Unit 12: WWII

Goals of this Unit:

To realize that in the early and mid-1930s, the United States attempted to isolate itself from foreign involvements and wars. But by the end of the decade, the spread of totalitarianism and war in Europe forced Roosevelt to provide more and more assistance to desperate Britain, despite strong isolationist opposition. To understand that America, unified by Pearl Harbor, effectively carried out a war mobilization effort that produced vast social and economic changes within American society. To be able to explain that by following its get Hitler first strategy, the United States and its Allies invaded and liberated conquered Europe from Fascist rule. To grasp that the slower strategy of island-hopping against Japan also proceeded successfully, but it was the atomic bomb that brought a sudden end to World War II.

FDRs Foreign Affairs

London Conference (1933) set up to create international solutions to the Great Depression
Europe tries to enforce currency stabilization
Economic policy that causes deflation, deters spending

Policy is counter to FDRs plan of confidence in spending and trust FDR angrily pulls U.S. out of London Conference

Solidifies U.S. isolationism Tydings-McDuffie Act (1934) guarantees independence for bothersome Philippines by 1946 Good Neighbor Policy denounces TRs Big Stick Policy of Latin America heavily reduces involvement in Latin America and promises no use of military force
Very successful in bettering Latin American relations

Dangerous Leaders Rise

Post WWI political and economic chaos, Great Depression lead to rise of totalitarian and/or fascist regimes:
Joseph Stalin (USSR) Francisco Franco (Spain) Benito Mussolini (Italy) Hirohito (Japan) Adolf Hitler (Germany)

Totalitarianism focuses all efforts on empowering the state

Trouble Overseas

1931 Japan invades and occupies Manchuria (China) 1935 Italy attacks and defeats Ethiopia 1936 Rome-Berlin Axis: allies Germany and Italy League of Nations does nothing to stop these events Display of weakness allows sets dangerous precedent America remains isolated Does not want to get involved in foreign problems and conflicts Congress passes: Neutrality Acts series of acts to put preventive restrictions on foreign relations with countries at war Johnson Debt Default Act forbids loans to countries that still owe money to U.S.

Isolationism Put to Test

Spanish Civil War breaks out (1936-1939) Fascist government vs. republican government America rooting for republican government, but must remain isolated and uninvolved Germany and Italy help fellow fascist General Franco Franco and Spanish Fascists win control Francos 40 year dictatorship begins Democracy falls in another European country, America unhappy

Appeasement
Appeasement giving into demands to avoid conflict League of Nations policy of appeasement, past negligence, and U.S. isolationism all lead to further conflict Japan conducts mass invasion of China (1937)
Second Sino-Japanese War Rape of Nanking Japanese army murders 300,000 unarmed Chinese civilians

 Hitler breaks Treaty of Versailles:

Builds up German military Remilitarization of the Rhineland region (1936) Persecutes Jews Annexes Austria (1938)

Appeasement

Hitler convinced European leaders each step of expansion would be his last League of Nations appeased every demand of his

Appeasement
Hitler demands annexation of Sudetenland (small bordering region of Czechoslovakia) Munich Conference called to discuss (Sept. 1938)
Tense talks lead to appeasement of Hitlers demand English Prime Minister Chamberlain: I have returned from Germany with peace in our time. All of Czechoslovakia annexed months later

Appeasement Ends, War Starts

Russo-German Nonaggression Pact signed (1939) Stalin and Hitler promise no military aggression against each other This ensures Hitler will not fight a two-front war like WWI and also allows for an easier invasion of Poland Hitlers motives clear France & Britain finally takes a stand Warns Hitler an invasion of Poland would merit war declaration Hitler attacks Poland one week later (Sep 1, 1939) War declarations ensue WWII starts

Belligerents as of 1940: Allies: Britain, France, Poland VS.

Battle Lines Drawn

Axis: Germany, Italy, Japan

Isolationist America
America committed to neutrality, but was rooting for Britain and France Neutrality Acts amended and put in effect:
U.S. will sell war materials on a cash-andcarry basis
No credit, no U.S. ships involved Ensures isolationism, helps economy

Utilized exclusively by Allies, as intended

Lightening Strikes
Sept 1939 Germany defeats Poland Months of inactivity some suspected a phony war
Hitler amasses & consolidates military

April 1940 Hitler suddenly launches blitzkrieg attack

Lighting warfare using tanks, planes, infantry simultaneously very effective Norway, Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium all defeated instantly

