World War II1931-1945
Causes of WWII
WWIInstabili
ty in Europe
Rise of Dictator
sWWII
Treaty of Versailles (1919)
At the end of WWI- Germany was forced to agree to a harsh peace treaty.
Treaty was decided by the “Big Four” (victorious countries at end of WWI).
1. Germany’s army was reduced (no troops west of Rhine River)
2. Germany had to accept blame for starting the war
3. Germany forced to pay $33 Billion in war reparations to the Allies (victorious nations).
Poland & Czecholoslavakia were given land containing German speaking people.
Rhineland established as DMZ
Rise of Dictators Benito Mussolini
Italy Fascist –
aggressive nationalism; nation is more important than individual
Anti-Communist
Black shirts Il Duce – The
leader
Vladimir Lenin Russia Bolshevik
Party Communist United Soviet
Socialist Republic (USSR)
Died 1924 replaced by Joseph Stalin
Adolf Hitler Germany Nazi Party Anti-
Communist Mein
Kampf – German Unification
Fuhrer – the leader
1923-Beer Hall Putch
Adolph Hitler
After release from prison, Hitler changed his tactics= focused on getting Nazis elected to the Reichstag (German Parliament).
When the Great Depression hit- many German people began voting for radical parties (Nazis)
By 1932- the Nazis were the largest party in the Reichstag
1933- German President named Hitler Chancellor (Prime Minister)
Hitler called for new elections= Reichstag voted to give Hitler dictatorial powers
1934- Hitler became president= “Fuhrer”- leader
Japan – Rise of Militaristic power Economic trouble
(Depression) hit Japan; had to import nearly all resources needed to produce goods.
Japanese military officers blamed corrupt politicians
1931- Japan invaded Manchuria (Japanese Prime Minister was assassinated)
The military took over the government of Japan from that point= Prime minister Tojo
Emperor Hirohito
Goal = territorial expansion
American Neutrality
1. Tradition of Isolationism
“It is our true policy to steer clear of permanent
alliances with any portion of the foreign world”
- Farewell Speech – GW
- - Avoid international commitments that would drag US into war
American Neutrality
2. Horrors of WWI
Europe always entangled in wars
American Neutrality
3. Nye Committee Investigation into reason
why US entered WWI Blamed weapons
business Contributed to isolationist
attitude of Americans Neutrality Act of 1935
▪ Illegal to sell arms to any country at war
** all neutrality acts allow president to decide which countries are at war!!
INTERNATIONALISM
Idea by FDR Trade between
nations creates prosperity and prevents war
US should be at the helm of trade & preservation of peace
However – most Americans were isolationists
Japan invades Manchuria
1931- Japan invaded Manchuria (territory claimed by China)
FDR sold weapons to China
Claimed that the Neutrality Act of 1935 does not apply because China & Japan never declared war
Hitler militarizes Germany
1935- Hitler defied the Versailles Treaty by announcing the construction of a new air force & new draft.
European leaders tried to negotiate with Hitler
War Begins
Austrian Anschluss - 1938 Unification of Austria & Germany
Sudetenland – 1937 Hitler wanted to annex part of Czechoslovakia that
contained German speaking people Czechoslovakian government resisted
France promised to fight Germany if it attacked Czechoslovakia & USSR promised aid; Britain promised to defend France
* The Munich Conference (1938) Leaders of Britain, France, Italy, &
Germany met in Munich to discuss Czechoslovakia
Europe’s leaders gave in to Hitler’s demands for Sudetenland= told Czechoslovakia that if it wanted to defend itself it could do so alone
Appeasement- giving in to demands British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain-
“We have achieved peace in our time”. March 1939- Germany invaded all of
Czechoslovakia
Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact USSR & Germany
Agreement Agreement to not fight or
attack each other Hitler- avoid war with Soviet
Union Stalin protection through
encouraging war between capitalist nations
A shock because Hitler & Germany Anti-Communist & Stalin hated Nazism
Freed Hitler to attack Poland without repercussions from USSR
Germany invades Poland
Oct 1939- Hitler demanded Danzig-Part of Poland
March 31, 1939- Germany Invaded Poland
“Blitzkrieg”-Lightning war German offensive using
large numbers of tanks to rapidly surround an enemy
**France & Britain declare war on Germany September 3, 1939
France Falls Sept. 1940- Japan,
Italy, & Germany form a formal alliance=* Axis Powers
Maginot Line Defensive fortifications
built by the French on the German border
Miracle of Dunkirk On the English Channel Evacuation Route of
338,000 men June 22, 1940, France
surrenders
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GERMAN TROOPS ENTER PARIS
Great Britain Winston Churchill
British prime minister Peace not an option
Luftwaffe German air force
The Battle of Britain 1939 – 1941 Battles between Luftwaffe
& British Royal Air Force (RAF)
British RAF successfully prevented a German ground invasion of Britain.
