STUDENT SUMMARY OF WORLD WAR II
1. Causes of the War:
 Problems unresolved after World War I, new treaties created
political and economic problems—Treaty of Versailles
 Forceful leaders took advantage and seized power causing
government instability. Examples are:
Hitler—Germany
Italy—Mussolini
Japan—General Tojo
USSR----Stalin
 Economic problems—German inflation and lack of
resources. Italy and Japan also lacked many resources
2. Steps taken moving the World toward War
 Neutrality act of 1935 & 1936—prevented Americans from
sending arms to nations at war.
 Neutrality Act of 1937—permitted trade with belligerent nations
only on a “cash and carry” basis. Munitions were embargoed.
This policy became known as the Cash & Carry Policy.
 Neutrality Act of 1939: this act provided that European
democracies might buy US war materials, but again on “cash &
carry” basis.
3. War In Europe
 The Axis Powers in 1936 were Japan, Germany and Italy.
 The Munich Conference: was a meeting held between Germany,
France and Great Britain. At this conference, Hitler was given
part of Czechoslovakia in appeasement in return that he would
promise not to take any other lands in the future.
 Policy of Appeasement—when Great Britain and France
gave into Hitler’s demands to take Czech to avoid any
future conflicts.
 The Non-Aggression Pact: was between Russia (Stalin)
and Germany (Hitler). They agreed not to fight each other
and to invade Poland and split the land.
 Germany invades Poland—World War II begins!
1. September 1, 1939---Germany & USSR invade Poland.
2. September 3, 1939—Great Britain and France declare war
On Germany (WWII starts).
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 “Phony War” –lull in fighting after war is declared.
 The Battle of Britain—after the fall of France in 1940,
Britain stood alone against Germany. During the summer
and fall of 1940, intense bombing of British cities took place.
4. America moves from isolationism to war
A. Neutrality Acts 1935-1939 attempted to keep the USA out
of the war.
B. The Selective Training & Service Act –Summer of 1940
men ages 21-35 had to register—later the age was raised from 18
to 45. In one year over 1.2 million men were drafted.
C. Lend-Lease Act—the United States decided to give weapons &
materials to Great Britain and later USSR and let them pay later.
“If your neighbors house is on fire, you help them put it out”—
FDR quote (March 1941).
D. Japan bombs Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on December 7, 1941.
Almost 20 warships and 200 planes were destroyed. 2,400
Americans were killed including 1,103 sailors entombed on the
USS Arizona. During a fireside chat, FDR said, “this is a day
that will live in infamy.”
 Mobilization for the USA
1. War ended the Great Depression. Unemployment decreased
from 2.5 million to less than 700,000. People were earning
a paycheck.
2. There were large population shifts—people moved to find
work in factories.
3. Major Organizations in the War economy:
A. The War Production Board and Office of War
Mobilization supervised the conversion of factories to
war-time production. The War Production Board was
created to manage war industries. The Office of War
Mobilization set production priorities and managed raw
materials.
B. The National War Labor Board was created to arbitrate
disputes and stabilize wage rates. The War Labor
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Disputes Act gave the president the power to take over
any was plant that threatened the USA by a strike.
4. The government controlled inflation by selling war bonds,
rationing, and wages and price controls. Victory Gardens
were planted to help supply goods for the war effort.
 The Homefront was changed.
1. Window banners—blue stars represented a family member in
the service
2. Rosie the Riveter—was a symbol of patriotic women defense
workers. This encouraged women to do their part in the war
effort.
3. African-Americans planned a march on Washington, DC in
1941 because they wanted to protest discrimination against their
race. They fought in segregated units and were usually restricted
to menial work such as cooks, etc. The Double V Campaign
was the African-American Campaign for victory in Europe and
victory over racism in America.
4. Zoot-Suit Riots—Several US Sailors attacked Mexican
Americans in Los Angeles. The Mexicans-Americans were named
for a clothing fad—Zoot Suits.
5. Japanese Americans living on the west coast were forced to move
to relocation camps established in the mid-section of the United
States. These locations were called interment camps. Over
110,000 Japanese Americans were placed in interment camps.
5. THE UNITED STATES IN COMBAT
 Fighting in Africa and Europe
A. Africa
1. Operation Torch was an invasion of North Africa.
General Dwight Eisenhower led the Allied forces. Churchill
and the Allies focused their attacks on the Axis in the
Mediterranean region to relieve pressure on the USSR- Ex:
Operation Torch in North Africa.
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B. Europe
1. Battle of Stalingrad--- Soviets attacked the Germans and the
Germans lost 2/3rds of the 300,000 forces. The Soviets
drew the Germans into deep Russian territory knowing that
winter was approaching. The Germans were in summer
uniforms and did not have anti-freeze in their tanks. The tanks
froze, as did many troops. The Soviets also burned stored items
that could benefit the Germans—scorched earth policy.
