Download WWII Note Packet (13-14)

(AH 13-14)
World War II
Useful Websites for WWII:
1) http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/
2) http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/2WW.htm
3) http://www.gilderlehrman.org/teachers/module19/index.html
4) http://www.history.com/content/worldwartwo
5) http://www.course-notes.org/US_History/Unit_Notes/Unit_Eight_1920_1940/Gathering_Storm
- continue to other parts of WWII by navigating your way through the site
Essential Questions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
When should the United States go to war?
What is required to achieve victory in war?
What impact do challenges abroad have on Americans at home?
Did America’s involvement in World War II and the Cold War move it closer or further away
from its founding ideals?
Enduring Understandings:
Students will understand that …
1. International conflict often leads to strong disagreements regarding isolation and
intervention.
2. The government often reinterprets the rights and liberties of citizens when the nation faces
a major threat.
3. Mobilization for war can bring about profound changes in society.
4. American foreign policy is motivated by both pragmatism and idealism.
5. The means by which the Allies achieved victory came at great cost and redefined
international relations.
Student Learning Objectives:
Students will be able to:
- Analyze cause and effect relationships:
weapons
- Use techniques to interpret sources
ts, domino theory, containment, theaters of war)
Support interpretations and conclusions with relevant factual information.
Deliberate effectively and debate appropriately.
(AH 13-14)
Knowledge:
All Students will know …
Academic
1. When should the United States go to war?
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Reasons for American isolationist sentiment in the interwar period and its effects on
international relations and diplomacy.
American responses to German, Italian, and Japanese aggression in Europe, Africa, and
Asia from 1935 to 1941.
The Cold War was an ideological conflict where the United States and the Soviet Union
did not fight each other directly but tried to block each other’s goals around the globe.
U.S. response to communism in China, Korean and Cuba, including the Cuban Missile
Crisis.
Change from confrontation to coexistence between the Soviet Union and the United
States
2. What is required to achieve victory in war?
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Economic mobilization for World War II and American industrial capacity.
Effects of World War II on gender roles and the American family.
Major turning points of the war in the European and Pacific theaters.
Decision to employ nuclear weapons and the advent of nuclear politics.
3. What impact do challenges abroad have on Americans at home?
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Military experiences and how they fostered American identity and interactions among
people of diverse backgrounds.
Internment of Japanese Americans during the war and the implication for civil liberties.
The rise and fall of McCarthyism, its effects on civil liberties, and its repercussions.
4. Did America’s development as a superpower move it closer to or further from its founding
ideals?

How the ideals of liberty, equality, opportunity, rights and democracy were exemplified
or contradicted during this time period.
Advanced
- George Kennan and the policy of Containment
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Core Assessment Review Sheet: WWII-Related Concepts Checklist
____ U.S. isolationism at the start of the war (reasons)
____ events leading to U.S. involvement in WWII
____ Neutrality Acts by Congress
____ Germany invades Poland
____ U.S. embargo of Japan
____ Lend-Lease Act
____ Japan attacks Pearl Harbor
____ FDR’s “Day of Infamy Speech”
____ Executive Order 9066 (arguments for and against)
____ U.S. response to German and Italian aggression
____ effects of WWII on various groups
____ African-Americans
____ women
____ changing U.S. military strategy throughout the war
____ atomic bombings (arguments for and against)
____ effects of WWII on US & USSR relations
____ start of the “Cold War”
World War Looms
Overview
Germany invades neighboring countries and launches the Holocaust—the systematic killing of millions of Jews
and other “non-Aryans.” The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor pulls the U.S. into World War II.
I. Section 1: Dictators Threaten World Peace
The rise of rulers with total power in Europe and Asia lead to World War II.
