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The U.S. Fights in World War II
1940- 1945
Japan joined Axis pow ers
Battles of Coral Sea
and Mid w ay
A llies invaded Africa
Battle of Stalingrad
Allies inva d e d France
Battle of the Bulge
1940
1942
1944
Atlantic Ch arter signed
Japanese attacked
Pearl Harbor
United States entered war
Yalta Conference
Gennany surrendered
Allies invaded Sic ily
and Italy
r--!.T~---1---1"-. 1943
Japan surrendered
United Nations set
1. The United States Enters
World War II
Learn these important t erms:
treaty, of alliance
On
the morning of December 7,
1941, a message came into Washingt on, D. C., on the teletype. An aide
re a d the following words to President
Roosevelt: " Air raid, Pearl Harbor.
This is n o drill."
M any Americans had expected war
with Germany in the coming months.
When war came at last to America,
howev er, it was brought by Japanese
airplanes out of il blue Pacific sky. It
was a day that President Roosevelt
s aid "would live in infamy."
In this chapter you will read how
Americans worked to build the greate st military f~rce the world had ever
s ee n. Even more than World War I
had, World War II reached into every
p art of Americans' lives. For many
Americans , the war meant steady
jobs. For the families of soldiers fighting in Europe and across the Pacific, it
also meant dreading the telegram that
began, " We r egret to infoJ;TIl you ... "
For the soldiers, sailors, and fliers, it
meant moments of terror and quiet
courage, and, often, days of sheer
exhaustion.
World War II was a turning point
in modern history. It revealed the horrible torture and killing of millions of
Jews and other people by the Nazis. It
brought the atomic bomb, threatening
that any future war would truly be a
"war to end all wars." And it left us
the world we live in today, divided
between two superpowers, the United
Stat es and the Soviet Union.
embargo
Remember the m ain idea:
The United States declared war on
J ap an after Japan attacked Pearl
Harbor. Becau se Japan had joined
th e Axis powers, the United States
also went t o w ar against Germany
and Italy,
Look for answers to these
questions:
1. What did Japan want the United
St at es to agree to do?
2 . How did t he United States t ry to
put pressure on Japan?
3, When did the United States enter
World War II?
In the 1930s, the Japanese government
was taken over by a group of military
leaders, These leaders wanted Japan to
take over China and other parts of Asia
for industrial 'resources and for glory. In
the 1930s, the Japanese took over Manchuria and much of the coast of China.
Th e Japanese leaders wanted to be
able to carry out their plans in China without interference from the United States.
In 1940, therefore, Japan signed a treaty
of alliance with ,Germany and Italy and
join ed the Axis Powers, The treaty said
that if any of the three nations were
attacked by a nation not already involved
in the war in Europe, all three nations
Chapter 30
613
earl Harbor
HAWAII
PACIF I C
would fight together. This meant that if
the United States declared war on Japan
because of Japanese actions in China,
then Germany and Italy would declare
war on the United States .
In 1941, Japan continued to build its
empire in Asia. It took over French IndoChina (the colony that would later become
the nations of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia). The Japanese also prepared to take
over nearby British and Dutch colonies.
These colonies could not count on any
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UNIT 9
OCEAN
protection from their European rulers.
The Netherlands had been taken over by
Germany, and the British were fighting
for their lives. Only the United States was
in a position to stop the Japanese plans.
To try to force the Japanese to stop their
attacks, President Roosevelt declared an
embargo against Japan. This embargo
stopped all shipments of gasoline, oil,
iron, and steel from the United States to
Japan. Soon, all trade between the two
nations was cut off.
,
SOVIET UNION
In March 1941, leaders of the United
States and Japan held talks to try to find a
solution to their conflict. The talks continued for many months, but the two sides
could not reach an agreement . The Japanese wanted the Americans to let them
have a free hand in China in exchange for
agreeing not to attack other areas . The
United States, on the other hand, wanted
an independent China, in keeping with its
Open Door Policy.
19 41
-
Japan Attacks Pearl Harbor
At the American naval base at Pearl
Harbor, the morning of December 7,
1941, started out as just another peaceful
Sunday. Although there had been reports
that the Japanese were preparing to
artack the United States, most experts felt
that Japan would attack in east Asia or
the Philippines first. But where were the
Japanese aircraft carriers? No one was
really sure where they had gone. When a
radar operator near Pearl Harbor reported
that there were two airplanes approaching Hawaii, officials thought they were
American planes.
Allied countries
Neutral countries ~
Think: When Japanese pilots arrived in Pearl Harbor.
they found the fleet unprotected and unprepared . The
losses in American lives. ships. and planes were
great. After twenty years of uying to avoid war, the
American people then faced the need to defend
themselves . Respond : Why did the attack on Pearl
Harbor unite Americans?
