Unit 11: Texas in the Great Depression and World War II

Section Three Notes: World War II

World War I Leads to World War II

After World War I, Germany and Italy were leftcrippled. The people of these countries felt

desperate for leadership and soon turned to anew form of government known as fascism,

which allows for a very strong centralgovernment led by one individual. Underfascism, the needs of the nation are more

important than that of individual people. AdolfHitler of Germany and Benito Mussolini of Italy

began to expand their military forces.

World War II Begins in Europe

When Germany invaded Poland on September1, 1939, Great Britain and France declared waron Germany. This was the start of World War II.At the same time, Japan was building up their

military. The U.S. was not ready to get involved.

Japan’s Empire

As Germany and Italy began expanding their countries in Europe, Japan was also attempting to grow. Japan invaded China in 1939, and as

they attempted to take over all of Asia, Japan’s leadership saw the United States as a threat.

They planned an attack on U.S. soil, now known as Pearl Harbor.

Pearl Harbor

Date: Dec. 7, 1941• The Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise attack

on a Hawaiian naval base. The Pearl Harbor base held the United States’ Pacific naval fleet, and the Japanese attack to Pearl Harbor would greatly harm our military.

• Over 2400 Americans were killed and over 1200 were wounded.

• The next day, the United States declared war on Japan.

Axis Powers

The Axis Powers were united in their thoughts on rejecting democracy and U.S. power in the world. The main countries that made up the Axis Powers, though there were others, were:• Germany• Japan• Italy

Allied Powers

The Allied Powers were made up of many countries, but the main powers were:• The United States• The United Kingdom (Great Britain)• The Soviet Union (Russia)

Beginning of U.S. in World War II

Date: Dec. 8, 1941 – U.S. declared war on JapanDate: Dec. 11, 1941 – Germany and Italy declare war

on the U.S.• World War II actually started several years before

the United States joined the fight. • U.S. citizens were afraid to join another world war,

but after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, we were no longer given the choice.

• Americans were ready to fight for victory.

Call for War

Real Speech: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VqQAf74fsE

Movie Speech: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2_bAd39pAA&feature=related

Texan Involvement in World War II

Thousands of Texans rushed to enlist as soon as warwas declared. Of the 750,000 Texans who fought,

75% of them fought with the army. 33 Texansreceived the Congressional Medal of Honor, five ofwhich were Mexican Americans. Audie Murphy, aTexan, was the war’s most decorated soldier with33 awards and medals. Dwight D. Eisenhower, aTexan from Denison, was the commander of all

Allied forces in Europe. Admiral Chester W. Nimitzof Fredricksburg commanded the U.S. fleet in the

Pacific.

Texas Women in World War II

Thousands of Texas women also served innoncombatant positions during the war. Oveta

Culp Hobby of Houston commanded theWomen’s Auxiliary Army Corps (WAAC). About

8,000 female Texans joined the WAAC andhelped manage U.S. posts around the globe.

Texas women also joined the workforce, taking factory jobs at home, while the men were away

fighting.

Political, Social, and Economic Effects of World War II

Just like during World War I, many soldierstrained in Texas. About 1.2 million U.S. soldiers

trained at military bases in Texas. The chemical, oil,and steel industries in Texas also expandedproduction to meet wartime needs, creating

thousands of new jobs in the state. The economyboomed and the Great Depression came to an end.

Texans purchased more war bonds and rationedfood to raise and save money for the soldiers. The

war led to further urbanization in Texas as well.

Other Important Texans during this Era

• John Nance Garner – From Uvalde, Garner was the Vice President of the United States during President Roosevelt’s first term in office.

• Sam Rayburn – He was the Speaker of the House (U.S. House of Representatives). He supported financial support for the war effort.

The End of World War IIGermany finally surrendered on May 8, 1945. AsAllied forces entered Germany, the discovered

death camps in which millions of people had beenkilled. Some 6 million Jews had been killed duringthe Holocaust. The war with Japan continued untilthe U.S. dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima,

Japan on Aug. 6, 1945. Three days later, another bombwas dropped on Nagasaki. Japan surrendered

on Sept. 2, 1945. As a result of this war, 400,000Americans died, including 23,000 Texans. In all, it is

estimated that 50 million people died during World WarII.