Download Roden`s "tiny" Unit 9 Study Guide

Roden’s Unit 9 (WWII) “tiny” Study Guide 
1920’s: Isolationist Policy
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 Treaty of Versailles (1919)
 U.S. doesn’t sign the treaty or join the League of Nations.
 Why? wants to be isolated; don’t want to by pulled into foreign wars;
Congress wants to retain power of declaring war
 Immigration Quota Acts (1921, 1924, 1927, 1929)
 Purpose of acts = to limit (stop) immigration into U.S. from Southern Eastern
Europe; to be isolated
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1921 = 3% quota based on 1910 census
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 1924 = 2% quota based on 1890 census
 Washington Naval Conferences (1921-1922)
 4 Power Treaty = revokes Anglo-Japanese Alliance
 Purpose = to end alliance b/w #1 and #3 naval powers in the world; to
protect the status quo.
 5 Power Treaty = 5-5-3-1.75-1.75 = GB, U.S., Japan, Italy & France
 Purpose = naval disarmament; prevent war; protect U.S. isolationism
 9 Power Treaty = continuation of Open Door Policy; no imperialize China
 What country violates this in 1931? Japan
 Does the treaty have an enforcement mechanism to punish that
country? Explain.
 No. The world is oddly “shocked” & verbally reprimands Japan.
Japan quits the League of Nations & goes rogue.
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 Dawes Plan
 What was it? Cyclic plan to fix economy in Europe to benefit U.S.; U.S.
intervened in international finances & German reparation payments in the
1920’s.
 Why? “The business of America is business.”
 U.S.S.R.
 U.S. refuses to diplomatically acknowledge the new U.S.S.R. in the 1920s
 FDR will officially recognize the U.S.S.R. in the 1930s
 U.S. does increase trade with U.S.S.R. though. 
 Latin America
 Clark Memorandum (1928) = U.S. tells Latin America it won’t intervene in
their affairs; revokes the Roosevelt Corollary.
o How does it promote isolationism?
 U.S. is now isolated b/c it isn’t intervening in Latin America.
 Hoover extends the Clark Memorandum.
 Kellogg-Briand Pact (1928)
 What did this treaty say? Countries sign this treaty and promise not to
attack/invade other countries; agree war is illegal; goal is to stop imperialism
& war.  No enforcement mechanism though. 
 Why did the U.S. love this? Promotes isolationism! 
 Who violates it in 1931? Japan
 How does the U.S. respond?
o Hoover-Stimson Doctrine = U.S. verbally reprimands Japan; U.S. does
NOT recognize Manchuria as Japan’s; U.S. implements some eco.
sanctions.
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1930’s: Road to WWII
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1931: Japan invades Manchuria
 Why? Imperialism; territorial expansion to be a world power!
 What international treaties does this violate?
o League of Nations covenant, 9 Powers Treaty & Kellogg-Briand
Pact
 How does the U.S. respond?
o Hoover-Stimson Doctrine
1932: FDR is elected president of the U.S. & promises a “New Deal.”
 What is going on domestically in the U.S.? Great Depression!!! 
 So, U.S. foreign policy is very isolationism!
1933: The U.S. extends diplomatic recognition to communist U.S.S.R.
 4 reasons FDR finally recognized U.S.S.R.:
o 1. changing attitude of Americans toward communism (not so
scared)
o 2. America wanted to increase exports & trade with this country
o 3. Germany & Italy were building up their military, so it was in
U.S. best interest to have friends
o 4. Japan had imperial designs on the Pacific & the U.S.S.R. would
be a good Ally in the Pacific
1933: Who is elected Chancellor of Germany? Adolf Hitler
 What political party does he represent? National Socialist Party (NAZI)
1933: What two countries resigned from the League of Nations & started rearming?
 Japan
 Germany
o Hitler asked the League of Nations if Germany could start
rearming 1st, but when it said no Germany quit the League &
rearmed violating the Treaty of Versailles.
1934-1937: Senate Nye Committee investigation
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What was it investigating? Whether big business, munitions makers,
war industry producers (etc.) manipulated WWI & U.S. entry into it to
make money.
 What did the Nye Munitions Report conclude? That yes, U.S. bankers,
financiers, and munitions corps had been a determining factor in the
U.S. gov’ts decision to enter WWI. The Report said it had proof of this
BUT it never reported it. Hummmmmm.
o This report further isolates the U.S. & pushes neutrality.
 What was the “merchants of death” thesis?
o “merchants of death” = WWI profiteers who maneuvered the
U.S. into war to save money on their investments abroad.
1935: What country invaded and took over Ethiopia? Italy
 How did the League of Nations respond?
o Put an embargo on war related items. It didn’t help at all. 
1935-1936: Spanish Civil War
 Who was fighting? Fascists (Franco) v. Republicans (Loyalists)
 Who won? Fascists
 Did the U.S. intervene or take sides? No.
 Why is this considered foreshadowing of WWII in Europe?
o Hitler & Mussolini help Franco. (All are Fascists)
o U.S. can’t intervene & help Loyalists b/c of Neutrality Act of
1937.
 What speech does FDR give b/c of this?
o The “Quarantine Speech”
1935-1937: U.S. Neutrality Acts promote isolationism & try to protect trade! U.S. never
passed a complete embargo of trade with all belligerents.
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1935 Neutrality Act = banned the sale of arms to nations @ war
(belligerents) and warned American citizens not to sail on belligerent
ships.
o It was not an embargo on oil, steel or copper to belligerents.
1936 Neutrality Act = gave the President the authority to determine
when a state of war existed & prohibited loans ($) to belligerents!
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1937 Neutrality Act = Belligerents must pay cash & carry non-arms
bought from the U.S. home on their own boats.
 U.S. still can’t sale arms (munitions) to belligerents.
 Belligerents have to come to the U.S. to buy goods and take them
home.
 This law benefits the Allies (w/ the Allied blockade).
 Pres. determines if a civil war threatens world peace.
 This law was in reaction to the Spanish Civil War.
March 1936: Germany invades the Rhineland
 Where is this? west of Germany (Belgium Rhineland  Germany)
 What does the world do/say? Verbally reprimands Germany.
1937-1945: Sino-Japanese War
 Who is fighting & where? Japan attacked China
 How does the U.S./world respond?
 Verbal reprimand
 1937-1941 China fights Japan alone! This war merges into WWII
after Japan attacks Pearl Harbor. The U.S. will join China in
Pacific as an Ally.
May 1937: Who is elected Prime Minister of Great Britain? Neville Chamberlain
Aug. 1937: Germany opens its 1st concentration camp for people who oppose the
