Download World War II 1941 to 1945

World War II 1941 to 1945
Objectives:
10.01 Elaborate on the causes of World War II and reasons for the United
States’ entry into the war.
10.02 Identify military, political, and diplomatic turning points of the
war and determine their significance to the outcome and the aftermath of
the conflict.
Reviewing World War I
The reasons for World War II began as soon as World War I ended in 1919. Remember, a war does not
start overnight. The seeds of war begin much earlier than the spark.
Let’s review the causes of World War I.
Identify the causes of World War I.
How did this cause lead to World War I?
M-
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What are the two causes for US entry into World War I? 1.
2.
After the United States entered World War I in 1917, the war quickly ended. The Doughboys, US soldiers,
brought fresh energy and strength to the war. President Wilson tried to bring peace to Europe. He created the 14
Points, which was suppose to ensure a lasting peace. His 14 Points formed the Treaty of Versailles. The Treaty
of Versailles created the League of Nations. This League of Nations was collective security. Collective security
means that an attack on one country in the League was an attack on all. Its was an alliance system. The Treaty of
Versailles was NOT signed by the US, which means that the US did not join the League of Nations. Henry Cabot
Lodge, a US senator, objected to the Treaty of Versailles because of the League of Nations. The League of Nations
went against the US foreign policy of isolationism. Instead, it wanted the US to change to an
involvement/intervention foreign policy. The League of Nations was weak because after World War I, the only
nation that was strong was the US. The big nations involved in the League were Britain and France, which were
weak after all of their losses in World War I. The US failure to join the League made the League unable to enforce
peace. Understand that sometimes you have to threatened war/violence in order to achieve peace.
After the US did not sign the Treaty of Versailles, it returned to its foreign policy of isolationism. The US
economy began booming and Americans began buying products. The government returned to its laissez-faire
policy. This policy allowed businesses to operate freely with no government interference. The US would soon pay
for this policy with the Stock Market Crash on October 29, 1929. The US quickly plunged/fell into a depression,
which we know as
. Americans lost their faith in hard work
and the government until Franklin D. Roosevelt became President in 1932. His New Deal helped the American
people get out of the Great Depression, but it was really World War II that brought the US out of the depression
completely.
What are the causes of World War II?
During the 1920s, times were hard for Europe. America was doing great, but other countries economies
were completely destroyed by World War I. Some people reacted better to a weak economy than others. Germany
was hit the hardest. Remember in the Treaty of Versailles, Germany accepted all the blame for World War I.
Another part of the Treaty of Versailles stated that Germany had to pay reparations (meaning payments) for all the
damage in World War I to the Allies. Britain and France were eager for the reparations because their economy
sucked. Germany had a huge problem. They did not know how to make the payments. Understand that the
Germany economy was completely destroyed by World War I. Their natural resources were taken from them in the
treaty. Germany could not rebuild their factories because they had no money or natural resources to supply the
factories. In 1923, Germany failed to make its reparation payments to Britain and France. This was bad.
The US decided it would come up with a plan to help Germany. It was called the Dawes Plan. The US
loaned money to Germany, which could then pay Britain and France. Britain and France could then pay the US for
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all the war materials they had purchased during World War I. Germany then had to repay the US for the loan
amount. The US was able to continue loaning money to Germany until the Great Stock Market Crash in 1929.
Once, the Stock Market crashed, the US stopped the loans and Germany was no longer able to make their
reparation payments to Britain and France. The world fell into a depression along with the US.
The rise of totalitarian governments began in the 1920s as a result of World War I. A
totalitarian government is one that restricts personal freedoms and stops all political opposition.
Benito Mussolini gained political power in Italy in 1922. Mussolini created fascism. In a fascist
government, people are not allowed to speak against the government and power normally rests in
the hands of one person. Mussolini gained power quickly because he promised the Italian people
a return of glory. He encouraged nationalism. Italians were proud to be Italians again. Mussolini
inspired another guy to become fascist. His name was Adolf Hitler. These two crazy men will form a friendship
and an alliance for world domination.
The Weimar Republic was formed by the Allies after World War I. The Weimar Republic was the new
government of Germany. It replaced the Kaiser, a monarchy, with a democratic government. Germany had never
been a democratic government and Britain, France, and the US were not very good teachers. The Weimar Republic
struggled terribly. They had an amazing amount of debt from World War I and their economy was destroyed. The
Weimar Republic tried to help its people, but it will fail. The odds were too great and the opposition (Hitler) was
too strong.
