US IN WORLD WAR II

Causes and Home Front

Isolationism After WWI, US returned to isolationism

Raised tariffs Restricted immigration Insisted wartime allies pay back debts

Exceptions: Washington Naval Conference

Limit size of navy Kellog-Briand Peace Pact

Renounce the use of war

Good Neighbor President Hoover and Roosevelt worked

to better relations with Latin American countries

“Good Neighbor Policy” Not interfere with the internal affairs of Latin

American countries Relations between US and the countries

Latin American began to improve

Causes of WWII Rise of dictators

Joseph Stalin in Russia in Russia Emperor Hirohito and General Tojo in Japan Adolf Hitler and the Nazis in Germany Benito Mussolini and the Fascists in Italy

Extreme nationalistic, racist and anti-Semitic views

Causes of WWII Failure of the League of Nations

Too weak to resist dictators Collective security – peaceful nations banning

together to stop aggressive nations – failed when US and Soviet Union did not join

League did nothing to stop Hitler rebuilding army, Italy attacking Ethiopia, Japan invading Manchuria and China…

Causes of World War II Appeasement

Hitler kept annexing countries, Britain and France let him to avoid war Austria – 1938 Sudetenland (part of

Czechoslovakia) Munich Conference (1938)

Gave Hitler part of Czechoslovakia WITHOUT asking Czechs to avoid war

Hitler decided Britain and France were weak and kept making more and more demands

Beginning of War in Europe

Hitler demands Poland; France and Britain say no

Hitler signs non-aggression pact with Stalin and invade Poland September 1939

France and Britain declare war World War II begins

Hitler used blitzkrieg to defeat the Poles, French, and most of Europe

New technologies and bombings made it a more offensive war

So where’s the US? Still “cautiously neutral” Americans busy with Great Depression to be

too involved overseas Congress starting passing laws to stay out of

the war Neutrality Acts (1935-1937) – prohibited

Americans from traveling on ships of nations at war Could not sell arms to countries at war either

Allowed to sell non-military goods to the Brits and other non-aggressive nations on a “cash-and-carry” basis

Where’s the US? Japan invaded China in 1937, Roosevelt

gives “Quarantine Speech” Growing unrest in the world and peaceful

nations needed to act together to quarantine aggressive nations

Boycott aggressors Most Americans opposed military action

Where’s the US? Britain didn’t want China to fall to Japan

Used Burma Road to send supplies 700 mile route cut off, American volunteer

fighters known as Flyer Tigers recruited to send supplies and engage with Japanese pilots Destroyed 300 Japanese aircraft

Where’s the US? 1939 – started making preparations for

war just in case More Army and Navy spending, peacetime

draft, Roosevelt ran for a third term 1941 – Lend-Lease Act

Sell, lease, or lend war materials to “any country whose defense the President deems vital to the defense of the United States” Began protecting British ships carrying supplies

for the British

Where’s the US? Roosevelt told Americans he

hoped to establish a world on the Four Freedoms Freedom of speech and

expression, religion, from want, and from fear

1941 – Met with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill Announced their countries

wanted no territorial gains, freedom of the seas, and and end to war Atlantic Charter – laying

foundation for United Nations

US Enters the War Japan had become industrial in

19th century Needed raw materials and

markets Wanted to replace European

imperialism in Asia 1931 – Japan invaded Manchuria 1937 – Japan attacked the rest

of China 1941 – Japan occupied southern

Indochina Roosevelt froze Japanese assets

in the US and cut off trade with Japan

Resume trade if Japan withdrew from China

Japan refused

US Enters the War Japan decided to attack Indonesia for oil Doing so would bring US into war, so they

struck first Japanese leaders believed a surprise attack

would eliminate US naval power from the Pacific and allow Japan time to fortify

Before US could recover, Japan would be able to finish taking over East Asia and the Pacific

Americans would quickly tire of war and negotiate a peace compromise

Pearl Harbor December 7, 1941

Two waves of Japanese planes attacked US Pacific fleet stationed in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

Sank or severely damaged 18 US ships

More than 260 airplanes damaged or destroyed

6,000 Americans killed or injured

Pearl Harbor Four days later,

Germany and Italy declared war on the US

US on a war of two fronts – Atlantic and Pacific

The Home Front Paying for the war

War Bonds Citizens bought to help

fund the war Reduced currency in

economy to combat inflation

85 million Americans bought bonds, bring $185 billion to treasury

War cost $350 billion US became debtor nation High level of volunteerism

– willingness of Americans to help in the war effort.

