AMERICA IN WORLD WAR II

BACKGROUND• After WWI, Americans had returned to their

traditional policy of isolation• More concerned with events at home than abroad• Raised tariffs, restricted immigration, and insisted

that allies pay back the war debts owed to Americans• Some exceptions• Washington Naval Conference – leading world posers

agreed to limit the size of navies• Kellog-Briand Peace Pact – signed by 62 nations,

renouncing the use of war

Continued…

• Hoover and Roosevelt tried to improve U.S. relations with Latin America• Good Neighbor Policy – the U.S. agreed

not to interfere in the internal affairs of Latin American nations• Relations between U.S. and Latin

America began to improve

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

•What factors led to the outbreak of World War II?• How were the United States and its Allies

able to win victory in World War II?•What were the major effects of World War

II on America and world?

RISE OF DICTATORSHIPS• After the Russian Revolution on 1917, Russia

became the world’s first Communist state (Soviet Union)• Joseph Stalin seized power by eliminating his

adversaries• Established a totalitarian dictatorship•Many democracies in Europe stood on shaky

ground• Violence became commonplace following WWI• In Japan, military leaders assumed power with

the support of the Japanese Emperor

CONTINUED…• Italy – Benito Mussolini developed a new type of

political party, the Italian Fascists, and seized power• Germany – following the Great Depression, Adolf

Hitler came to power in the Nazi party when the democratic Weimar Republic lost the confidence of the people• Established a brutal dictatorship• Determined to achieve German domination of

Europe

FAILURE OF THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS

• It was too weak to resist the dictators• The idea of collective security (peaceful

nations banning together to stop aggression) failed when key countries failed to become members• Germany and Japan left the League in the

1930s• It did nothing to prevent Hitler, Mussolini, or

Japan from rebuilding armies and attacking other countries

POLICY OF APPEASEMENT FAILS• Hitler wanted to expand Germany• Annexed Austria in 1938 and wanted

Sudetenland (part of Czechoslovakia)• France and Britain initially promised to protect

Czechoslovakia, but at the Munich Conference (1938) they agreed to give Hitler part of Czechoslovakia to try to avoid war• Appeasement is the policy of giving in to satisfy

the demand of a potential enemy• This only convinced Hitler that France and Britain

were weak, so he continued to make demands

GERMAN INVASION OF POLAND• In 1939, Hitler made new demands for

territory in Poland• Britain and France refused to give in• Hitler signed a non-aggression pact with Stalin• Both secretly agreed to invade and divide

Poland• Hitler later refused to give half to the Soviets• Hitler invaded Poland in September, 1939• Britain and France declared war

A NEW TYPE OF WARFARE• Blitzkreig – rapid, coordinated movements by

airplanes, tanks, troop carriers, and infantry• Quickly defeated the Poles, and before long

had defeated the French and taken over much of Europe• It became an offensive war, aided by airplanes,

tanks, and mechanized transport• The Germans and allies both bombed civilians

in cities to increase the terrors of war

ASSIGNMENT:• Using “Simplemind”, create a mind map of

“Causes of WWII in Europe”. Include as subtopics: 1)The Rise of Dictatorships, 2)The Failure of the League of Nations, 3)Appeasement Fails, and 4)German Invasion of Poland• If you do not have an iPad, draw it on paper.• You will submit your mind maps on homeroom

or turn them in to me by Thursday.

AMERICA GOES TO WAR

AMERICA’S CAUTIOUS NEUTRALITY• Too absorbed with recovering from Depression to

get involved• To avoid being drawn into war, the Neutrality Acts

(1935-1937) were passed, prohibiting Americans from traveling on the ships of nations at war, selling arms to countries at war, and could only sell non-military goods on a “cash-and-carry” basis• Roosevelt’s “Quarantine” Speech was given

following Japan’s invasion of China in 1937, urging peaceful nations to act together to isolate aggressive nations.