Adolf Hitler was a soldier in World War I. After the war, he was extremely bitter. He
believed that Germany got a raw deal with the Treaty of Versailles. A political party, the Nazis,
formed in Germany because they disliked the treaty. Many Germans believed that the treaty was
unfair and they began to listen to the Nazi Party. Hitler was arrested and given a jail sentence. He
had tried to overthrow the Weimar Republic in 1923. While in jail, Hitler reflected on World War I
and all the problems in the world. Hey, he was in jail and had nothing else to do! While in jail, he
wrote a book called Mein Kampf. Many Germans read this book and believed that Hitler made
perfect sense. Hitler said that the Treaty of Versailles was wrong. He preached that the only reason Germany lost
World War I was because it had a two-front war. This meant that Germany fought Russia and France at the same
time, splitting their army in two. He said that in the next war, Germany must not have a two-front war.
He also stated:
1. Only way to stop Jewish people from conquering the world was by eliminating them (removing them
from society)
2. Germany must find Lebensraum – living space
3. Germans needed space for the superior German master race (Aryan race) to exist and flourish
The Nazi Party gained political power and Hitler became their leader. Whenever people are poor, they will
listen to anyone that offers them help. Well, people in Germany were pretty poor and they needed help, which is
what the Nazi Party promised. This is no different that what President Franklin D. Roosevelt had done. He
promised relief, recovery, and reform with the New Deal. The only difference is that FDR did not blame a race of
people for the US economic problem as did Hitler.
While Germany and Italy were developing new political ideas, Japan was formalizing their
plans for worldwide domination too. Japan was ruled by Emperor Hirohito. Japan is a tiny island
nation. It is mountainous and does not contain a lot of natural resources. It began to build up its
armies and decided that the best way to get natural resources was by conquest. Japan began to
conquer countries in Asia in the early 1900s. They conquered Korea and occupied Manchuria. By
1937, it was obvious to the world that Japan would continue to conquer nearby countries. The US got
very upset because China was a neighboring country to Japan. Americans feared that Japan would try to invade
China and stop the US foreign policy with China known as
. The US will react once Japan invades China in 1937.
Another problem area was developing in the Soviet Union. Joseph Stalin became the new
leader of the communist nation. His personality was uncompromising and militant. Stalin ruled the
Soviet Union firmly. He was also upset about the results of World War I. Remember, the
Bolshevik Revolution in 1917 resulted in Russia withdrawing from World War I. Russia signed a
separate treaty with Germany. In this treaty, Russia lost a lot of land. Stalin was upset about the
land lost.
The United States tried to maintain its neutrality/isolationism. The Kellogg-Briand Pact was signed in
1928 by most major countries including the US. The Kellogg-Briand Pact stated that offensive war was illegal.
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Offensive war meant that a country conquered another country for land gain. The Pact made this type of war
illegal. The biggest problem is that sometimes a country has to threaten war to get an aggressive country to back
down and to maintain peace. I know it sounds weird, but sometimes the threat of violence ensures peace. Think
about it this way: the threat of not passing the course and the EOC keeps you doing your work!
Americans were also upset about the war industries during World War I that had made billions of dollars.
Some Americans believed that the ammunition and gun manufacturers promoted the US entering World War I.
People felt that these “Merchants of Death” wanted the US to enter WWI so that they would make more money.
Americans felt that they have sacrificed their soldiers and food so that these greedy companies could make money.
Because of the Merchants of Death, Americans held more firmly to their isolationist views. Let’s review real quick
what we have covered so far of the causes for World War II.
1. Who controlled Italy?
2. What type of government was forming in the 1920s that stressed extreme nationalism, censorship of the
media, and power resting with a single individual?
3. What was the name of the book that Hitler wrote discussing the problems of World War I?
4. Why did Germans hate the Treaty of Versailles?
5. How did Americans feel after WWI?
How effect did this have
on the US foreign policy?
Once Hitler seized power of the Weimar Republic in 1933 and became the new Chancellor and established
the Third Reich, he began to break the rules in the Treaty of Versailles. Hitler began building a
military. This was against the treaty. The rearmament (meaning having weapons) of Germany
was illegal. Hitler began to secretly rearm Germany in 1933 and by 1935 the world discovered that
he was rebuilding a German military. France, the bordering country to Germany, got very scared. Remember, they
were quickly invaded and defeated in World War I. The one thing they knew for sure was that Germany having a
military meant bad things for France.