http://youtu.be/IvqrjtTQef8

The Home Front Rationing

Americans asked to conserve everything for the war effort

Ration books given on certain goods to avoid public anger over shortages

Draft and expansion of industrial production during the war finally brought an end to the high unemployment of the Great Depression Women, African Americans,

and other minorities filled in gap as workers went to war

The Home Front Victory Gardens

Vegetable gardens to ensure enough food for everyone

Food grown by farmers sent to soldiers overseas

The Home Front Office of War Information

OWI Control of content and

imagery of war messages Pro-Allied, anti Axis

propaganda Own radio programs,

newsreels, and required all movies to contribute in some way to war effort

Voice of America Send messages overseas Stir up distrust of Germans,

Italians, and Japanese leaders Lower morale of enemy

soldiers

The Home Front Women in the work force

Could not enlist in regular army, joined Women’s Army Corps or WACS Took clerical jobs in the

military Replaced many jobs

usually held by men More men could go into

combat Rosie the Riveter 1941-1945: 6.5 million

women entered the work force

Opportunities and Obstacles for Ethnic Minorities

African Americans Many worked in war

industries and government agencies

Played a big role in WWII

More than 2 and a half million registered for the draft One million served, even

though they were in segregated units

Opportunities and Obstacles for Ethnic Minorities

African Americans Finally allowed to form

all black combat units Tuskegee Airmen

Fighter group in the Air Corps

Provide escorts for bombing missions

Performed so well bombers asked for their support

1944 – Army had to allow African Americans to engage in combat on the ground

Opportunities and Obstacles for Ethnic Minorities

Native Americans Enlisted for service in

higher proportion than any other group

More than 25,000 served in combat

40,000 left reservations to work in defense industries

Mexican Americans Both Army and Navy and

served in both campaigns Continued to face

segregated housing, high unemployment, low wages

Forced Relocation of Japanese Americans

Pearl Harbor created fear of Japanese Americans Afraid they would

commit acts of sabotage

Racially motivated since no evidence any more disloyal than German or Italian Americans…

Forced Relocation of Japanese Americans

February 1942 – Executive Order 906 Permitted military

commanders to require Japanese Americans to relocate to interior internment camps away from Western Coastal regions

In camps – primitive and crowded conditions

Forced Relocation of Japanese Americans

Raised constitutional issues in wartime

Roosevelt justified that it was a military necessity

Korematsu v. US Korematsu was Japanese

citizen convicting of remaining in restricted area

SC upheld that constitutional liberties may be limited in wartime

50 years later, Congress apologized and paid compensation to the families involved.

Forced Relocation Small number of German and Italian

resident aliens also interned 2,000 German aliens forcibly sent back to

Germany Germans also sent from Latin America to

US to be used in prisoner exchanges with Germany

Unit 7 Test

World War II

The War in Europe Roosevelt decided to focus on

defeating Germany first Hitler controlled most of

Europe and North Africa Hitler invaded Soviet Union in

June 1941 and declared war on US before defeating Britain Both big mistakes

Late 1941 – Hitler stopped just before Moscow Roosevelt and Churchill

promised Stalin to open a second front against Germany in the West to help relieve Soviet Army

Africa and Italy Churchill advised

delay before invading Europe

1942 – Allies landed in North Africa

Defeat Germans and head into Mediterranean and into Sicily and Italy in 1943

Africa and Italy George Patton

One of the commanders Military family Served under Pershing in

WWI Given command of Third

Army Popular commander and

unconventional leader Went quickly through

Europe, capturing large numbers of enemy soldiers and freeing a vast territory

France and Germany June 6, 1944 – D-Day

156,000 Allied troops under General Dwight Eisenhower

Invaded 5 beaches of Normandy

General Omar Bradley chosen to lead first American army in France

Allied planes attacked Nazi forces

Amphibious landing crafts carried thousands of Allied troops to the beaches of Normandy

France and Germany After D-Day, began

moving eastward Liberated Paris in

August 1944 Allies moved so quick

got surprised by German counter-attack in Battle of the Bulge December 1944 German attack

collapsed afterward

France and Germany Allied troops crossed Rhine

River and General Bradley pushed troops for final offensive into German

American, British, and French from the west, Soviet rom the east

May 1945 – Soviets captured Berlin

Hitler committed suicide and Germany surrendered

More than 20 million Soviet soldiers and citizens were killed

France and Germany Vernon Baker

One of the first African American soldiers to see combat in the war

1945 – slipped through mine fields, barbed wire, and German defenses and single-handedly removed 3 machine gun nests, 2 observation posts, and 2 bunkers

