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World War II 1939-1945 I. After World War I World War I laid the foundation for World War II. Many events set the stage for a dictator or dictators to rise and war to start. (A) The United States followed a policy of isolationism. This was a desire to stay out of world affairs. The United States simply did not want to get involved in the problems of other nations. (B) Many countries prior to World War II adopted a policy of disarmament. Disarmament was a policy that nations adopted reducing and limiting their weapons in hopes of preventing future wars. For example, the Kellog-Briand Pact: was an agreement signed by 62 countries that stated war was outlawed. The pact stated that war was only allowable if attacked and a nation was acting in self-defense. This policy was initiated by the United States and France. (C) War debts damaged economies and aggressive leaders took advantage of the situation, i.e. Hitler, Mussolini. The Great Depression spread worldwide and made it very difficult for many nations to repay their war debts. Arguments of debtor nations basically stated that the United States should cancel all war debts from World War I because the USA did not suffer like many other nations. The United States did not lose as many causalities and the war was not fought on US soil. However, countries were forced to repay their debt. The Dawes Plan set a repayment schedule for German reparations. (D) Rise of Militarism/GOVERNMENT INSTABILITY 1. Benito Mussolini became the dictator of Italy during the 1930’s. Mussolini limited free speech and imprisoned political opponents. He started the Fascist Party which created a government dominated by the military. He also had an army of Blackshirts which were his police/thugs to crush opposition and carry out his orders. 2. Joseph Stalin came to power in Russia after Lenin’s death. Stalin continued communism in Russia/ Soviet Union. He made Russia/USSR a totalitarian state which is a country where the WW II, pg 2 government has complete control over every aspect of a citizen’s life. 3. Adolph Hitler came to power in Germany during the1930’s. He promised recovery from the Great Depression. Hitler ended all opposition parties & free press was outlawed. He abolished any laws that contradicted the Nazi Party’s goals and stripped the Reichstag (German Parliament) of all power naming himself the dictator of Germany. His Nazi Party used terror to rule and maintain order. The Brownshirts were Nazi storm troopers who carried out Hitler’s orders. Before he became the German dictator, he wrote Mein Kampf a book that outlined his plan to restore Germany and exterminate the Jewish race. Mein Kampf means “my struggle.” The Third Reich was the title given to Germany under Hitler’s control—it means “new empire.” Hitler is blamed for starting WWII because he violated the Versailles Treaty (ended WWI) on numerous occasions. He rearmed Germany, instituted anti- semitism and invaded territories. Some examples of how he violated the Versailles Treaty were: invading the Rhineland in 1936, Austria in 1939 and Czechoslovakia. Hitler also violated the Versailles Treaty when he acted upon his hated the Jews. Kristallnacht “night of the broken glass” when Nazi Brownshirts destroyed Jewish property. This was the beginning of the end for the Jews. The Nazis destroyed synagogues, homes, businesses and made the Jews pay for the damages. 4. Japan adopted militarism and invaded the following areas: Manchuria in 1931 and China in 1937. Japan started a rapid military build-up in 1934. Japan was under the control of aggressive “war lords” headed by General Tojo. II. Summary of the causes of World War II A. Violations of the Treaty of Versailles ---problems unresolved after World War I, new treaties created political and economic problems B. Forceful leaders took advantage and seized power causing government instability. Examples are: Hitler—Germany Italy—Mussolini Japan—General Tojo USSR----Stalin C. Economic problems—German inflation and lack of resources. Italy and Japan also lacked many resources. WW II, pg 3 III. Steps taken moving the World toward War A. EXAMPLES OF AGRESSION PRIOR TO DEC. 7, 1941 ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR 1931----------Japan invaded Manchuria 1935----------Italy invaded Ethiopia 1936----------Hitler’s military occupied the Rhineland (demilitarized by Treaty of Versailles—WWI) 1937----------The Panay Incident (Japan paid $2 million indemnity and issued a formal, public apology) 1938----------Neville Chamberlain (GB Prime Minister) met with Hitler and Mussolini and offered a compromise—take no more of Czechoslovakia. This became known as the Policy of Appeasement—Hitler violated this policy and invaded the rest of Czechoslovakia. This was the Munich Conference. 