Germany and Japan quit the League of Nations in 1933. Remember, the purpose of the League of Nations
was to stop all offensive, land grabbing, wars. When Germany and Japan told the League they were quitting, the
League did nothing. The League could not keep Germany and Japan in the League because they were too weak.
All the other League nations were still suffering from economic problems due to World War I and the Great
Depression in the US. So Germany and Japan had different thoughts and now they had the chance to do as they
pleased. They wanted to grab as much land as they could get. Once Germany and Japan leave the League of
Nations, they begin to do whatever because there was no consequence for their action.
Hitler defies the League of Nations in his next action by annexing the
Rhineland in 1936. Hitler wanted this land that borders between France and Germany
because of its natural resources. Hitler needed these resources for the factories in
Germany and to build military equipment. The League did nothing to stop Hitler. Hitler
learned a valuable lesson here, he could do as he pleased without any consequences. So
naturally his next move was to annex Austria in 1938. This is called the Anschluss. The
Treaty of Versailles explicitly stated that Germany could never be united with Austria
again due to their alliance in World War I. However, Hitler breaks this rule and
Germany and Austria are now united.
The US responded to all these land grabbing incidents with the Neutrality Acts. The Neutrality Acts
stated that the US would not trade with any aggressive, warring country. This meant the US ended trade with
Germany, Italy, and Japan. These acts reinforced the US foreign policy of isolationism.
Japan was busy too. Remember, they invaded China in 1937. This made the US very upset because it
threatened US trade interests in China. President FDR sent weapons and aid to China.
This broke the US Neutrality Acts, but he did it anyways. FDR felt he had to because US
trade was more important in this regards. FDR reconfirmed US views of neutrality and
isolationism with the Quarantine Speech. In the Quarantine Speech, FDR stated that if
countries who wanted peace would not trade with warring countries, then these warring
countries would stop. He advised other countries to isolate Italy and Japan in particular
because of Italy’s aggression in Africa and Japan’s aggression in Asia.
In 1938, Britain, France, Italy, and Germany agreed to meet in Munich, Germany. Their meeting is known
as the Munich Peace Conference. Britain was represented by Prime Minister Chamberlain, France by Daladier,
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Italy by Mussolini, and Germany by Hitler. At the conference, Britain and France expressed their concern that
Hitler was being too aggressive. He had taken Austria and the Rhineland. Hitler told them that he would not take
any more land if they agreed to allow Germany to annex the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia. Britain and
France had promised that they would protect this region from Hitler, but they appeased Hitler. Appeasement is the
agreement to give up something at a moral cost. Britain and France sacrificed Sudetenland area in hopes of
maintaining peace in Europe. Hitler promised that he would be good from now on and follow all the rules. After
the conference, Hitler took all of Czechoslovakia. Britain and France did nothing to Germany. However, they did
begin to build up their military. Chamberlain realized that a war with Germany was coming, so he got Parliament
to spend money building ships and training soldiers for war.
In 1939, Hitler wanted a little more protection than he had already. He had made an alliance with Italy and
Japan. This alliance was called the Berlin-Rome-Tokyo Axis. Hitler asked Stalin, the leader of
to agree to form an alliance with Germany. This alliance between Germany and the Soviet Union
was known as the Non-Aggression Pact. Stalin and Hitler agreed not to attack each other. Instead, they decided
that they should attack Poland together. The attack on Poland caused Britain and France to declare war on the
Axis Powers September 3, 1939. World War II began and the US declared neutrality.
Review Causes of World War II
Long Term Causes for World War II years
to
Short Term Causes for World War II years
Cause
Year(s) Explanation
Treaty of Versailles
1919
1920s
Weimar Republic
to
Type of government that stresses nationalism, censors the media, and
power rests with an individual.
Weak government created after WWI.
Financial payment plan created by the US to help Germany make
reparations payments.