CONTINUED…

•Most Americans opposed U.S. military action in either Europe or Asia (Roosevelt encouraged democratic nations to boycott aggressors)• America began making preparations in case it

was dragged into the conflict• Congress increased spending on army and

navy• Enacted the first peacetime draft• Roosevelt ran for a third term

CONTINUED…• Lend-Lease Act – in 1941, Roosevelt proposed

to sell, lease, or lend war materials to any country deemed vital to the defense of the U.S.• Four Freedoms – freedom of speech &

expression, freedom of religion, freedom from want and from fear. Proposed by Roosevelt as a basis for world peace• Atlantic Charter – agreement between U.S. &

Britain to seek no territorial gains, freedom of the seas, and an end to war. It became the foundation for the United Nations

THE FLYING TIGERS•When the Burma Road, a supply route for

Britain to send supplies to China, was cut off, a group of American volunteer fighter pilots were recruited to send supplies and engage in combat with Japanese pilots• Known as the Flying Tigers, they destroyed

almost 300 Japanese aircraft• Their abilities as pilots and air victories were

positive new stories when most were filled with reports of Japanese forces advancing in the Pacific

AMERICA ENTERS THE WAR• Fearing that if Hitler defeated Britain, it would

only be a matter of time before he would attack the U.S., armed American merchant ships were authorized to carry supplies to Britain• Japanese aggression in Asia, led Roosevelt to

freeze Japanese assets in the U.S. and cut off all trade with Japan. Trade would only resume if Japan withdrew from China and Indochina. Japanese leaders refused.

JAPAN’S SURPRISE ATTACK• Japan attacked Indonesia to get oil for their war effort• To avoid U.S. retaliation, they decided to attack first in

order to catch the Americans unprepared and temporarily eliminate U.S. naval power from the Pacific• They also believed the U.S. would soon tire of war and

negotiate a compromise treaty, allowing Japan to control East Asia• On the morning of Dec. 7, 1941, two waves of Japanese

airplanes attacked the U.S. Pacific fleet stationed in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii• They sank or severely damaged 18 U.S. ships and

damaged or destroyed 260 airplanes. Almost 6,000 Americans were killed or injured.

ASSIGNMENT

• Document analysis of the “Day That Will Live in Infamy” speech.• On the back of your analysis worksheet,

write a 3 sentence summary of why the U.S. felt the need to join WWII.

AMERICANS AT WAR: THE HOMEFRONT

The U.S. government faces the giant task of mobilizing American manpower and production to meet wartime needs. It brings an end to the lingering effects of the Great Depression.

PAYING FOR THE WAR•War Bonds – issued by the government and

encouraged citizens to buy.• Reduced the amount of currency in the

economy which helped keep inflation down• 85 million Americans bought bonds = $185

billion into the federal treasury• The war ended up costing $350 billion (10

times that of WWI)• The buying of bonds demonstrated the high

level of volunteerism during the war

INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION AND RATIONING

• Switched quickly from peacetime to wartime production• Automobile factories switched to tanks• Special advisory boards instituted rationing to

control the use of raw materials• It regulated the amount of goods

consumers could buy• Limited public anger over shortages and

helped share sacrifices of war

CONTINUED…• Ration coupons were issued to each family

based on its size• Food, coffee, tires, gasoline, clothing• The draft and expansion of industrial

production brought an end to high unemployment of the Great Depression•Women, African Americans and other

minorities filled the gap as workers went to fight in the war

VICTORY GARDENS

•Planted by Americans to help make sure that an adequate food supply was available for both troops and civilians•Helped people in rural and urban

neighborhoods grow their own food•More food from farmers was available

to the government to ship to soldiers overseas

THE OFFICE OF WAR INFORMATION• Controlled the content and imagery of war messages• Produced pro-Allied and anti-Axis propaganda (movies,

radio programs, posters, etc.)• Asked citizens to contribute time and money, create

products, conserve resources, and donate personally to the war effort• Started the “Voice of America” to send messages

overseas• Tried to stir up distrust of German, Italian, and Japanese,

leaders to lower morale of enemy troops and populations and encourage surrender

WOMEN IN THE WORK FORCE•WWII brought both sacrifices and jobs• Prevented from enlisting in the regular

armed forces but could join the Women’s Army Corps (WACS). Most held clerical jobs in the military after completing training.•Many worked in shipbuilding and aircraft

production• Between 1941 & 1945, more than 6.5

million women entered the work force

OPPORTUNITIES AND OBSTACLES FOR ETHNIC MINORITIES

• African-Americans – worked in war industries and government agencies• African-American soldiers played a

significant role in the war•More than 2 ½ million registered for the

draft – about 1 million eventually served, though they were in segregated units

• The Tuskegee Airmen – a group of African-American pilots that provided escorts for bombing missions

CONTINUED…• Native American – enlisted for military

service in higher proportions than any other minority group• Nearly 40,000 left reservations for the

first time to work in defense industries•More than 25,000 served in combat• Some of the most noted were the

Navajo Code Talkers, who used their language as code that could not be broken by the Japanese in the Pacific

CONTINUED…

•Mexican Americans – served in both the army and navy• Fought in all of the major campaigns•Despite this, Mexican Americans

continued to face segregated housing, high unemployment, and low wages (especially in California)

ASSIGNMENT

•Finish your vocabulary for our quiz on Monday!

