Download Chapter 26 – 60 million people died

Chapter 26 – 60 million people died. US moved towards military engagement – fought w/Allies. Got the US out of the great
depression –economic and social changes, new tech. and relationships also formed. Had to redefine American life.
The Road to War: Aggression and Response
 Resentments out of WW1, global depression, of 1930s led to WW2. Japan, Italy and Germany were in a depression,
solution was territorial expansion & military buildup. Other places including US looked at domestic ills. Int. Aggression.
Rise of Aggressor States – Japanese in 1931 took over Manchuria called it “Manchukuo.” – Violated League of Nations and
Kellogg-Briand Pact. Countries preoccupied with own problems – so League at first condemned Japan. US “nonrecognition”
 Japan dropped out of League (1935) Ultranationalist nations – Hitler’s Nazi Party came to power 1933. Was Fascist,
against Versailles, One party state, & specified on Aryan superiority. Out of league (1933) Doubled military expenditures.
Italy Mussolini 1922 came to power – 1935 military build up took over Ethiopia Italy prevailed.
Isolationist Sentiment & US Neutrality – Many Americans didn’t want to interfere. Historians felt Wilson went to war for
selfish reasons. 1934-6 Gerald P. Nye of N. Dakota held hearings = led to how only WW1 was war for elites. Polls, no A war
 “Merchants of death.” Congress enacted neutrality legislation – no financial ties w/warring countries. Neutrality Act 1935
& 6 – arms embargo, no loans to them and curtailed Americans other nations ships. Neutrality Act 1937 – “cash-&-carry”
wouldn’t trade w/ aggressive nations unless paid cash and carried on their own boat. – better for the US export
 . 1936 Hitler violated Versailles – remilitarized Rhineland - Mussolini and Hitler rose w/ US isolationism & British
appeasing Hitler. – Helped overthrow Franco (despot) overthrow Spanish Gov’t. Spain, Civil War for breeding fascists.
 Spain wanted help from Anti-fascist nations – only Soviet Union helped. Others = noninvolvement. Embargo to civil war
Growing Interventionist Sentiment – US conservative applauded Franco – social stability and religion. Left championed – many
“Abe Lincoln Brigade” helped Spain & Soviet. Isolationist vs. Interventionist split US. FDR leaning interventionist
The Mounting Crisis - Japan captured Shanghai, Beijing etc. after gunfire summer 1937. Tokyo took control over China –
planned to form East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere – no western influence/ economically sufficient. 1937 Panay sank –
American boat By Japanese planes. Japan apologized, but FDR alarmed by 300,000 Chinese killed in assault. Consult Britain.
 Interventionist alarmed by 1936 Germany and Italy agreed to cooperate as Axis Power + Japan. Germany left League 1938.
Hitler annexed Austria as part of Third Reich and wanted to take Sudetenland – Checz. May FDR increased navy past treaty.
Outbreak of War in Europe – France and Britain and Munich conference (1938) met w/Hitler to stop expanding. (Failure) 1939
Germans went into Prague and took rest of Checz. Germany signed nonaggression pact w/Soviet Union. Stalin and Hitler
secret plan to divide Poland and Baltic states. In 1939 fall Germany ready to attack Poland. Britain & France to help Poland
 Britain & France declared war against Germany 3rd Sept. Germany take over. Could not mobilize in time for war though.
Poles – fought but outnumbered and outgunned. Soviet troops also moved in. Weeks Poland fell. 1939 winter Ger. waited.
 April 1940 Germany went for “lighting war” –with better artillery and very good army. Shocked Allies. Hitler took over
quickly entire Atlantic Coast Line. Allies were too slow. Spain and Franco = neutral. 1940 May – Italy & Ger. vs Allies
America’s Response to War in Europe – FDR again neutrality – but was not impartial. 1939-41 urged public against Neutrality
Acts – “measures short of war” against axis. – Congress slackened “cash & carry” trade allowed w/Britain + France (Coast)
also allowed Selective Training & Service Act (1940) – 1st peacetime draft. Knox – Secretary of War, Stimson – Sec. of War
 August- Oct. Hitler almost knocked British Air Force of war. Then Hitler ordered bombing of London. – US sympathies.
