Download US Involvement in WWII

US Involvement in WWII
Chapter 20
Ch. 20.1
I. Converting the Economy
A. US produced 2x the amount of other
nation’s factories – important to victory
 B. Needed to rapidly mobilize (“get
ready”); US instituted Cost-Plus program
 C. Reconstruction Finance Corporation
(RFC) made loans for mobilization
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II. American
Industry
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A. After Pearl Harbor,
almost all industries
converted to war production
B. Auto factories turned to
production of jeeps, trucks,
rifles, tanks, planes,
supplies.
C. Henry Kaiser’s Liberty
Ships
D. War Production Board
(WPB) set priorities and
production goals. Office of
War Mobilization (OWM) to
settle arguments between
the different agencies.
III. Building an Army
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A. In order to win the
war, it was vital that the
US built up its armed
forces.
B. Selective Service and
Training Act – 1st
peacetime draft in Am.
History.
C. Overwhelming
volunteers – short
training, but camaraderie
made an effective unit.
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D. US Army was segregated.
Blacks were in their own military
units, with White officers
E. “Double V Campaign”
F. 99th Pursuit Squadron –
Tuskegee Airmen; Important
role in the battle of Anzio in
Italy.
G. In the army, Blacks also
performed well, receiving
various awards for
distinguished service;
Segregation ended in 1948.
Some of the Tuskegee Airmen
H. Congress established the Women’s
Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) in May
1942. First women in American military.
By 1943 women became a part of regular
war operations. Each branch had their
organizations.
 I. 1941 the American troops were
untrained and had little military
experience. Got the job done; fewest
casualties in combat of all the major war
powers.
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WAACS and WAVES
Ch. 20. 2
I. Pacific Front
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A. After Pearl Harbor,
American bases in
Philippines attacked
B. Philippines; General
MacArthur; Bataan Death
March
C. Doolittle Raid
D. Turning Point in the
Pacific: Battle of Midway –
destroyed Japanese
carriers
II. Turning Back the Germans
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A. Stalin urged US & UK to
open a second front;
Churchill wanted to attack
periphery (N. Africa)
B. Began under General
Dwight Eisenhower, George
Patton – Casablanca,
Kasserine Pass
C. Convoy system to defeat
German submarine threat.
D. Hitler wants to destroy
USSR economy; Soviets
hold out – Stalingrad was
turning point.
Some Links…
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http://historyanimated.com/Philippines.htm
l
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http://historyanimated.com/Midway.html
Ch. 20.3
I. Women and Minorities

A. War had positive effect of US society
Ended Depression
 Created 19 million new jobs
 Doubled family incomes
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B. Labor shortage forced employers to
hire more women for men’s jobs. 2.5
million women entered manufacturing.
Rosie the Riveter
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C. Discrimination against Blacks
A. Philip Randolph (Brotherhood of Sleeping
Car Porters) organized a march to secure
jobs.
 FDR responded with Executive Order 8802 –
no discrimination in defense industries or
government
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D. Bracero Program – Mexican nationals
arranged to help on SW farms. 200,000
came to work farms and RRs.
II. Nation on the Move
A. 15 million moved to West and South for
jobs; New industrial region called Sunbelt
 B. Fed. Gov’t issued $1.2 billion for
schools, housing, community centers
 C. Continuance of Great Migration (S to
N. Cities). Racism often worse in North
than South
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D. Zoot Suit Riots – popular among
Mexican-Americans in California; Rumors
of attack on several sailors. Led to
violence in LA.
 E. Feb 19, 1942, FDR allowed the War
Dept. to declare any part of the US a
military zone and remove anybody from
that zone – led to internment of JapaneseAmericans.
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III. Daily Life
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A. Office of Price
Administration –
Regulated farm wages
B. Office of Economic
Administration –
Regulated everything
else
C. Rationing – limiting
the availability of products
D. E bonds were used to
raise money for the war
E. Most were united in
support of war.