1939----------The Nazi-Soviet Pact was signed between Germany and the Soviet Union promising that they would never attack each other. This created a problem when Germany invaded Poland, the USSR’s neighbor. 1940----------Hitler launched a “blitzkrieg” (lightening war) attack against Western Europe. German troops occupied Denmark & Norway German troops rushed through the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg. June 14, 1940 German troops took Paris III. Steps taken moving the World toward War B. US Foreign Policy during the 1930’s: 1. Respect for ourselves and the rights of others 2. Attempt to stay out of affairs of other nations--isolationism C. Franklin D. Roosevelt urged neutrality but wondered could the USA maintain that position. He urged a “quarantine” of aggressor nations. FDR had to deal with pacifists, non-interventionist and isolationist in the United States. The United States Congress passed the following acts: 1. Neutrality Act of 1935 & 1936—prevented Americans from sending arms to nations at war. WW II, pg 4 2. Neutrality Act of 1937—permitted trade with belligerent nations only on a “cash and carry” basis. Munitions were embargoed. This policy became known as the Cash & Carry Policy. 3. Neutrality Act of 1939: this act provided that European democracies might buy US war materials, but again on “cash & carry” basis. 4. Many Americans pushed for a constitutional amendment that would require a popular vote referendum before Congress could declare war. This amendment was only discussed, never proposed. 5. During the 1930’s FDR created the Good Neighbor Policy which tried to improve relations with Mexico and Latin America. This policy expanded Latin American trade to help them fight the Great Depression and united the nations to help fight fascism. The USA withdrew troops from Haiti and cancelled the Platt Amendment. 6. The USA started following a doctrine called collective security—what was needed to defend common interest against enemy attacks. IV. World War II Breaks Out A. The Axis Powers in 1936 were Japan, Germany and Italy. All three relied on foreign countries for natural resources. They were all aggressive nations that wanted to expand their territories. They were all led by dictators and were suffering from the worldwide depression. B. The Munich Conference: was a meeting held between Germany, France and Great Britain. At this conference, Hitler was given part of Czechoslovakia in appeasement in return that he would promise not to take any other lands in the future. 1. Policy of Appeasement—when Great Britain and France gave into Hitler’s demands to take Czech to avoid any future conflicts. C. The Non-Aggression Pact: was between Russia (Stalin) and Germany (Hitler). They agreed not to fight each other and to invade Poland and split the land. WW II, pg 5 D. Germany invades Poland—World War II begins! 1. September 1, 1939---Germany & USSR invade Poland. 2. September 3, 1939—Great Britain and France declare war On Germany (WWII starts). 3. Blitzkrieg—German “lightening war”; Germany used tanks and planes together This strategy was dependent on: air power, use of mechanized mobile vehicles and speed and mobility in battle. 4. “Phony War” –lull in fighting after war is declared. 1. Maginot Line—line of concrete bunkers along the border with Germany. Guns were pointed at Germany as France waited in bunkers for Germany to attack. 2. In April 1940 Phony war ends. Germany attacks Denmark, Norway and then crossed Belgium to invade France. The Maginot Line was useless. By June 1940, France had fallen under German control. Great Britain was left alone to fight Germany. 5. The Battle of Britain—after the fall of France in 1940, Britain stood alone against Germany. During the summer and fall of 1940, intense bombing of British cities took place. Hitler hoped to force a quick surrender before the United States entered the war aiding Britain. Three factors that helped the British win the Battle of Britain were: (1) breaking the German code—use of the Ultra, (2) the invention and use of the radar, and (3) the bravery and success of the Royal Air Force (RAF). As a result of the victory, Hitler decided to postpone Operation Sea Lion which would have been a German invasion of Britain. 