Think: The Arizona sank after being blasted with Japanese bomb~ .. Five out of eight battle,ships w~re sunk o~
badly damaged. But only the Arizona and the Oklahoma never reJomed the fleet. The fleet s four alfcraft carners
w ere not in the harbor. Respond : Why weren't the Americans prepared for the Japanese attack?
Actually, they were the advance scouts
for a powerful fleet of Japanese aircraft
carriers that had approached Pearl Harb or without being seen . At 7:55 A .M .,
swarms of Japanese planes began to dive
out of the sky over the harbor. When the
last bomb had fallen, most of America's
powerful battleships had been sunk or
badly.damaged. Many airplanes had been
destroyed on the ground. More than
2,500 Americans were killed in the
attack. The Americans were lucky in one
way, however. Their four aircraft carriers
were not in port and escaped the attack.
The Japanese leaders had decided to
gamble on delivering a knockout blow
against the United States. If they could
destroy most of America's naval power,
they would have time to build and
strengthen their Asian and Pacific empire. They also hoped that Americans
would be so shocked and discouraged that
they would make peace with Japan.
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UNIT 9
The United States Declares War
Americans were indeed shocked and
angry at this attack that had been made
without a declaration of war. The next
day, Congress declared war on Japan. A
few days later, carrying out their agreement with Japan, Germany and Italy
declared war on the United States. The
United States in turn declared war on
Germany and Italy . The United States was
now fighting in World War II.
Section Review
1. What areas had Japan taken over
before launching the attack on
Pearl Harbor?
2. Why was the attack on Pearl
Harbor a surprise?
3. What were the effects of the
attack on Pearl Harbor?
2. The Home Front
Learn these important terms:
Office of Production Management
War Production Board
Executive Order 8802
Nisei
Fair Employment Practices
Commission
Office of Price Administration
rationing system
Remember the main idea:
America needed a tremendous
amount of weapons, supplies, and
food to fight the war. Many people,
including women and blacks, went
to work in factories. The government raised taxes, sold bonds, and
contolled wages and prices to maintain the wartime economy.
expanded. More than sixteen million
Americans served in the armed forces
during World War II. This number is
about five times as many as had served
during World War I.
In addition, the Office of Production
Management had been formed early in
1941. This office set up plans for helping
American industry change over from
peacetime to wartime production.
America's Huge War Needs
The army had to send millions of soldiers overseas. They would be fighting on
three continents and two oceans. For
these reasons the United States needed
millions of tons of warships, cargo ships,
and troop transports.
Look for answers to these
questions:
1. Why did many women and
blacks get factory jobs?
2. How did the government pay for
the war?
3. Why did the government control
the economy during the war?
In some ways, the United States was
better prepared for World War II than it
had been at the start of World War I.
When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, the
United States already had about two million men in its armed forces because of
the draft law of 1940. The draft was soon
Think : Americans astonished the world with their
productive energy. Thousands of war planes. ships,
trucks. tanks, and gWlS were made. Respond : How
did planning aid in the Americans ' success?
Chapter 30
617
In 1942, President Roosevelt set production goals for the year at about sixty
thousand planes, forty-five thousand
tanks, and eight million tons of shipping.
In January 1942, the War Production
Board was set up to oversee the change to
war production in American factories. By
the end of the war, American industry
was producing twice as many war supplies and weapons as all of its enemies
put together.
Americans Go Back to Work
World War II brought the last of the
depression to an end. In 1942 alone, the
government ordered more than $100 billion worth of war supplies. Factories
began to work two or even three shifts a
day. Labor unions promised not to slow
down the production of war supplies by
going on strike. Except for a long strike by
the coal miners, most unions kept this
promise and settled their problems without going on strike.
Farmers, too, had much work to do to
provide food for the military and for
America's allies. In spite of a lack of farm
workers and parts for farm machines,
American farmers grew the largest crops
in America's history .
During the war, prices for farm products increased. Many farmers were able
to get out of debt, and some were even
able to buy more land and new farm
equipment.
Opportunities for Women and Blacks
Since so many men were serving in the
armed forces, women took over many of
these factory jobs. Americans got used to
seeing "Rosie the Riveter" doing heavy
work that used to be reserved for men.
About one million blacks served in the
armed forces. Many others were able to
find jobs because of the demand for factory workers. Many blacks moved from the
South to the industrial cities of the Northeast and Middle West, and to the shipyards on the west coast. Blacks still suffered discrimination, however, both in the
armed forces and in civilian jobs. In the
army, they were kept in separate units. In
factories, they often were given only lowpaying jobs.