Radar New technology to detect
Luftwaffe before bombings
Battle of Britain
US Neutrality Neutrality Act of 1937- arms embargo to nations
at war Allow warring nations to
pay cash for non-military supplies & carry it home on their own ships.
1937- FDR’ s Quarantine Speech-
“When an epidemic of physical disease starts to spread, the community approves and joins in a quarantine of the patients in order to protect the health of the community against the spread of the disease”.
Neutrality Act of 1939 Warring nations could buy
weapons from the US on cash & carry basis
“Cash & Carry” for war materials
*Destroyers for Bases Deal (1940) Spring 1940- FDR allowed the transfer of old US
destroyers to Britain in exchange for right to build US bases in British controlled Newfoundland, Bermuda, & Caribbean islands.
July 1940- most Americans favored some aid to Allies
America First Committee- isolationist group (Charles Lindberg- member)
Committee to Defend America – increase US aid but stay out of the war
Fight for Freedom Committee- end US neutrality take strong action against Germany
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3RD TERM PRESIDENT FRANKLIN DELANO
ROOSEVELT
Four Freedoms Speech
FDR speech to CongressLists 4 freedoms the US & Britain
stand for Freedom of Speech Freedom of Worship Freedom from Want Freedom from Fear
US Gears Up For War * Lend Lease Act (Dec. 1940) Britain was out of money
US would be able to lend or lease arms to any country considered vital to the defense of the US
* June 1941- Germany invaded USSR= U.S.S.R. joined the Allies
Hemispheric Defense Zone Roosevelt declare the entire western half of the
Atlantic a part of the Western Hemisphere & therefore neutral
The Atlantic Charter (Aug. 1941) Agreement between Roosevelt & Churchill allowing for
post-war world democracy with non-aggression, free trade, economic advancement and freedom of the seas
Pearl Harbor
US embargoes Japan (1937) To discourage attacks on British possessions
Roosevelt began sending aid to China Japan threatened British colonies in Pacific Roosevelt froze all Japanese assets Roosevelt sends General MacArthur to
build up US forces in the Pacific Arms Race while negotiating **December 7, 1941 – Japan attacks Pearl Harbor
“A Day that will live in Infamy”
December 8, 1941 – Roosevelt asks Congress to declare war
December 11 – Germany & Italy declare war on US
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The Holocaust
Chapter 20 Section 3
Nazi Persecution of Jews
Hebrew word for Holocaust= “Shoah”
Nazis Killed nearly 6 million European Jews killed
Other groups targeted: disabled, Gypsies, homosexuals, Slavic people
Hitler did not invent prejudice towards Jews-he played upon prejudices that had existed in Europe for centuries.
Nazi Persecution of the Jews
1935- *Nuremberg Laws- took German citizenship away from Jewish Germans.
Other laws- forbade Jews from certain professions or public office
Jewish people had to adopt Jewish sounding names
Passports were marked with a red J.
1936- half of Germany’s Jews were jobless
1938- banned from practicing law or medicine
Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass) Nov. 7,1938- a young
Jewish refugee shot & killed a German diplomat in Paris.
Nov. 9, 1938- Hitler ordered staged attacks on Jews & Jewish businesses & synagogues (Kristallnacht)
90 Jews dead, hundreds injured, 7500 businesses destroyed, 180 synagogues burned
Kristallnacht- “night of broken glass”
Jewish Refugees try to escape 1933—1939- 350,000 Jews escaped Nazi
controlled areas Albert Einstein came to the US Otto Frank (resettled in Amsterdam ) (Anne
Frank)Factors that limited Jewish escape: 1. Nazis forbade Jews to take more than $4 out of
Germany2. US law did not allow immigrants in who might
need government assistance3. High US unemployment4. Anti-Semitic attitudes
The St. Louis Incident- May 1939 SS St. Louis holding 930 Jewish refugees were prevented from docking in Cuba & the US= TURNED BACK TO Europe & passengers most likely died in the Holocaust.