 France invaded and surrenders by June 1940

Italy joins and invades weakened France before surrender

Lightening Strikes

Britain is last of the Allies left standing in Europe America shocked FDR begins immediate military built up
Conscription law passed first ever peacetime draft

Havana Conference called to ensure U.S. and Latin America would work together to defend Monroe Doctrine

Helping Britain
Hitler begins bombing Britain with planes
All-air Battle of Britain ensues Britain temporarily fights off Germany

Americans split on whether to help or stay isolated FDR makes compromise between the two sides:
Destroyer Deal (1940) trades 50 old WWI destroyers for 8 naval bases

By 1941, Britain needed money for war effort

FDR hesitant after WWI debt crisis Solution was to loan weaponry, not money

Lend-Lease Act
Lend-Lease Bill passed
U.S. now arsenal of democracy Until 1945, $50 billion worth of ships, tanks, weaponry, ammunition supplies to be borrowed

Effects of Neutrality Act, Destroyer Deal, and Lend-Lease?

American isolationism and neutrality fading fast Axis powers avoided U.S. prior to this, not anymore

Election of 1940
FDR announces a run for third term
Strong leadership during uncertain times more important than the two-term tradition

Reps nominate Wendell Willkie

Criticized FDRs New Deal but not the issue anymore Threat of war was
FDR (1940)

FDR easily wins third election

FDR (1932)

Hitler Invades Soviet Union

(Notes are on next slide in your note packet)

June 1941 Paranoid Hitler breaks pact with Russia and attacks Moscow
FDR sends $1 billion to help Russia Germanys quick invasion fails by December due to harsh winter

Atlantic Charter
August 1941 Atlantic Conference called as meeting between Winston Churchill and FDR (and absent Stalin) Atlantic Charter created to discuss aid to Soviets & layout plans for postwar
Main points similar to Wilsons 14 Points:
Self-determination Disarmament New peace-keeping organization

U.S. again rapidly moving away from isolationism and neutrality

End of U.S. Neutrality

Convoys of U.S. destroyers escorted merchant ships to Britain often clashed with German U-Boats in North Atlantic November 1941 Congress repealed Neutrality Act of 1939 and allowed for arming of merchant ships Japan beating China badly in since 1937
Numerous massacres of Chinese civilians and sinking of USS Panay angered Americans

July 1941 In protest, U.S. puts embargo on Japan who heavily relied on U.S. oil Japans solution was to attack American code breakers suspect possible Japanese activity in the Pacific Philippines? British Malaysia? Australia?

Pearl Harbor
December 7, 1941 Japan launches all-out sneak attack on U.S. naval bases in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii 3,000 Americans killed, Pacific fleet of U.S. Navy almost entirely wiped out
Americas only aircraft carriers on Pacific were out at sea

America was now at war

America Declares War

War declarations ensue: Dec 7: Japan declares war on U.S. and Britain Dec 8: U.S. declares war on Japan
Infamy Speech given by FDR

Dec 11: Germany & Italy declare war on U.S. Dec 11: U.S. declares war on Germany and Italy

Effects of Pearl Harbor

Effects of Pearl Harbor on Americans? Go from wanting isolationism, to wanting revenge National unity strong West coast goes into panic
Fears of invasion in California Japanese-Americans greatly affected

Internment
FDR authorizes Executive Order 9066: Japanese-Americans rounded up and detained in internment camps
Non-citizen Italians detained as well

Official reasoning was to protect them Hidden motive was to protect America from them
Wrongfully accused of being spies loyal to Japan spies

Lost businesses, houses, possessions Jailed without due process of law?

Supreme Court upheld the internment camps

America Prepares for War

Americans wants immediate revenge on Japan FDRs plan: get Germany first why?
Hitler a more urgent problem

Do not let Britain or Russia fall, hold of Japan until Germany defeated
Problem: America greatly unprepared Isolationism and depression weakened U.S. military

Americas task: All industry and workforce to support war effort

Means New Deal organizations end Organize massive military Ship weapons, supplies, soldiers in two directions Feed the Allies

The War Effort

War Production Board takes control of industry Controls whats produced and how much of it Manufacturing and agriculture boom Rationing instituted
Food, metals, gasoline, rubber Japanese had control of rubber fields in British Malaysia

Office of Price Administration regulated prices War Labor Board enforced low wages to ensure low prices Smith-Connally Anti-Strike Act kept strikes minimal
Gives government power to take over industries crippled by strikes

The War Effort

15 million men in the military creates need for labor Women fill vacant industrial jobs Rosie the Riveter works as propaganda Helps women gain respect and new roles in society
But 2/3 of women return to maternal roles after war Post-war Baby boom