'
Think: In factories throughout the United States, women were doing what
before had been considered men's jobs. Songs like "Rosie the Riveter," "We're
the Janes Who Make the Planes." and "The Lady at Lockhead" praised women
in industry. Women not only worked in factories; they did every kind of work.
They were farmers and government leaders, for example. Attitudes toward
women began to change. Respond : Why did women and other minorities finally
get the chance to prove themselves during World War II?
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Black leaders were able to take advantage ofthe need for labor. They pressured
the government to end discrirrtination.
They also pointed out that America had
declared war on Hitler's racism. Wasn't it
time to end racism at home as well?
Responding to this pressure, President
Roosevelt issued Executive Order 8802.
This order made it unlawful for any factory producing war supplies to refuse to
hire workers because of their race, color,
or religion. A Fair Employment Practices
Commission was formed to see that this
order was carried out. While this effort
was not completely successful, the end of
the war saw about two million black
workers in factories.
Japanese-Americans Are Mistreated
The anger Americans felt after the
Pearl Harbor attack helped the war effort.
Many Americans did not wait to be drafted, but volunteered to fight in the war.
Government posters urged Americans to
"Remember Pearl Harbor" and work hard
every day.
This anger hurt one group of Americans, however. German-Americans and
Italian-Americans were usually not
blamed for the actions of Hitler and Mussolini. Japanese-American citizens, or
Nisei, however, were treated very differently. Pearl Harbor inflamed the racist
feelings that some Americans had toward
Japanese. Some Americans also were
afraid that the Japanese-Americans were
spying for Japan and secretly trying to
damage the war effort. As a result, more
than 100,000 Nisei were rounded up and
put into special camps.
Despite this mistreatment, the Nisei
showed their loyalty to America. Thousands of Nisei were allowed to fight
against the Germans. Many of them
received medals for bravery.
Think: During World War II, 100,000
Japanese-Americans were taken from their homes.
Respond: What do you suppose these people were
thinking as they were taken to relocation camps?
Raising Money for the War
World War II cost more than any other
war in American history. From 1941 to
1945, the United States government
spent about $400 billion to pay for the
war. This huge amount was more than
twice the amount spent by the American
government during all the years from
1789 to 1941. The government raised
much of this money by increasing taxes.
Since so many Americans were working,
the earnings that could be taxed had
increased tremendously. In addition, the
government borrowed in excess of $100
billion by selling war bonds.
The Government Sets Up Controls
Another money problem that usually
comes during wartime is inflation, or an
increase in wages and prices. Inflation
results when there is more money than
there are goods to buy with the money.
After America entered the war, a tremendous amount of money flooded into the
Chapter 30
619
HISTORY MAKERS
- - -Yoshiko Uchida - - Member of Family Nu mber 13453
The
family
was
listed as number
13453. They had ten
days to pack before
they had to report to
the Civil Control Station-ten days to decide what to take, what
to give away, what to
sell, and what to save.
Friends took the piano
and boxes of books. Some furniture
went into storage, and some was
sold. Their old collie, Laddie, was
'given away. On the last morning,
neighbors brought breakfast, then
drove them to the Civil Control Station at the First Congregational
Church. As they entered the church,
the family saw armed soldiers guarding the doors.
Family 13453, the Uchidas, lived
in Berkeley, California. Dwight and
Iku Uchida were Japanese immigrants who, because of their nationality, could not become citizens.
Their daughters, Yoshiko and Keiko,
were American citizens born in the
United States.
After the bombing of Pearl Harbor,
people feared Japanese-Americans
might spy for Japan. President Roosevelt ordered the army to evacuate
the entire Japanese-American com-
6 20
UNIT 9
munity on the west
coast to camps in the
West and Midwest.
From the camps, people were to be relocated to areas away from
the west coast. Within
two months, 110,000
American citizens and
their alien parents lost
their incomes, their
property, and their civil liberties.
Yoshiko Uchida was a college student when her family was sent to
Topaz, Utah. Like all the camps,
Topaz was isolated. The housing barracks were quickly and badly built .
Summers were hot and dry, and
winters were cold and snowy. Always the air was full of dust. Yoshiko
worked as a secretary and a teacher
until 1943, when she left for graduate school at Smith College. Her sister Kay also moved east.
After the war, Yoshiko Uchida
became a teacher and a writer. Several of her books are about J apaneseAmerican life before and during the
war. She writes for all Americans,
she says, "with the hope that
through knowledge of the past, they
will never allow another group of
people in America to be sent into a
desert exile again ."
3. The Battle Fronts
Learn these important terms:
Battle of the Bulge
Battle of Midway
Holocaust
Battle of the Coral Sea
concentratjon camps
Think: Gasoline was in such short supply that gas
trucks were often followed. Traffic jams in gas
stations were common. Respond : Why was gasoline
rationed during the war?
economy because of war work. There
were few consumer goods to buy, however, since many factories had changed over
to producing war goods.