Americans shocked at use of air power against civilians. 1940 FDR gave England 50 WW1 naval destroyers. – 8 naval
bases in British territory. – “destroyers-for-bases.” – Isolationists angry esp. Democrat Burton Wheeler. anti-war postcards
 Robert Wood (Sears’s owner) Charles Lindbergh campaigned pro-isolationism. But isolationist varied : Some pro
religion/anti war in general, some against centralization of Gov’t power, Roosevelt shared Anti-Semitic bond like Hitler
 Some anti-Semitism in US – German American Bund denounced “Jew Deal” – because FDR had Jew advisers. Congress
quashed Wagner- Rogers Bill would have increased immigration quota (20,000 Jewish children) Restrictive refugee quota
not even normal amount of Jews. Worse after 1941 – Hitler’s death camp established. Interventionist also grouped together
 Military Training Camps Association lobby for Selective Service Act + Committee to defend America by aiding Allies
made. 1940 election FDR not as pro-Allies. Against Wendell Willkie (republican) against war. FDR won third time.
An “Arsenal of Democracy” – Neutrality act amended – would “lend-lease of Britain.” US = Arsenal of Democracy. Debate
over Lend-Lease Wheeler brought up the destruction of farming surplus- hurt business. Also extended lease to Stalin after
attacked by Hitler. Wheeler did an investigation to see if Hollywood movies were pro-war (many Jews) Military strategy Brit.
 U.S marines in Green and Iceland to relieve British who occupied these places. Churchill and FDR met to form Atlantic
Charter (at Newfoundland) – endorsed free trade, against territorial expansion. Pledged new world org. for general security.
 Germany used “wolf packs”- submarines to attack U.S ships. ( Reuben James ship -1941- repealed neutrality act) US n/war
Pearl Harbor – 1939 US abrogated sales of U.S equipment to Japan – sided China for bolstering entrance to war. Germany’s
aggression raised stakes in Asia. But each busy w/war – during time Japan wanted to include SEA in East Asian Co-Prosperity
Sphere. After US embargo Japan military only increased not decreased. Japan went further into French Indochina for goods.
 Japan control of Indochina – unopposed; further took over. FDR froze Japanese assets 1941. esp. trade in petroleum. Dec
7th 1941 Pearl Harbor – 188 aircrafts destroyed, 2,200 Americans killed and 19 ships sunk. Japanese didn’t have much
power. Continued fighting – gambled risk a surprise attack. To weaken US power. General Hideki Tojo “ blind leap”
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America’s actions led to Pearl Harbor. 1934 – Gradually increased B-17 bombers and U.S Pacific fleet. ( Air attack
against Japan) – failed. Japan – MAGIC plan secret diplomatic codes were preparations to strike SEA. US underestimated
Japanese military planning. Dec 8th 1941 – war against Japan. Germany and Italy declared war on US three days later
Fighting the War in Europe
 Germany winning first few months that US entered – threatening to take Suez Canal, controlled Norway to Greece and
almost Soviet Union. Submarines everywhere. ( 7 million tons of allied ship sunk) First 16 months. Japanese also took
Philippines, Indonesia, and Burma etc.
 At the Omaha front D-day June 6th 1944 Allies 4,000 allies ships came in waves to confuse the Germans in Omaha Valley
in Normandy – and as they came in waves Germans couldn’t fight further so Allies secured coast w/ over 1 million people.
 Eisenhower’s plan for Military victory was put in – slowly through western front of Elbe River of Berlin, letting Soviets
take the casualties – Military Victory. But in holocaust 5-6 million people Jews killed out of 10 million. Many communists
etc also killed. Allies after victory didn’t really want to touch subject of Jewish immigrants. – so many died in death camps
 1945-6 24 German officials brought t to trail for crime against humanity – Swiss bank also lots of “Nazi Gold” not recently
investigated till 1997. Hitler’s suicide May 8th 1945 and Germans surrender. Germany & Austria under divided occupation
 Pacific war still not over – and had to transfer these places into political arrangements.