Nazi Party.
 What is it called? Buchenwald
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1937: Anti-Comintern Pact
 Who were the members of the Pact? Germany, Italy & Japan
 The pact was directed against the Communist International (Comintern)
but specifically against the U.S.S.R.
 They agreed to protect each other if attacked by a communist nation,
unofficially creating the Axis Powers.
 Germany breaks this pact when it makes the Non-Aggression Pact w/
the U.S.S.R. in 1939.
 The Tripartite Pact replaces it Sept. 27, 1940.
Oct. 1937: FDR gives the “Quarantine” Speech.
 What was this speech in response to?
o Territorial aggression of Italy (toward Africa) & Japan (toward
China)
 What does FDR want?
o To stop being isolated!!!
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o Wants to stop aggressive nations with economic pressure, a
forceful response BUT not direct military action!!!!
 Do the American people want the same thing?
o No! This intensifies isolationism in U.S. not vice-a-versa.
Dec. 1937: Panay incident occurs
 What was this?
o Japanese blow up U.S. boat, Panay, by “accident” off coast of
China.
o 4 years later Japan will do this again in Hawaii on purpose.
 Who apologizes & why?
o Japan apologizes to U.S. after we used extreme pressure.
o Why? Japan is not ready to fight & beat U.S. in 1937 & they know
it
March 1938: Germany invades what country? Austria
Sept. 1938: Munich Conference
 Where is Munich? Germany
 What did Hitler want & get in the Munich Pact?
o Sudetenland (part of Czechoslovakia)
 What is “appeasement?”
o Give Hitler what he wants (satisfy/appease him) so that he’ll be
good & stop expanding territorially.
o Hitler said he was appeased & would stop expanding if given the
Sudetenland! (Lied!!!!!!!)
o Purpose is to avoid war.
 Who was appeasing whom?
o Debatable!!!
o Britain & France thought they had the upper-hand and were
appeasing Hitler.
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o Hitler was playing their game & buying time before he invaded
more countries!!
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What does Prime Minister Chamberlain say?
o “Peace in our time is at hand”
o Ironic b/c 1 year later Hitler invades Poland & WWII begins.
Chamberlain will quit in embarrassment & Winston Churchill
replaces him as Prime Minister of Britain.
Oct. 1938-1939: Hitler invades all of Sudetenland & then all of Czechoslovakia.
 So, appeasement didn’t work!!!
 Briefly why not?
o Hitler knew how to play the game. He was playing along all the
while preparing and building military in preparation for world
domination.
Nov. 1938: Kristallnact
 What was this?
o “Night of Broken Glass”
o Jewish businesses & homes raided & destroyed by German SS
this evening! Incites terror & fear.
April 1938: Italy invades what country? Albania
Aug. 1939: Nonaggression Pact b-w Germany & U.S.S.R.
 What was the pact?
 Stalin and Hitler agreed not to fight each other. Instead, they
would both invade Poland and divide up the country.
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Why does Germany make this Pact?
o To avoid fighting a two front war stuck in the middle like WWI.
This way Germany only has to fight a western front.
What does Germany agree to?
o Attack Poland from west and not attack USSR
Did Germany intend to keep this agreement? NO
What does the U.S.S.R. agree to do?
o Invade Poland from East! Not fight Germany
Why did the U.S.S.R. agree to this pact?
o Stalin needed time to build up the Red Army to fight the Nazis. If
he had not had the time provided by the pact, the Nazi Blitzkrieg
may have made short work out of the Soviet Union. The land
(Poland) was an added bonus.
What is Germany promise the U.S.S.R. for signing the pact?
o ½ of Poland and Finland Estonia Latvia Lithuania
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Sept. 1, 1939: Germany invades what country starting WWII? Poland
 What does the U.S.S.R. do simultaneously?
o Invades Poland from the east moving west
 What two countries declare war on Germany? Britain and France
 What does the U.S. do? remains neutral
 Albert Einstein’s letter to FDR (1939):
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Review:
Fascism =eco. & political system. Nation is more important than
citizens; dictator, private and public ownership
 Communism = Economic, social, and political system. State/nation is
more important than citizen. All means of production owned by state,
classless system is goal.
 Democratic-Republic = representative government; political system.
Protects basic rights; people more important than nation.
o Capitalism = private ownership of production! Little government
regulation of economy; supply and demand regulate.
 Dictators who rise to power in 1920’s & 1930’s:
o Germany = Hitler = 1933 = Fascist
o Italy = Mussolini = 1922 = Fascist
o Spain = Franco = 1936/7 = Fascist
o Russia = Stalin = Communist
o Japan = Hideki Tojo = militarist
 4 ways FDR/U.S. remained neutral in the 1930s:
o Issuance of the Stimson Doctrine
o Prohibiting Americans from traveling on belligerent ships
o Refusing to allow Americans to sell weapons to belligerents
o Requiring nations at war to pay for non-military goods with cash
& to carry those goods on their own ships
WWII begins in Europe & U.S. Neutrality
 1939 = U.S. revises Neutrality Acts to: “Cash and Carry” to belligerents
o Why did FDR revise the Neutrality Acts? To aid allies w/o war
o Who was this revision suppose to aid? Britain (US will aid Allies w/o war!)
o What was the “Cash and Carry” revision exactly?
 Now “cash and carry” for munitions to belligerent countries
 Ends arms/ munitions embargo
 Sept. 1939-March 1940 = Phony War
o What was this?
 Time in WWII after Germany invaded Poland but few military operations
occurred
o What ends it? Blitzkreig
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1940: Norway, Denmark, Holland,
Belgium, Netherlands and France
1941: Soviet Union
March-June 1940 =Blitzkrieg
o What was this? Lightning War
 Initial bombardment followed by motorized mobile forces attacking w/
speed and surprise to prevent enemy from coordinating a defense
o What countries does Germany control afterwards?
 Denmark, Norway, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and France
June 1940 = Germany defeats France
o What government does the Nazi’s place in control of France? Vichy
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July 1940 = Battle of Britain
o Why does Germany attack Great Britain?
 Last allied country not taken over by Germany
o How does Germany attack Great Britain? Air raids
o Great Britain breaks the German code “Ultra” to help overcome air raids. 
o What else does Great Britain invent to help overcome the German air attacks?
 Radars and code breakers like the Enigma Machine (they share with US!!!)
