World War II begins with a series of stunning victories for Axis powers. However, many historians believe WWII may have begun much earlier than originally thought. For the United States at least, it began in 1941, when Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Empire of Japan. For Europeans, it formally began in 1939 when Hitler invaded Poland. But we know he had already taken the Sudetenland and the Rhineland. Mussolini had already pushed into Africa, and as early as 1931, while the United States was dealing with the Great Depression, Japan invaded Manchuria and pushed into China. Many historians now believe that this was the true beginning of World War II. Anyway, as you read the short read, look at the Crash Course video, and maybe look at the book, think about these early victories: How did they happen, Why did the Allied nations enter the war, and what did they hope to accomplish by doing so? Lots of good stuff here. Enjoy!
| 28.1_short_read_wksht.pdf |
song of the day
Okay...I know the biggest news of the day is that Hamilton is coming to Disney+ in July (and nobody is more excited than me), but I couldn't find any licensed footage from the play. So "My Shot" is a no-go for today. However, if, maybe around 11:30, you happened to hear a rumble in the distance (we could hear it her in Livonia)? No, it wasn't an earthquake, it was the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels flight squadron doing a flyover of the Detroit area to celebrate first responders and medical professionals for combating COVID-19. Here's a cool 1980s music video for the Van Halen song Dreams featuring the Blue Angels (notice they're not even flying the F-18 Hornet). Great song...enjoy!