Soviets say “General Winter” won this battle for the soviets.
90,000 German troops surrendered.
2. Battle of the Atlantic—Sonar equipment allowed the USA to
win. It allowed USA to detect underwater ships. The United
States started using convoy systems to protect the main ship.
The Germans retaliated with wolf packs.
3. Operation Overlord—goal was to liberate France from the
Germans. This is also called D-Day (June 6, 1944). General
Eisenhower led the invasion and it took place on June 6, 1944.
4. Holocaust—systematic slaughter of European Jews—Hitler
killed more than 12 million Jews, gypsies, Poles, homosexuals,
etc.
A. Genocide—deliberate annihilation of an entire race
B. 2/3rds of 66% of European Jews were killed in the
Holocaust.
C. Gypsies, mentally disabled, Poles, religious
dissidents, and homosexuals were also killed.
5. Battle of the Bulge—The Germans launched their last attack
on the Allies. They concentrated much of their force in one
area which allowed them to form a dangerous bulge in the
Allied line---many Americans were caught behind enemy lines.
6. Invasion of Italy—Allied forces under Eisenhower invaded
Italy on July 10, 1943. They fought for 39 days and the
Germans retreated. On July 25, 1943 Mussolini and his
government fell from power. He was imprisoned, shot and
hung.
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VI. Island Hopping Campaigns
A. Island Hopping Campaign—the USA would try to attack and
seize strategic islands in the Pacific Ocean.
B. The Philippines—MacArthur led the invasion to recapture the
Philippines. The Battle of Leyte Gulf was the last, largest and
most destructive naval battle. It was a disaster for Japan.
C. The Battle of Okinawa was the bloodiest battle in the Pacific. The
USA lost 49,000 soldiers. Kamikazes were used against the USA.
D. Battle of the Coral Sea—Japanese forces were spread in the
Pacific Ocean while American forces fought to stop them.
Northwest of Australia, the 2 forces were drawn into conflict.
This was the first naval battle carried out entirely by air.
E. Battle of Midway--- June 4, 1942 Japan v. USA . This battle
was also fought entirely by air. The Japanese were loading their
bombs and the USA attacked. The USA demolished 3 of 4
Japanese carriers causing the bombs on deck to explode. The 4th
carrier was destroyed trying to escape. The sinking of the carriers
plus the loss of 250 planes was a devastating blow to the Japanese.
F. Bataan Death March-over 11,000 USA soldiers were captured by
the Japanese in mid 1942. They were taken prisoner and placed in
camps without adequate food or medicine and over 10,000 men
died.
G. Battle of Guadacanal—August 1942—over 11,000 marines
landed on this island and some 2200 Japanese fled to the jungle.
By February 1943, Japanese forces fled the island.
H. Battle of Iwo Jima--- November 1944—American troops began
to pound Iwo Jima from the air. Over 11,000 American troops
were involved in this battle against 25,000 Japanese soldiers
defending the island. 216 Japanese were taken prisoner. US had
approximately 25,000 causalities from this battle.
I. Battle of Okinawa---June 1945— American and British forces
attacked Japanese forces who had vowed to fight until death. After
3 months of fighting, 7200 Japanese surrendered and the American
forces had over 50,000 causalities.
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J. FDR organized the Manhatten Project to develop the bomb.
J. Robert Oppenheimer headed the project of building the
A-bomb. The Manhattan Project—this secret project was created
to develop the A-bomb. The bomb was dropped on August 6 & 9,
1945; against Japan.
VII. Politics & Leadership
A. WARTIME CONFERENCES
1. Casablanca Conference was held in January 1943. The Big
agreed to invade Italy and demand an unconditional
surrender.
2. Tehran Conference Big 3 meet in November 1943 and
Decided to liberate France in 1944 (D-Day) and join forces
to fight Japan.
3. Yalta Conference—the Big Three (FDR, Churchill and
Stalin) met to decide plans for post war peace. They decide to
divide Germany among the Allies when the war was over.
They made plans for the creation of the United Nations after
World War II. (Feb. 1945)
4. Potsdamn Conference—July 1945—only Stalin left of the
Big 3—FDR died and Harry Truman took over and Clement
Attlee was new Prime Minister in Great Britain. The
members agreed to: (1) only accept an unconditional surrender
of Japan, and (2) hold war-crime trails for members of the
Nazi party.
B. Presidential Election of 1944—FDR wins his 4th term as United
States President. He selected Harry Truman to be his VP.
On April 12, 1945—FDR died and Harry S. Truman
became the President of the United States after only serving as the
VP for less than 3 months. Truman was the President, the one,
who had to make the decision to drop the atomic bomb on
Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan.