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WORLD WAR II (1941-1945) NEWFOUNDLAND CONFERENCE In August 1941, President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill met on the Battleship Prince of Wales Each wanted the world to know that the English-speaking nations would stand together Churchill had admired FDR for many years. He deferred to FDR because FDR had been in office longer than he and the U.S. was stronger FDR admired Churchill’s eloquence and determination The relationship between the two men led to a degree of military cooperation unparalleled in modern history Issued a statement of principles, which became known as the Atlantic Charter. It stated 1. Right of all people to self-government 2. Economic cooperation among all nations 3. Free access of all nations to trade and raw materials 4. Freedom of the seas 5. An abandonment of the use of force in settling international disputes RELATIONS WITH JAPAN DETERIORATES Japan continued to fight in China, while the U.S. increased its aid to the forces of Chiang Kai-shek Moreover, Japan took advantage in Europe by seizing French, British and Dutch possessions in Asia July 1941, Japanese troops occupied French Indochina FDR froze Japanese assets in the U.S. and placed an embargo on oil, steel, and other essential war supplies that American firms had been selling to Japan FDR issued a warning to Japan---- If they seize any more territory, then the U.S. would take “any and steps” necessary to protect its national interests Nov 1941, the Japanese government sent a special ambassador Saburo Kuruso, to Washington D.C. The Japanese were demanding that the U.S. would recognize Japanese conquests in China and Indochina and to stop sending aid to China, unfreeze Japanese assets and supply Japan with oil U.S. demanding that Japan withdraw from China and Indochina, recognize the nationalist government of Chiang Kai-shek and sign a nonagression pact with other Pacific nations Secretary of State Cordell Hull was pessimistic because he had special information. American intelligence agents had broken the Japanese code and knew from radio messages being exchanged among Japanese diplomats around the world that the Japanese were planning something. What was the plan? Americans did not know On November 25, 1941, a Japanese fleet had left Japan on a deadly mission to Hawaii PEARL HARBOR December 7, 1941 Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto believed that an attack on Pearl Harbor could deal a fatal blow to American power in the Pacific On December 7, 1941, a wave of 183 Japanese divebombers zoomed in to strike Pearl Harbor American ships were lined up like ducks on a pond The surprise is complete A bomb pierced the armor of the Battleship Arizona, setting afire its powder magazine, which exploded with such a force that the vessel split in two 8 battleships were sunk or badly damaged, 11 other vessels were put out of action 2,400 Americans were killed 1,200 Americans were wounded American leaders could hardly bring themselves to believe that the Japanese had outfoxed them However, soon the nation was united as never before On Dec.8, 1941, President Roosevelt asked Congress to recognize that a state of war existed between the United States and Japan FDR called December 7, 1941 “a date which will live in infamy.” He promised to avenge Pearl Harbor. “Always, we will remember the character of the onslaught against us. No matter how long it may take… the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.” Vote in Congress--- one no vote against a declaration of war. It was casted by Rep. Jeanette Rankin of Montana. She also voted against U.S. entry into WWI. She was the first female in Congress. She said she voted no because someone ought to vote no. GERMANY AND ITALY DECLARES WAR ON THE U.S. December 11,1941 Hitler declared war on the United States Why? “A great power like Germany declares war itself, and does not wait for war to be declared on it” states Hitler Furthermore, Italy declares war on the U.S. AXIS POWERS Japan, Italy, Germany ALLIES 49 nations by the end of the war Great Britain, China, Soviet Union, United States The U.S. would concentrate on defeating Germany. The more immediate danger was in Europe. JAPANESE AGGRESSION CONTINUES Boasted of having reduced the U.S. to the status of a third rate power. Statement was ridiculous Japanese took quick advantage of their success not only in knocking out the Battle fleet at Pearl Harbor and most America’s heavy bombers at Manila, but also wrecked the battle squadron at Singapore End of December 1941, Japan had captured Guam, Wake Island, and the British colony of Hong Kong PHILLIPPINES ARE CAPTURED January 1942, Japanese forces occupied Manila U.S. and Filipino troops were under the command of General Douglas MacArthur. He withdrew to the Bataan Peninsula There against overwhelming odds, they continued to fight, hoping to hold out until reinforcements could arrive. Lacking air and sea support MacArthur evacuated the island to Australia. MacArthur stated “I came through and I shall return” BATAAN DEATH MARCH The Japanese forced the defeated garrison of Americans & Filipinos to march 85 miles to board a train for internment in a prisoner-of-war camp. The overland journey proved to be a death march for thousands of men. They were beaten, starved, and tortured by their captors. 