6. The United States enters the scene in 1941. By Feb. 1941, The USA extended its “zone of defense” outside of the Atlantic Ocean. By April of 1941, the USA occupied Greenland. By May 1941, the USA seized 92 ships belonging to the Axis powers. By June of 1941, the USA froze German and Italian property with the United States. WW II, pg 6 7. Hitler on the move a. What was his goal? To unite all the people of German blood (in Austria, Czechoslovakia & Poland under one government. b. Timeline of Hitler’s actions March 1938 Germany invaded & annexed Austria—next move Czechoslovakia September 1938 Munich Pact signed March 1939 Czechoslovakia seized August 1939 Non-Aggression Pact signed Sept. 1, 1939 Poland invaded Sept. 3, 1939 Great Britain & France declare War on Germany Sept. 17, 1939 USSR invades Poland Sept. 29, 1939 Poland divided among USSR & Germany June 22, 1941 Russia invaded by Germany Oct. 1941 USA destroyers Greer & Kearney were attacked by German submarines. The US Reuben James was sunk. V. From Isolationism to War A. Neutrality Acts 1935-1939 attempted to keep the USA out of the war. 1. US citizens could not travel on ships that belonged to countries at war. 2. US could not sell weapons to countries at war. 3. US could not loan money to countries at war. 4. US could sell materials for war, mainly oil, on a cash-n-carry basis. (Britain received old destroyer for the right to build military bases in the British Isles.) B. The Selective Training & Service Act –Summer of 1940 1. First peacetime draft in United States history. WW II, pg 7 2. men ages 21-35 had to register—later the age was raised from 18 to 45. In one year over 1.2 million men were drafted. C. Arsenal for Democracy was a term used by FDR USA would supply the Allies with the weapons they needed to defend democracy (Dec. 1940). D. Four Freedoms—was a speech by FDR used to support. The Lend-Lease Program. The Four Freedoms were: freedom of speech, worship, and from want and fear. (Jan. 1941) E. Lend-Lease Act—the United States decided to give weapons & materials to Great Britain and later USSR and let them pay later. “If your neighbors house is on fire, you help them put it out”— FDR quote (March 1941). F. Winston Churchill became the new Prime Minister of Great Britain. Neville Chamberlain resigned because he was so embarrassed about the failure of the Munich Pact. G. Atlantic Charter—FDR & Churchill met secretly on a ship in the Atlantic Ocean. They agreed on: (1) they did not want additional land from the war, and (2) all people should have the right to chose their leaders. This was a slap in the face of Germany and the Soviet Union. The peace objectives basically stated: (1) self-determination for all people, (2) free trade, and (3) no territorial expansion as a result of the war. H. Japan Attacks French Indochina, July 1941 1. Japanese resumed war on China in 1937. The United States and Japan had strong differences over China. Japan demanded that the USA cut off all aid to the forces of General Chiang Kai-Shek in China. The United States refused to do this and further demanded that the Japanese withdraw all troops in China. Japan was faced with two alternatives: (1) withdraw from China or (2) go to war with the United States. The militaristic government of Japan headed by General Tojo chose to go to war with the United States. The United States knew that the Japanese were planning an attack somewhere. The possible targets: (1) Australia (2) Thailand (3) the Malaysian peninsula (4) Indonesia (5) the Philippines. Japan froze out other business interest and closed spheres of influence---violating the Open WW II, pg 8 Door Policy. Japan declared the Open Door Policy obsolete. FDR started lending money to China and ask American manufacturers not to sell planes to Japan. Congress instituted a licensing system on exports which and placed items such as fuel, etc. on the list. This allowed tracking of exports. The U. S. froze all Japanese assets in the United States and refused to sell them oil, gasoline, steel, iron and machine tools. Japan was angered and in return froze all the USA assets in Japan, ending trade between the two nations. Japan signed an alliance with Germany and Italy in 1940. William Friedman, American Cryptanalyst said war eminent in SE Asia, Hawaii or Philippines. A Colonel dismissed Hawaii as a possibility. Japan bombs Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on December 7, 1941. Almost 20 warships and 200 planes were destroyed. 