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Notes ch. 17. 1
Before the war:
*FDR realized that US was not going to stay out of the war. However, the
political situation in US was not in favor of participating in war.
*Aug. 1941, FDR and Churchill secretly meet off coast of Newfoundland work
out an arrangement for peace after the war. Called the Atlantic Charter it was
the foundation for the future United Nations.
*Sept. 1940, Congress authorizes the 1st peacetime draft. Men 21-36 required
to register.
*Dec. 7, 1941 Japan attacks Pearl Harbor.
*Dec.8, 1941 FDR asks Congress to declare war on Japan.
*3 days later Germany and Italy declare war on US.
The WAR
16 million American will serve in WWII. Of which:
* 300,000 Mexican American
* 25,000 Native Americans including the Code Talkers
* 20,000 Japanese Americans (after 1943)
* 1,000,000 African American troops.
African American and
Japanese troops fought in segregated units. In 1942, African Am. troops
are officially given combat assignments, including the Army Air force
99th Fighter Squadron, the Black Eagles.
* 350,000 women will serve in non-combat roles. The largest military
group-Women’s Army Corps (WAC)
Fighting
* The Battle of the Atlantic: German subs in groups of up to 30, called
wolf packs, attacked British and US military and merchant ships. High
losses by allies.
* North Africa Campaign: British, under Gen. Montgomery, and US,
under Eisenhower trap German commander Rommel, the desert fox, in
1943. Nearly 240,000 Germans and Italians surrender.
* Invasion of Italy: July 1943, Patton attacks Sicily, the island falls in 38
days. Mussolini is overthrown. Allied troops invade the Italian mainland
and in Sept. the new Italian gov’t surrenders. HOWEVER, German troops
in Italy do not. The allies will not control Italy until April 1945.
* The Soviet Union: Hitler broke his pact with Stalin and invades the
USSR. 3.6 million Germans poured into Russia. The soviets adopt a
“scorched earth” policy. They make their stand at Stalingrad.
* The Battle of Stalingrad was the turning point of the war in the east. On
January 31, 1943, 90,000 freezing Germans surrendered. USSR begins
long fight to regain its lost territory.
* D-Day: the allies invade western Europe on June 6, 1944 at Normandy.
Largest landing by sea in history. Under cover of massive air shelling,
150,000 Allied troops and equipment begin to come ashore along 60
miles of Normandy coast.
* Battle of the Bulge: German counter attack to protect Germany from
allied advances. The attack overwhelmed American forces and pushed
them back, causing the lines to “bulge” and cutting off some units. This
was the largest battle in western Europe and largest ever fought by US.
Nazi leaders will realize after their loss here that the war is lost.
Yalta Conference: In Feb. 1945, Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin had met at Yalta,
near the Black Sea, to plan for post war Germany. Germany was to be: split
into 4 zones - 1 each for England, US, USSR, France.
Berlin, the capital, would lie inside the USSR zone but would also be split into
four similar zones. Free elections were to be held in every nation liberated by
the Allies. Russia refused to allow this to happen in USSR controlled
territories.
* Battle of Berlin: The Soviets pushed into Berlin from the east, Hitler
refuses to flee and commits suicide (May 1, 1945). On May 8, 1945
Germany surrenders.
V-E day: May 8, 1945 victory in Europe. Rejoicing by both civilians and
soldiers. But war isn’t over yet. Japan still has to be defeated.
Notes Ch. 24.3
*Dec. 7, 1941: Japan attacks Pearl
*Philippines : Within hours Japan bombs Clark Field, the US airbase in
the Philippines. D. MacArthur knew of the attack on Hawaii but did not expect
an immediate attack on Clark, so his planes were sitting parked together. He
loses 1/2 of his air force. W/in 4 mos. Am. and Filipino forces withdraw to
Corregidor, an island in Manila Bay, they hold out another month. But on May
6, 1942, many sick, wounded, starving, 76,000 surrender. Mac Arthur
promises to return.
*Bataan Death March:
These POW’s are divided into groups of 5001000 and march 60 miles to RR to be sent to concentration camps for the
remainder of the war. During the 6-10 day march approx. 10,000 will die.
Those who couldn’t keep up were executed by Japanese.
*Battle of the Coral Sea: May, 1942, 1st naval combat conducted entirely
by air. Losses were high on both sides and militarily a draw. However, it
prevented Japan from establishing the bases it needed to invade Australia.
*Battle of Midway: June 4, 1942, also fought completely from air.
American planes caught Japanese carriers while their planes were still being
loaded with bombs. Americans swiftly destroyed 3 of Japanese carriers and
destroyed a 4th trying to escape. A turning point for the Pacific theatre. Japan
will not launch any more offensive actions and US will begin to take the
offense.
*Battle of Guadalcanal: Am. marines 1st taste of jungle warfare. 2000
Japs hold the island from 11,000 marines for months, until they slip off the
island undetected. Japanese had learned how to camouflage, and maneuver in
jungle—marines had to learn.
*Island hopping strategy: US forces began to selectively attack or bypass
enemy held islands. Ignoring ones not considered strategic. Always the
Japanese fought fiercely and both sides suffered heavy casualties.
*MacArthur vigorously objected to US plans to bypass the Philippines.
So in Oct. 1944, 160,000 Am. troops invaded. Once the beach head was
secured, MacArthur recorded the event to news cameras, proclaiming, “People
of the Philippines, I have returned”
The Philippines will not be securely in US hands until June 1945.
*Leyte Gulf: The greatest naval battle in world history. More than 280
warships in a 3 day battle. Japanese kamikazes, or suicide planes, were first
used. Jap. Navy was virtually destroyed, but land forces con’t to fight.
*Battle of Iwo Jima: One of bloodiest of the war. Feb 1945, US troops
invade. Americans suffered 25,000 casualties during the month it took to
capture this 14 square mile island. Only 216 Japanese were taken prisoner.
*Battle of Okinawa: The costliest battle of the Pacific war with near
50,000 US casualties. Strong Japanese resistance as this was the last
stronghold to an attack upon the Japanese home lands.
Japanese philosophy, shown many times over, was that you died fighting. You
did NOT surrender. With this understanding a direct invasion of Japan would
be very costly in lives of Americans.
*The Manhattan Project: the conclusion of the development of an atom
bomb was tested on July 16, 1945, in the desert of N.M. With a blinding flash
of light and a huge crater, it blew out windows 125 miles away.
*Truman authorizes the use of this new bomb. Aug. 6, 1945, the
American plane the Enola Gay dropped the bomb on Hiroshima, a city in
southern Japan and a large army base. 90% of building destroyed along w/
approx. 140,000 dead. The Japanese refuse to surrender.
*3 days later, another bomb is dropped on Nagasaki with similar results.
*V-J Day: On Aug. 14, 1945, the nation of Japan accepts America’s
demand for unconditional surrender. The formal surrender signed on Sept. 2,
1945.
WWII is over.
The Allies charge and bring to trial some Nazi and Japanese leaders.
The most recognized of these trials are the Nuremburg trials, held in
Nuremburg, Germany. Starting in November of 1945 the Allies will try 24
leading Nazi civilian and military leaders. Twelve will receive the death
sentence. The most significant impact of the trials is the idea that as a military
officer the excuse “I was only following orders” will no longer be accepted by
the world.