70,000 soldiers 10,000 died Didn’t have any drinking water MacArthur’s words “I shall return” became a battle cry, a pledge that the U.S. intended to redeem U.S. ACHIEVE VICTORIES IN THE PACIFIC The surviving American fleet in the Pacific was under the command of Admiral Chester W. Nimitz On May 7-8, 1942, the U.S. Navy battered a Japanese force heading for New Guinea, ending the immediate threat to Australia. This encounter was known as the Battle of the Coral Sea It was the first instance in which the Allies had succeeded in blocking Japan’s lightning-like progress in the Pacific BATTLE OF MIDWAY Turning point of the war Because it ended the possibility of a Japanese occupation of Hawaii These victories lifted the American morale in the spring of 1942 GUDALCANAL The Japanese, bent on controlling the South Pacific, began building an air base on Guadalcanal (Solomon Islands) in July 1942. They wanted to use the base for attacks on New Guinea and Australia and could block efforts to retake the Philippines 20,000 Americans were sent to seize the Island in August 1942 At a heavy cost, we finally cleared Guadalcanal in February 1943 The hard-earned victory brought a halt at last to the relentless southward advance of the Japanese SUBMARINE WARFARE The European theater of war was better supplied with both personnel and equipment Nazis---- “Wolfpacks”--- Consisted of 10 U-boats which would circle a convoy and strike the enemy simultaneously often at night In Sept. 1943, the Allies announced that using air patrols had sunk 90 Uboats. The Germans had lost their most experienced submariners and morale was low The U.S. now building merchant ships faster than U-boats could sink them. The Battle of the Atlantic had been won RUSSIANS STOP THE GERMAN ADVANCE Germans were bogged down in Russia Invasion at 1st went well for Germany Hitler was so confident of a quick victory that his troops had not even been supplied with winter uniforms Within 4 months, the German army took over 1 million prisoners and forced the Russians to draw back towards Moscow Hitler’s problems 1. His troops were deep inside the Soviet Union when the fierce Russian winter set in (made supply and communication almost impossible) 2. The Soviet “scorched-earth” policy----- A policy of destroying the resources of the country as the Red Army retreated made it impossible for the Nazis to live off the land At Moscow and Leningrad the Russians made a stand in the winter of 1941-1942. Not only did they prevent the Germans from capturing those cities, but they managed to gain back nearly a quarter of the territory they had lost In the summer of 1942, Germans launched an offensive that won control of the oil fields of the Caucasus STALINGRAD 3 months fought the German’s street by street, house by house and room by room Russian reinforcements surrounded the Germans and cutoff their supply routes Feb. 1943, the battered, frozen, starving, and demoralized German troops surrendered (94,000 & 24 generals) Hitler’s Russian campaign was in ruins AXIS POWERS THREATEN EGYPT Africa Germans and Italian forces were led by General Erwin Rommel, a hero in France Occupied much of Northern Africa from Tunisia to the Egyptian border This posed a threat to the Suez Canal The canal was Britain’s lifeline to the oilfields of the Middle East and India Rommel, the Desert Fox, began an offensive to take Egypt. He pushed the British troops to 70 miles from Alexandria by July Mussolini, sure of the outcome had shipped his favorite white horse to Africa to be ready for a victory parade through Cairo Cairo , the Egyptian capital Then, at El Alamein, a village on the Mediterranean Sea in northern Egypt, British troops under General Bernard Law Montgomery powerfully rallied and stopped Rommel’s advance Rommel pulled back at Tunisia in one of the longest retreats in history ALLIED FORCES IN AFRICA On Nov. 8, 1942, American and British units under General Dwight D. Eisenhower made landings in the French colonies of Morocco and