The Final Solution Jan 20, 1942- Nazi leaders met
at *Wannsee Conference to determine solution to the ‘Jewish question”.
Made plans to round up Jews in Nazi controlled Europe & send them to detention centers.
Two types of centers: Concentration Camps (Work
camps)- Buchenwald largest work camp- 200,000
prisoners Extermination Camps
(Auschwitz) Est. 1.3 million killed there
African Americans At WarChapter 21 section 1Executive Order 8802
No discrimination in the defenseWorkplaces or government positions
**Double V Campaign African Americans should join the military in
order to achieve a double victory – over Hitler’s racism & racism at home
Tuskegee Airmen African American fighter pilots Played an important role in Italy campaign
Chapter 21 Sec. 1
Americans Sacrifice
Office of Price Administration (OPA)- regulated the lives if US civilians; froze wages, rents, and rationed meat, sugar, gas, rubber.
Blue Points/ Red Points- rationing program run by OPA; coupons allowed US families to buy quantities of rationed goods.
Victory gardens- grown by civilians to conserve food items.
Paying for the war1. Bonds- government promoted buying of war
bonds (series EE Bonds)2. US raised income taxes ** US industries did booming business= the war
ended the Depression in US1944- Unemployment practically gone
Workers at War Cost Plus Contracts- used to encourage businesses
to make war material; Gov’t promised cost of production plus % profit.
War Production Board Set priorities & production goals to control distribution
of supplies Fair Employment Commission
Created to enforce Executive Order 8802 *Bracero Program
200,000 Mexicans to work in the US on farms & maintaining railroads for the war effort
Became basis of migrant workers in US**Sunbelt – Southern cities began to lead manufacturing
The Great Migration African Americans continued to move into cities to
fulfill jobs
American Industry Gets the Job Done
By Summer of 1942- almost all major industries had converted to war production
US auto industry played an important role (1/3 of all war materials produced)
Built rifles, planes, jeeps, tanks etc. Henry Ford- built B-24 Liberator (Detroit) Henry Kaiser (Liberty Ships)- welded
instead of riveted= strength.** US industrial output ALONE by 1944 was
twice that of the AXIS POWERS.
Building an Army
1940- Selective Service & Training Act – 1st peacetime draft in US History.
Life in the Military Recruits go through 8 week basic training Military was segregated African-American units led by white officers Early on-blacks assigned to non-combat duties* US troops had little war experience- suffered
fewer casualties than any other country
Women At War
Women’s Army Corp Nation’s first women
officers
*Rosie the Riveter Symbolized working
women during the war Women working in place
of boys serving overseas
Became national icon in changing views of women in the workplace
Race in America
Detroit Race Riots Violence that left 25 African Americans & 9
whites deadZoot Suit Riots
Racism against Mexican Americans
Japanese American Relocation Americans suspicious of Japanese Pressured FDR to place all Japanese decent
into internment camps
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JAPANESE INTERNMENT CAMPS
THE DOTS REPRESENT THE LOCATION OF THE CAMPS
Japanese - Americans
**Korematsu v US Argued over internment
camps & civil liberties Ruled constitutional
because of military urgency
442nd Regimental Combat Team All Japanese-American
battalion most decorated in WWII
Japanese American Citizens League Aided Japanese Americans
who had lost property during the relocation
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The Navajo Code Talkers helped maintain security by transmitting orders in a Navajo code that the Japanese were unable to break in the Pacific
The Philippines Fall
Two major battle fronts during the war: 1. Pacific 2. Europe *Admiral Nimitz
In charge of the Pacific Navy Fleet for US General Douglas MacArthur
In charge of American forces in the Philippines Decided to retreat to the Bataan Peninsula/ ordered
to leave & escape to Australia ( “ I shall return” ) *Bataan Death March
78,000 American soldiers & Filipino soldiers captured
Captured & forced to march to prison camps 65 miles away
Thousands die
Bataan Death March
“They’d halt us in front of these big artesian wells. . . So we could see the water and they wouldn’t let us have any. Anyone who would break for water would be shot or bayoneted. Then they were left there. Finally, it got so bad further along the road that you never got away from the stench of death. There were bodies laying all along the road in various degrees of decomposition – swollen, burst open, maggots crawling by the thousands.”