The Pacific Theatre
 Japan’s way first 6 months after Pearl Harbor – Bataan Death March 70,000 Americans & Filipino captives walked 60
miles with no food or water then on ships to prison camp. 7,000 died from harsh state, disease, hunger. Japan to Australia
Seizing the Initiative in the Pacific After loss of Coral Sea battle – Japan wanted to hit back hard so had a full out attack
planned midway – US (Chester Nimitz.) decoded it and could destroy 322 planes and sank four carriers. John Dower – War w/o
mercy. Japanese prisoners brutalized. Americans put pressure on Japan to let go of Australia. U.S played on Racial superiority.
China Policy – Joseph W. Stilwell (Vinegar Joe) who helped Chinese army didn’t see eye to eye w/ Jiang government head.
!943 so out of hand that FDR asked for Stilwell’s dismissal. Meanwhile Japan got 7 major airbases of US in China.
 China going through major civil war and changes- Mao Zedong coming to power. So Roosevelt continued to help Jiang
and got even Stalin to help Jiang instead of Mao. “China lobby” = what its called to put China along the world powers.
Pacific Strategy – MacArthur wanted Philippines at end of War and Nimitz wanted to advance to Japan through smaller islands
– did both. MacArthur moved to Guam and Nimitz to Marshall Islands. (1943-4)
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Gen. Macarthur strategies, N.Guinea + Marshall islands, Navajo language, strategic bombing,
American Air Force, gen. LeMay from Saipan said “Bomb and burn them until they quit”, attack
Tokyo on March 9 1945, destroy 267,000 buildings + 185,000 casualties. U.S’s “unconditional
surrender” policy…
A New President
- April 13, 1945, FDR dies from cerebral hemorrhage. =[ (defeated Dewey in 1944 elections)
A New President
FDR dead because of cerebral hemorrhage. Whole country mourned – he brought unity to people. FDR defeated Thomas
E. Dewey in 1944 elections marginally. Harry S. Truman (democrat), WW1 veteran, “little man from Missouri,” very
poorly prepared man for the job, nothing compared to Roosevelt, Knew very little about international relationships.
Atomic Power and Japanese Surrender – 1939 Albert Einstein (Jew from Ger.) Urged Roosevelt to build an Atomic Bomb (Los
Alamos New Mexico) - July 16th 1945 A-bomb successfully tried near Trinity Site Alamogordo, NM – let Truman know abt it.
 Truman and policy makers wanted to put it to use immediately, so that Soviet wouldn’t invade Pacific and Americans
wouldn’t die. Churchill called it “miracle of deliverance,” and a peace giver. Some hesitant about A-bomb. Jerome Frank
scientists wanted to scare Japan w/a demonstration. General Marshall suggested giving a warning. Most wanted to use it.
 August 6th and 9th 1945 A-bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. “Fat man” and “Little Boy” they were named. = new level of
violence produced. Paul Tibbets piloted first bombs plane. Mushroom Cloud / huge devastation, inaugurated “atomic age”
 August 15th Japan claimed defeat. September 2nd V-J Day – Japan formally signed surrender, upon Missouri in Tokyo Bay.
The War at Home: The Economy
Government’s Role in the Economy 30’s- depression left, and transformed government, business, labor force etc. Greater
government restriction of economy brought in through War Production Board, (conversion and expansion of factories), War
Labor Board (jurisdiction over labor-management) etc. 1940-5 GNP rose 15% or more. 300,000 planes made in various designs
 2.5 million Trucks, 50 million pairs of shoes “war of massed machines” – Hanson Baldwin. Scientific Research &
Development (R & D) double government funds/subsidizes compared to prewar. Office of Scientific R &D headed by
Vannevar Bush perfected penicillin, engines, rockets, radars etc. Refugees from Nazi tyranny got 24 Nobel prizes helped.