In World War I, this situation had led to
steep price increases. To prevent this
from happening again, the Office of Prjce
Adminjstratjon (O.P.A.) was set up. It
was in charge of setting prices, wages,
and rents. It also created the ratjoning
system (RASH-uh-neeng). This system
distributed scarce goods fairly. Each person or family was given a book of stamps
that had to be presented along with cash
to buy these goods. Among the products
rationed were shoes, tires, sugar, gasoline, coffee, and meat.
Remember the main idea:
When the United States entered the
war, Germany and Japan were winning. The United States made its
main effort in Europe, but also
stopped the Japanese advances in
the Pacific. The United States and
its allies defeated Germany. In the
Pacific, the United States won back
the territory Japan had taken and
defeated Japan.
Look for answers to these
questions:
1. What was the situation in Europe
and in the Pacific in early 1942?
2. How did the Allies win the battles in Europe?
3. How did the United States defeat
Japan?
Section Review
1. Why was the government better
prepared for World War II than it
had been for World War I?
2. How did World War II help the
American farmers?
3. How did the government try to
stop racial discrimination in warrelated jobs?
As 1942 began, the Axis powers
seemed to be winning the war. Japan
quickly captured much American territory
in the Pacific, including the Philippines
and many islands in the south and central
Pacific. Hong Kong, Malaya, Burma, and
the Dutch East Indies also fell to the Japanese. Australia and India seemed to be
next on the list.
Chapter 30
621
UNITED
we are stron
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)
Think: Notice the flags of th e AJhes placed on the gun barrels in this poste r from the 1!l40s. Respond : What
d oes the W orld W ar II poste r pmmise?
In Europe, the Germans continued to
capture territory, including Greece and
Yugoslavia. And in June of 1941, Hitler
had attacked his ally, the Soviet Union.
Allied War Plans
The United States needed time to train
and equip its forces. Until this was done,
it could not fight an all-out war against
both Germany and Japan.
Allied leaders decided to direct their
main effort against Germany while trying
to slow down the Japanese in the Pacific.
Germany had to come first, because the
war in Europe was at a critical stage.
Germany was threatening to cut Britain
off from the United States. And the Soviet
Union was also in danger of being overrun
by the Germans.
WAR IN EUROPE AND AFRICA, 1939-1945
· Jaxlmum territory under
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Neutral nations
D
.-7
Axis control, 1942
Allied advances --to
Air strikes --+
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1-1
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Chapter 30
623
Think: Gennan wolf
packs. teams of two to
forty submarines.
worked together to
blockade Britain and
the rest of Europe.
Respond: How did the
Allies learn to fight
these undersea
The Allies next launched attacks on
Sicily and Italy. In July of 1943, Allied
troops captured Sicily, the island at the tip
of Italy. Early in September, Allied troops
landed in southern Italy. Many Italians no
longer supported Mussolini, and he fell
from power. The Italian government surrendered to the Allies. But Germany
rushed troops into Italy, and fierce fighting continued.
The War in the Soviet Union
-Winning the Battle of the Atlantic
Before America could help its allies, the
sea route to Britain and Europe had to be
secured. The Battle of the Atlantic was
actually not one battle but months of individual battles between cargo ships and
their defenders and the deadly German
"wolf packs" of U-boats, or submarines.
At first, the U-boats got the best of it.
The Americans were not used to fighting
submarines. But American anti-submarine forces soon learned more effective
tactics . Aided by airplanes, radar, and
sound-detection equipment, they began
to sink or drive off the submarines.
Allied Gains in Africa and Italy
To strike back against Germany, the
Allies agreed to attack the Axis troops in
North Africa . If they could secure North
Africa, the Allies would have bases from
which to attack Europe across the Mediterranean Sea.
In November 1942, a large army of
American, Canadian, and British troops
led by General Dwight D. Eisenhower
(eye-zun-HOW-ur) landed on the northern
coast of Africa. By May 1943, this Allied
army forced the German and Italian
armies in Africa to surre nder.
624
UNIT 9
At first, the German invaders had overwhelmed the Soviet defenders. But Hitler
did not realize the size ofthe Soviet forces
or the problems involved in invading such
a huge country. Also, the Germans were
not prepared for the terrible winters they
found in the Soviet Union.
The German advances began to slow
down, and the Soviet defenders, aided by
supplies from America, grew stronger. In
September 1942, the Germans attacked
the key city of Stalingrad (STAHL-ungrad) . After months of fierce fighting, the
Soviets held the city and then counterattacked, surrounding and capturing large
numbers of Germans. The tide in the East
turned. By the spring of 1944, the Soviet
armies were pushing the Germans back
toward Poland.