Algeria IKE Dwight David Eisenhower (1890-1969) Commander of all United States forces in Europe Born in Texas and raised in Kansas Had an open manner and an infectious grin Descendant of Germans who had settled in Penn. in the 1730’s 1911 attended West Point where he was popular and in the top1/3 of his class He was a major and then promoted to brigadier general in 1941 Helped prepare Europe’s battle plan Commander of the theater of operations Genius for bringing men together Qualities included sincerity, genuine friendliness, humanity and a sense of dedication In 1943 , he took the Island of Sicily and led the invasion of Italy in September and the signing of an armistice with the defeated Italians Dec. 1944, he was promoted to the rank of General of the Army GENERAL GEORGE C. MARSHALL Chief of staff AFRICA Men of Rommel’s famed Afrika Korps put up tremendous resistance, but were doomed to failure. Cut off from their supply lines by Allied sea and air power, they were caught between and advancing armies of Eisenhower from the west and Montgomery on the east On May 12, 1943, after 7 months of intense fighting, the last of Rommel’s forces finally laid down their arms 55,000 men surrendered that day in Tunisia. They were some of the best fighting men in the German army Axis had lost control of North Africa and the Mediterranean Sea ARMED FORCES Vastly expanded immediately following the attack on Pearl Harbor Most of the draftees were under the age of 30 10 million people were drafted All men between 18-64 were required to register 5 million Americans volunteered for duty including women 1st time armed forces established women’s branches of the armed forces Women worked as ambulance drivers, mechanics, pilots, radio operators, clerical workers and nurses GI’s ---- Government Issue U.S. INDUSTRY GEARS UP FOR WAR January 1942, FDR created the War Production Board to mobilize the economy. The board supervised American industry to ensure the country would meet the needs of the Allied troops Car industry--- Switched to the production of tanks, airplanes, trucks and other military vehicles Goods were rationed---- sugar, coffee, meat and gasoline FINANCING THE WAR One way the government borrowed money was through the sale of war bonds Millions of workers at home and soldiers in the field purchased bonds 1941-1946 the sale of bonds raised $6 billion JAPANESE-AMERICANS After Pearl Harbor, many people feared that there might be some Japanese-Americans whose loyalty lay with Japan rather than the United States Especially on the West coast FDR convinced that the Japanese-Americans were a threat to national security Feb 1942, FDR authorized the forcible relocation of 100,000 people of Japanese ancestry (2/3 were U.S. citizens) With little warning, these people had to leave their houses and businesses which resulted in heavy financial losses They were moved to isolated camps and held there for the duration of the war Japanese-Americans remained loyal to the Allied cause Not one single Japanese-Americans was convicted of espionage Some were given the opportunity to enlist in the armed forces. More than 1,200 did so BENJAMIN O. DAVIS 1st African-American to be a major general Commanded a black unit, the 332nd Fighter Group in Italy 1944, black officers were being commissioned at the rate of 200 a month ELECTION OF 1944 Though aging and tired, FDR consented to run again Running mate was Harry S. Truman Republicans nominated Thomas Dewey, the governor of New York People were convinced that this was no time to elect a president inexperienced in the management of foreign affairs FDR is re-elected 53% of the popular vote and 432 electoral votes out of 531 By the end of 1942, the terrifying successes of Germany and Japan had ceased. The Allies were now ready to go on the offensive CASABLANCA Morocco Churchill and Roosevelt met in January 1943 Met to discuss their next moves Stalin was invited but declined which annoyed FDR and Churchill No American president had ever left the country during wartime, but FDR was convinced that it was essential for him to see his commanders and troops They decided that as soon as the fighting in Africa ended, the Allies would invade Italy Also, they decided it was time to send enough men and supplies to the Pacific to allow MacArthur and Nimitz to launch an offensive against the Japanese Finally, they decided to accept nothing less than unconditional surrender from the enemy INVASION OF ITALY (JULY 1943) U.S. and British troops of 160,000 men landed on the Italian island of Sicily By mid-August they had secured the island Loss of Sicily led to the overthrow of Mussolini A new Italian government ordered the arrest of