o Which country ultimately wins the Battle of Britain? Britain
Sept. 1940 = Tripartite Pact
o Signed by Germany, Italy & Japan to share control of the world. YIKES!!!
o What do these countries agree to?
 Germany will get to control =Europe
 Italy will get to control =Africa
 Japan will get control of = China and Pacific
o These countries are now referred to officially as the “Berlin-Rome-Tokyo Axis”
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1940 = American First Committee is created
o Why did U.S. die-hard isolationists form this group?
o To speak out against departure/watering down of Neutrality acts
o Who were its leaders? Charles Lindbergh, Sen. Nye, Sen. Robert Taft
Sept. 1940 = Destroyer for Bases Agreement
o Why did the U.S. agree to “lend” its older WWI destroyers to Great Britain?
 Britain was fighting Germany by itself.
 Britain was running out of ships and was losing.
o What did the U.S. get in return? US transferred 50 old destroyers to Britain for
rights to build air and naval bases on 8 British colonies in the Western Hemisphere.
o Was this a signal of the end of U.S. neutrality? Explain.
 Yes. US is obviously not being neutral and helping the Allies!
 FDR argues he is only protecting the Atlantic, thus the US from attack.
Sept. 1940 = Congress passes the Selective Service & Training Act
o 1st peacetime draft in U.S. History
o Required all men between the ages of 21 and 35 (later _18_&_64_) to register for the
draft.
o It limited _900,000_men in times of peace.
Nov. 1940 = FDR elected to 3rd term easily 
Jan. 1941 = FDR gives his “Four Freedom Speech”
o What are the four freedoms all people in the world have a right to?
 Freedom of Speech
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 Freedom of Religion
 Freedom from want
 Freedom of Fear--so disarmament is needed & dictators must go 
Why did FDR give the 4 Freedoms speech? To get support for the Lend-Lease Act
Norman Rockwell painted famous paintings representing these. 
March 1941 = Lend Lease Act ****
o This is a revision of the “Cash and Carry” revision of the Neutrality Acts. How?
What does it say? *Ends “Cash” part of “Cash and Carry”!
 Pres. can “lend, lease, sell, transfer, or otherwise dispose of war supplies to
any country the Pres. deems vital to the defense of the U.S.”
 FDR says, “It’s like lending a friend a hose when his garage is on fire!”
 Taft says “it’s like lending chewing gum you don’t want back”
o Why did FDR revise the “Cash and Carry” policy? Britain was running out of cash
and needed supplies
o This Act was designed to help what country? Britain
o Why doesn’t the U.S. offer this deal to the U.S.S.R. until 1941? Does it cause
problems later? –USSR wasn’t a U.S. Ally @ this time
 later when the USSR joins Allies , the U.S. was angry @ them for nonaggression Pact with Germany
 lots of resentment will occur when USSR suffers extreme losses and $ too
late
FDR’s “arsenal of democracy” was his ways of helping the Allies (Britain) before the U.S.
joined WWII.
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Examples include: Atlantic Charter, stationing troops in Greenland, patrolling the
se lanes in the Atlantic w/ American destroyers, and the 1941 Lend-Lease Act
Fall 1941 = U.S. undeclared naval war with Germany
o FDR agrees to escort British convoys ½ ways across the Atlantic to give them a
better chance of making it safely w/o German U-boats blowing them up.
 Waters down the “carry” section of the 1937 Neutrality Act! 
o Sept. = German U-boat fires on the U.S. destroyer the Greer. 
o Oct. = A German sub attacked the U.S.S. Kearney damaging it. 
o Oct. = What U.S. destroyer was sunk by a German U-boat killing hundreds of
American sailors? ______USS Reuben James______________ 
 How does FDR respond? He asks Congress to repeal the “carry” section of
the 1937 Neutrality Act! So, U.S. can deliver supplies to England
 Does Congress approve this? ___Yes__ When? _Nov. 1941_
o FDR orders U.S. destroyers to shoot U-boats on site. War is imminent!
June 1941 = Germany attacks the U.S.S.R.
o What pact between Germany & the U.S.S.R. was violated when Germany attacked
the U.S.S.R.? non-aggression Pact
o Explain why Germany broke this pact.
 Battle of Britain was a failure, so Germany shifts gears and attacks USSR
 Germany never intended to honor pact. Fascists and Communists are not
friends. Germany wanted World Domination.
 Germany needed oil in USSR
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July 1941 = Japan takes over French Indochina
o What countries made up Indochina? Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia; Japan wants it
to stop all imports into China
o Explain why was it easy for Japan to invade & take over France’s colony of
Indochina? France had already been conquered by Germany in the Blitzkrieg
o How did the U.S. & the British respond to this? Severe embargo on Japan
Sept. 1941 = U.S. declares an oil embargo on Japan
o The U.S. responded to Japan’s invasion of French Indochina by:
 1. Froze Japan’s assets in the U.S.
 2. embargo on all oil exports to Japan
o Oil was Japan's most crucial imported resource; more than __80___ % of Japan's oil
imports at the time came from the United States!!!! 
Aug. 1941 = The Atlantic Charter is signed
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Where did this meeting take place? On the U.S.S. Augusta off coast of
Newfoundland
o This was a secret meeting between what two men? Winston Churchill (Britain) and
FDR (U.S.)
o Why was this meeting & the charter a secret?
 U.S. neutral @ this point
 Atlantic unsafe (U-Boats) - big risk for Churchill
o What are the “Four Basic Freedoms” both countries agreed to?
 1. self-determination for all nations
 2. opposition to territorial expansion
 3. freedom of the seas and arms control
 4. repudiates any territorial gains made as a result of war
Sept. 1941 = U.S. poll on entering WWII
o 80% of Americans wanted to stay out of WWII.
o FDR needs the Axis Powers to attack the U.S. big to get public support for war.
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Nov-Dec.7,1941 = U.S.-Japanese negotiations
o U.S. believes Japan is willing to negotiate & compromise on imperialism &
embargo to avoid war.
o Japan is planning to attack Pearl Harbor the entire time.
 Planned on ceasing negotiations 30 minutes before attacks on Pearl Harbor.
o Saturday, December 6 = FDR makes a final appeal to the Emperor of Japan for
peace.
 Does the Emperor reply? __No_
 Late this same day, the U.S. code-breaking service begins intercepting a 14part Japanese message and deciphers the first 13 parts, passing them on to
the President and Secretary of State.
 The Americans believe a Japanese attack is imminent, most likely
somewhere in Southeast Asia.