THE WAR IN EUROPE

Background of the War in Europe• Although the Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor,

President Roosevelt decided to focus American energies on defeating Germany first.• By the time the U.S. entered the war, Hitler was in

control of most of Europe and North Africa• He made his greatest mistake when he invaded the

Soviet Union in June of 1941 and declared war on the U.S. before defeating Britain• Roosevelt and Churchill (Great Britain) promised Stalin

(Soviet Union) they would open a second front against Germany in the West, to relieve pressure on the Soviet army.

THE CAMPAIGN IN AFRICA• Americans and British began one of the

greatest collaborations in military history• Allied troops landed in N. Africa in

November 1942 and quickly spread eastward, chasing the Afrika Korps (German troops)• The German commander in Africa was

General Erwin Rommel (The Desert Fox)• The Germans surrendered Africa in May

1943

THE ITALIAN CAMPAIGN

• George Patton was a commander of U.S. forces that invaded Africa and Sicily• Tanks were important in the taking of Italy• The Third Army moved quickly through

Italy and later the rest of Europe• Captured large numbers of enemy soldiers

and freed a vast territory

INVASION OF FRANCE• On June 6, 1944 (D-Day), 156,000 Allied troops

commanded by General Dwight Eisenhower began the invasion of Normandy by landing at 5 beaches on the northwest coast of France• General Omar Bradley led the first American

army to land in France• Prior to the landings, Allied planes attacked

Nazi forces• Then amphibious landing craft carried

thousands of troops to the beaches (it was the largest amphibious operation up to that time)

CONTINUED…• The Allies began moving eastward,

liberating Paris in August of 1944• They had moved so quickly, they were

surprised by a German counter-attack in the Battle of the Bulge in December, 1944• After the German attack collapsed, Allied

troops crossed the Rhine River and Gen. Bradley pushed his troops for the final offensive into Germany

INVASION OF GERMANY• American, British and Free French forces led

the invasion of Germany from the west, while the Soviets entered from the east• In May 1945, the Soviets captured Berlin• Rather than be taken prisoner, Hitler

committed suicide and Germany surrendered• The Soviets had sustained the greatest

losses (more than 20 million soldiers and citizens were killed in the war)

ASSIGNMENT:

•Work on Key People Chart

HOLOCAUST• During the last months of the war, Allies

advanced into Germany where they discovered the true horror of Nazi brutality• American army units were the first to

liberate concentration camps• They were shocked to see the half-starved,

dehydrated, disease-ridden prisoners• Hitler’s attempts at genocide were

revealed

MEDAL OF HONOR• One of the most prestigious military honors is

the Congressional Medal of Honor• It is the highest praise for battlefield courage• Among noted Medal of Honor winners is

Texan, Audie Murphy and African-American, Vernon Baker• It took fifty-two years before Baker was finally

awarded the Medal of Honor, since racism kept him from being recognized earlier• 22 Asian-Americans weren’t honored until

2000 for the same reason

ASSIGNMENT: Graphic Organizer – The War in Europe• Complete the graphic organizer below by describing some of the significant events of

WWII in North Africa and Europe

Campaign in North Africa & Italy: D-Day / Normandy Landings:

Campaign in France & Germany: The Holocaust:

THE WAR IN EUROPE

THE WAR IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

FORCED RELOCATION OF JAPANESE AMERICANS

• Pearl Harbor created fear among many Americans that Japanese Americans (Nisei) might commit acts of sabotage• Executive Order 9066 was issued by FDR

that permitted military commanders to require Japanese Americans to relocate to internment camps away from Western coastal regions• Conditions in these camps were primitive

and crowded

CHALLENGES TO INTERNMENT• Roosevelt justified internment as a military necessity• The Supreme Court upheld it in Korematsu v. U.S. • Korematsu believed his constitutional rights had been

violated and was convicted of continuing to live in a restricted area• The court held that constitutional liberties may be

limited in wartime• 50 years later, Congress apologized to those interned

and voted to pay compensation • Small numbers of German and Italian resident aliens

were also interned, and about 2,000 Germans were forcibly sent back to Germany

THE PACIFIC FRONT• At the same time the war in Europe was

going on, America remained at war with Japan• Geography played a big part in the Pacific

campaign, since the U.S. and Japan were separated by the vast ocean• After Pearl Harbor, the Japanese achieved

quick victories in Asia and nearby islands• They soon threatened Australia, India,