the “Caesar”. Two months later, a daring German rescue party freed Mussolini and took him to Northern Italy where he was put in charge of a puppet government September 3, 1943, Allies set forth from Sicily to conquer the rest of Italy German soldiers were brought into Italy Allies now faced veteran Nazi troops GI’s were under General Mark Clark and entered the city of Naples. Attempting to outflank the Germans, they landed at Anzio (South of Rome) They ran into a relentless German defense and suffered heavy casualties June 1944, Clark finally entered Rome Italy was not liberated until May 1945 Mussolini was captured and eventually executed by anti-fascist Italians PLANS TO INVADE FRANCE Germany would be caught in the middle as Soviet forces pressed westward and American and British forces pushed eastward Greatest secrecy, Allied strategists laid their plans, the most elaborate in the history of warfare Operation Overlord--- code name Commanded by Ike Over 2 millionU.S., British, and other Allies were given special training in Britain Allied planes in the meantime bombarded the French coast, attempting to destroy Nazi lines of communication and transportation Germans were well entrenched Allies took special care to mislead the enemy. They established dummy installations in Britain and used false radio signals to convince the Nazis that plans were to invade Calais LIBERATION OF FRANCE June 6, 1944 D-Day (Operation Overlord) began 3 divisions of paratroopers dropped silently behind German lines to sabotage transportation and communication systems Allied ground forces were under the command of General Omar Bradley who was called the GI’s General Casualties on the Normandy beaches were high Allies succeeded in establishing 5 beachheads where they could land more men and supplies Toughest fighting took place on Omaha Beach. There the Allies encountered a German division that had been moved into that position By nightfall of D-Day 155,000 men were ashore Within 1 month a million Allied troops had landed in Normandy, along with 172,000 vehicles and more than ½ million tons of supplies Invasion was a success August 25, 1944, after 3 months of fighting, Allied troops moved into the French capital Meanwhile on August 15, a combined force of American, British and French soldiers landed at Toulon on the southern coast of France and was racing northward along the Rhone Valley General George Patton commanded the 3rd Army and was heading with his armored units in a spectacular advance from Normandy through Brittany and northern France By November the Germans had been cleared out of France GERMANS LAST OFFENSIVE Hitler personally directed one last desperate counteroffensive On December 16, 1944, taking the Allies off guard, the Nazis attacked along a 50 mile front in the thinly held area around the Ardennes Forest in Belgium Hitler hoped to cut the Allied forces in two, leaving the northern half without supplies Allies were driven back 65 miles which created a bulge in their line of defense Battle of the Bulge Allied troops stood their ground at the town of Bastogne in the freezing winter weather Surrounded by Nazi troops, the Allies were led by an airborne commander Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe By the end of January 1945, the Germans had lost every inch of territory they had taken and 120,000 men The Americans paid a huge price. We had 77,000 casualties YALTA CONFERENCE February 1945 at Crimea on the Black Sea Big Three attended--- FDR, Churchill and Stalin They discussed strategy for ending the war and agreed on postwar settlements Concluded plans for the unconditional surrender of Germany Germany would be divided into 3 zones 1. United States 2. Britain 3. Soviet France given a zone out of the U.S. and British zone City of Berlin which was deep inside the Soviet zone would be split into 3 zones as well East Prussia would be divided between Poland and the Soviet Union Announced that a meeting would be held at San Francisco to established a new organization for keeping peace (United Nations) Stalin made several commitments 1. Promised to declare war on Japan within 3 months after Germany surrendered 2. Poland and other East European nations would have free elections (where Russian troops were in or occupied) 3. He promised to sign a friendly pact with the Chinese government of Chiang Kai-shek FDR and Churchill made concessions 1. Russia would gain control of the Japanese Islands off the Pacific coast of the Soviet Union 2. Occupy Outer Mongolia 3. U.S.S.R. would receive half of any war reparations that Germany would be forced to pay Yalta agreements ----- It was foolish to trust Stalin FDR DIES When FDR returned