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US Policy Prior to WWII

Good Neighbor Policy
1. Secretary of State Cordell Hull agreed w/ Latin/American nations that no
nation has the right to intervene in the affairs of another nation.
2. 1934 the Platt Amendment is abrogated with Cuba.
3. Roosevelt continues removing troops from Haiti.
4. Agree not to intervene in Panama in 1936 and the Dominican Republic.
5. 1938 Mexico expropriates more American oil properties, with payment to
be worked out in 1942.
6. After war breaks out in Europe in 1939, Latin American countries and US
agree to Havana Act of 1940—attack on one is attack on all.

Philippine Independence
1. 1934 sees the Tydings-McDuffie Act passed which provided for
independence after a ten-year period and gradual withdrawal of tariff
concessions.
2. July 4, 1946 the Philippines given independence under a treaty that
permitted the US to retain air and naval bases there.
 American
Neutrality (Isolationism)
1. Kellogg-Briand Pact
62 nations sign a “paper agreement” not to go to war and to settle all
future disputes by peaceful means. Problem—No Consequences!
2. Stimson Doctrine
In reaction to Japanese invasion of Manchuria (1931) Secretary of State
Henry Stimpson creates a doctrine that said that the United States would
not recognize any territorial gain made by force (another paper
agreement). Japan doesn’t care!
3. Neutrality Acts 1935,36,37
Created from the Nye Committee. If the President says that a state of war
exists between two countries the U.S. can’t:
a. Sell war materiel to belligerents. Also banned travel of Americans on
belligerents ships.
b.Loan money to belligerents.
c. Also included Civil Wars (in response to Spanish Civil War).
 American
Neutrality continued
1. Quarantine Speech
“[It} joins in a quarantine of the patients (Japan, Germany, Italy) in order
to protect the health of the community against the spread of the disease.”
Main Idea- Do not have anything to do with either of these three countries
and they will go away.
 Aggression
in Asia
1. Panay Incident
a. In 1937 the Japanese challenged the US deliberately by bombing the
American gunboat USS Panay in China. Japan apologizes, but had
demonstrated that she could get away with the attack.
Time Line of Events leading to World War II
1931
1933
1934
1935
1936
1938
1939
1940
by
1941
September
January
March
October
March
October
March
September
March
April
August
September
November
June
September
December
Japan invades Manchuria
Hitler becomes chancellor of Germany
Germany begins to rearm.
Italy invades Ethiopia
Germany reoccupies the Rhineland
Germany and Italy form the Axis Powers
Germany occupies Austria
Germany takes the Sudetenland in the Munich Pact
Germany takes Czechoslovakia
Italy invades Albania
Germany and USSR sign non-aggression pact
Germany invades Poland; France and Britain declare war on Germany.
Soviet Union attacks Finland
Italy declares war on Britain and France; three-fifths of France is occupied
Germany
The US begins a military draft (peacetime)
Japan attacks Pearl Harbor; US declares war on Japan, Germany and
Italy
Time Line of Events leading to
World War II
1931
September
Japan invades Manchuria
1933 January
Hitler becomes chancellor of Germany
1934 March
Germany begins to rearm.
1935 October
Italy invades Ethiopia
1936 March
October
Germany reoccupies the Rhineland
Germany and Italy form the Axis Powers
1938 March
September
Germany occupies Austria
Germany takes the Sudetenland in the
Munich Pact
The Japanese Invasion
of China, 1937
The Rape of Nanjing
The “Problem” of the
Sudetenland
Appeasement: The Munich
Agreement, 1938
British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain
Now we have “peace in our time!” Herr Hitler is
a man we can do business with.
Czechoslovakia Becomes Part of
the Third Reich: 1939
Rome-Berlin Axis, 1939
The “Pact of Steel”
The Nazi-Soviet
Non-Aggression Pact, 1939
Foreign Ministers
von Ribbentrop & Molotov
1939 March
April
August
Germany takes Czechoslovakia
Italy invades Albania
Germany and USSR sign non-aggression
pact
September Germany invades Poland; France and
Britain declare war on Germany.
November Soviet Union attacks Finland
1940 June
September
1941 December
Italy declares war on Britain and France;
three-fifths of France is occupied by
Germany
The US begins a military draft (peacetime)
Japan attacks Pearl Harbor; US declares
war on Japan, Germany and Italy
The Start of the War in
Europe
September
1, 1939 – Hitler invades Poland
September 3, 1939 – Britain and France
declare war on Germany. World War II
begins.
Blitzkrieg (Lightning War)
Dive-bombers
destroying Polish airfields and smashing large
cities, disrupting communications and creating general
confusion.