2,400 Americans were killed including 1,103 sailors entombed on the USS Arizona. During a fireside chat, FDR said, “this is a day that will live in infamy.” 2. On November 26, 1941, a Japanese aircraft carrier force left Japan headed for Hawaii. On December 7, 1941 just before 8:00 a.m. the Japanese surprise attacked the US Pacific fleet anchored at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. It was the worst military disaster in US history. The Japanese attacked in two waves 191 planes in the first wave, 170 planes in the second wave—1 hour later. US loses at Pearl Harbor were: 8 battleships, 3 cruisers, and over 2300 servicemen. Because of this on December 8, 1941, the USA declared war on Japan and entered WWII. On December 11, 1941, Italy and Germany declared war on United States. I. Mobilization for the USA 1. War ended the Great Depression. Unemployment decreased from 2.5 million to less than 700,000. People were earning a paycheck. 2. There were large population shifts—people moved to find work in factories. 3. Congress granted emergency powers to the US President and avoided asking a lot of questions. The President started turning the American economy into a war production economy. The nation’s fate and the world’s fate depended on the USA’s WW II, pg 9 production of military weapons. FDR passed taxes to pay for the war. He wanted to avoid borrowing so he: rationed raw materials and consumer goods and regulated prices and wages. He inspired farmers and industrialist to economically expand. In 1939 the GNP was $91.3 billion and in 1945 it was $166.6 billion. The war ended the Great Depression. Manufacturing doubled and agriculture grew over 22%. In 1939 over 6000 planes per year were being produced. In 1944 over 96,000 per year were produced. In 1939 around 237,000 tons of vessels were produced and in 1943 over 10 million tons of vessels were produced. The south and southwest grew tremendously with several defense plants being built. FDR followed Keynesian economics which stated that government spending would spark economic growth. In 1940 unemployment was around 8%, after Pearl Harbor unemployment disappeared. 4. Major Organizations in the War economy: A. The War Production Board and Office of War Mobilization supervised the conversion of factories to war-time production, supervised the building of new factories; and coordinated the distribution of goods. Nylon was used for parachutes (factory in Columbia, MS) men’s pants did not have cuffs, women’s skirts did not have pleats—material was saved. The War Production Board was created to manage war industries. The Office of War Mobilization set production priorities and managed raw materials. B. The National War Labor Board was created to arbitrate disputes and stabilize wage rates. This agency would stop a strike from happening in order to avoid placing the USA at risk. The War Labor Disputes Act gave the president the power to take over any was plant that threatened the USA by a strike. The Smith-Connally Anti-Strike Act of 1943 granted the government this power. 5. The US paid for the war by making more Americans pay income taxes and selling war bonds. Government spending from 1941-1945 doubled, an all time high. The government WW II, pg 10 controlled inflation by selling war bonds, rationing, and wages and price controls. Some items rationed were gas, fuel, tires, coffee, sugar, meat, butter and canned goods. Victory Gardens were planted to help supply goods for the war effort and actually did make more food available for the troops. J. The Homefront was changed. 1. Window banners—blue stars represented a family member in the service, and a gold star represented someone who had died in combat. 2. Rosie the Riveter—was a symbol of patriotic women defense workers. This encouraged women to do their part in the war effort. Many women took jobs outside the home for the first time. War work gave women a new sense of pride, self-worth, and selfesteem. However, they still experienced discrimination in the workplace. In 1944 5.6 million women were working industrial jobs. There were over 10,000 women in the armed forces in: WACS –Women’s Army Corp WAVES—Women Accepted for Emergency Services WAFS---Women’s Auxiliary Ferry Squadron 3. African-Americans planned a march on Washington, DC in 1941 because they wanted to protest discrimination against their race. They fought in segregated units and were usually restricted to menial work such as cooks, etc. The march was organized by A. Phillip Randolph. FDR granted an Executive Order (has