Think: American troops prepared for battle. After
bitter fighting, Gennan forces surrendered in North
Africa an 1943. Respond : What was gained by
defeatang the Axis troops in North Africa?
Think: Landing craft tanks (LeTs) brought soldiers close to shore. The men had to face enemy fire and heavily
mined beaches. Twenty-five hundred soldiers died at Omaha Beach. But the D-Day invasion was a success . The
Allies had a foothold in France. Respond : Why was the success of the invasion so important?
The Allies Invade Europe
Meanwhile, the Allies were planning to
invade western Europe. First, a massive
bombing campaign was started against
Germany. The bombing gradually weakened Germany's ability to defend its
European empire.
Finally, on June 6, 1944, " D-Day," the
greatest invasion ever launched, began to
Tb.ink : The French town of
St.-La was left in ruins
after Allied planes bombed
the area, making way for
tanks and troops. The
liberation of Paris was
soon to follow. Ogden
Pleissner recorded the
movement of an Allied
tank column through the
ruins. Consider the vast
destruction of many of
Europe's cities . Respond:
What do you think it was
like to live in France
during World War 11?
pour ashore on the beaches of Normandy
in northwestern France. More than five
thousand ships were used, and in two
months, more than two million Allied soldiers were landed, the majority of them
Americans.
By the end of July, Allied forces had
broken through into the interior of France.
On August 25 , Paris was liberated, or set
free, by the Allies.
The War in Europe Ends
By late 1944, the Germans were being
pushed steadily back on all sides . In the
West, American and British forces raced
toward the Rhine River and into Germany .
In the East, the Soviets captured Rumania, Bulgaria, and Hungary. They also
drove through Poland and Austria toward
Germany.
At the Battle of the Bulge in December
1944, the Germans tried to stop the Allies
in the West. The Allied advance was only
slowed for a short time, however. In
March 1945, the Allied armies poured
into Germany from both sides. In April ,
Hitler and some of his top leade rs took
their own lives.
As Allied soldiers liberated the lands
Hitler had occupied, they made a shocking discovery. They found terrible German concentration camps. Their purpose
was to carry out Hitler' s plan to completely destroy the Jewish people. People in
the camps were victims of forced labor,
starvation, torture, and murder. Six million Jews, as well as many other people
Hitler hated, had died in these camps in
what became known as the Holocaust.
Think: Wben Americans entered Buchenwald
Concentration Camp. they found thousands of
prisoners near death. Thousands had already died.
Respond : What stories do these faces tell?
Think: When Allied forces opened the prison gates at Bad Orh, Germany, the prisoners of war were set free. The
expressions on their faces show how the Americans and other prisoners felt about their release. Respond : What
emotions are they displaying?
626
UNIT 9
Think: During the Battle of Midway, the Japanese
Milruma collided with another Japanese ship while
trying to avoid an American submarine. The MiJruma
later was sunk by American planes. The Battle of
Midway ended Japan's expansion eastward.
Respond : Why couldn't the Japanese afford. to lose
ships such as the Mikuma?
On May 8,1945, Germany surrendered
to the Allies. President Roosevelt did not
live to see this great victory in Europe. He
had died in April 1945. Harry S. TrumaJ;l,
the vice president, became president.
The Tide Turns in the Pacific
In 1942, the Japanese had become
masters of a wide-ranging island empire.
The United States was greatly outnumbered by the Japanese in aircraft carriers
and battleships.
In May 1942, a Japanese invasion fleet
moved toward New Guinea (GHIN-ee). Its
object was to establish a base from which
Japan could attack Australia . The Americans fought off the invasion. In the Battle
of the Coral Sea, the two fleets never
came within gun range of each other.
Instead, each side's aircraft carriers sent
airplanes to find and bomb the enemy.
The Americans suffered the greater damage, but the Japanese fleet was forced to
turn back.
.
The decisive naval battle of the Pacific
war was fougbt in June 1942 . The Japa-
nese decided to invade Midway Island
with a huge fleet. Midway was the key to
.. control of the whole central Pacific.
The 'Japanese did not realize, however,
. that American code-breakers had discovered the Japanese plans and knew where
the Japanese ships would be. In the Battle
of Midway, the Americans surprised the
Japanese and sank the four largest Japanese carriers, lOSing only one of their
own. Lacking America's mighty industrial
resources, the Japanese could not easily
replace their losses. Japan was soon
forced to take the defensive.