Mein Kampf
Kellogg-Briand Pact
Third Reich
1920s
1933
Annexation of Rhineland
Anschluss
Munich Peace Conference
Outlawed offensive war
What Americans called the industries that sold war materials in WWI
Hitler broke Treaty of Versailles
1930s
1937
1938
Issued by US that reinforced the neutral/isolationist foreign policy
Caused the US to send supplies to China to fight the Japanese
Signed between Hitler and Stalin stating they would attack Poland
together
1939
Britain and France declare war on the Axis Powers
Europe at War
Hitler and Stalin invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. The conquest of Poland was quick and easy.
Hitler used the battle tactic of blitzkrieg. Blitzkrieg means lightning warfare. A blitzkrieg is a military tactic using
air power and tanks before sending in the ground forces. It worked very well and Hitler conquered more countries
after Poland. In April 1940, Germany conquered Denmark and Norway. Then in May, Germany launched a
blitzkrieg on Belgium, the Netherlands, and France. These countries quickly fell. Germany was now in a position
to launch an air strike on Britain.
A new Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, was elected in Britain. The Battle of Britain
started in July and ended in October 1940. Germany launched a major air offensive against
Britain. The British were able to stop the onslaught causing Germany to abandon their conquest
plans. Germany now had to figure out another country to attack and conquer. Hitler turned his
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attention to the Soviet Union. What is the problem with Hitler attacking the Soviet Union?
Stalin was shocked, but he quickly recovered by joining the Allies. The Allies were Britain, France, and the Soviet
Union.
Britain was struggling to fight off Germany. Germany was powerful, especially with all these conquered
nations under its belt. Below in the boxes, list the countries that Germany conquered by 1941.
Germany
The US became very concerned about Britain’s ability to fight off Germany. So, the US created the LendLease Act. This act enabled the US to provide war supplies to Britain. Even though the US agreed to sell war
materials to Britain, the US would not transport the war supplies to Britain. This allowed the US to remain
officially neutral while helping Britain. In order to ensure that the supplies got to Britain, the US brought back the
convoy system. Remember, the US used the convoy system in World War I. A convoy system uses battleships to
surround a merchant ship.
FDR and Churchill agreed to secretly meet in August 1941 in Newfoundland. At this meeting, Churchill
and FDR created the Atlantic Charter. The Atlantic Charter created a plan that would ensure peace and freedom
after World War II was over.
What was the problem with this meeting?
Why did the US enter WWII?
The US had placed an embargo on Japan. An embargo is when a country
refused to trade with another. What was the name of the speech in which FDR
asked for an embargo on aggressive nations?
Japan was very upset with the US and other countries
because of the embargo. They did not have steel or oil, which they normally
traded with the US to get. Now that the US refused to sell to them, Japan felt it
was time to conquer areas. This is why Japan invaded Manchuria and China
earlier. Japan then began attacking Southeast Asia and the Dutch East Indies.
Japanese General Tojo Hideki decided it was time to reduce the threat of
the US naval forces at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto helped plan the surprise attack
on Pearl Harbor. On December 7, 1941, the US military base at Pearl Harbor was attacked by Japan. The surprise
attack on Pearl Harbor killed and wounded nearly 3,000 people. Americans were outraged. FDR knew that this
attack could not go unpunished. On December 8, 1941, FDR addressed the
American people. In his speech, he stated that the attack on Pearl Harbor was
“a day which will live in infamy.” Infamy is just a fancy word for saying that
something is famous for a bad reason. Al Capone, the gangster bootlegger,
was infamous. During this speech, FDR asked Congress to declare war on
Japan. Congress agreed. Later, they approved a declaration of war against
Germany and Italy. The US was now a member of the Allies. The Allies
were now Britain, France, the Soviet Union, and the US.
Americans enlisted in the military the day after Pearl Harbor. Americans were ready for the war because
Congress had passed the Selective Service Act in 1940. It was the first peacetime draft. World War II would be a
two-front war for the US. The US will have to fight Germany and Italy in Europe and Japan in the Pacific. Both
areas would be challenging and difficult.
Attack on Pearl Harbor
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1. What caused the US to enter WWII?
2. Why did the Japanese attack the US?
3. Who said that December 7, 1941 was “a day that will live in infamy”?
The US is in it to Win it!
European Front
The European front refers to the war in Europe against Germany and Italy. FDR felt that it was necessary
to make another speech that you need to know. Sorry, but he wanted the American people to support the war effort.
He said that there were four freedoms that were essential for liberty. This speech is called the Four Freedoms.