force of law) forbidding racial discrimination in defense plants and government offices. This temporary appeased marchers and the march was cancelled. WWII promoted the Civil Rights movement. African Americans could use Hitler’s treatment of the Jews to illustrate how hatred and discrimination hurt individuals and a nation. Many black leaders said WWII was fighting to stop aggressive dictator and “fighting for democracy” for black Americans. During World War II, the Army had its first black general. There were over 600 black pilots in WWII. However, blacks had lived in segregated units with Hispanics until FDR’s executive order. There were a large number of black civilians who supported the work effort through employment at home. Double WW II, pg 11 V Campaign was the African-American Campaign for victory in Europe and victory over racism in America. 4. Zoot-Suit Riots—many Mexicans came north to work in the SW during the war. There was prejudice and resentment. Several US Sailors attacked Mexican Americans in Los Angeles. The Mexicans-Americans were named for a clothing fad—Zoot Suits. 5. Japanese Americans living on the west coast were forced to move to relocation camps established in the mid-section of the United States. These locations were called interment camps. This action was taken because of war hysteria and prejudice. “Yellow Peril” was a name given to the racism practiced against the Japanese Americans. Over 110,000 Japanese Americans were placed in interment camps. The Japanese Americans said, “We are Americans first and then Japanese.” In Korematsu V. United States (1944) the Supreme Court ruled that the Japanese Americans could not be held. Japanese Americans were called Nisei. VI. Fighting in Africa and Europe A. Africa 1. El Alamein fought in North Africa—helped the USA gain a foothold in North Africa. This battle was significant because it broke the momentum of the Axis powers. 2. Operation Torch was an invasion of North Africa. General Dwight Eisenhower led the Allied forces. This helped the Allies gain control of much of the Mediterranean. Erwin Rommel ,“The Desert Fox” , led forces that Eisenhower encountered. The Allies fought the Germans and Italians in N. Africa. Churchill and the Allies focused their attacks on the Axis in the Mediterranean region to relieve pressure on the USSR in 1942. B. Europe 1. Battle of Stalingrad--- Soviets attacked the Germans and the Germans lost 2/3rds of the 300,000 forces. This battles was also significant because it broke the momentum of the Axis powers. This was a turning point during the war. The Soviets drew the Germans into deep Russian territory knowing that WW II, pg 12 2. 3. 4. 5. winter was approaching. The Germans were in summer uniforms and did not have anti-freeze in their tanks. The tanks froze, as did many troops. The Soviets also burned stored items that could benefit the Germans—scorched earth policy. Soviets say “General Winter” won this battle for the soviets. 90,000 German troops surrendered. Battle of the Atlantic—Sonar equipment allowed the USA to win. It allowed USA to detect underwater ships. We also figured out how to neutralize our ships so that the Germans could not detect them with their “underwater mines.” The goal was to protect Allied ships from being sunk by German subs. The United States started using convoy systems to protect the main ship. The Germans retaliated with wolf packs. Operation Overlord—goal was to liberate France from the Germans. This is also called D-Day (June 6, 1944). General Eisenhower led the invasion and it took place on June 6, 1944. We attacked in the worst possible place—tides, no harbor, underwater mines. We led a series of diversionary raids along parts of the French Coast. This was the largest landing by sea in history. 4600 invasion crafts and war ships and 1000 RAF bombers hit the coast of Normandy. The Germans expected an invasion so they placed mines in the water and barbed wire on the beaches. 150,000 Allied troops landed and there were around 2000 causalities. This was originally planned for June 5, 1944 but the seas were to rough so it was carried out on June 6. Holocaust—systematic slaughter of European Jews—Hitler killed more than 12 million Jews, gypsies, Poles, homosexuals, etc. A. Genocide—deliberate annihilation of an entire race B. 2/3rds of 66% of European Jews were killed in the Holocaust. C. Gypsies, mentally disabled, Poles, religious dissidents, and homosexuals were also killed. Battle of the Bulge—The Germans launched their last attack on the Allies. They concentrated much of their force in one area which allowed them to form a dangerous bulge in the Allied line---many Americans were caught behind enemy lines. The Allies eventually pushed the Germans back and won. The WW II, pg 13 US forces were led by General Patton—“ole Blood & Guts”. 