Tanks
Bombers were followed by mechanized panzer divisions.
Then
2 million troops. Polish resistance was over in less than
a month.
Sitzkrieg
(sit down war—phony war)
From
October 1939 to April 9, 1940 the Germans waited
for world reaction, rearmed and got ready for a spring
continuation of aggression.
The
Germans also build the Sigfried Line (Atlantic Wall) to
prevent invasion from enemies. Not really going to be used
because of the German strength in their spring military
campaign.
Nazi’s
spring campaign of April 1940
The
Germans will head North and take Denmark, Norway,
Sweden.
Invasion
Reminder:
of France
France had built the Maginot Line to prevent
invasion, but forgot about the Belgium—again. They
thought that Rhineland would protect them, but Hitler had
remilitarized it in 1936—Hello!!!
Invasion
of France
The
Germans come from the North and East and push the
French back at almost every campaign. The French had to
be rescued at Dunkirk. This was a major evacuation from
Dunkirk to England (300,000 troops) across the English
Channel. (Big Mistake by the Germans)
“Wars are not won by evacuations. We shall fight on the seas
and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and
growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island,
whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we
shall fight on the landing-grounds, we shall fight in the fields
and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills;
we shall never surrender.”
Winston Churchill—British Prime Minister
Germans
continue to push towards Paris. The French
resistance lasted about a month. France is occupied by
June 14, 1940.
Invasion
of France
Three-Fifths
of France is occupied by Germany (2/5 to
Vichy Government—pro-Nazi Gov’t)
Reasons
for French quick loss
Did
not build up their strength between the wars.
German manpower, leadership and esprit de corps.
The French were beaten before they began (élon is gone).
Battle
of Britain (July 1940 – June 1941)
Battle
of Britain will be an air campaign meant to break the spirit
of the British people (similar to Battle of the Somme). The
Luftwaffe will bomb London and England trying to force the British
people to surrender. They wanted to see if this could work before
they invaded the country of Great Britain.
Britain
had not been invaded since the Normans in 1066. Why—
because you must have a strong navy and a lot of men on
transport ships.
Battle
of Britain (July 1940 – June 1941)
The
German invasion was supposed to take place on August
of 1940. Hitler puts it off until September, but weather
stops it and he delays the invasion for the rest of the year
(mistake). (Operation Sea Lion—code name for German invasion)
Britain will then be reinforced by the lend-lease acts
(supplies from the US—except soldiers) and Churchill leads
the successful resistance against the Germans.
Hitler
as Napoleon—June 22, 1941
Hitler
and Nazi Germany invade the USSR (Operation
Barbarrosa) and begins to take large amounts of land. This
surprises many nations, but this is a Soviet strategy.
The
Soviets fight and retreat, fight and retreat. They use a
scorched earth policy (burn and destroy anything that can be
used for supplies) as they retreated. This leaves the Nazis deep in
the USSR w/o supplies. Then the Russian Winter sets in and now
this battle becomes a war of attrition (Hitler was not prepared
for this type of battle).
Stalingrad—August
1942 to January 1943
The
town of (Tsaritzin) where Stalin defeated armies during
the Russian Civil War was renamed Stalingrad once he came
to power.
Hitler desperately wanted Stalingrad. Sent 330,000 troops
(6th army which took Holland and Belgium)
Germans
flatten ¾ of the city in a single day, but Russians
don’t give up. This flattening actually helps the Russians by
making the streets impassable (tanks have a hard time
getting into the city).
It now becomes a war fought from block to block, house to
house, and room to room. The Russians encircle the
Germans and cut off their supplies lines.
The Germans will lose over 288,000 soldiers.
The
Russians kill three out of every four Germans in WWII
(probably the most responsible for the victory in Europe).
Stalingrad
was one of the great turning points not only of
the war but of world history. If the Germans would have
taken Stalingrad they would have moved into Asia and the
rich oil fields in the Middle East.
After this battle, Germany was put on the defensive in
Eastern Europe. This battle is the turning point on the
Eastern Front
Summary
The
of the Invasion of USSR
invasion of the Soviet Union is the great mistake by Adolf
Hitler. He breaks the Hitler-Stalin pact by invading the USSR
because they are communist and his hatred for the Jews (there are
over 1.5 million Jews). Don’t be fooled. Stalin didn’t like the Jews
either. Communism is atheistic.
Hitler make another tragic mistake when he asks the Japanese to
attack the US. Now he is fighting a two front war and has invited
the US to the fight (thought the US could not fight in both oceans
successfully). It takes another 4 years to defeat the Germans (this
shows how powerful they actually were.