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Luzon
The Doolittle Raid – April 18, 1942
Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle Command of the 1st bombing
mission to Tokyo B-25 Bombers
Able to make it all the way to Tokyo if they took off from aircraft carriers
Many bombers did not make it to China on the fuel they had
71 of 80 crew members survived
*** Was an instant morale booster for the US Forced JAPAN to realize they had to
destroy US fleet in Pacific
The Early Pacific Battles
Japanese Goal 1. Capture New Guinea & invade Australia to cut
US Pacific supply lines2. Attack Midway Island, lure US navy in, kill it
Battle of the Coral Sea (May 7-8, 1942) Japanese sank USS Lexington &
damaged the Yorktown US attacks forced Japan to call off
invasion of New Guinea & Australia*Significance- US supply lines in Pacific
stay open
Battle of Midway
THE TURNING POINT OF THE WAR WITH JAPAN
June 4-7, 1942
*Midway Island Decoded that Japanese were to attack The last American held island in the Pacific An ambush was created US air force destroyed the majority of the Japanese
fleet of ships (4 large carriers) **Ended the Japanese offensive attacks in the Pacific
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U.S. CARRIER DIVE BOMBERS PREPARE TO STRIKE JAPANESE CARRIERS AT MIDWAY
Island Hopping *Strategy in the Pacific
developed by Admiral Chester Nimitz
By pass Japanese Pacific strongholds, take weaker islands—then isolate island strongholds with Arial bombardment & attacks
Advancing closer to Japan
Mariana Islands B-29 Super
fortresses used once this island was captured
Bombings on Japan occurred from these islands
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MidwayMarianas
African Campaign
Chapter 21.2b Invasion of North Africa : Morocco & Algeria
“Operation Torch”- planned by Gen. Dwight Eisenhower North African countries controlled by German empire Invaded by Americans first
General George Patton Leader of American forces Seized Casablanca – May 1943 (Allies took control of
North Africa Casablanca Conference-
Roosevelt & Churchill agree to increase bombing of Germany & invade Sicily
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NORTH AFRICA, SICILY AND ITALY
*Battle of the Atlantic Warfare against
German Submarines in the Atlantic in US waters
By August 1942- 360 US cargo ships had been sunk
US government had to ration gas & fuel oil (1st long distance pipeline built)
US Strategy:1. Convoy system- cargo
ships travel in groups escorted by navy warships.
2. US airplanes & ships used radar, sonar to attack subs
3. Allied planes bombed German sub factories
Stalingrad *TURNING POINT OF THE WAR IN
EUROPE Spring 1942 Hitler attacked USSR –for oil
resources & cut Soviet supply lines.
Stalin orders troops to fight without retreat
Germans become trapped **Put the Germans on the
defensive rather than the offensive because of the amount of troops they lost
Total casualties = between 1 & 2 million
Stalin –urged the Allies to open a new front against Germany in Europe
*The Invasion of Sicily
Chapter 21 sec. 4
July 1943 Planned by Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower Amphibian invasion by British & US forces Germans retreat from Sicily to Italy Aug. 1943 Mussolini arrested—then rescued by German
forces Allies invaded Italy & broke German lines at Anzio
& Casino (after 5 months of bloody fighting). 300,000 casualties ** Allied victories (Sicily & Italy)
The Tehran Conference 1943
Stalin, Churchill & FDR * The Tehran
Conference Agreed allies would
LIBERATE France while USSR attacked Germany
Agreed to break up Germany after the war so it would never threaten peace again
Stalin promised aid to US in defeating Japan
Agreed to create an international organization to keep peace after the war
Operation Overlord *Code name for the
planned invasion of France (Overlord)
General Dwight D. Eisenhower planned it.
Allies made Germans think invasion of France would occur at Calais- not actual place.
7,000 ships crossed the English Chanel
*D-Day Date for invasion of
Normandy, France *June 6, 1944
D-Day Utah Beach
First beach successfully captured
Omaha Beach Heavy German fire 2500 Americans were
killed or wounded on this beach alone
Invasion was an overall success
*Significance- Allies liberated France August 1944
D-Day (June 6, 1944)
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PHOTO TAKEN AS AMERICAN SOLDIERS ADVANCE ONTO FRENCH BEACH UNDER GERMAN FIRE.