Bracero Program brings in seasonal workers from Mexico to help harvest crops

Second Great Migration

Many African-Americans leave South to move to Northern and Western cities Reasons why:
War industry created jobs New agricultural innovations and machinery in South FDR banned discrimination in defense industries
Fair Employment Practices Commission (FEPC)

Helps with movement for equality

Slogan: Double V
Victory overseas vs. dictators and victory at home vs. racism

125,000 serve in segregated units in military

50,000 Native Americans also helped fight in WWII
Code talkers

Races Clash
Newly diversified cities experience some backlash
Zoot Suit Riots in LA (1943) Detroit Race Riots (1943)

War Efforts Economic Effects

U.S. enters WWII in economic despair New Deal helped, but war production pulls U.S. out of Great Depression
$330 billion war cost
WWI had cost $33 billion

Paid for mostly on credit

National debt quintuples

U.S. ends war extremely prosperous

GNP, business profits, disposable incomes all had doubled

War in Pacific
Dec 7, 1941 Japan launches series of attacks on American and British islands in Pacific:
Guam, Wake Island, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Dutch East Indies, coastal China, etc

By March 1942, all islands except the Philippines had fallen to overpowering Japan Japan beats General Douglas MacArthur in Battle of the Philippines
75,000 American and Filipino POWs subjected to Bataan Death March Embarrassed MacArthur escapes I shall return

Japan seemed unstoppable

Doolittle Raid
April 1942 Lt. Colonel James Doolittle leads bombing raid American bombers hit mainland Japan
Not overly successful, but big morale boost

The Japanese people had been told

they were invulnerable ... An attack on the Japanese homeland would cause confusion in the minds of the Japanese people and sow doubt about the reliability of their leaders. There was a second, and equally important, psychological reason for this attack ... Americans badly needed a morale boost.

-James Doolittle

Japanese Expansion Halted

May 1942 Battle of Coral Sea
First major naval battle of war in Pacific
Fought entirely with aircrafts via carriers

Heavy losses on both sides Tactical victory for Japanese

Sunk more ships

Strategic victory for Allies

Japanese expansion stopped Two Japanese carriers damaged & rendered useless
Would hurt Japanese in next major battle

Battle of Midway
Japanese want to further defense perimeter after Doolittle Raid and damage of Battle of Coral Sea Code breakers intercept messages of surprise attack on Midway Island Admiral Chester Nimitz and Admiral Raymond Spruance send huge U.S. fleet to defend island Japanese diversion:
June 3, 1942 Japan invades islands in Aleutian chain of Alaska
Not significant strategically, but greatly upset Americans

Not phased, U.S. fleet waiting for Japan at Midway

Battle of Midway
June 7, 1942 Battle ensues Japans surprise attack spoiled, ambushed by waiting U.S. fleet U.S. routs Japan:
3,000 Japanese killed vs. 300 Americans killed 4 Japanese carriers sunk vs. 1 American carrier 250 Japanese aircrafts shot down vs. 150 American aircrafts

Midway was the turning point of war in the Pacific Japans fleet virtually wiped out The most stunning and decisive blow in the history of naval warfare Military historian John Keegan

War in Pacific

Americas new plan in Pacific: island hopping AKA leapfrogging

Do not attack mainland Japan yet Attack the weaker islands around the Pacific one by one Build airbases on each island Cut off resources to Japan Main islands of Japan would then be bombed into submission

Island Hopping
U.S. Marines storm beaches while sailors and bombers shell the island Gen. MacArthur in south Pacific
Aug 1942 Victory at Guadalcanal Followed by Solomon Islands Reaches New Guinea by 1944 MacArthur closing in on the Philippines

Admiral Nimitz in central Pacific

Marshall Islands, Gilbert Islands, Marianas Islands
Marianas Turkey Shoot (1944) American Hellcat fighters shoot down 250 Japanese planes U.S. now close enough for B-29 bombers to reach Japan

Progress was being made, but slowly and at great costs

War in Europe
1940-1942: German dominance
Germany occupying most of Europe Britain trying to hold off Hitler Controlling the seas with deadly u-boat wolf packs

1942: turning point of war in Europe (and Pacific)

Germanys enigma code broken Prowling u-boat wolf packs can now be located

Allies begin to win Battle of the Atlantic

Supplies can now easily be shipped to Britain & France

Hitler Halted
Britain bombs Germans in Cologne, France Americans bomb Germany Sept 1942 Battle of Stalingrad
Russians stop German offensive at Stalingrad, begin successful counteroffensive

