WWII, the Italian government was very
unstable. Many parties were trying to take over Italy but failing.
But then a few years before WW2 fascism took over socialism
with their leader and dictator Benito Mussolini. Benito soon
inspired Adolf Hitler and the Nazis to take over Germany. They
then formed a pact which would be the beginning of WWII. He
thought “Tomorrow, the Tripartite Pact will become an instrument
of just peace between the peoples,” (Pebblego Next).
AAAMussolini took interest in taking over countries in the Middle
East. He had expanded Italy into an empire and he controlled all
of it and could make any racist or mean rule he wanted. But the
Allies saw this and attacked Italy. They soon surrendered in 1943.
Benito Mussolini was killed for war crimes. He is still famous for
his crimes and evilness.

PebbleGo Next, Benito Mussolini

Italian Empire
Benito (in green)
10 Mussolini
 America on the
Homefront

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America on the Homefront
Now that you know about what the soldiers did in WW2, do you
know what life was like as a normal person in America during WW2?
WW2 on the homefront was as eventful as the fighting in Europe
itself. Did you know about rationing, Japanese internment camps,
and the Manhattan Project? WW2 was a true test of loyalty to
America for citizens in America.

Rationing was a big rule in America in WW2. In Newsela it says,

“Rationing was a wartime practice that limited the number of
resources citizens could consume.” This means that stuff like bread
and sugar was limited. Ration books had removable stamps you had
to have to get certain items such as meat, canned foods, sugar, and
cooking oil. In Encyclopedia Britannica article it states, “Gradually, a
priorities system was devised to supply defense plants with raw
materials; a synthetic rubber industry was developed from scratch;
rationing conserved scarce resources…” That meant that the rationed
items were used for ammunition, bombs, and other war materials.
Everyone contributed to the war by rationing their use of materials.

Ration
12 Propaganda
 Not everything on the homefront supported a good cause.
Japanese internment was where Japanese-Americans were sent
off to terrible camps just because they were Japanese. In a
Newsela article it states, “They were taken to permanent
relocation centers many miles from the ocean, often in remote
and desolate areas.“ Most of all, the internment camps were not
kept up and luxurious. In a WBO article it states, “The camps had
barbed-wire fences and guard towers. Most families lived in a
single room and ate in group dining halls.” In conclusion,
Japanese internment camps were small, dirty, and unfair.
Japanese internment was a bad mistake in WW2.

If you read about the bombing on Japan, you might of

wondered when, where, and how the bombs were built. It all
started with the Manhattan Project. “The Manhattan Project
researched and created atomic bombs,” says Newsela. The
Manhattan Project base in Tennessee is where Little Boy and Fat
Man were created. In WBO it says, “ Manhattan Project
scientists successfully exploded the first atomic bomb on July 16,
1945, near Alamogordo, New Mexico.” That means after they
tested it they went right to bombing Japan. The Manhattan
Project caused the end of the war.

Japanese internment
camps
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 All Americans contributed to WW2 in a way. Rationing had a
big effect on America. Japanese Americans will never forget the
day they were unexpectedly moved. One of the biggest projects
in WW2 was the Manhattan Project. WW2 on the homefront
should never be forgotten in history.

Information from

Atlas Obscura. “Remembering when America banned sliced

bread.” Newsela. 2022

Adam Gopnik. “World War II” WBO, 2025

National Archives. “Japanese American Relocation in the U.S.

During World War II” Newsela, 2017

Ikeda, Tom. "Japanese American internment." World Book

Advanced, 2025

Tennessee Historical Society. “Tennessee during World War II”

Newsela,2020

Schwartz, Stephen I. "Manhattan Project." World Book Advanced,

2025

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 WWII
Comic

15
 Black
Heros

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 Doris Miller
Doris Miller (12/10/1919 -
19
24/11/1943) was born in Waco, Texas.
He was a navy soldier in WW2. He was
at Pearl Harbor during the Japanese
invasion. “He was the first African
American recipient of the Navy Cross
for valour.” ( Encyclopedia Britannica,
2025.) He got it because of his bravery
at Pearl Harbor. He later died in war
near the Gilbert Islands in the South
Pacific.

"Doris Miller." Encyclopedia Britannica, January 3,

Doris Miller gets Navy Cross 2025.

Tuskegee Airmen Black Heros

The Tuskegee Airmen
were the first black military
pilots in WW2. They were
known to escort bombers
across Europe and the
Mediterranean. They are
most famous for the first
people to take down a Nazi
jetfighter. “He quickly dove
down out of the jets' line of
sight, then pulled up to
attack from below. “
(BrainPop,2025). Roscoe
Brown (a Tuskegee Airman)
was the first to destroy a
Nazi jetfighter.
“Tuskegee Airmen”.
BrainPop,2025. Tuskegee Airmen
Black
Rosies
Black Rosies 20
Black Rosies are
forgotten heroes in WW2.
They worked in factories and
any job needed on the
homefront. “The contribution
[of Black women] is one
which this nation would be
unwise to forget or evaluate
falsely." (Newsela,2021).
Unfortunately still faced
racism.
History.com. "Black
Rosies:’ Forgotten Black
women workers of World War
II” Newsela,2021

OF World War 2
Josephine Baker
Josephine Baker was a
French spy in WW2. She was also
a dancer who kept the morale up
in France during WW2. “As war Josephine
spread across Europe in 1939, the Baker
head of France’s military
intelligence service recruited an
unlikely spy. She was France’s
most famous woman — Josephine
Baker.” (Newsela,2023) She was
rewarded for her bravery in WW2.
History.com “Josephine
Baker's daring double life as a
World War II spy” Newsela,2023.
 Glossary
Atomic Bomb= a powerful bomb caused by splitting a nuclei.
B-29 bomber= a bombing plane used in WW2
Desolate= hiden, uninhabited
Dining hall= a large space where many people eat at the same time
Crusade= a movement supporting an idea or belief.
Empire= an extensive group of states or countries under a single
supreme authority, especially an emperor or empress.
Escort= A person (people) guiding another for protection
Fascist (fascism)= a governmental system led by a dictator having
complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism,
regimenting all industry, commerce, etc., and emphasizing an
aggressive nationalism and often racism.
Il Duce= Means “the leader” in Italian
Morale= the confidence, enthusiasm, and discipline of a person or
group at a particular time.
Naval= the branch of a nation's armed services that conducts military
operations at sea.
Nazi Jet-Plane= A fast thin plane used by Nazi’s in WW2
Nobel Peace Prize= an award given to any person who has worked to
encourage peace among countries or groups of people anywhere in the
world
Prime minister= head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in
the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or
semi-presidential system.
Racism= prejudice, discrimination, by an individual, community, or
institution against a person or people on the basis of their membership
in a particular racial or ethnic group, typically one that is a minority or
marginalized.

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Raw materials= the basic material from which a product is made.
Socialism= a political and economic theory of social organization which
advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange
should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole.
Toil= work extremely hard
Tyranny= cruel and oppressive government or rule.

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 Index

Atomic bomb, 7,13

Benito Mussolini, 10
Black Rosies, 20
D-day, 6
Denmark, 16-17
Doris Miller, 19
Homefront, 12-14
Japanese aggression, 4
Japanese internment, 13
Josephine Baker, 20
Manhattan Project, 13
Pearl Harbor, 5
Rationing, 12
Tuskegee Airmen, 19
Winston Churchill, 9

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