Midway, and Hawaii

THE BATAAN DEATH MARCH – 1942• The Japanese began an invasion of the

Philippines on the day Pearl Harbor was attacked• U.S. and Filipino forces surrendered to the

Japanese a month later• Prisoners were forced to undertake a 60 mile

march through the jungle• They faced starvation, disease, sun exposure,

and no water• Almost half (5000) died along the way (some

were bayoneted, shot, beheaded or left to die)

ISLAND HOPPING

• In 1943, the U.S. regained naval superiority in the Pacific•American forces began “Island-

hopping” – liberating Pacific islands from Japanese control one at a time

THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY• The turning point in the war in the Pacific• The Japanese Pacific fleet commander planned

to lure the U.S. Pacific fleet into a battle near Midway, where he believed he could destroy them.• The U.S. Navy could decipher Japanese secret

codes and knew what was in store• U.S. forces, commanded by Admiral Chester

Nimitz, destroyed four of Japan’s aircraft carriers• This ended Japan’s strength in the Pacific and

halted their advance

THE ARMY IN THE PACIFIC•Was commanded by General Douglas

MacArthur•With American reinforcements arriving,

MacArthur and Nimitz began a campaign in the Solomon Islands centered at Guadalcanal• This drained Japanese resources•MacArthur retook the Philippines and Guam• By June 1945, American forces had captured

Iwo Jima and Okinawa allowing access to bases that could attack Japan’s home islands

CONTINUED…• Throughout the war, General George C.

Marshall acted as Chief of Staff and the “organizer of victory.”• He worked closely with President

Roosevelt to urge military preparedness before Pearl Harbor• Built up and supplied an army of 8 million

men and helped to oversee the creation of the first atomic bomb

ASSIGNMENT:

• Finish the Key people chart and start quizzing each other in your group as review•Warm-up and Video tomorrow!

DECISION TO USE THE BOMB• In 1939, Albert Einstein sent a letter to

President Roosevelt telling him it was possible the Germans might be developing an atomic bomb• In 1942, Roosevelt sent a team of American

scientists to New Mexico, where they developed and exploded the world’s first atomic bomb in July of 1945• By then, Germany had been defeated and

America was preparing to invade Japan

CONTINUED…• President Roosevelt died suddenly of a heart

attack in April, 1945 (just before Germany surrendered)• President Harry Truman feared that an

invasion of Japan would lead to a million American casualties• He preferred to use the atomic bomb against

Japan rather that sustain such high losses• He selected centers of high Japanese military

production as targets

CONTINUED…• On August 6, 1945, an atomic bomb was

exploded over the city of Hiroshima•When the Japanese failed to surrender, a

second bomb was exploded over Nagasaki three days later• 230,000 people were killed in the combined

explosions• Critics of Truman argued that he could have

exploded bombs on unoccupied islands in the Pacific as a demonstration of power instead of on heavily populated cities

THE WAR ENDS• Japan surrendered shortly after the second

explosion• U.S. leaders had agreed to allow the Japanese

Emperor to remain on his throne•WWII was a global disaster of unprecedented

dimensions•More than 70 million people lost their lives• It was the largest and deadliest war in history• The majority of people killed were civilians

ASSIGNMENT: Decision to drop the bomb activity

AFTER THE WAR

The Nuremberg Trials (1945-1946)• Seeing the full extent of Nazi brutality, the

Allies put surviving Nazi leaders on trial for “crimes against humanity”• Those on trial defended themselves by

claiming they were following orders•Many were found guilty and were hanged or

imprisoned• The trials demonstrated that individuals are

responsible for their actions, even in times of war

“DENAZIFICATION” AND DIVISION OF GERMANY

• Germany was divided into 4 zones by the U.S., Britain, France, and the Soviet Union• Each occupied one zone• The occupying powers introduced

programs explaining the evils of the Nazi beliefs (racism, Semitism, Social Darwinism, and Eugenics)• This contributed to the civil rights

movement in the U.S.

THE OCCUPATION OF JAPAN•MacArthur was assigned the task of rebuilding

and reforming post-war Japan• Japan’s overseas empire was taken away•Military leaders were put on trial and punished• Japan renounced the use of nuclear weapons

and the waging of war• Japan’s navy and army were limited in size• Adopted a new constitution creating a

democracy

ASSIGNMENT:

•Complete the Guided Reading about the formation of the United Nations• Study for your Key People and events

quiz