A. Nationalism Grips Europe and Asia
1. Failures of the World War I Peace Settlement
a. Treaty of Versailles causes anger, resentment in Europe
b. Germany resents blame for war (“war-guilt clause”), loss of colonies, border territories
c. Russia resents loss of lands used to create other nations (ex: Finland, Latvia, Estonia, Poland,
etc.)
d. New democracies struggle (some fail) under social, economic problems
e. Dictators rise; driven by nationalism, desire for more territory
2. Joseph Stalin transforms the Soviet Union
a. 1922 Vladimir Lenin establishes the communist Soviet Union after a civil war
b. 1924 Joseph Stalin takes over:
- replaces private farms with collectives (farms owned by government and worked by
common people)
- creates the second largest industrial power; famines (lack of food) kill millions
- purges (kills) anyone who threatens his power; 8–13 million killed
c. Totalitarian government has almost complete control over people
Visual: Josef Stalin, leader of communist Soviet Union
(AH 13-14)
3. The Rise of Fascism in Italy
a. Unemployment, inflation lead to bitter strikes, some communist-led
b. Middle, upper classes want stronger leaders
c. Fascism stresses nationalism, needs of state (“state” = nation) above
the individual
1. often leads to a dictator taking power
2. IMPORTANT: Many people confuse fascism and communism, but
they are not necessarily the same.
- a communist nation can be fascist, but a fascist
nation is not necessarily communist
d. Benito Mussolini plays on fears of economic collapse, communism
- supported by government officials, police, army
- 1922 appointed head of government, establishes totalitarian state
Visual: Benito Mussolini, the Fascist Italian dictator
Source: http://jspivey.wikispaces.com/Fascism+5-6+F+Tim+%26+Yoonji
4. The Nazis Take Over Germany
a. Adolf Hitler leader of National Socialist German Workers’ Party (a.k.a. “Nazis”)
b. Mein Kampf— a book written by Hitler in the 1920’s in which he described the basic beliefs of
Nazism, based on extreme nationalism; said what he intended to do if he ever
got into power
c. Wants to unite German-speaking people, enforce racial “purification” (kill people who are not
“pure” German)
d. 1932, 6 million unemployed; many men join Hitler’s private army
e. Nazis become strongest political party; Hitler named chancellor
f. Dismantles (takes apart) democratic Weimar Republic; establishes Third Reich
- Third Reich = 3rd German Empire; supposed to last 1,000 years (only lasted 12 years)
Visual: Adolf Hitler, Fascist dictator of Germany
Source: http://cille85.wordpress.com/2009/04/29/adolf-hitler/
(AH 13-14)
5. Militarists Gain Control in Japan
a. 1931, nationalist military leaders seize Manchuria (a part of China)
b. League of Nations condemns action; Japan quits League of Nations
c. Militarists (the leaders of the military) take control of Japanese government
1. militarists believe in having a strong military and using it to expand (imperialism)
6. Aggression in Europe and Africa
a. 1933, Hitler quits League of Nations; 1935, begins military buildup (militarism)
- sends troops into Rhineland (a part of Germany where it is not supposed to have its
military); the League of Nations does nothing to stop him
b. 1935, League fails to stop Mussolini’s invasion of Ethiopia
c. Important: Every time the League of Nations does nothing, it encourages countries like
Germany, Italy, and Japan to become more aggressive. After all, why stop
“misbehaving” if nobody (the League of Nations) is punishing you when you “act
out”.
7. Civil War Breaks Out in Spain
a. 1936, a fascist, General Francisco Franco rebels against Spanish republic
- Spanish Civil War begins
b. Hitler & Mussolini help Franco; Stalin helps the Spanish government (the other side)
- Western democracies (including the U.S.) remain neutral
c. War leads to Rome-Berlin Axis—an alliance between Italy and Germany
d. 1939, Franco wins war, becomes fascist dictator
A quick review of the important countries and their leaders:
COUNTRY
LEADER
Soviet Union
(U.S.S.R.)
Joseph Stalin
GOVERNMENT/POLICIES
- Communist totalitarian dictatorship;
- modernized industry and agriculture by seizing property and
killing or jailing those people who resisted
- may have been just as horrible a person as was Hitler
Italy
Benito Mussolini
- Fascist totalitarian dictatorship;
- used military aggression to create a new empire (imperialism);
- government control of press; criticism of government outlawed
Germany
Adolf Hitler
Japan
Emperor Hirohito
military leaders
Hideki Tojo
United States
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Great Britain
- Neville Chamberlain
(leading up to the war)
-Winston Churchill
(during the war)
- Fascist totalitarian dictatorship;
- government control of press, schools, religion; persecution of
Jews;
- expansion of German empire (imperialism)
- military rule;
- racial superiority of the Japanese;
- military aggression to expand empire (imperialism)
- representative democracy;
- neutrality to stay out of foreign conflicts;
- Good Neighbor Policy in Latin America
- Be sure to make note that the U.S. WAS NOT a dictatorship at that time.