World
War II Conferences
Atlantic
Charter – Roosevelt and Churchill
--Roosevelt and Churchill meet in secret to discuss the outline for the final
destruction of the Nazis (war aims).
--It also laid the foundation of the present day United Nations
(international peace organization)
--No pursuit of territorial gains; nations can choose their form of
government; freedom of international trade; both supported
freedom of seas; both sought disarmament of the aggressors; sought
to promote “freedom from fear and want” throughout the world.
 Teheran
– 1st conference of the Big Three (Roosevelt, Churchill and
Stalin). Discusses the invasion of Western Europe. Roosevelt says that
“Uncle Joe” is now a great ally).
 Yalta
– Last meeting of the Big Three
--The leaders agreed that the German and Japanese leaders would be
tried as war criminals.
--The United Nations would be established.
--The Soviet Union agreed to enter the war against Japan after Germany’s
surrender. (really don’t want them involved against Japan)
World
War II Conferences (continued)
Potsdam
– Truman, Stalin, and
Churchill/Attlee
--British people give the boot to Churchill. They see
him as a war monger (shows how people can be
fickle).
--They discuss the plan for division of Germany
--Stalin reveals his plan to deny free elections in
Eastern Europe. Truman now sees that “Uncle Joe”
will have to be dealt with as an adversary.
Operation
Torch – Take back of Africa
(Nov. 8th 1942 – May 20th 1943)
US
is defeated in the battle at Kasserine Pass (Tunisia) by the
Afrika Korps of the German army. This is the 1st battle
against the Germans. We look to our pool of US Generals for a
leader to bring victory over Erwin Rommel (German tank
commander—Desert Fox).
The US finds their answer in George S. Patton. Along with
Montgomery (British), Patton will defeat the Germans and at
the Battle of El Alamein in Egypt and the allies push the
Germans northward toward Italy.
Move
Allied
North into Italy
troops move north, taking Sicily in 39 days and Italy
by September 1943.
Mussolini and his mistress are killed and strung up by piano
wire in Rome by the Italians. Hitler begins to get nervous
about a possible defeat.
Operation
Overlord – The Beginning of the
End for Nazi Germany
The
invasion of Normandy, France (June 6, 1944) will be
the turning point on the Western Front.
This
will be the largest amphibious landing ever attempted.
Dwight Eisenhower (Supreme Allies Commander in
Europe) was major player behind this plan.
After
the Nazis fail to hold the American and allied forces
from taking Paris, an assassination attempt is made on
Hitler’s life (unsuccessful—but Rommel—Desert Fox is
behind the assassination and is forced to commit suicide).
Battle
of the Bulge (Hitler’s last stance)
Fought
in Belgium in the Ardennes Forest (December 16,
1944 – January 31, 1945). Hitler directed his last reserves to
attack the Allies to the Ardennes Forest. Hitler was trying to
push the allies back out of France. The battle is named after
the dent made by the Germans, but the allied lines didn’t
break and after the defeat the Germans are going to be
pushed back to Berlin.
Eisenhower’s
Eisenhower
Mistake
decided to let the Soviet Union take Berlin
because of the amount of casualties which they had sustained
(20 million). The Russians went on a rape and pillage
campaign of Berlin (revenge for breaking the Hitler-Stalin
Pact).
End
of WWII
Franklin
Roosevelt will die in late April of 1945 (Harry Truman
becomes President). Hitler thinks that this is a sign that he is
now going to win the war, but 17 days later he will commit
suicide in his bunker in Berlin (gets married, shoots dog, Eva
Braun takes cyanide capsule, then Hitler takes capsule and
shoots himself). Soviets take remains back to USSR.
Germany
But,
surrenders on May 8, 1945 (V-E Day)
Victory in Europe
the war in the Pacific is still
being waged.
The War in the Pacific
Pearl Harbor – December 7, 1941
US was unprepared for the attack because they thought the
Japanese would continue w/ current negotiations.
Germany and Japan thought the US couldn’t fight in both
oceans and be successful. Big Mistake!
Japanese Internment Camps
Japanese-Americans were placed in internment camps
because US gov’t thought they were still loyal to Japan
Executive Order 9066 suspended the civil rights of
Japanese Americans (instituted by FDR).
Women in the Workforce
There was a great need for women in the workforce because
of the lack of males created by the war. Rosie the Riveter
became the symbol of women in the workforce.