600,000 GI’s were in battle and 80,00 were killed. The goal was to liberate Paris. 6. Invasion of Italy—Allied forces under Eisenhower invaded Italy on July 10, 1943. They fought for 39 days and the Germans retreated. On July 25, 1943 Mussolini and his government fell from power. He was imprisoned, shot and hung. VII. Island Hopping Campaigns A. Island Hopping Campaign—the USA would try to attack and seize strategic islands in the Pacific Ocean. (not all islands) The islands seized provided airstrips which American bombers could use to launch attacks against Japan. B. The Philippines—MacArthur led the invasion to recapture the Philippines. The Battle of Leyte Gulf was the last, largest and most destructive naval battle. It was a disaster for Japan. C. The Battle of Okinawa was the bloodiest battle in the Pacific. The USA lost 49,000 soldiers. Kamikazes were used against the USA. Kamikazes are suicide pilots who flew their planes into US ships in hope of killing our sailors. The Japanese soldiers also committed seppuku. Seppuku was committing suicide by cutting out their abdomen—horrible death. D. Battle of the Coral Sea—Japanese forces were spread in the Pacific Ocean while American forces fought to stop them. Northwest of Australia, the 2 forces were drawn into conflict. This was the first naval battle carried out entirely by air. E. Battle of Midway--- June 4, 1942 Japan v. USA . This battle was also fought entirely by air. The Japanese were loading their bombs and the USA attacked. The USA demolished 3 of 4 Japanese carriers causing the bombs on deck to explode. The 4th carrier was destroyed trying to escape. The sinking of the carriers plus the loss of 250 planes was a devastating blow to the Japanese. F. Bataan Death March-over 11,000 USA soldiers were captured by the Japanese in mid 1942. The soldiers were split into groups of 500 to 1000 members and were marched 60 miles to the nearest railroad. These men were shipped to prison camps and held for WW II, pg 14 the rest of the war. They did not have adequate food or medicine and over 10,000 men died. The men were treated brutally and tortured. After the war 6 Japanese generals were executed for war crimes. G. Battle of Guadacanal—August 1942—over 11,000 marines landed on this island and some 2200 Japanese fled to the jungle. The 2 armies fought for months and gave the US Marines their first experience with jungle warfare/guerilla warfare. US marines were easy targets for Japanese snipers. By February 1943, Japanese forces fled the island. H. Battle of Iwo Jima--- November 1944—American troops began to pound Iwo Jima from the air. For 74 days, American planes and warships pounded over 7000 tons of bombs and more than 20,000 shells on the Japanese. Mid-February (1945) US Marines stormed the beach and after 3 days of fighting they had only advanced about 700 yards. Over 11,000 American troops were involved in this battle against 25,000 Japanese soldiers defending the island. 216 Japanese were taken prisoner. US had approximately 25,000 causalities from this battle. There were 27 Medals of Honor given for this battle. Famous American photo of the men raising the flag on the island of Iwo Jima. I. Battle of Okinawa---June 1945—this was one of the last obstacles of the Allied invasion. American and British forces amassed Japanese forces who had vowed to fight until death. Some 1300 warships and 180,000 troops were gathered to drive the Japanese off the island. Japanese pilots flew over 2000 kamikaze attacks (suicide runs) on the US fleet. After 3 months of fighting, 7200 Japanese surrendered and the American forces had over 50,000 causalities. This opened the door to invade Japan. J. After Iwo Jima and Okinawa, the USA planned an invasion of Japan. In 1939, FDR and Albert Einstein started conversing about the making of a new type of bomb. FDR organized the Manhatten Project to develop the bomb. On July 16, 1945, the top-secret mission was completed and ready for testing. Testing took place in a desert in New Mexico. J. Robert Oppenheimer headed the project of building the A-bomb. The WW II, pg 15 Manhattan Project—this secret project was created to develop the A-bomb. The bomb was dropped on August 6 & 9, 1945; against Japan. VIII. Politics & Leadership A. WARTIME CONFERENCES 1. Casablanca Conference was held in January 1943. The Big agreed to invade Italy and demand an unconditional surrender. 