- constitutional monarchy
- a monarch (king or queen) represents the country in ceremonies
- day-to-day running of country done by parliament (which is in some ways
like our Congress)
- foreign policy between wars = appeasement (give in to demands of other
countries in the attempt to prevent war)
(AH 13-14)
B. The United States Responds Cautiously
1. Americans Cling to Isolationism
a. Public is outraged at supposed profits of banks, arms dealers during WW I
b. Americans become isolationists; FDR backs away from foreign policy
c. 1935 Neutrality Acts try to keep U.S. out of future wars
- outlaws arms (weapons) sales, loans to nations at war
The following political cartoons communicate the isolationist beliefs of most Americans as WWII neared and,
eventually, started.
http://efour4ever.com/44thdivision/cartoon.htm
http://americanhistory.unomaha.edu/module_display.php?mod_id=63&review=yes..
Primary Source Reading (about FDR wanting to move away from isolationism):
Source: http://www.gilderlehrman.org/teachers/module_pop_resource.php?module_id=520&resource_id=1157
It seems to be unfortunately true that the epidemic of world lawlessness is
spreading. When an epidemic of physical disease starts to spread, the
community approves and joins in a quarantine of the patients in order to protect
the health of the community against the spread of the disease....War is a
contagion, whether it be declared or undeclared....We are determined to keep
out of war, yet we cannot insure ourselves against the disastrous effects of war
and the dangers of involvement. We are adopting such measures as will
minimize our risk of involvement, but we cannot have complete protection in a
world of disorder in which confidence and security have broken down.
President Roosevelt, 1937
2. Neutrality Breaks Down
a. 1937 Japan launches new attack on China; FDR sends aid to China
b. FDR wants to isolate aggressor nations (the ones doing the attacking) in order to help
stop/end war
(AH 13-14)
II. Section 2: War in Europe
Using the sudden mass attack called blitzkrieg; Germany invades and quickly conquers many
European countries.
A. Austria and Czechoslovakia Fall
1. German Annexes (takes over) Austria
a. Post WW I division of Austria-Hungary creates fairly small Austria
b. Majority of Austrians are German, favor unification (combining) with Germany
c. 1938, German troops march into Austria unopposed, union complete
d. U.S., rest of world do nothing to stop Germany even though this breaks Treaty of Versailles
2. Bargaining for the Sudetenland
a. 3 million German-speakers in Sudetenland (an area of Czechoslovakia)
b. Hitler claims Czechs abuse Sudeten Germans, marches troops to border
c. 1938, Prime Ministers Daladier, Neville Chamberlain meet with Hitler in Munich, Germany
(the Munich Conference)
d. Sign Munich Agreement, appease Hitler by handing Sudetenland over to Germany
e. Winston Churchill strongly against appeasement policy, warns war will follow
Visual: A portrait of Winston Churchill (when he is Prime Minister of Great Britain)
Source: http://jpetrie.myweb.uga.edu/bulldog.html\
f. Appeasement—giving somebody what they want in order to get them to behave is
called appeasement; does not usually work (it certainly did not
this time!) because you have given them every reason to misbehave
again because you have already shown them that you will give them
what they want
- British Prime Minister Chamberlain stated that the agreement had
guaranteed “peace in our time”; he was dead wrong!
(AH 13-14)
Visual: A political cartoon showing world leaders putting on “ostrich hats” and then burying their
heads in the sand, just as an ostrich does if it detects something threatening. The
cartoon is implying that the world’s leaders are “burying their heads in the sand” (hoping
the problem will go away if they ignore it), which is a foolish action.