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Dec. 7, 1941 = Pearl Harbor
o Website of photos: http://www.war-veterans.org/Pearl.htm
o Why did Japan attack Pearl Harbor?
 To hurt/defeat U.S. to get control of oil.
 Pearl Harbor was located in what U.S. territory? __Hawaii_
 Why was Pearl Harbor important to the U.S.?
 naval port (gas station)
 parked 7th fleet there
o 7:70-10 a.m. = planes and midget submarines of the Imperial Japanese Navy began
a _surprise_ attack on the U.S.
 Japanese were under the command of Admiral __Yamamoto___
o What were goals of the Japanese attack?
 To cripple the U. S. _Pacific Fleet__ for a period of up to _18_ months,
preventing aggressive action against imperial forces, with the fleet to later
be drawn out into a final battle and destroyed.
 This goal eluded the Japanese as U. S. forces were acting aggressively in the
South Pacific within _60_ days and the fleet was fully effective within a
_year_.
 There was never the kind of massive fleet battle that the Japanese hoped for.
o Was the Japanese attack a tactical success?
 Almost. By a matter of chance, of the _3_ of the Pacific Fleet carriers that
would normally be at Pearl that morning, _2__ were at sea on exercises and
_1_ was on the U. S. west coast for maintenance. 
 Not knowing the location of these ships Japan cancelled the _3rd_ strike,
sparing the Pacific Fleet __Naval__ force, important __maintenance__
facilities and critical _fuel_ supplies.
 The survival of the repair shops would enable rapid restoration of the
fighting capability of the fleet. 
 The carriers that survived would later be used in the __Doolittle__ raid, the
Battle of the _Coral Sea_ (where the Japanese forces were turned back in
their thrust toward Australia), and the Battle of _Midway_ Island (where
naval aviation forces from U.S. carriers sank four Imperial carriers.)
o Upon completion of the attack Yamamoto is quoted as saying:
"_We have awakened a sleeping giant and have instilled in him a terrible
resolve”
Dec. 7, 1941 = Japanese attack Philippines, Guam & Hong Kong
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Who was the U.S. military leader in charge of the Philippines? Douglass
MacArthur
How much warning did the U.S. have before Japan attacked the Philippines? 9
hours
Did the warning make much of a difference? Explain. NO!!! Japanese devastate
Philippines and easily have Victory. Douglass MacArthur leaves and promises he’ll
return
IV. U.S. in WWII: 1941-1942
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Dec. 8, 1941 = U.S. Congress declares war on Japan
 FDR says Dec. 7, 1941 is “A day which will live in infamy.”
 Dec. 11, 1941 = U.S. declares war on fascism: Germany & Italy
o Why did the U.S. declare was on Germany?
 b/c U.S. needed to help Great Britain immediately even though Germany hadn’t
attacked the U.S.
 Plus, FDR promised Churchill at secret Atlantic Conference that the U.S. would help
them as soon as U.S. joined WWII.
o What were the two theaters (fronts) of WWII for the U.S.?
 European theater
 Pacific theater
 Dec. 1941-March 1942 = War Powers Act is passed by Congress
o What was this?
 Congress gave the president emergency authority to create new executive agencies
(like OPA), to reorganize existing agencies, to have control over all trade, to provide
censorship, to take property, establish rationing controls to protect consumer’s
interests and prevent inflation.
1942
 Jan. 1942 = Office of Price Administration (OPA) is created
o What did this agency do?
 Successfully combated inflation by fixing price ceilings on commodities & introduced
rationing programs during WWII.
 1942 = General Maximum Price Regulation Act
o What did this act do?
 Immediately froze prices & est. the rationing system that was in place for most of the
war!
 Needed due to Great Depression economic troubles.
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1942 = Revenue Act of 1942
o What did this act do?
 Greatly expanded the # of Americans who had to pay federal income taxes, thus
increasing the amount of federal revenue ($).
o Why was more federal revenue needed during WWII?
 War is expensive!!! Weapons, soldiers, atomic bomb project (Manhattan)
To combat inflation during WWII the U.S. government:
o Increased interest rates
o Increased federal income taxes (& enforced them)
o Set price controls (ceilings) on staple goods
o Pressured some industries into canceling planned price increases
Late 1941 = Lend Lease Act extended to U.S.S.R.
o U.S. now lending U.S.S.R. war supplies.
o U.S.S.R. is fighting Germany alone on the eastern front b-w 1941 & 1944.
 20 million Soviets will eventually die
 USSR begs for more than lend lease! He wants help on the Eastern front!
o American efforts to aid the Soviets will come through the Middle East.
 U.S. makes ports in Iran to make planes, trucks, guns, etc. & then ships them by train to
the U.S.S.R.
Jan. 1942 = War Productions Board is created
o What did this war board do?
 Converted factories from civilian to military production of goods for the war.
 Manufacturing output tripled.
 Helps economy recover from Great Depression. 
Feb. 1942 = Executive Order 9066
o What was this?
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FDR ordered all Japanese and people of Japanese descent living on the West Coast be
moved (forcibly if necessary) to internment military camps in the interior of the U.S.
They will remain there until 1945/46
2/3 of all people placed in the Japanese internment camps were American citizens 
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o Why?
 Fear of Japanese after Pearl Harbor attack!!
o Did FDR ever order Germans or Italian removed to internment camps? No.
 Why? there were too many of them
Jan.-Aug. 1942 = Battle of the Atlantic
o Which theater of war were these battles?
 European (helping Great Britain)
o What were these battles?
 Battles in then Atlantic Ocean between U.S. & Germany
 German torpedoes were deadly accurate (even though sonar was used by the U.S.) &
over 500 U.S. ships were sunk by German U-Boats 
o Why did they occur?
 U.S. convoys on the way to Britain taking food & supplies were attacked by German
U-Boats & destroyers
First 6 months of 1942 are disaster in the Pacific.
o Why?
 Japan takes over: Guam, Wake Islands, Hong Kong, Singapore, Burma, East Indies &
the Philippines 
 Japan cuts off all supply routes from India to China
 Looks like the Allies may lose the war. 
Jan.-March 1942 = Japan takes over the Philippines.
o Japan invades Philippines & 20,000 U.S. troops led by Gen. Douglas MacArthur w/draw to
Bataan (near Manila)
o Who is forced to abandon his troops in the Philippines and escape to Australia because he was
too valuable to be caught?
 Gen. Douglas MacArthur
o What is MacArthur famous for saying?
 “I’ll be back.”
22
o


