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America in WWII Plan of Action • US citizen’s want “Get Japan first” • ABC 1 agreement(with England) get Germany first • Why- Allie Trade Space for Time • Isolationism has its problems • US was the most powerful military power on Earth (On paper) • Biggest Challenge- can America mobilize the economy into war production quick enough • Other threat- German scientists could create upbeat weapons Shock of War • Pearl Harbor shuts up isolationists • Commies and socialists backed war effort-why • WW I- US is fearful of immigrants • WW II- speeds up immigrant assimilation (except Japanese) Shock of War • Executive Order 9066Japanese Interment camps for 110,000 (2/3 American born) concentrated on the Pacific Coast • Upheld by Supreme Court in Korematsu v. U.S. • 1988- US apology • Germans in internment camps as well (on much smaller scale) Shock of War • CCC and WPA eliminated by conservative congress in 1942 • “Dr. New Deal” in retirement, replaced by “Dr. Win the War” • No idealism like WW I • Some propaganda • 1942- Opinion Poll- 9 out of ten can’t recall information on Atlantic Charter • Majority of US- no clear idea what the war was about Building the War Machine • WWII ends the Great Depression • War Production Board • Henry J Kaiser “Sir Launchalot” master of quick ship building Building the War Machine • War production board halted manufacture of nonessential items • War industries had first priority in transport and raw materials • National speed limit and gas rationing (save rubber) • Farmers have bumper crops and boom time. Building the War Machine • Office of Price Administrationfood and price regulation • National War Labor Boardceilings on wage increases • Labor Unions resent wage ceilings • Many have no strike pledges, but labor walk outs occur (United Mine Workers- John L. Lewis) • 1943, Congress passed the Smith-Connally Anti-Strike Act, which let the federal government seize and operate industries threatened by or under strikes. Manpower and Womanpower • 15 Million men served in WWII. • 216,000 women served in military in one capacity or another ) • WAAC’s (Army) • WAVES (Navy) • SPARS (Coast Guard) • Some industries and farmers exempt from draft Manpower and Womanpower • Severe manpower shortage at home. • Bracero programMexican agricultural workers cross border for harvest fruit and grain crops (mainly in the west) (around many years after WWII) Manpower and Womanpower • More than 6 million women take factory jobs outside the house • Day Care centers are established • Post war- women (33%) don’t want to give up jobs (for shadowing reversal) • Women’s impact sometimes exaggerated War Time Migrations • Many cities boom • FDR on the south “ the nations number one economic problem” • FDR- old confederate states get disproportional amount of defense contracts African Americans and WWII • Racial tensions are national issue, not regional • A. Philip Randolph threatens “Negro March on Washington” in demand for equal opportunities for blacks in war industries • FRD forbids discrimination in war industry, creates the FEPC- Fair Employment Practices Commission African Americans in WWII • Military serviceblacks mostly receive non-combat jobs • Exception to the rule – Tuskegee Airmen • Double V- victory over dictators abroad, victory over racism at home African Americans in WWII • NAACP membership increases • Congress on Racial Equality (CORE)- forms, militant organization committed to nonviolent “direct action” • Mechanical cotton picker means no need for cheap labor in the south, along with war industry jobs, means more African Americans leaving the south Native Americans in WWII • American Indians leave reservations for war time jobs and military • 25,000 • Code Talkers- Comanches and Navajos use native languages for radio messaging, Germans and Japanese can’t decipher Mexican Americans • Zoot Suit Riots- in LA • Mexican, Mexican Americans attacked by soldiers returning home • Zoot Suiters seen as anti American – 1. Should join war effort – 2. Zoot Suits = waste of materials Holding the Home Front • Americans at home suffered very little from the war, especially when contrasted to the Brits and Russians. • War invigorated the US economy to an unprecedented level. – GNP doubled from 1940 to 1945 and pay checks went way up. • Disposable income more than doubled, but not much to spend on because all factories devoted to war. • The war, even more than the New Deal, leads to the Big Government of the second half of the 20th Century. • All the federal spending finally cures the depression. • War cost $330 billion. • Where did money come from? – Forced US to borrow at unprecedented level and to raise taxes. – Top brackets went as high as 90%. – National debt goes from 49 Bill in 1941 to 259 Bill. in 1945. National Debt War in the Pacific • Japan strategy- win fast or loose slow • Imperialism kicked into high gear • Guam, Wake, the Philippines, Hong Kong, British Malaya, Burma), the Dutch East Indies, and even pushing into China. • When the Japanese took over the Philippines, U.S. General Douglas MacArthur had to sneak out of the place, but he vowed to return to liberate the islands; he went to Australia. • After the fighters in the Philippines surrendered, they were forced to make the infamous 85-mile Bataan death march. Japan’s High Tide at Midway • Battle at Coral Sea- US (Aussie help)- 1st time in history battling done completely by carrier based aircraft • Battle at Midway- US stop’s Japanese expansion • Japanese are moving towards Alaska Islands • Defense is increased in North West- construction of “Alcan” highway through Canada Leapfrogging toward Tokyo • Americans won at Guadalcanal in August 1942 and then got New Guinea by August 1944. • General MacArthurconvinces US to adopt island hopping strategy • U.S. also retook the Aleutian Islands of Attu and Kiska in August of 1943 • Island battles are costly for Japan- losing air craft carriers • Japan uses Kamikaze Pilots Stopping Hitler • U boats – “wolf packs” are causing chaos for allied merchants • Radar helps allies • British crack German “enigma” codes • Battle of the AtlanticAllies victory “saves” Atlantic Ocean Stopping Hitler • In Africa • German General Erwin Rommel “Desert Fox” • US and British drive Nazi’s away from Suez Canal • In Russia • 1942- Russia bravely stops German offensive at Stalingrad • 1943- Soviets have recovered 2/3 of the land lost to Germany A Two Front War • Russians are losing man power, beg for help from allies • 1942- FDR promises invasion of Europe to help USSR • British don’t want agree, want to attack Germany through Mediterranean • Dwight D Eisenhower leads secret invasion in North Africa, 1943 Germ. Itl troops forced to surrender Casablanca Conference 1943 • FDR and Churchill meet, Stalin too busy fighting off Germany – 1.Increase war in Pacific – 2. More Pressure on Italy – 3. Unconditional Surrender • #3 controversial- some believe that this makes Hitler to want to fight till the very end Italian Invasion • Falls in 1943 • But Nazi’s in Italy do not surrender and demonstrate strong resistance • 1944 Rome is taken • Take over is slow and frustrating, does pull some Nazis off of European Front, but pace delays Allied invasion of France Tehran Conference 1943 • The Big three finally meet • Discuss war plans • Agree to a two front war on Europe, USSR from the East, Brits and US from the west D-Day • Normandy France • Led by Eisenhower • June 6, 1944. Biggest sea-borne invasion in history • Five beaches. Gold, Juno, Sword, Utah, Omaha D-Day • Allies had control over Air of France • Beach faced tough resistance • General George S Patton ( Blood ‘n’ guts) makes name for himself • French “underground” is helpful • 1944 Paris is liberated Really…a th 4 • Election of 1944 • Republicans – Thomas Dewey (VP = isolationist) continue with war plan, create international peace org. • Demos- FDR, most people concerned about VP • Demos VP- Harry Trumanefficient head of Senate Committee investigating wasteful war expenditures term Really… a • Reps- don’t make a huge deal about 4th term • CIO helps Democrats • FDR basically wins because the war is going well th 4 term The Last Days of Hitler • Soviet pressure from the east, Allies blockbuster bombs on the west • Battle of the BulgeGermany attempts to break American lines, but fails The Last Days of Hitler • Soviets and US horrified at the Holocaust • US knew about campaign, but slow to act – 1.Didn’t allow Jewish refugees in the country – 2.Declined to bomb railways • • • • The Last Days of Hitler Soviets reach Berlin in 1945 Hitler kills himself 1945 FDR dies of a cerebral hemorrhage 1945 May 8 1945- VE day- Japan Dies Hard • US submarines destroy 50% of Japanese merchant fleet • Battle of Tokyo- Allies burn down a ¼ of the city, 83,000 die • Battle of Leyte- last offensive move by Japan • MacArthur re-conquers the Philippines • Battles of Iwo Jima, Okinawa Potsdam Conference • US planning all out assault on Japan, Japan secretly tried to negotiate peace with Russia (We knew about this) • PD- HT, and Big twoJapan must surrender or die Manhattan Project • Secret atomic bomb creation • Blank check from congress- originally meant for Germany • 1945- Test in New Mexico • Aug 6 1945- Bomb Hiroshima(180,000 die) • Aug 9- Bomb Nagasaki • Sept 2 1914- VJ Day Why Does Truman Use the Bomb? • Avoid US casualties, but clear Japan would likely surrender before Invasion. • To show Soviets what we have • To prevent Soviets from being involved in Pacific longer and grabbing more territory and having a say in rebuilding of Japan Score one for the Good Guys • Death in WW II smaller in comparison to other wars ( Penicillin) • 1st war in which more civilians than soldiers die • American territory untouched, while rest of the world in ruins • Industrial strength huge reason we win war