Civil Rights and WWII
Langston Hughes Poem:
Looky here, America—What you done, done—Let things drift
until the riots come….Yet you say we’re fighting for
democracy. Then why don’t democracy include me?.....I ask
you this question cause I want to know……How long I got to
fight both Hitler and Jim Crow
African Americans created the Double V program. This
meant victory over Hitler and Jim Crow laws.
War in the Pacific timeline
September 27, 1940:
--German-Italian-Japanese Tripartite Pact signed. 10 year
agreement.
October 11, 1940:
--General Hideki Tojo becomes Premier of Japan. In charge
of Japan’s armed forces.
December 7-8, 1941:
--Pearl Harbor; Japanese landing in Thailand, Malaya and
Wake Island (US Marines have 1st victory).
January – April 1942:
--Japan conquers vast number of islands in the Pacific.
April 18, 1942
--Doolittle Raid on Tokyo. US touches Japan which was
thought to be untouchable..
War in the Pacific timeline--continued
May 4-9, 1942: Battle of the Coral Sea
--Island Hopping campaign to Tokyo begins..
June 4, 1942: Battle of Midway
--For the 1st time in three centuries Japan’s navy tasted
defeat. Largest Japanese fleet to date prepares to fight (200
ships). Japan depended on US to react as usual (late arrival
after attack had begun). US had broken Japanese code
and knew their plan of attack. Stunning defeat for the
Japanese and Admiral Yamamoto.
***Midway is the turning point in the Pacific because the
United States takes the offensive.***
August 7. 1942: Guadalcanal
--Attack to prevent American supply lines from being cut. US
victorious, but with a lot of casualties.
War in the Pacific timeline--continued
February 19, 1945: Iwo Jima (Sulfur Island)
--Most important island to Japanese, because it is the start of
the Japanese islands owned prior to WWII.
--At least 3,650 Marines were killed or wounded in the 1st two
days of fighting.
--In the end 4,189 Americans would die and 20,196 wounded.
--21,000+ Japanese killed—200 taken prisoner.
--Iwo Jima becomes an airstrip for US planes to strike Tokyo.
The Battle for Okinawa will be the hardest fought and have
the most casualties in the Pacific.
US CASUALTIES
JAPANESE CASUALTIES
Killed: 12,250
Killed: 109,629 (estimate)
Wounded: 36,361
POWs: 7,821
30 Ships Sunk
Yamato (ship) sunk; 3,500 kamikazes destroyed
223 Ships Damaged
Operation Suicide--Kamikazes
--For the first time in history a nation at war used suicide as
an official military weapon and called upon its warriors to go
into combat with the prospect of certain death.
August 6, 1945: Hiroshima
--Only three men aboard the Enola Gay were fully aware of
the nature of the mission. The one bomb, had in its
destructive force an equivalent of 20,000 tons of T.N.T. It
descended five miles by parachute, imploded then exploded
before it landed, and left no crater. 78,000 were killed
outright, and more than 10,000 were never found, and
37,000 were injured.
--Japan denounced the attack at “inhuman” and “barbaric”.
--Japan will be given ultimatum for surrender (surrender or
face complete and utter destruction), but they ignore it.
August 9, 1945: Nagasaki
--US drops the second Atomic bomb on Japan.
--Both Hiroshima and Nagasaki were military installations. We
could have dropped the bomb on Tokyo killing millions, but
Victory in Japan
we wanted to end the war quickly.
--Japan surrenders on August 15, 1945, (V-J day)
“I certainly regret the necessity of wiping out
whole populations because of the
‘pigheadedness’ of the leaders of a nation…My
object is to save as many American lives as
possible…
Harry Truman – US President
Significance of WWII
--4X the death toll of WWI (1/2 the casualties are
women/children). American death toll = 405,000 (second
only to Am. Civil War)—Russian casualties = 20,000,000.
--Holocaust: 6 million Jews and 5 million Gentiles are killed
--Nuremberg Trials – War crime trials after WWII. Germans
are tried on charges of waging an aggressive war against
the civilian population—crimes against humanity. There
are trials in Japan, but they don’t get the stigma like the
Germans.
--United Nations is created. Security Council oversees any
international problem. Any “Big Five country” (US, China,
Russia, Britain, France) country can veto any decisions
made by the council.
--After WWII the US is now a global power and nuclear power
and becomes prosperous because of the need for a strong
military. The US does not return to their isolationist policies
like prior to WWII.
--Women and Minorities begin to achieve more rights after
WWII because of their involvement and participation in the
war effort. It will take a while, and after a long struggle,
they will see more equality in the United States.
For 44 months over 350 US soldiers will be killed
everyday in WWII.
Do you think that the American people would have
been able to fight this war knowing this statistic?