What was the Bataan Death March (May 5, 1942)?
 75,000 American & Filipino prisoners are forced to march 60 miles to a POW camp.
 10,000 prisoners (POWs) are executed or died of weakness on the march (tortured &
even burned alive) 
April 18, 1942 = Doolittle’s Raid
o What was it?
 1st air raid by the U.S to strike a Japanese home island (Honshū) during World War II.
 Goals were to make the Japanese doubt their leadership and to raise American morale.
 The raid was planned and led by Lieutenant Colonel James "Jimmy" Doolittle 
 The plan called for them to hit military targets in Japan, and land in China although one
B-25 landed in Soviet territory.
o Why was it important?
 It demonstrated that Japan itself was vulnerable to Allied air attack and provided an
expedient means for U.S. retaliation for Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December,
1941.

May 1942 = Battle of Coral Sea
o Where was this battle?
 Off the coast of Australia
o Why is it important?
 U.S.’s 1st decisive victory!
 American planes launched from aircraft carriers were able to stop the advance of
several large Jap. troop transports. These troops were to be used to defeat Australia.
 After this, the Jap. will never again mount a planned attack there.
 This battle & the Battle of Midway are the turning point battles of the Pacific.
23


June 4-7, 1942 = Battle of Midway
o What caused it?
 Japanese leaders were rattled by the Doolittle’s raid & others—bombs might have
killed the emperor!! The American fleet, they decided, had to be destroyed!
 They wanted to cut off U.S. supply lines to Australia. So, decided to attack Midway
Island—the last American base west of Pearl Harbor.
o Why did U.S. win this battle?
 At the Battle of Coral Sea, the Yorktown and the Lexington fended off a Japanese attack on
New Guinea and preserved Australia.
 U.S. Code-breakers learned of plan to attack Midway
o How did the U.S. win this battle?
 U.S. Admiral Nimitz used this as an opportunity to ambush the Japanese fleet.
 Japanese plans were hit with U.S. anti-aircraft fire, shooting down 250 planes. 
 Japan lost over 100 pilots which hurt their Air War.
 U.S. planes caught Jap. carriers by surprise; their fuel, bombs, & aircraft were exposed.
 4 Japanese carriers (out of 10) were sunk, 7 out of 11 others ships were
destroyed, thus destroying the heart of their navy. 
o Why is this battle the turning point battle in the Pacific front?
 This hit the Japanese hard—it halted Japanese expansion in the Pacific
 Japan no longer has any hope of attacking the U.S. mainland. 
 Japanese Americans continued to be interned in camps, though. 
24


Einstein & Oppenheimer
June 1942-1945 = Manhattan Project begins
o What was the project?
 A top secret research project to research all aspects of creating an atomic bomb.
 It was an international group of people working in various parts of the U.S. to
complete this purely American project.
o What caused the Army Corp. of Engineers to start this top secret project?
 In 1939, the Nazis were rumored to be developing an atomic bomb. Einstein & Fermi in
a 1939 letter to FDR, warned that Germany was working on a building a bomb through
nuclear fission.
 The United States initiated its own program under the Army Corps of Engineers b/c
America needed to build an atomic weapon before Germany or Japan did.
Who was the head of this project?
 Dr. Robert Oppenheimer
o Where was the bomb built?
 Los Alamos, New Mexico
o When was the 1st atomic bomb tested?
 Trinity Test in New Mexico dessert, July 1945 while Pres. Truman was at the Potsdam
Conference.
Aug. 1942-Feb.1943 = Battle of Guadalcanal (Solomon Islands)
o Why was this battle significant?
 It was the 1st time the U.S. defeated the Japanese on land with hard jungle fighting.
o


25


September 1942 = Battle of Stalingrad
o What happened?
 Hitler ordered the German army to attack Russia (Stalingrad) during the winter or
1942 to 1943.
 Russians defeat the Germans, and for the rest of the war the Germans are on the
defensive retreating east.
o Why did Hitler attack Russia at Stalingrad?
 Some believe that Hitler ordered the taking of Stalingrad simply because of the name
of the city and Hitler's hatred of Joseph Stalin. For the same reason Stalin ordered that
the city had to be saved.
o Why is this battle important?
 Possibly the most important WWII battle; many consider it to be the turning point
battle in Europe for WWII.
 1st time Germans are defeated in a land battle in WWII.
 It is the bloodiest battle in modern history, with combined casualties estimated to be
above 1.5 million. The battle was marked by brutality and disregard for military and
civilian casualties by both sides.
 For the rest of the war Germany will be retreating to the EAST! Russians will continue
to push westward until they occupy Berlin in the spring of 1945. 
 Stalin will be angry at the Allies for not launching a 2nd front earlier. Russians were
forced to fight Germans essentially alone in Europe. 
1942 = Battle of El Alamein
o Germans take over EL Alamein in western Egypt. The German’s goal is to push further east
and take over the Suez Canal and control the mid-eastern oil supply.
o The Allies (led by the British) stop the Germans here and capture the German leader, the
“Desert Fox” Rommel. Germany surrenders all of North Africa in May 1943 after Operation
Torch led by Gen. Eisenhower. 
1943
 Jan. 1943 = Casablanca Conference
o Who was there? FDR & Churchill (Stalin was invited but didn’t come BIG MISTAKE)
o What did they agree to do there?
 To create a 2nd front by invading through Sicily & then Italy
 Underbelly Attack!
 To provide aid to the U.S.S.R.
 And to continue the war until all Axis powers “unconditionally surrendered”
 Home front:
o The home front during WWII was economically invigorated by military spending 
o Rural areas lost population while coastal areas increased rapidly
o Government forced rationing during the war!
 Production stopped on many civilian items, such as automobiles, new houses,
and new appliances. This was good for the economy b/c overproduction &
under-consumption leading cause of Great Depression.
 Meat, sugar, butter, coffee, gasoline, tires, shoes and clothing were rationed.
26










Local schools set up stations where people could get their ration coupons with
teachers handling the paperwork 
Each person (regardless of age) received the same food and clothing coupons.
To purchase an item three things were needed: the storekeeper had to have the
item in stock; the purchaser had to have the cash, and the coupons for the
goods
With half of all canned goods going to the military or to allies, Americans
turned to Victory Gardens, planting 20 million of them to provide vegetables
for their families.
Most automobile drivers received coupons for 3 gallons per week; those who
could document special needs received extra gasoline coupons.
 There was plenty of gasoline; the rationing was an efficient way to
ration automobile tires, with rubber in very short supply. Sneaky 
 A national speed limit of 35 miles per hour was imposed to save fuel
and tires.
Bread, milk and beer were not rationed.
People eating in restaurants had to pay with cash and ration coupons.
Rationing was generally supported by the civilian population, although there
was some black market activity, that is, purchase of an item without the
coupons.
 The government prosecuted black marketers.
 There was much "gray market" activity—that is family and neighbors
selling or trading ration coupons; that was technically illegal but rarely
prosecuted.
27

o
o
o
Rationing was needed because of the needs of the men and women
serving overseas & a very important key to the success of the U.S. war
effort.
 Rationing was also needed because of the limited shipping capabilities
during the war. Many cargo ships were converted from public use to
military use to aid in the war effort.
WWII propaganda: Dr. Seuss
Women entered the workforce in increasing numbers
 Rosie the Riveter symbolized American working women during the war.







