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 AfricanAmerican 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:
THE WAR IN
EUROPE
Campaign in France & Germany:
The Holocaust:
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 “Islandhopping” – 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