Download The End of World War II - US Hist and Consti: 4(A)

 Essential Question:
– What was the impact of World War II
on the United States and the world?
Total War on the
Battlefront
World War II
Total War – What was its impact?
 As with WWI, World War II used
total war tactics:
–On the battlefront, blitzkrieg
tactics were used, cities were
firebombed, kamikaze attacks &
atomic bombs were used
–On the homefront, gov’ts used
propaganda, conscription,
rationing, & raised money to win
the war
HitlerUnlike
used aWWI,
new “lightning
WWII waswar”
not atactic
war of
called
blitzkrieg
attrition that
in Europe;
relied on
these
using
battle
strong
lines
attacks
movedby
air raids & tanks to take over new territories
Germany
bombed
London
in theatomic
&
In The
August
Allies
1945,
usedthe
napalm
USA
dropped
to firebomb
Japanon
attacked
Pearl
Dresden,
bombs
Germany
Hiroshima
& Tokyo,
&Harbor
Nagasaki
Japan
Total War on the
Homefront
Buy, Buy, Buy, Buy a Bond:
It Will Lead to VICTORY!
War bonds
helped raise
$187 billion
to support
the war
effort
The Costs of WWII
End of the War in Europe
 USA,
England, Russia met twice
before WWII ended to discuss the
reconstruction of Europe after the war:
–Yalta
Conference
(Feb 1945)
–Potsdam
Conference
(July 1945)
Yalta Conference
 In
February 1945 (while the war was
still being fought), the “Big Three”
Churchill (England), Roosevelt (USA),
Stalin (USSR) met in Yalta, USSR to
discuss Europe
after WWII
 This is FDR’s
last meeting
(died in April 1945)
Yalta Conference
 At
Yalta, the Allies discussed:
–The Axis Powers must
unconditionally surrender
–The League of Nations should
be replaced by a United Nations
to keep the peace after the war
–Germany
would be divided into
Self Determination
occupied zones to help rebuild
–Eastern European nations have
the right to choose to be
democratic or communist
Potsdam Conference
(Stalin, Truman, Churchill)
US President FDR died in April & VP
Harry Truman became the new President
Potsdam
Stalin
broke hisConference
promise at Yalta &
began
pressuring
Eastern European
 After
Germany
surrendered,
the
countries to become Communist
USA, England, & USSR met at
Potsdam, Germany to discuss the
end of
the war
 Two
important
things
happened
Potsdam
ended
any
sensetoofallow
friendship
Potsdam
Conference
At Yalta,
Stalin
agreed
selfbetween
the USA & USSR
& began
an era
determination
in Eastern
Europe
Germany
wasStalin
divided
4 occupied
zones:
of Potsdam,
bitterness
& distrust
called
thehis
Cold
War
By
hadinto
extended
control
3 were
democratic
& create
1 was communist
over
Eastern
Europe to
a buffer zone
between the USSR & its future enemies
Potsdam presents a major Cold War theme:
Because they could not agree on how do
govern Europe, Truman & Stalin divided it
Potsdam Conference
 President
Truman was
told that the atomic
bomb was ready
 Truman issued the
“Potsdam Declaration”
& told Japan to
unconditionally
surrender OR
face "prompt & utter
destruction"
The Effects of
World War II
The U.S.,
U.S.S.R,
England,
France, &
Nationalist
China made
up the
Executive
Council
Each member
of the
Executive
Council has
veto power
over other
members
An army!
All 50 member nations
were represented on the
General Assembly
Nuremburg Trials (for Nazis)
Tokyo War Crimes Trials (Japanese)
Decolonization
Cold War
 When
the World War II finally ended,
2 superpowers remained: US & USSR
 USA—capitalist &
democratic; USSR—
communist
 Different beliefs led to
a Cold War & a fight
for supremacy
throughout the world
VS
Group Challenge
 Let’s see how much you know about
WWI and WWII.
 In groups, brainstorm to come up with as
many similarities and differences as you
can think of between WWI and WWII.
 Make sure that they are significant, but
be as comprehensive as possible…you are
competing against the other groups!
Some Key Similarities
 Total
war: Draft, rationing, war bonds,
victory gardens, government direction of
the wartime economy (WIB vs WPB),
limitations on liberties
 Women work doing “men’s jobs” in
factories
 Segregated units for African American
soldiers; Great Migration
 League of Nations was in existence
Some Key Differences
 More
African American soldiers fought;
Great Migration WEST
 Japanese internment camps
 Fighting in Europe AND the Pacific
 Trench warfare vs. blitzkrieg
 Atomic bombs used
 6 million women JOINED the workforce
 1st peacetime draft
 United Nations replaced the L of Nations
WWII Discussion
 Some
historians consider WWII to
be a continuation of WWI.
–Do you agree with that
assessment? Why or why not?
 It has been argued that the events
of WWII caused the Cold War.
–Do you agree with that
assessment? Why or why not?