Texas During World War IITexas During World War IIUnit 11

Ch. 23 Section 1

Depression Leads to War

• The Great Depression of the 1930s hit countries in Europe as well as the U.S.

• During this time, many European countries saw dictators take over their governments.

• Military leaders In Germany, Italy and Japan began wars of expansion.– Axis Powers formed

Adolf

Hitler

(Germany)

Hirohito

(Japan)

Benito

Mussolini

(Italy)

World War II Begins• 1939: Germany

invaded Poland.

• England and France both declared war on Germany—WW2 begins.

• Axis Powers quickly conquers neighboring countries in Europe and SE Asia.

The Allies and the U.S.• The Allied were the nations

at war with the Axis Powers. The Allies included England, China, France, and Russia

• Officially, the United States was neutral, but provided military equipment for the Allies through the “Lend-Lease Act”

• There was a lot of debate in the U.S. about whether or not to join the war (most are against it)…U.S. will be neutral for 2 years

U.S. Enters WW2• America’s neutrality

ended on December 7, 1941, when Japanese planes bombed the U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

• The next day President Roosevelt asks the U.S. Congress for a declaration of war against Japan.

Texans Respond: Miller, Ike, and Nimitz

• Doris Miller, an African American sailor from Waco, received the Navy Cross for firing at Japanese airplanes during the Pearl Harbor attack.

• General Dwight D. Eisenhower (aka Ike) from Denison commanded Allied forces in Europe.

• Admiral Chester Nimitz of Fredericksburg commanded the Allied forces in the Pacific.

Texans Respond: Murphy and Dealey

• Audie Murphy of Kingston received more medals than any other American; becomes successful movie actor

• Commander Samuel D. Dealey of Dallas was “most decorated man” of U.S. Navy

Texas Women Respond

• Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) – organized by Colonel Oveta Culp Hobby

• Women’s Air Service Pilots (WASPs) trained at Avenger Field in Sweetwater; ferried aircraft

• Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Service (WAVES) – exclusive women’s group for U.S. Naval Reserve

The Army Trains in Texas• Texas’s favorable

climate, location b/w two coasts, and wide open spaces made it ideal for military bases

• More than 100 bases built

• Soldiers, sailors, and airmen came from everywhere to train

Texas Prisoner of War Camps

• Thousands of Germans, Italians, and Japanese soldiers captured in battle were housed in more than 20 camps

• Prisoners worked performing agricultural tasks

• Some Japanese and German Americans were held in “ family internment camps” for their own safety