Girls took factory jobs vacated by men fighting (patriotic duty to work)
Women paid less than men, even in defense industry
Women could join the Women’s Army Corp
After war women encouraged that now their patriotic duty to go back home &
be housewives (movie: Mona Lisa Smiles)
Women during the war:
28




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o
o
o
o
2nd Great Migration = Black Americans moved during & after WWII from the rural
South to Northern & Western cities with racial tensions often resulting
 June 1943 = race riot in Detroit, Michigan
Smith-Connolly Act (1943)
 Antistrike Act
 Congress gave the federal government the power to seize a plant or mine idled
by a strike if it hurt the war effort.
 Expired in 1947
United Mine Workers go on strike 
All-American Girls’ Baseball League is founded in 1943 



o
o
Women joined Women branches of the armed services (WAVES,
WACS)
# of women in the workforce increased 60% w/ women taking
servicemen’s jobs
Most new workers were married & older
Most worked in heavy industrial jobs (“Rosie the Riveter”)
Paid less & unequal treatment
After war, forced to leave temporary jobs & return to full-time roles of
housewives & mothers so veterans could have their jobs back.
Movie: League of Their Own
Wartime diversion for thousands of fans
Movies: Patriotic & Comedies
29




o
o
Casablanca emphasized self-sacrifice & helping the war effort
White Christmas evoked nostalgia & reminded why we were fighting.
 Music by Irving Berlin (Tin Pan Alley)
War Bonds: Used in WWI to help finance the war & used in WWII as well
30
o
o

Double V Campaign:
 Many black Americans took important factory jobs & signed up for military
service
 Discrimination against blacks in military & it was still segregated
 Black Americans on the home front started the Double V campaign = victory
over Germany & Japan but also victory over racial prejudice at home
 C.O.R.E. (Congress for Racial Equality) was founded in 1942 and organized the
1st racial equality sit-ins & boycotts (used in 1950s & 60s)
1943: European Theater
o Bombings of Europe
o

 U.S. started to help bomb the European continent from planes in July 1942
 Bombing increased during 1943 & 1944 and lasted until the end of the war. 
 Purpose was to wear down the enemy for land invasion.
 Movie: Memphis Belle
July 1943 = Invasion of Italy
 Led by Gen. George Patton
 U.S. attack through Sicily to get into Europe.
 Allies take control of Italy in 1 month.  Mussolini is forced out of power. 
 Germany hears of fall of Italy on the radio; invade Italy, and then push the
Allies south to the tip of the peninsula. 
 It takes the Allies nearly a year to really get control of Italy back; sections of
Italy will remain in Nazi control until spring of 1945. 
31
Allies liberate Rome (and the Coliseum) on June 4, 1944 (D-Day in Normandy is
2 days later)
 U.S. military leaders believed Italy to be of little strategic value &
thought the 2nd front thru France should have occurred earlier.
 FDR had acquiesced to Churchill, who had wanted the southern
approach through Italy.
 Stalin was extremely frustrated and angry at FDR & Churchill.
o Nov.-Dec. 1943 = Tehran Conference
 It was the 1st WW II conference among the Big Three (the Soviet Union (Stalin),
the United States (FDR), and the United Kingdom (Churchill)).
 It’s followed by the Yalta Conference and Potsdam Conference.
 Why did they get together?
 To plan the final strategy for the war against Nazi Germany & its allies.
 Stalin wanted a western 2nd front opened ASAP
 What did they agree to?
 Operation Overlord (D-Day): invade Normandy, France
 Agreed to schedule it in May 1944, in conjunction with the Soviet attack
on Germany’s eastern border.
 The attacks would combine the force of Canada, the United Kingdom,
the U.S., and numerous other countries, and would later be known as
"D-Day", the series of battles that decided the war’s end.
 Dwight D. Eisenhower was named the Commander of the Allied
Expeditionary Forces
 The “Big Three” spent days wrangling about when Operation Overlord
should take place, who should command it, and where operations
should begin.
 The three countries also recognized Iran's independence.
 1943: Pacific Theater
o The Allied strategy to defeat the Japanese by island hopping took effect.
 Goal = to neutralize Japanese strongholds with air and sea power and then
move on island to island until U.S. gets to island of Japan
 Land forces commanded by = Gen. Douglas MacArthur
 Naval attacked commanded by = Admiral Chester Nimitz
1944
 Home Front:
o Korematsu v. U.S. (1944)
 Supreme Court upheld FDR’s Executive Order 9066 (he made it in 1942) that
stated Issei (Japanese Americans who emigrated from Japan) and Nisei (nativeborn Japanese Americans) be relocated to internment camps
 Why? Camps based on “military necessity” The camps closed in March 1946.
 U.S. formally apologized to them in 1988 & paid $20,000 to the living survivors.
 2/3 of all people placed in the Japanese internment camps were American
citizens 
o Smith v. Allwright (1944)
 The Supreme Court struck down the Texas primary elections, which only
allowed whites to participate, for violating the Fifteenth Amendment. 
o Presidential Election of 1944:
 FDR with new vice-presidential candidate Harry S. Truman of Missouri
defeated Republican NY Gov., Thomas Dewey.
 FDR won on promise to begin postwar planning.

32
o
o
o

G.I. Bill of Rights (1944):
 Act that provided education, medical care, job training, unemployment
pensions, compensation, and offered mortgage loans to male & female war
veterans. 
Aug.-Oct 1944 = Dumbarton Oaks Conference
 Discussed the future make-up of the United Nations (UN) including which
states would be invited to be members of the General Assembly, the formation
of the United Nations Security Council, and the right of veto that would be
given to the Security Council's permanent members.
European Theater
o March 1944 = U.S.S.R. begins pushing into Eastern Europe 
o June 4, 1944 = Allies liberate Rome, Italy. 

33
o
o
o
o

o
June 6, 1944 = D-Day
 Allied armies under Dwight D. Eisenhower, now commander-in-chief of the
Allied Expeditionary Forces, invade Normandy, France
 Largest amphibious attack in world history
 Over 1 million Allied troops storm the beaches & begin the march
toward Germany
 Allies use 4,600 ships to invade German held France
 Turning Point in WWII in Europe
 FDR finally opens 2nd Western front in Europe
 FDR promised Stalin he’d do this in 1942 & at the Tehran Conference in
1943. (Oops )
June 8, 1944 = Italy conquered completely by Allies
August 1944 = Allies liberated Paris (Eiffel Tower is now free  )
 Who was the U.S. General who liberated Paris with his 3rd Army?
 Gen. George Patton
Mid-September 1944 = Allied army arrives at Rhine River, on the edge of Germany.
Dec. 16, 1944 = Battle of the Bulge
 Last German offensive
 (rubber band battle)
 Allies driven 50 miles back into Belgium
 Allies line bends “bulges” but does not break
 By Jan. 1945 Allies are once again marching toward Germany
34
Pacific Theater
o Jan.-June 1944: Island Hopping is a success
 U.S. hopped from the Marshalls to the Marianas Islands
 After the U.S. captured the Mariana Islands, General Tojo Hideki resigned as
premier of Japan. 
o June 19-20, 1944: Battle of the Philippine Sea
 Big U.S. victory 
 Japanese lost 3 carriers, 2 subs, and over 300 planes
 America lost 17 planes
o Oct. 25, 1944: Battle of Leyte Gulf
 Japan lost most of its remaining naval power
 1st use of the Japanese kamikaze, or suicide, attacks by Japanese pilots who
crashed into American carriers 
o Late 1944 = American bombers can take off from controlled islands and reach major
Japanese cities & return back.
 Massive bombing attacks occur!
1945
 European Theater