Ch. 20.4
I. Striking Back at the 3rd Reich
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A. Casablanca
Conference – What to
do now?
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Increase bombing of
Germany
Destroy military,
industrial, and
economic system
Hurt German morale
Attack Sicily
B. Did not destroy morale or economy.
Destroyed irreplaceable resources and
aircraft; Helped in D-Day invasion
 C. Dwight D. Eisenhower – overall
commander of Sicily invasion
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Victorious
 Mussolini was arrested by Italians
 September 1943 – surrender of Italy
 Hitler reoccupies Italy; puts Mussolini back
into power.
 Germans retreat in May 1944.
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D. FDR, Stalin, Churchill meet in Tehran,
Iran, and discuss plans for the rest of the
war.
Renewed Soviet offensive against Germany
 Allies would invade France (D-Day)
 Germany would be broken up after the war
 USSR would help US defeat Japan 3 months
after surrender of Germany
 Formation of a new United Nations.
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II. Landing in France
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A. Operation Overlord – Commanded by
Eisenhower; Invasion of France
(Normandy) – D-Day.
Allied had advantage of surprise
 Germany thought they’d strike Pas-de-Calais
 Conditions?
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B. Began shortly after midnight, June 6,
1944.
Attack slowed at Utah Beach; Immense
casualties at Omaha Beach
 Gen. Omar Bradley considered evacuation,
but the attack succeeded.
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C. Allied forces now had a foot-hold in
France.
III. Driving the
Japanese Back
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A. Island Hopping –
Advance from island
to island, capturing
key locations to
proceed toward
Japan
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Commanded by Adml.
Chester Nimitz
B. Gen. MacArthur
would advance
through the Solomon
Islands, capture N.
coast of New Guinea,
and retake the
Philippines
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C. Island hopping campaign would begin
in fall of 1943.
1st action: Tarawa Atoll – amphibious assault
led to many dead marines
 Led to use of LVT (Amphtrac)
 Kwajalein Atoll (Marshall Islands) went
smoother
 B-29 bombers were used to capture the
Mariana Islands; Soon after were firebombing
Japan
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D. General MacArthur’s
troops invaded
Guadalcanal in August
1942; Battle lasted almost 2
years.
E. Pushed on to capture
Hollandia in New Guinea –
on to the Philippines
F Leyte Gulf – American
ships ambushed;
Kamikaze attacks first used
Manila destroyed, 100,000
Filipinos dead
Ch 20.5
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A. FDR and Allies
promise to punish
Nazis after the war;
end concentration
camps.
B. Battle of the
Hedgerows ended
with the allies blowing
a hole in the Axis
lines
C. Paris liberated on
August 25. Three
weeks later, just 20
miles from Germany
I. Third Reich
Collapses
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D. Hitler tried to cut American supply-lines
through Antwerp – Battle of the Bulge
Began Dec. 16, 1944
 Allied lines “bulged” but did not break
 Weakened Nazis could not renew attack, and
broke.
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E. Failed to destroy the Ludendorf Bridge,
and Allies entered Germany
 F. Hitler killed himself; Germany
surrendered a week later. May 7, 1945 =
V-E (Victory in Europe) Day.
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II. Japan is
Defeated
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A. In April, 1945, FDR
dies. Harry S Truman
becomes President.
B. To better strike Japan,
US must get closer.
Battle of Iwo Jima. 6,800
casualties
http://www.snopes.com/m
ilitary/sixboys.asp
C. Firebombing of Japan
D. Japan refused to
surrender – US invades
Okinawa
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E. Japan will not
surrender unconditionally.
Why?
F. Manhattan Project
G. Truman’s threat
H. August 6 – Hiroshima;
August 9 – Nagasaki.
I. Truman’s decision
debated
J. V-J Day (Victory over
Japan)
III. Building a New World
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A. United Nations
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Organization
 General
Assembly
 Security Council
 Role, membership, and Veto Power
B. International Military Tribunal
 C. Nuremburg Trials
 D. Reasons and exemptions.
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Key People you need to know!