Nominated for Distinguished Service Cross

50 years later – President Clinton gave him the Congressional Medal of Honor

Holocaust The attempted genocide

of the entire Jewish race Final Solution – murder

all European Jews Housed and killed Jews

in concentration camps 6 million Jews killed 6 million gypsies, Slavs,

political prisoners, elderly, mentally disabled, and others also died in concentration camps

Holocaust Liberation of

concentration camps During last months

of the war, Allies advanced into Germany and found camps

American army units the first to liberate camps

Shocked to see prisoners

War in Asia US was separated

from Japan by Pacific Ocean

After Pearl Harbor, Japanese took Malaya, Burma, Indonesia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and threatened Australia, India, Midway, and Hawaii

War in Asia Bataan Death March

– 1942 Philippines

surrendered to Japanese one month after Pearl Harbor

Japanese forced prisoners to walk 40 mile march through the jungle

5,000 of Americans died along the way.

War in Asia 1943 – War began to

turn against Japan because of US “island-hopping” campaign

Navajo Code Talkers Navajo language is

unwritten and complex Used this language for

all communication and Japanese unable to crack code

War in Asia Battle of Midway

Turning point in the Pacific

Japanese wanted to lure US Pacific fleet to battle near Midway where he believed he could destroy them

US Navy deciphered Japanese codes and knew of surprise attack

War in Asia Battle of Midway

Admiral Chester Nimitz (Commander-in-Chief of US Pacific fleet)

US destroyed 4 Japanese aircraft carriers, ending Japan’s strength in the Pacific

War in Asia Douglas MacArthur commanded US

Army in Pacific Began campaign on the Solomon

Islands trying to take the Guadalcanal

Series of assaults drained Japanese resources

Took Philippines and Guam June 195 – captured Iwo Jima and

Okinawa and close enough to launch attacks against Japanese homeland

General George C. Marshall acted as Chief of Staff and “organizer of victory” Built up and supplied army of 8

million men Helped oversee creation of first

atomic bomb

The Atomic Bomb 1939 – Albert Einstein

informed Roosevelt Germany might be developing atomic bomb

1942 – Roosevelt sent team of scientists, several European refugees, to New Mexico to develop the first atomic bomb. July 1945 was successful

Germany already defeated Roosevelt died of a heart

attack in April 1945 (after being elected 4th time) – just before Germany surrendered

The Atomic Bomb President Harry

Truman (Roosevelt’s vice president) feared invasion of Japan would cause too many causalities

Truman decided using the atomic bomb would mean less casualties

The Atomic Bomb August 6, 1945

Atomic bomb on city of Hiroshima

August 9, 1945 Atomic bomb on city of

Nagasaki 230,000 people killed in both

explosions combined Critics argued Truman could

have detonated bombs on uninhabited islands

Japan surrendered shortly after second explosion American leaders agreed to

let Japanese emperor stay on the throne

Technology of World War II Radar, sonar,

cryptic code breaking, proximity fuze, antibiotics, jet and rocket engines

Legacy of World War II More than 70 million

people lost their lives Most people killed

were civilians, making it the deadliest conflict in history

Over 100 million military personnel fought in the war, making it the largest war in history

Legacy of World War II Nuremberg Trials – 1945-

1946 Full extent of Nazi brutality

revealed, Allies put surviving Nazis on trial for crimes against humanity

Defended themselves claiming they had been following orders

Many found guilty and were hanged or imprisoned

Individuals are responsible for their actions, even in times of war

Legacy of World War II Denazification of Germany

Germany divided into 4 occupation zones split between US, France, Great Britain, and Soviet Union

Occupying powers explained the evils of the Nazi beliefs to the German people

Nazi ideas show dangers of racism, anti-Semitism, Social Darwinism, and eugenics Helped contribute to civil

rights movement in US

Occupation of Japan General MacArthur was

assigned to rebuild and reform post-war Japan

Made Japan less aggressive Overseas empire taken

away, leaders put on trial and punished, renounced use of nuclear weapons and waging war

Forbidden to have a large army or navy

New constitution in 1947 turning Japan into a democracy