2. Tehran Conference Big 3 meet in November 1943 and Decided to liberate France in 1944 (D-Day) and join forces to fight Japan. 3. Yalta Conference—the Big Three (FDR, Churchill and Stalin) met to decide plans for post war peace. They decide to divide Germany among the Allies when the war was over. They made plans for the creation of the United Nations after World War II. (Feb. 1945) 4. Potsdamn Conference—July 1945—only Stalin left of the Big 3—FDR died and Harry Truman took over and Clement Attlee was new Prime Minister in Great Britain. The members agreed to: (1) only accept an unconditional surrender of Japan, and (2) hold war-crime trails for members of the Nazi party. B. Presidential Election of 1944—FDR wins his 4th term as United States President. He selected Harry Truman to be his VP. On April 12, 1945—FDR died and Harry S. Truman became the President of the United States after only serving as the VP for less than 3 months. C. April 30, 1945—Hitler committed suicide. D. May 8, 1945—Germany formally surrenders to Eisenhower. This day is called VE Day or Victory in Europe Day. E. Truman was the President, the one, who had to make the decision of whether or not to drop the atomic bomb on Japan. On August 6, 1945 a bomb was dropped on WW II, pg 16 Hiroshima, Japan. On August 9, 1945, a bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan. Over 240,000 Japanese were killed by the blast and radiation. Japan formally surrendered on September 2, 1945 which is called VJ Day or Victory over Japan Day. F. The United States became one of the world’s strongest nations after World War II because we had not been weakened by the war like other countries—the war had not been fought on our land. The other superpower was the USSR. Upon the close of WWII, the Cold War started between the USA and USSR. G. George C. Marshall was the Army Chief of Staff during World War II. He pushed FDR to prepare for war. After the war he resigned as the Army Chief of Staff and became the Secretary of State under Harry S. Truman. He developed the Marshall Plan which called for economic aid to countries in threat of a communist takeover. His policy helped to fight communism during the Cold War. VIII. Interesting Facts about World War II A. More people were killed and more property destroyed than in any other war. B. Led to the rise of the Soviet Union and the development of the Atomic bomb. C. The exact number of deaths will never be known. D. Military deaths total over 17 million. E. Civilian deaths were greater because of starvation, bombing raids, massacres, epidemics, and other war related causes. F. The battlegrounds were in almost every part of the world (Africa, Pacific Ocean, frozen fields of Soviet Union, below Atlantic Ocean, and many European cities. WWII, pg 17 G. Weapons used during the war: B-17 bomber plane—carried 13 machine guns Spitfire—British plane—very fast! Tank Aircraft carriers—floating airfield—backbone of Navy A-bomb Radar H. Over 24,000 Native Americans served in the war I. 2 atomic bombs killed over 20 million people J. Diversity in the Military: 300,000 Mexicans 25,000 Native Americans (Navajo Code Talkers) 17,000 Japanese Americans 1 million African Americans 275,000 women served in various positions (WACS, WAFS, WAVES, etc) K. The War Refugee Board was created by FDR in 1944 to help people threatened by the Nazi Party to come to America. Over 200,000 Jews came to America. L. Ships that carried goods to soldiers were called Liberty Ships. M. Over $156 billion dollars worth of War bonds were sold to finance the war. N. Victory Gardens were planted to provide food for soldiers. O. Why was the bombs dropped on Hiroshima? It was a large army base Nagasaki was a large industrial area WW II, pg 18 P. Consequences: 400,000 USA deaths 350,000 British deaths 7.5 million USSR deaths 3.5 million German deaths 2.2 million Chinese deaths 1.25 Japanese Deaths Bombings destroyed cities 12 million people displaced because of the war (orphans, POWS, survivors of concentration camps) New power struggle between USA & USSR—Cold War Spread of communism Nuclear age was born United Nations was born Germany was divided into 4 areas Nazi party was outlawed Surgical methods improved Transportation improved Cost the USA over $320 billion dollars USA was $250 billion in debt October 24, 1945 the United Nations came into existence