o
o
Feb. 4-11, 1945 = Yalta Conference
 “Big Three”= Churchill, Roosevelt & Stalin met to discuss postwar Europe
 FDR was very ill at Yalta; he would only live another 2 months 
 Stalin agreed that the U.S.S.R would:
 Join the Pacific war 90 days after Germany surrendered to help the U.S.
o This made FDR happy 
 Keep temporary control of all areas the U.S.S.R. had freed from Nazi
control in Eastern Europe until free elections could take place!
o Churchill wanted the free elections & democratic governments
in Europe
o Stalin will manipulate this & while he has temporary control he
helped communist governments take control!!!  They have
“free” elections & they become communist countries.   No
more free elections for them. 
 They all agreed to have a conference to finalize the world peace organization
(UN), to meet in the U.S. beginning on April 25, 1945 (San Francisco
Conference)
 Agreed U.S.S.R. would have 3 General Assembly votes
 Security Council would have 5 permanent members = U.S., Great
Britain, Soviet Union, France & China
o Veto power for permanent members to block unwanted
decisions (U.S.S.R.  w/ this)
35
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
FDR won’t be @ Potsdam Conference b/c he died. Truman will attend
after being President for 2 weeks.
They agreed that the priority would be the unconditional surrender of Nazi
Germany.
Agreed to divide Germany into 4 occupation zones
 Administered by Great Britain, U.S., U.S.S.R. & France


Berlin was located in the Soviet zone & was divided into 4 zones as well

Agreed that Poland would be controlled by a coalition government of
communists & non-communists
 This doesn’t last for long & it is taken over by communists!
 Stalin doesn’t want to be attacked a 3rd time through Poland
 FDR accepted Soviet control of Outer Mongolia, the Kurile Islands, the
southern half of Sakhalin Island, Port Arthur, and the participation in the
operation of the Manchurian railroads.
 U.S. & U.S.S.R. agreed to attack Korea held by Japanese forces
 U.S.S.R. would attack North Korea (above the 38th parallel)
 U.S. would attack South Korea (below the 38th)
 These decisions made at the conference (& the U.S.S.R. does not totally
follow them) are major reasons for the beginning of the Cold War!!!!!!
March 1945 = Allies crossed the Rhine River & enter Germany 
April 1945 = Eisenhower’s forces met the Soviet army at the Elbe River.
April 12, 1945 = FDR dies of a cerebral hemorrhage in Warms Spring, GA

o
o
o
36
o
o
o
Photo: Mussolini & his mistress executed
April 28, 1945 = Mussolini is executed after having been captured by Allied Italian
partisans
April 30, 1945 = Battle of Berlin
 Russians take over Berlin


Hitler committed suicide in his underground bunker before the Russians
captured him
 He shot himself while simultaneously biting into a cyanide capsule
 Hitler had his dog Blondi poisoned before his suicide to test the poison
he and Eva Braun (his mistress whom he had married the day before)
were going to take.
 Hitler's body and that of Eva Braun were put in a bomb crater, doused
in gasoline by Nazi loyalists, and set on fire as the Red Army advanced
 When Russians reached the area, they found Hitler's body and an
autopsy was performed using dental records to confirm the
identification.
 The remains of Hitler and Braun were secretly buried by the Russians.
In 1970, the remains were reportedly exhumed and thoroughly
cremated. A fragment of his skull may still be held by the Russians.
Creepy.
37
o
o
o
o
o
May 7, 1945 = Germany surrendered  = V-E Day = Victory in Europe Day
April-June 1945: San Francisco Conference
 1st session of the United Nations
 The Security Council veto powers were established and the text of the UN
Charter was finalized 
July 17-August 2, 1945 = Potsdam Conference
 Last conference among the allied leaders
 Participants =
 U.S.S.R. = Stalin
o He arrived at the conference a day late, citing "official business"
that required his attention, but he actually suffered a minor heart
attack.
 Great Britain = Churchill & then Attlee
o During the conference, the United Kingdom held its general
election and Churchill was replaced by Clement Attlee.
 U.S. = Truman
o During the conference, Truman mentioned an unspecified
"powerful new weapon" to Stalin; Stalin, who had known of its
existence long before Truman ever knew, through espionage,
encouraged the usage of any weapon that would hasten the end
of the war.
o Truman ordered the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima
while at the conference
 Why did they hold this conference?
 To decide how to administer the defeated Nazi Germany, that had
agreed to unconditional surrender nine weeks earlier on V-E Day.
 What were the goals of the conference?
38
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

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The establishment of post-war order, peace treaties, and countering the
effects of war.
Did much get done at the conference?
 No. Stalin & Truman had BIG philosophical differences on the
rebuilding of Eastern Europe
 Truman wanted free elections held in all Eastern European countries
 Stalin wanted those countries to be satellite countries to act as buffers
for potential future invasions of the U.S.S.R.
What did they actually decide?
 War-Crime Trials for top Nazi leaders would be held would be held
(Nuremberg Trials)
 Demilitarization & denazification of Germany
Pacific Theater
o
o
March 1945 = Gen. Douglas MacArthur is BACK!!!!!! 
 MacArthur liberates Manila (Philippines)! Island Hopping Rocks!


o
Atrocities for Bataan Death March revealed

Feb-April 1945 = Battle of Iwo Jima
39


o
25,000 American casualties 
Famous photo of Marines raising U.S. flag
April-June 1945 = Battle of Okinawa
 50,000 American casualties 
 Japan’s remaining defenses virtually destroyed.
 Nothing left (islands) to stop an Allied invasion of Japan.
40
o
o
o

