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World War II
The Americans,
Chapters 16 and 17
Why did the U.S. become
involved in WWII?
• After WWI, the U.S. wanted to retreat to our
former isolationist policies.
• We watched the rise of dictatorships around
the world.
 Mussolini established a fascist government
in Italy in 1922, crushing all opposition.
 A military tribunal took over the government of
Japan, ignoring the protests of elected officials.
 Hitler was elected chancellor in Germany
in 1933 and the Nazis gained full power.
What should the
League of Nations
have done?
 When Japan invaded Manchuria in 1931, the League
of Nations protested but took no further action.
 When Italy invaded Ethiopia in 1935, the League
organized an ineffective economic boycott.
 When Germany invaded Czechoslovakia in 1938,
England and France followed a policy of
appeasement, hoping Hitler would stop there . . .
 But when Germany invaded Poland in 1939, WWII
officially began in Europe.
Could the U.S.
remain neutral?
• Before WWII broke out in Europe, the
U.S. had passed Neutrality Acts.
• Despite these restrictions, the U.S.
gave assistance to our former allies by
sending aid under the Lend-Lease Act.
• The biggest threat to our neutrality
would come from the events in Asia . . .
Japan Invades China
• To gain access to resources such as food
crops, rubber and oil, Japan invaded China in
1937 and Southeast Asia in 1941.
• The U.S. responded by sending arms and
supplies to China and by stopping shipments
of oil and scrap metal to Japan.
• Japan then regarded the U.S. as an enemy.
The Attack on Pearl Harbor
• On Dec. 7th, 1941, Japan
bombed the U.S. bases at
Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.
• Roosevelt asked congress
to declare war on Japan.
• This surprise attack united
Americans in the decision
to join the Allies in their fight
against the Axis Powers in
World War II.
Fighting a War on
Two Fronts (1941-1945)
• American forces would face the challenge
of fighting a war with Japan in the Pacific
theater and assisting the Allies fighting
against fascism in the European theater.
Major Turning Points
in World War II
Pacific Theater
European Theater
• Battle of Midway-the • Battle of Stalingrad-the
Americans launched
Soviets turned the tide
a surprise attack on
against Nazis (1943).
the Japanese fleet,
• Invasion of Normandydestroying 4 aircraft
(D-Day) the Allies
carriers and handing
captured the Northern
Japan their first
coast of France from
major defeat (1942).
the Nazis (1944).
The Tragedy of
the Holocaust
• The Nazis carried out a plan to exterminate
all Jewish people (and others they considered
undesirable) in the areas that they controlled.
• Between 9 and 12 million people—including
about 6 million Jews—died in concentration
camps from 1939 to 1945.
• The record of this slaughter is a vivid reminder
of the results of racism and intolerance.
The American
Home Front
• While Americans
were fighting
overseas, the U.S.
transformed itself.
• Our top priority shifted
to producing the
tremendous amount
of arms and supplies
needed by our troops
and our allies.
Conserving Scarce
Resources
• Americans participated in voluntary
programs to reduce consumption and
help wartime production by recycling
items and by growing their own food.
• Additionally, the U.S. government
imposed a mandatory rationing system
whereby citizens were limited in the
amount of food and gas they could buy.
The Contribution of
Women to the War Effort
• Women enlisted in
non-combat positions in
special branches of the
service set up for women.
• On the home front, they
worked in factories, many
times in jobs traditionally
performed by men.
The Impact of WWII on
the U.S. Economy
• WWII brought the Great
Depression to an end by
providing jobs for all.
• During the war, the U.S.
spent 330 billion dollars,
producing arms, ships,
airplanes, and supplies.
• American industries outproduced and outlasted our
opponents and, ultimately,
won the war.
The Japanese
Internment
• In the first months after Pearl Harbor,
Japanese-Americans on the west coast
were ordered to leave their homes and jobs
and were relocated to internment camps.
• This was justified at the time as being for the
sake of national security. It is now known,
however, that this group was never a threat.
• This action was a violation of their constitutional
rights. Japanese-Americans suffered great
inconvenience and financial loss as a result of
this move.
Ending WWII
• After the Germans surrendered to the Allies
in May of 1945, the U.S. still faced the task
of defeating Japan in the Pacific theater.
• Throughout the war, the U.S. was working on a
top-secret project to develop the atomic bomb.
• In August of 1945, in an effort to save lives by
forcing the Japanese to surrender, President
Truman made the decision to use the atomic
bomb on two cities in Japan, Hiroshima and
Nagasaki. The results were devastating.
• Japan surrendered on August 14th, 1945
and WWII was finally over.