Business and Finance - Gov’t spending went from $ 9- 98 billion (1940). Debt went from $48- 280 billion. Many bought stocks
in war bonds and products. Got 25% consumer income! Psych motivator. Many day to day items became scarce (on ration)
 Higher taxes on wealthy – even out the wealth. Helped ease class tensions (rations, tax, war bonds etc.) Many New Deal
agencies dismantled. 1942 Republicans – GOP 44 seats and 7 in senate – anti new deal. Abolished WPA,CCC, NYA,REA,
and FSA. New Deal left. National Recovery Planning Board- budget lowered like crazy. Big business flourished.
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Social programs pushed aside. Coca-Cola and Wrigley’s Chewing Gum won important sugar allotments, arguing GI’s
overseas needed to enjoy them. Kaiser Corporation flourished; by 1943 handled 1/3 of the nation’s military and industrial
base for southern California. Cost-plus formula – guaranteed profit for manufacturers. Small business plagued out.
 Big business in 1940 had 30% of total manufacturing output by 1943 = 70% of total output. SB = civilian economy.
The Workforce – Composition of Work force became more female, minorities, black because all the white males had gone of to
war, and many forced to take in Mexicans (Bracero – guest farming.) Minority women got white collar jobs. Female baseball!
 Many women were lumberjacks, miners, shipbuilders etc. – still segregated. Married women got jobs. Unpaid labor now
taken by Elders, Women and Children (Red Cross, Recycling etc.) – responsibilities increased. Fair Employment Practices
Committee (FEPC) formed – for AA to get jobs once not available to them. No discrimination. Same pay for all (WLB)
 Twice as many AA held skilled jobs after the war compared to before. Men and women – higher wages & longer working
hours. Average weekly earnings during war rose 70%!!!! Incomes from Farming doubled and then doubled again.
Labor Unions – Union membership rose 50% during the war – women and blacks. Still mainly white. Women still segregated –
signed contracts saying would leave after the war was over, and equal wages if in “men’s jobs” (keep wages for after war).
 Veterans got preference once they came back from war. During war ¼ in automobile industry held by women. By 1946
only 7.5%. Unions wanted “family wage”- and many unions didn’t want AA and minorities because worked for lower and
their urge to get higher wages would deplete. FEPC fought AFL over this. Many whites not willing to integrate walked off.
 UMW strike even though not supposed to during war (1943) Lots in Detroit Smith-Connally act – gave president to seize
corporations if strikes interrupted war production. Assessing Economic Change – big government, big business, more
minority involvement, more paid unions, more science and technology, less agriculture, and more organized life institution
The War at home: Social Issues.
Wartime Propaganda – Many social changes, highlighted social inequalities, and 16 million served in military service, moved
away from home towns. Roosevelt asked Americans to preserve “American way of life-not save the world” instead of ideals.
 Frank Capra – movie director made patriotic movies like “Why We Fight,” with Norman Rockwell illustrated characters.showed portrayals of mass obedience by Germany, Italy etc. Many Actors received commissions to make movies for
army’s Pictorial Division. John Ford made documentaries Pearl Harbor etc. Print – sell benefit of freedom on products.
 Many on washing machines, lipstick etc. 1942 Roosevelt created Office of War Information (OWI) – critics charged at
slogans not substance aspect. – Had a published magazine called Victory – lots of films, posters, radio shows etc.
Gender Equality – Nostalgic life clashed with portrayal of equality of gender. 1,000 female pilots, 350,000 women volunteered
for military. But only 2% - still broke stereotypes. Some women saw equality as a threat to protective legislations (ERA) .
Gender differences narrowed by the war was considered only temporary and different not equal. Femininity and masculinity dif
 Military culture offered pin-up mentality towards women. – Often associated w/ sexuality. Mike Hammer buff, masculine
Racial Equality – WW2 made Racism worse and better. – Fought fascism, challenged old order. Wider popular of acceptance
that those racially unfit were because of culture not genetics. Northward Migration & Eleanor Roosevelt helped equality 4 black
 Irony in fighting for a country that was racially segregated. Amsterdam News – Harlem Newspaper called it, double V=
victory at home as well.
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