Island-Hopping to Japan
The United States began to recapture
the territory the Japanese had taken. In
August 1942, American marines landed
on the island of Guadalcanal (GWAHD-ulkuh-NAL) in the Solomon Islands. By the
end of 1943, after fierce air, sea, and land
fighting, the Americans had captured the
Solomon Islands and much of New Guinea. The Americans began to capture key
Chapter 30
627
Think : After fierce fighting in
two Jima. 750 miles from
Tokyo, Americans finally took
the strategically located island .
Respond: What does this
artwork symbolize?
islands and build bases from which to
attack the Japanese Empire, including
Japan itself.
In 1944, using this island-hopping
strategy, the Americans captured Saipan
(seye-PAN), Guam, Iwo Jima (EE-WO
JEE-mah), and finally the island of Okinawa on the doorstep of Japan itself. American bombers pounded Japanese cities,
starting terrible fires. But the Japanese
government still would not surrender.
The War in Asia Ends
By the summer of 1945, it looked like
the Americans would have to invade
Japan itself. The Americans knew the
Japanese would fight fiercely. The final
battle would probably cost thousands of
American and Japanese lives.
Something new then entered the picture. By the summer of 1945, American
scientists had developed and tested an
atomic bomb. Some of the scientists
Think: On August 9, 1945, an American plane dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Nagasaki.
Immediately, 40,000 were dead or missing: thousands more have since died of radiation. Respond : Do you agree
or disagree with the decision to use atomic weapons to attack an enemy? Explain.
628
UNIT 9
The United States had been at war with Japan since the attack on Pearl
Harbor in December 1941. For over a year, Japan had moved steadily southward across the Pacific , island by island . Australia was next.
The United States fought back in the Pacific Ocean area . It did so with a new
kind of warfare called " island hopping." Naval aircraft on huge carriers would
attack a Japanese fleet . Then Marine or Army units would go ashore on an
island. The islands were used as stepping stones to get within bombing range
of Japan , using large, high-flying , long-range Army bombers .
Look at the map and the map scale.
1 . Using the map scale, e stimate
how many square miles Japan
controlled.
4. What was the strategy in taking
the islands of Tarawa ,
Kwajalein, and Eniwe tok?
2 . How near was Japanese control
to Australia?
The atomic bomb was flown from
the small island of Tinian located
between Guam and Saipan. Find
this area on the map .
3 . What nations had fallen to
Japan? Which were threatened?
5. What other strategies for ending
the war might have been used?
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Think: On September 2. 1945. the Japanese formally surrendered aboard the battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay .
The surrender agreement w as signed by Genera l MacArthur for the Allies and Ge neral Umeza for the Japanese.
Respond : Why is it appropriate that the surrender took place on an American battleship?
opposed using this terrible new weapon,
but the possibility of saving many American lives made President Truman decide
to use the bomb. When Japan refused a
final demand to surrender, atomic bombs
were dropped on the cities of Hiroshima
and Nagasaki, killing about 150,000 people and injuring many others with radiation. The atomic attacks, combined with
the news that the Soviet Union had decided to attack Japan, finally forced the Japanese government to surrender.
The Terrible Cost of World War II
World War II was over. More t h an
twenty-five million people had died as a
direct result of the war, with the Soviet
Union and Germany losing the most.
More than one million Americans were
either killed or wounded. Large parts of
Europe and Asia were destroyed.
630
UNIT 9
The Unite d State s n ow faced the q u estion of h ow to h e lp the w orld rebuild.
Ma n y Ame rican s realized th eir count ry
could n e ve r again ign or e t h e rest of t h e
w orld . The United States would h ave t o
m ake a long-t e r m commitme n t to m a intaining p eace and freedom .
Section Review
1 . Why did the Allies decide to attack the Axis in North Africa?
2 . Why did the United States win
the Battle of Midway? What
were the effects of this victory?
3. How did the war in Europe end?
How did the Pacific war end?
4. Planning for Peace After
World War II
Learn these important tenns:
Atlantic Charter
United Nations
International Court of Justice
Big Three nations
Security Council
General Assembly
Remember the main idea:
The United States, Great Britain,
and the Soviet Union made plans
for fighting the war. They also
agreed to organize the United
Nations, and to divide Germany
and occupy it after the war.
Look for answers to these
questions:
1. What did the Big Three leaders
agree to do with Germany after
the war?
2. How was the United Nations
organized?
3. After the war, what led to a disagreement between the United
States and the Soviet Union?
Even before the United States was officially in World War II, President Roosevelt
and Winston Churchill, the Prime Minister of Britain, drew up a statement that
explained their war aims. This Atlantic
Charter, as it was called, said that the
Ames were fighting to give certain freedoms to all people of the world. These
freedoms included freedom from want
and freedom from fear.