These freedoms are:
1. freedom of speech and expression
2. freedom of every person to worship God in his own way
3. freedom from want (meaning that you have no unmet physical needs like food or shelter)
4. freedom from fear (meaning you don’t have to be afraid that your neighbor will attack you)
Once the US joined WWII, the war strategy was to invade Africa first. FDR and Churchill had agreed
earlier that the best strategy to win WWII was to defeat Germany first. Churchill was interested in this because he
wanted Europe (his hometown) to be free of Hitler. The invasion of Africa was
called Operation Torch. The Allies wanted to invade Africa then cross the
Mediterranean Sea to invade Italy. The only problem with Africa was German
General Erwin Rommel. General Rommel was a tough old guy and was good at
fighting. The fighting began in November 1942. Once, the US arrived in Africa,
Rommel was pushed too far and fled Africa. The Axis Powers surrendered in May 1943. The next move by the
Allies will be to push into Italy.
Churchill and FDR met at Casablanca. They discussed the Allies next move. Stalin did not attend the
meeting. Churchill and FDR agreed that Italy must be the next invasion point. Also, they agreed that it was time to
launch an attack against Japan in the Pacific area. The most important decision of this meeting was Churchill and
FDR’s agreement that the Axis Powers must surrender unconditional. Unconditional surrender is when the
winners set all the terms of a peace treaty. What other war did the US fight in which it would only accept
unconditional surrender?
US General George S. Patton led the attack on Italy in July 1943. Mussolini was quickly captured.
German troops moved into Italy and did not surrender until May 1944. The US lost over 190,000 soldiers in the
Italian campaign.
The invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941 forced Stalin to join the Allies. As the war progressed, the
German Army’s brutality increased. The Russian Army, Red Army, decided it was
time to make a stand at a city called Stalingrad. The Battle of Stalingrad started in
September 1942. It was cold and the German Army was not ready for it. The Soviets
were accustomed to the cold winter. The Soviets defeated the Germans, but at great
cost. The Soviets and Germans lost many men. The significance of the Battle of
Stalingrad is that it was a turning point in World War II because it was the first time
the German Army was stopped in an invasion attempt.
The Big Three, FDR, Churchill, and Stalin, met in Tehran. Their meeting was
called the Tehran Conference. At this meeting, the Big Three agreed to invade
another area to alleviate/ease the Soviet Army. Stalin felt that Britain and the US
needed to keep Hitler occupied in another area besides Italy. If Hitler was busy in three places (Italy, France, and
the Soviet Union) it would lessen the number of soldiers Hitler had for the invasion of the Soviet Union. It was
selfish of Stalin, but his army was getting exhausted and a second front (a 2nd point of
attack by Britain and the US) would help him. The Big Three began planning Operation
Overlord.
Operation Overlord was the code name for the DDay invasion. US General Dwight D. Eisenhower was
made the Supreme Allied Commander led the allied forces at
D-Day. On June 6, 1944 the Allies stormed the beaches at
Normandy, France. The invasion of Normandy was rough
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and many soldiers were killed. Once, the Allies won the beaches of Normandy, the Allied army moved into Paris.
Paris (the capital of France) was liberated on August 25, 1944.
Germany was now in full retreat. The Allies were pushing into Germany from all angles. The Allied army
was coming from the South (Italy), the West (France), and the East (Soviet Union). The Allied army was pinning
Hitler in. Hitler knew this and decided it was time to stop the invading Allied army.
The last counterattack by Germany was the Battle of the Bulge. A counterattack is when a losing army
tries to attack an invading army to stop them. Hitler ordered the German Army to stop the invading Allies at all
cost. The German Army pushed into the Allied army line, but lost the battle. The Allied forces continued pushing
into Germany.
In February 1945, the Big Three met again at Yalta. This is called the Yalta Conference. Roosevelt,
Churchill, and Stalin discussed what would happen when WWII ended. Stalin promised to declare war on Japan
once Germany was defeated. Stalin also stated that he would allow free elections in the countries that he was
occupying. In exchange for this, Roosevelt and Churchill agreed that the Soviet Union would keep Poland, have
rights to some islands and China. Also, the Soviet Union would get half of their money back in reparations
payments from Germany once the war was over. The most important thing decided at Yalta was the decision to
divide post-war Germany into four zones and create the United Nations. Each zone would be controlled by one of
the Allies: France, Britain, the US, and the Soviet Union. The United Nations would replace the League of Nations
and try to maintain peace.