July 16, 1945 = Trinity Test
 a nuclear test of a plutonium bomb 35 miles from Alamogordo, NM
 The Fat Man bomb, using the same conceptual design, was dropped on
Nagasaki, Japan, a few weeks later.
 The detonation was equivalent to the explosion of around 20 kilotons of TNT
and is usually considered as the beginning of the Atomic Age.
July 26, 1945 = Potsdam Declaration
 Don’t get this mixed up with the Potsdam Conference!!!
 Participants = Churchill, Truman and Chiang Kai-shek (China)
 The Soviet Union was not at war with Japan during the Potsdam
Conference, so they weren’t participants to this.
 What did they do?
 Issued the Potsdam Declaration which outlined the terms of surrender for
Japan during WWII in Asia.
 What did they declare?
 The agreement stated that if Japan did not unconditionally surrender, it
would face "prompt and utter destruction". This was an ultimatum with
a big threat w/o specifically mentioning of the atomic bomb.
August = Japan's refuses to the terms of Potsdam Declaration
 Why?
 Refuse to unconditionally surrender.
 The day we bombed Nagasaki there is evidence Japan was trying to
make a conditional surrender that the Emperor remain in power 
41
o
o
August 6, 1945 = Atomic bomb “Little Boy” dropped on Hiroshima
 Why did the Truman drop the bombs instead of an ariel attacks & U.S.
invasion of Japanese mainland?
 #1 reason: To save American lives!!!!! If lives have to lost let it be theirs.
Iwo Jima & Okinawa invasions = 70,000 American casualties. Invasion
of Japan would be much higher! 
 #2 reason: payback for Pearl Harbor & the Bataan Death March
 #3 reason: to intimidate the Soviet Union (next potential enemy of the
U.S.) by showing them what we had
 “Little Boy” bomb supposedly named for FDR
 Constructed through the Manhattan Project
 1st uranium-based atomic detonation ever
 Who dropped the bomb?




Dropped by the 12-man crew of the B-29 Super fortress Enola Gay,
piloted by Colonel Paul Tibbets of the United States Army Air Force.
How many were killed? as many as 140,000 people in Hiroshima
Why drop it on Hiroshima & not another city?
42

o
o
o
o
Industrial area with less civilians & the city had been spared
conventional bombing in order to serve as a pristine target, one where
the effects of a nuclear bomb on a previously undamaged city could be
observed.
 What did the tests reveal?
 The damage came from three main effects: blast, fire, and radiation.
August 8, 1945 = U.S.S.R. attacks North Korea & invades Japanese-held Manchuria
(fulfilling their part of the Yalta Agreement)
 The U.S. Senate ratified the UN charter becoming an official member, too. 
August 9, 1945 = “Fat Man” dropped on Nagasaki
 “Fat Man” supposedly named for Churchill
 It was a more powerful bomb with a plutonium core.
 Killed as many as 80,000 in Nagasaki
 The hilly terrain made damage somewhat less extensive than that in
relatively flat Hiroshima.
 Since then, thousands more have died from injuries or illness attributed
to exposure to radiation released by the bombs.
August 15, 1945 = Japan surrendered, thus bringing the war to an end.
 Emperor Hirohito announced Japan’s acceptance to the terms of the Potsdam
Declaration


V-J Day = Victory over Japan 
43
o
o
Sept. 2, 1945 = Japan signs the Instrument of Surrender = unconditional surrender
 Armistice ending the Pacific War and with it World War II.
 Signed on the deck of the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay
 Gen. Douglas MacArthur signs it as a witness on behalf of the Allied Powers
 Allied Powers allow Japanese Emperor to stay in power
o
o
War Crime Trials:
 1945-1946 = international military tribunal tried major war criminals in
Nuremberg, Germany; 12 criminals were sentenced to be hanged.
 1946-1948 = international military tribunal tried major war criminals in Tokyo,
Japan; 7 criminals were sentenced to be hanged
Minorities during WWII:
 Big Picture: The war helped to improve the conditions of some minorities, yet it also proved
to be a time of prejudice and discrimination for others.
 Black people and industry:
o 1941 = A. Philip Randolph, president of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters,
demanded that the government require companies receiving defense contracts to
integrate their work force.
 He planned a march on Washington D.C.!!!
 FDR made Executive Order 8802 in exchange for the march being cancelled 
 Executive Order 8802 = integrated the defense industries
 The Fair Employment Practice Commission (FEPC) was established by
Executive Order 8802 within the Office of Production Management to
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investigate alleged violations and "to take appropriate steps to redress
grievances which it finds to be valid."
Other changes involving black people:
o 2nd Great Migration
o Race riots throughout the war in 41 cities 
o CORE est. using sit-ins & demonstrations against segregation
o Smith v. Allwright (1944) = TX all-white primary elections unconstitutional (15th)
Mexican-Americans:
o 1942 = Mexico & U.S. governments agreed to a program by which Mexican contract
laborers would be admitted to the U.S. to work for a limited time
 The labor shortage provided these laborers w/ opportunities to work in
factories instead of only on farms
 The presence of teenagers, some of whom belonged to street gangs, created
conflicts in Anglo communities
o June 1943 = riots against these Mexican-American “zoot suit” teenagers (so called b/c
of their style of dress), in response to their alleged attacks on WWII servicemen,
resulted in A Los Angeles law prohibiting the wearing of the suits.
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 Police & media tended to side with the service men
 First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt sided with the Mexican-Americans 
Native Americans:
o During WWII many Indians served in military communications (movie: Windtalkers)
o Many left reservations to work in war production.
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o
The wartime atmosphere encouraged conformity & undermined the revitalization of
tribal autonomy.
Legacy of WWII:
 New U.S. position: U.S. emerged w/ minor casualties compared to the other Allies and the
Axis Powers
o It was the only nation possessing the atomic bomb!
o It became a SUPERPOWER and assumed leadership in world affairs.
 Economy: The war had a BIG effect on the U.S. economy.
o Many items were rationed during the war & continued to be in short supply for some
time thereafter.
o After FDR’s death, some wanted to dismantle the “welfare state.”
o Others wanted to continue the progress made in regard to the unemployed, the
elderly, health care, and race relations.
o People feared a return of economic depression after the war.
 Legacy: Federal bureaucracy expanded dramatically during the war, as did federal power.
o Government became the single most important force in American life.
o Geographic mobility increased as labor shortages created job opportunities.
o Blacks, women, and Mexican-Americans benefited.
o Pent up consumer demands exploded after the war.
o Higher birthrate accompanied an increase in marriages for returning veterans,
foreshadowing the “baby boom”: was separation also led to an increased divorce rate
for some.
Stuff I may have forgotten to mention:
 During WWII, the U.S. tried to extend greater cooperation w/ the nations in Latin America.
o Why? Scared fascism might spread down there! So, tried to make the entire Western
Hemisphere solidly anti-fascist!
 Remember these important WWII Conferences:
o Casablanca
o Tehran
o Yalta
o Potsdam
 Remember these important UN conferences:
o Dumbarton
o Yalta
o San Francisco
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