The "Big Three" Leaders Meet
The Atlantic Charter was signed by
twenty-six nations. The decisions on how
to fight the war and plan for the time after
it were made by the leaders of the Big
Three nations, however-the United
States, Great Britain, and the Soviet
Union. Their leaders, President Roosevelt,
Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin, met
several times during the war.
At a meeting in Casablanca (KAS-uhBLANG-ka) in North Africa, in January of
1943, Roosevelt and Churchill decided
that the Allies would demand that
Germany surrender unconditionally. This
meant it must give up completely. Later,
Stalin agreed with this policy.
Plans for Peace
In 1944, the leaders of the United
States, Great Britain, China, and the Soviet Union met to make plans to organize
the United Nations. This new organization would try to keep peace in the world
after the war ended. In April 1945, the
Think: Truman spoke at the 1945 United Nations
conference. Respond : Why did more Americans
support the United Nations in 1945 than had
supported the League of Nations in 1920?
EUROPE AFTER
WORLD WAR II, 1945
EUROPE BEFORE
WORLD WAR II, 1938
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leaders of fifty nations met in San Francisco, California, and drew up the Charter of
the United Nations (U.N.).
The Charter was like a constitution. It
said the United Nations would work
something like the United States Congress. It would have two houses. Five
important nations-the United States,
Great Britain, the Soviet Union, FrancEi',
and China-made up the regular members of the Security Council. Other
632
UNIT 9
nations would take turns at serving twoyear terms on this council. All member
nations served in the other house, the
General Assembly.
The United Nations also had other
agencies, or parts, that would try to
improve health, education, and living conditions around the world . The United
Nations also established the International
Court of Justice to settle disputes as they
occurred among nations.
Gennany's Future Is Decided
Since the United States defeated Japan
practically by itself, it could decide how to
deal with Japan after it surrendered.
The situation with Germany was much
more complicated. At a conference at Yalta in southern Russia early in 1945, Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin agreed that
Germany would be occupied by the Allies.
Germany and the city of Berlin would be
divided into four separate areas. The
United States, Great Britain, France, and
the Soviet Union would each control one
area. The Big Three also agreed to hold
free elections in the nations of eastern
Europe which were occupied by the Soviet Union .
In the summer of 1945, the Big Three
leaders met again. Stalin was still head of
the Soviet Union, but Harry S. Truman
was now President of the United States,
and Clement Attlee had replaced Churchill as Prime Minister of Great Britain.
The nations agreed to give part of eastern Germany to Poland and part of Poland
to the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union also
gained Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
They agreed that the leaders of the
former Nazi government would all be
Think: The Big Three-Churchill, Roosevelt. and Stalin-met at yalta in Russia to discuss how to solve the
problems of the post-war world . They agreed to set up a world peace-keeping organization. They also agreed to
help many countries rebuild their economies. Respond : Why is Big Three an appropriate name for these men?
\
Chapter 30
633
The United Nations had its fortieth birthday in 1985. To find out
more about the birthday celebration,
you could read magazine articles
written at that time. The Readers '
Guide to Periodical Literature can
help you find those articles. It is an
index to more than one hundred
magazines . You can find this guide in
most large libraries.
On this page is part of a Readers '
Guide entry for the subject " United
Nations ." You can see from the listing that an article called "The Big
Birthday Bash" appears on page 21
of the magazine Newsweek in the
November 4, 1985 edition. The abbreviation il means the article is
illustrated with pictures. A librarian
could help you find that magazine
and get information on what happened at the United Nations' fortieth birthday party.
Use the Readers' Guide entry to
answer the questions that follow it.
United Nations
The big birthday bash, il Newsweek 106:21
N 4 '85
Flying flags and flowing words [security surrounding U.N.'s 40th anniversary commemoration) E. Thomas. il Time 126:15 0 7 '85
A global family album [photographs of visiting heads of state] iI Time 126:18-19 N 4 '85
Parties and politics at the United Nations
Newsweek 106:43 0 7 '85
United Nations Children's Fund. See UNICEF
UNICEF
Harry Belafonte to get Chicago UN1CEF's
honor. Jet 69:36 S 30 '85
Cicely Tyson tours famine areas in Africa as
head of UNICEF projects. il pors Jet 69:60-2
028 '85
634
UNIT9
D
In what three magazines are
the articles that are listed in
this part of the Readers' Guide?
mWhat is the name and date of
the magazine with the article
"Flying Flags and Flowing
Words"? On what page is the
article found?
II
What is the title of the Time
article that has pictures of the
leaders of several countries?
o What does the abbreviation
UNICEF stand for?
iii
What two people are featured in
articles about UNICEF? In what
months of 1985 did the articles
appear in magazines?
lEI
Do you think the magazine
articles about the United
Nations' birthday are primary
sources? Why?