As April approached, the Allies were pushing into Germany from all angles. Hitler decided that defeat was
inevitable and felt it would be better to commit suicide. Hitler and his new wife, Eva Braum, committed suicide on
April 30, 1945. Germany surrendered on May 8, 1945, V-E Day. It means Victory Over Europe. However,
Roosevelt did not get to see the end of World War II. He died on April 12, 1945 and his Vice President Harry S.
Truman became the President.
Map of Europe
Answer the following questions on the map below.
1. What country did Hitler rule?
Label it.
Shade the area red.
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2. What country did Mussolini rule?
Shade the area red. Label it.
3. What countries made up Berlin-Rome axis?
and
Shade
them red. Label it.
Shade the area red. Label it.
4. What land did Hitler annex in 1936?
5. What was the Anschluss?
Shade the area red. Label it.
6. Other than Germany and Italy, what two other countries met at the Munich Peace Conference?
and
Shade these areas blue. Label
them.
7. What was the result of the Munich Peace Conference?
Shade the area red. Label it.
8. Name the countries that signed the Non-Aggression Pact.
and
9. Name the country that was invaded by Germany causing Britain and France to declare war.
Shade the area red. Label it.
10. Name the countries that Hitler conquered following the outbreak of war in 1939.
,
, and
Shade these areas red. Label them.
11. What was the name of the country that changed their alliance with Germany in 1941 and joined the Allies?
Why?
Shade this area blue. Label it.
12. Identify the water area that Operation Torch wanted to cross over to get into Italy.
Label it.
13. Identify the invasion point of Operation Overlord.
What is
Draw a black line where
another name for Operation Overlord?
Operation Overlord took place. Label it.
14. What countries made up the Big Three?
,
, and
15. What color is represented the most?
Why?
Pacific Front
The war in the Pacific refers to the war with Japan. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Americans were very
angry. They enlisted in the military. US General Douglas MacArthur was appointed to lead the Allied forces in the
Pacific. He was stationed in the Philippines when the US entered WWII. Japan began invading the Philippines.
MacArthur quickly evacuated the Philippines, but some soldiers were left behind and were captured by the
Japanese Army. The war in the Pacific would use air and naval power.
The Battle of Midway started in June 1942. US Admiral Chester Nimitz was
stationed at Midway, which was an island blocking a full invasion of Hawaii by Japan.
Japan felt that Midway would be highly defended. The US stopped the Japanese at the
Battle of Midway by blowing up the Japanese naval fleet. This battle was a turning point
in WWII because Japan was never able to rebuild its naval fleet.
MacArthur realized that the only way to defeat Japan
was by attacking it at its weakest points. He developed the
tactic of island hopping. Island hopping was used by the Allies to attack the weakest
fortified islands then moving up to islands closer to Japan. Island hopping is like leap
frog. So the Allies will leap frog their way to victory in the Pacific.
The Japanese began to use kamikaze pilots. Kamikaze pilots
flew and crashed their planes into the sides of the Allies naval fleet hoping to sink them.
However, this new tactic was unsuccessful.
The Big Three, now Truman, Churchill, and Stalin, met at Potsdam. At the Potsdam
Conference, the Allies agreed that Japan must surrender unconditionally as Germany had done.
When the US entered WWII, scientists in the US began to develop new technologies.
The most significant was the creation of the atomic bomb by the secret military operation, the
Manhattan Project. The Manhattan Project was headed by J. Robert Oppenheimer and
worked in New Mexico. On July 16, 1945, the scientists tested the new atomic bomb. It
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worked.
The US won victories at Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. Each of these victories were costly. The
new President Truman was informed that the atomic bomb was ready. After the causality report came back from
the Battle of Okinawa, Truman decided that an invasion of Japan would be too costly. Truman was not willing to
lose more American lives in a land invasion of Japan when he could use this weapon and force Japan to surrender
unconditionally.
Truman made the decision to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan on
August 6, 1945. The Thousands of civilians and military personnel were killed, but the
Japanese still refused to surrender. The Soviet Union two days later kept their promise
made at Yalta and declared war on Japan. Truman then made the decision to drop
another atomic bomb. This time the decision was to drop it on Nagasaki. After the
destruction of Nagasaki, Japan surrendered. August 15, 1945 V-J Day, Victory Over
Japan, was declared. Japan had surrendered unconditionally.