Hitler Halted
Oct 1942 Battle of El Alamein
German Gen. Erwin Rommel dominating North Africa
Nicknamed the Desert Fox

Stopped by the British from gaining control of Suez Canal

Germany stopped in both campaigns

Endures heavy losses, retreat ensues

The Soft Underbelly

Burdened Soviet Union urges Allies to open second front FDR wants to invade through France Churchill wants to invade through Northern Africa and Italy
Soft underbelly

Soft underbelly approach chosen to lure war away from Britain

The Soft Underbelly

Nov 1942 Gen. Dwight Eisenhower leads successful campaign in North Africa
Jan 1943 Casablanca Conference
FDR & Churchill agree to seek unconditional surrender of Germany

Germans pushed out of Africa by May 1943 Sept 1943 Allies invade south Italy
Mussolini overthrown, Italy surrenders German soldiers keep fighting invading Allies Invasion slow and bloody Allies finally take Rome by June 1944
Campaign soon becomes just a diversion

D-Day Invasion
Nov-Dec 1943 Tehran Conference
FDR, Churchill, and Stalin meet to coordinate Plans of a new invasion of France made Gen. Eisenhower chosen to lead the operation

June 6, 1944 D-Day Invasion

Over 150,000 Allied soldiers successfully invade beaches of Normandy region on French coast
Largest amphibious assault in history

Invading Allies spread through France into different campaigns

Effects of D-Day Invasion

Paris liberated by 1945
Huge morale boost for Allies

Germany in full-on retreat End was nearing for Hitler and German army 1944 FDR wins 4th election
Reps nominate Thomas Dewey Success of war leads to easy victory for FDR Dems choose VP Harry Truman
Important choice with FDRs declining health

FDR dies by April 1945, Truman becomes president

War in Europe
Nazis make one last centralized push at Ardenne Forest Dec 1944 Battle of the Bulge
Surprised Americans pushed back
Creating a bulge in the battle line

Largest and bloodiest battle for American Army Americans hold on to key city of Bastogne until Allied reinforcements arrive Germans eventually defeated, resume retreat

Both America and Russia converging towards Berlin

Holocaust Discovered
Holocaust had been just an rumor and thought to be embellished at most Retreating Germans accelerate final solution Advancing Allies shocked as they begin to discover Nazi concentration camps German civilians forced to march through camps

Germany Surrenders
April 1945 Russia reaches Germany
Hitler kills himself

May 8, 1945 Germany officials surrender

V-E Day (Victory in Europe)

War in the Pacific

By 1945, U.S. weakening Japan:
U.S. subs destroying Japanese merchant ships U.S. bombers devastating Japanese cities with firebomb campaigns
Mar 1945 Two day firebomb raid on Tokyo
1/4 of city demolished and 80,000 deal

War in the Pacific

Series of costly, hard-fought, U.S. victories: Mar 1945 Battle of Leyte Gulf
Gen. MacArthur recaptures the Philippines

Mar 1945 Battle of Iwo Jima

U.S. takes small, but strategic island

June 1945 Battle of Okinawa

Last island before Japanese mainland American victory
But with 50,000 American casualties

The Atomic Bomb

Japan refusing to surrender
Seen as dishonorable to give up Kamikaze suicide missions increase Must protect their godlike emperor

U.S. leaders know invasion of Japan would be grueling and deadly Manhattan Project Since 1940, U.S. secretly began developing worlds first atomic bomb
Mostly worked on by ex-German scientists 1945 Tested in New Mexico and ready for use

July 1945 Potsdam Conference

American, British and Russian officials meet to give Japan final ultimatum: Surrender or be destroyed

Japan Surrenders
Japan refuses to surrender, continue hostility American aircrafts drop leaflets warning of atomic bomb, urging evacuation of targeted cities Aug 6, 1945 Atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima
70,000 die instantly, 200,000 casualties overall

Aug 8, 1945 Russia declares war on Japan

Invades Manchuria

Japan still refuses to answer Potsdam Declaration, Aug 9, 1945 Second bomb dropped on Nagasaki
80,000 killed

War Ends
Aug 19, 1945 Japan officially surrenders WWII ends
V-J Day

Effects of WWII
America able to succeed in WWII because of:
Great political, military, and civilian leaders
FDR, Eisenhower, MacArthur, Patton, etc.

Astonishing industrial production and resources

A total war effort by whole country

America comes out of war stronger-than-ever

One million American casualties
Relatively small compared to other nations

America homeland virtually untouched

Other nations in ruins

U.S. becomes the world superpower