61
Listings in the Readers ' Guide
are alphabetical. Would
magazine articles on the subject
" United States" be listed before
or after the articles shown on
this page?
Think: Surprisingly, shortly after the war ended, the British people voted to replace Churchill with Clement
Atlee. Tnunan became president upon Roosevelt's death. Thus, Stalin was the only original Big Three leader to
attend the final meetings at Potsdam. Respond : To what did the Big Three nations agree?
removed from power. Many of them were
later tried as war criminals for going far
beyond even the normal violence of war.
The Soviet Union refused to go ahead
with the planned elections for the eastern
European nations, however. Instead, the
Soviets installed hand-picked governments that would carry out their orders.
The United States and the Soviet Union,
reluctant allies during the war, began to
move farther and farther apart.
The United States had responded magnificently to the challenge of World War
II. The post-war world would bring many
difficult problems, however. In the next
chapters, you will see the United States
struggling with its commitments in a
world where victory would be much less
clear-cut.
Section Review
1. What was the purpose of the
Atlantic Charter?
2. What happened to Germany
when the war ended?
3. What was the main purpose of
the United Nations?
Chapter 30
•
635
Chapter
CHAPTER SUMMARY
As Japan expanded into Asia,
the United States and Japan were
unable to come to an agreement
because Japan wanted a free hand
in China. In December 1941, the
Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.
The United States was soon at war
with all the Axis nations.
The war put Americans back to
work and provided opportunities
for women and blacks.
When the United States entered
World War II, both the Germans
and Japanese were winning. The
United States and its allies, Great
Britain, France, and the Soviet
Union, agreed to concentrate on
stopping Germany first.
In Europe, the Allies won in
Africa, Sicily, and eventually Italy.
In 1944, the Allies invaded France
with a huge army. Meanwhile, the
Soviet Union stopped the Germans
at Stalingrad and began to push
the Germans back toward Germany. When Allied forces poured into
Germany from both sides, Germany surrendered.
The United States turned the
tide in the Pacific with a decisive
victory at the Battle of Midway.
Gradually, the Americans recaptured the territory the Japanese
had taken and forced the Japanese
to surrender with the aid of the
atomic bomb.
Conferences among the allies
during the war also led to the
founding of the United Nations.
636
UNIT 9
Key Words
Write a sentence to explain the
meaning of each of these terms.
treaty of
alliance
War Production
Board
Executive Order
8802
Battle of
the Coral Sea
concentration
camps
United
Nations
Major Events
Choose the answer that best
completes the statement.
1. Pearl Harbor was a surprise
a) because Americans thought
Japan was peaceful.
b) because Americans thought
Japan would attack in Asia first .
c) because the Japanese had
promised not to attack Hawaii.
2. World War II ended the depression
a) as unemployed were drafted .
b) because the government took
over all businesses .
c) because many workers were
needed for war production.
3. The Battle of the Atlantic was
fought between
a) Allied and Axis ships.
b) British and German planes .
c) American and British convoys
and German submarines.
4. The Americans won the Battle of
Midway mainly because
a) they were able to learn the
Japanese battle plans.
b) they had more aircraft carriers.
c) they had better pilots.
•
w
R e VIe
Important Facts
Skill Review
Answer each question with at least
one complete sentence.
Study this map, then answer the
following questions.
1. Why did Japan sign the 1940
treaty of alliance?
1. How many American divisions
landed in France? How many
British? How many Canadian?
2. Why was the United States better
prepared for World War II than it
had b e en for World War I?
3. How did the war change life for
wome n?
4 . Why were black leaders able to
put pressure on the government
to end racial discrimination?
2 . About how many miles is it from
Omaha Beach to Caumont? How
many days did it take to get
there? Do you think the fighting
was heavy? Why, or why not?
5 . How did the government raise
money to pay for the war?
6 . How did the government reduce
th e amount of inflation during
World War II?
7 . Why did the United States and
its allies decide to make their
m ain war effort against
Germany?
8 . Why did the Germans and
Russians fight the Battle of
Stalingrad? What was the
outcome of this battle?
9 . What was the Holocaust? What
made it especially terrible?
10 . How did America' s
" island-hopping" strategy in the
Pacific work?
11 . Why did President Truman
decide to use the atomic bomb
against Japan?
12 . What were the Big Three nations
and their leaders?
13 . How does the United Nations
work?
CHANNEL
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achhead
June 12, 1944
PRANCE
D-Day Invasion
Critical Thinking
Write a paragraph to answer each
question.
1. Why do you think JapaneseAmericans were put into detention
camps, while most GermanAmericans and Italian-Americans
were left alone?
2. Compare the effects and the
outcomes of World War I and
World War II .
Chapter 30
637