from Yalta he was exhausted Went to Warm Springs, Georgia for a rest On April 12, 1945, he suddenly died of a stroke Churchill later said that he sat speechless for 5 minutes after hearing the news. In a eulogy to Parliament he called Roosevelt “the greatest champion of human freedom who has ever brought help and comfort from the New World to the Old.” Had occupied the White House for 12 years Harry S. Truman becomes President Truman confessed to having doubts. The day after taking office he said to the press corps “when they told me yesterday what had happened, I felt like the moon, the stars and all the planet had fallen on me.” GERMANY SURRENDERS Germany’s cities were under heavy bombardment and its borders were being overrun from the east and from the west In chaos, its leaders were holed up in an underground bunker in the capital and its people were dazed and dispirited Hitler commits suicide on April 30, 1945 Berlin falls two days later On May 8, 1945 V-E Day NAZI ATROCITIES The Nazis had set up enormous concentration camps for the purpose of murdering human beings Extermination of Europe’s Jews ----- 2/3 6 million Jews died in these camps Known as the Holocaust Millions of other Europeans were murdered including Poles, Russians, and opponents of Nazism Hitler believed that Germany had lost World War I because the disloyalty of the Jews on the homefront In 1945-46, Allied courts tried German’s accused of war crimes Hundreds were executed ALLIES PREPARE FOR THE INVASION OF JAPAN 3 Objectives 1. Recapture the Philippines 2. Cut Japanese lines of transportation and communication 3. Set up bases from which Japan itself could eventually be attacked These objectives would be accomplished through a strategy called “island-hopping” Allied troops would capture strategic islands Admiral Nimitz’s forces was to move on Japan from the central Pacific, taking the Gilbert, Marshall, Caroline, and Mariana Islands PHILIPPINES ARE LIBERATED October 1944, General MacArthur fulfilled his longstanding promise to liberate the Philippines After two years of slogging their way up from New Guinea and fighting one bloody engagement after another his men ashore on Leyte (Lay-tay) located in central Philippines Battle of Leyte Gulf * Greatest naval engagement of all-time * The Allies smashed the Japanese fleet once and for all * March 9, 1945, after 3 months of fighting the Japanese forces surrender to the Americans AMERICAN TROOPS ADVANCE TOWARD JAPAN A fleet under the command of Admiral Bull Halsey was beginning to roam at will along the coasts of Japan In February 1945, U.S. Marines landed on the island of Iwo Jima. It was selected because it was close enough to Japan and would be used as a base to step up efforts to bomb Japanese cities Push forward to Okinawa Kamikazes--- Japanese pilots who flew their planes into ships. In essence they were on suicide missions. All told they destroyed 200 ships SCIENTISTS DEVELOP THE A-BOMB In 1938, scientists had known it was possible to split the atom August 1939, Albert Einstein, the most brilliant scientist of the century and recently arrived in the U.S> as a refugee from Germany. He wrote to FDR about the possibility to produce a very powerful bomb In 1940, work began on the project It was called the Manhattan Project. The project was established at Los Alamos, New Mexico (work done in secrecy) July 16, 1945, the first test took place in the desert July 26, 1945, the Allied leaders issued this warning to Japan. “The alternative to surrender is prompt and utter destruction.” Japan does nothing Truman was convinced that Japanese military forces would never surrender unless American troops actually invaded and conquered their homeland Military strategists estimated that it would take at least 18 months and the loss of one million lives to reach the objective Truman ordered the bomb dropped in order to save thousands and thousands of American lives ATOMIC WEAPONS END THE WAR On August 6, 1945, a B-29 carrying an atomic bomb took off from Tinian Island in the Marianas and headed for Hiroshima Bomb had a force of 20,000 tons of TNT 78,000 people killed and another 70,000 were wounded Japan still did not give up On August 8 the Soviet Union declares war on Japan On August 9, 1945 the U.S. drops another bomb on Nagasaki which killed 240,000 Finally, on August 14 Japan surrenders unconditionally V-J Day September 2, 1945 in Tokyo Bay on the board of the U.S.S. Missouri with General MacArthur the peace treaty is signed. World War II had ended 5 STAR GENERALS DURING OR AFTER THE WAR 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Douglas MacArthur George Marshall Dwight Eisenhower Omar Bradley Hap Arnold