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U.S. TROOPS MARCH IN A VICTORY PARADE AFTER THE LIBERATION OF PARIS IN LATE AUGUST 1944
Harry Truman1945 - 1953
BATTLE OF THE BULGE
*Hitler’s last gasp Dec. 1944-
Hitler’s last attack on American lines Took Americans off guard creating a bulge in the line US troops captured key Town of Bastogne General Patton made it up with his troops from Italy Allies pushed in to Germany from the west April 1945- Soviet troops outside of Berlin April 30- Hitler committed suicide in a bunker *V-E DAY – May 7, 1945 US troops advanced through Germany- found
concentration camps.
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THE GERMANS LAUNCHED A SURPRISE ATTACK THROUGH THE ARDENNES FOREST THAT CAUGHT THE U.S. ARMY UNPREPARED. THE FIGHTING LASTED FROM DECEMBER 16TH TO FEBRUARY 9TH 1945.
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THE END APPROACHES FOR NAZI GERMANY AND HITLER AS THE U.S., BRITAIN AND CANADA ATTACK FROM THE WEST WHILE THE RUSSIANS MASSIVELY ATTACK FROM THE EAST
V-E Day May 7, 1945 Germany
surrenders unconditionally
‘Victory in Europe’ Warning there is still
Japan to defeat
Iwo Jima US had been bombing
Japan from the Marianas islands—still too far away.
Island of interest because of its refueling point & PROXIMITY to Japan
Rocky terrain with caves where Japanese military hid
February 16, 1945 60,000 Marines try to
take the island 6,800 Marines killed Successful
The Fire Bombing of Tokyo
While airfields were being prepared on Iwo Jima, US Gen. Curtis LaMay was still attacking Japan from the Marianas islands
New strategy- use of napalm (jellied gasoline) bombs to help them hit targets more successfully.
March 9,1945- Fires from the bombs killed 80,000 people
250,000 buildings destroyed
OKINAWA US military planned for a
possible invasion of Japan US needed an island still
closer to Japan for supplies.
Island very close to Japan 68,000 Americans died Kamikaze suicide planes
killed many naval men Japanese began to talk of
surrender but on condition the emperor stays in power
US wanted unconditional surrender
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MAP SHOWING INVASIONS OF IWO JIMA AND OKINAWA
OKINAWA
IWO JIMA
The Manhattan Project
American program to build an Atomic Bomb
Robert J. Oppenheimer Led the team at a
secret lab in Los Alamos, New Mexico
July 16, 1945 – 1st test detonation of a bomb at Alamogordo, New Mexico
Debate over dropping the bomb
Opposed Admiral Leahy
– Joint Chiefs of Staff
It will kill civilians
Believed in conventional bombs & economic sanctions to force a surrender
Support James
Byrnes – Secretary of State
Drop the bomb without any warning to shock Japan into surrender
Warning Henry
Stimson – Secretary of War
Warn Japan & allow them to keep emperor if surrender occurs
Dropping the Bomb Truman
Believed it would save American lives
Enola Gay B-29 bomber that
dropped the first bomb Hiroshima- “Little Boy”-bomb code
name Important industrial city August 6, 1945
Nagasaki Second bomb- “Fat
Man” August 9, 1945
V-J Day Japan surrenders August 15, 1945
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THE FIRST ATOMIC BOMB WAS DROPPED ON THE CITY OF HIROSHIMA
AUGUST 6TH, 1945, 70,000 KILLED AND EVEN MORE WOUNDED
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A second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki and the Japanese surrendered
AUGUST 9TH, 40,000 KILLED
POST-WAR POLITICS *United Nations
39 nations meet & sign the charter at Dumbarton Oaks Estate in Washington D.C. in 1944
International Military Tribunal *Nuremburg Trials –
German leaders tried for war crimes – lasted until 1949
12 sentenced to death
Japanese War Crimes Trials – emperor was not tried
The United Nations
April 1945- 50 nations gathered in San Francisco to officially organize the UN
1. General Assembly- body given power to vote on resolutions, choose non-permanent members of Security Council, vote on a budget.
Each nation in the world has one vote1. Security Council- responsible for
international peace & security, investigate international problems, take action to keep peace, use of force.
Permanent members – Britain, US, France, China, & Soviet Union