Map of Pacific
Answer the following questions on the map below.
1. Identify and label the country that was ruled by Emperor Hirohito.
2. What country did Japan invade in 1937?
Shade it red.
Label it. Shade it red.
How did the US react to the Japanese invasion?
3. Where did the battle occur between the US and Japan that destroyed the Japanese naval fleet?
Label it. Shade it blue.
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4. What three islands did the US win after the Battle of Midway?
, and
,
Shade them blue.
5. Where did the US dropped the atomic bombs?
and
6. What was the name of the strategy that helped the US win the war against Japan?
Social Issues During World War II
The US government needed to switch from a peacetime
to a wartime economy. The US government created the War
Production Board (WPB). The WPB had Americans rationing
food and resources for the war effort. It encouraged people to
carpool to save gas for the military. Thanks to the WPB,
America had enough supplies for all the Allies. People also
purchased war bonds. War bonds were a way for the
government to raise money for the war. People would buy a war bond and the government
would pay the bond back in so many years with interest on the original amount. Let’s say you invested $50 in
1941. When that bond could be cashed in 1950, the government would give you $100. That is a $50 profit.
After Pearl Harbor, Americans became distrustful of Japanese-Americans. Some felt it would be better if
they were segregated from other Americans. Internment camps were developed by the US government. The US
forced Japanese-Americans to relocate to internment camps. Their possessions were confiscated/taken. This was a
serious infringement of their rights. In 1944, Fred Korematsu, a Japanese-American, sued the US government on
grounds that the internment camps violated his civil rights. The Supreme Court hear the case, Korematsu v. US,
1944. The Supreme Court ruled that in times of war, the government can limit civil liberties. It stated that
internment camps were legal. In the 1980s, the victims and their descendents were given an official apologize by
the US government.
African-Americans wanted to fight in World War II too. However, segregation
was still in effect. African-Americans and white soldiers fought in segregated units. The
most famous African-American servicemen were the Tuskegee Airmen. The Tuskegee
Airmen was an all African-American group of fighter pilots. They fought bravely in
World War II.
Because many men joined the military in the US,
women were asked to join the workforce. The US government
decided to use propaganda to influence women to work. The
character of Rosie the Riveter was created. Rosie the Riveter
symbolized all women who worked in a war industry. She became an
inspiration for all women to help out the war effort. Once, WWII was over,
these women will be forced out of their jobs for the returning soldiers.
Because of this generation of women, the feminist movement will start in the
1950s.
Women also wanted to fight in World War II. However, women were not allowed to fight in
battle. Instead, women joined the WACs/WAACs. The WAACs (Women Army Auxiliary Corp) served in noncombat positions. Typically, they were secretaries or supply pilots.
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So the Axis got the Axe
Now that Germany, Italy, and Japan were defeated, the Big
Three had to put the world back together. The Big Three had to take
the lead. America this time did not return to an isolationist foreign
policy. Instead, the US became an intervention country. The United
Nations will be created.
Remember, Hitler did not like Jewish people. So, he sent
them and others that opposed the Nazi Party to concentration camps. Hitler created
the Final Solution, which was a plan to get rid of all objectors to the Nazi Party. The
Holocaust Museum
Holocaust was the result of the Final Solution. More than 6 million Jewish people
died in the concentration camps. More than 4 million other groups that Nazi
Germany did not like died as well. People were shocked when the concentration
camps were discovered in 1944. After the war was over, the people that operated the concentration camps were
charged as criminals. The trial to determine the guilt or innocents of these people was known as the Nuremberg
Trials. Only 12 of the guilty were sentenced to the death penalty.
How Did WWII Change America?
After the soldiers returned from WWII, some returned
to their old jobs pushing those “Rosies” out of their jobs.
President Truman created the GI Bill. The GI Bill provides
soldiers with a paid education and home loans. This made it
possible for soldiers to readjust to civilian life after the war.
We still have the GI Bill.
After WWII, people began to have more than two
children. Families became larger. The children born after
WWII are called Baby Boomers.
1. What was the name of the symbol for women in the war industries?
2. Who were the Tuskegee Airmen?
3. How did the WAC/WAACs play an important role in WWII?
4. What happened to the men who ran concentration camps after WWII?
5. What was the Supreme Court ruling in Korematsu v. US, 1944?
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