Source: http://multimedialearningllc.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/dr-seussbonnet-cartoon.jpg
B. The German Offensive Begins
1. The Soviet Union Declares Neutrality
a. March 1939, German troops occupy rest of Czechoslovakia
b. Hitler began to accused Poland of mistreating Germans in Poland
c. Many think he’s bluffing; invading Poland would bring two-front war
d. Stalin, Hitler sign nonaggression pact—will not attack each other
- they sign a second, secret pact agreeing to divide Poland between them
- Hitler intends to break the pact; he is just trying to trick the Soviets into thinking that
Germany will not attack them (to catch them off-guard)
Visual: A political cartoon showing the Non-Aggression Pact. Stalin is being “stabbed in the
back” by Hitler.
Source: http://hsudarren.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/a_stab_in_the_back.gif
(AH 13-14)
2. Blitzkrieg in Poland
a. Sept. 1939, Hitler overruns Poland in blitzkrieg, “lightning war”
b. Germany annexes western Poland; U.S.S.R. attacks, annexes eastern Poland
c. France, Britain declare war on Germany; World War II begins
3. Alliances As of 1939 (at the start of WWII)
Axis Powers
1. Germany
2. Italy
3. Japan
Allied Powers (the primary ones)
1. Britain
2. France (those people not yet captured)
(other countries will soon join; U.S.A and U.S.S.R. join in 1941)
4. The “Phony War”
a. French, British soldiers on Maginot Line face Germans in what they call “sitzkrieg ”
- both sides just “sit” there, staring at each other for weeks, not fighting
b. Stalin annexes Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania; defeats Finland
c. 1940, Hitler invades Denmark, Norway, then Low Countries (Netherlands, Belgium, etc.)
C. France and Britain Fight On
1. The Fall of France
a. German army goes through Ardennes Forest, bypassing French, British
b. British, French trapped on Dunkirk; soldiers barely escape to England by ferry
c. 1940, Italy invades France from south; Germans approach Paris
d. France falls; Germans occupy northern France
e. Nazi puppet government (run by Germany) set up in southern France (in town of Vichy)
f. General Charles de Gaulle sets up government-in-exile in England
- the leader of the French Resistance (the French who are fighting the Nazi’s)
2. The Battle of Britain
a. Summer 1940, Germany prepares fleet to invade Britain
b. Battle of Britain—German planes bomb British targets
c. Prime Minister Winston Churchill stated: “We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight in
the fields and the streets, we shall never surrender.”
(AH 13-14)
Visuals: Winston Churchill (Prime Minister of Britain) is shown on the left. The German
plan of attack is shown on the right. The body of water is the English Channel.
c. Britain uses radar to track, shoot down German planes
d. Hitler calls off invasion of Britain (Britain had come very close to losing the battle and,
therefore, the war)
e. Germans, British continue to bomb each other’s cities
Visual: A very famous picture of London’s St. Paul Cathedral during the “Blitz” when the
Germans were bombing England.
Source: http://mrbhistoryblog.blogspot.com/
III. Section 3: The Holocaust
During the Holocaust, the Nazis systematically execute 6 million Jews and 5 million other “non-Aryans.”
A. The Persecution Begins
1. Jews Targeted
a. Europe has long history of anti-Semitism (anti-Jewish feelings/beliefs)
b. Germans believe Hitler’s claims, blame Jews for problems, including the getting Germany into
World War I and then causing all of the problems after the war
(AH 13-14)
c. Nazis take away Jewish peoples’ citizenship, jobs, property; required to wear Star of David
patch
d. Holocaust—murder of 11 million people, more than half are Jews
2. Kristallnacht
a. Kristallnacht—Nazis attack Jewish homes, businesses, synagogues
b. About 100 Jews killed, hundreds injured, 30,000 arrested
3. A Flood of Jewish Refugees
a. 1938, Nazis try to speed up Jewish emigration
b. France has 40,000 refugees, Britain 80,000; both refuse more
c. U.S. takes 100,000, many “persons of exceptional merit”
d. Americans fear strain on economy, enemy agents; much anti-Semitism
4. The Plight of the St. Louis
a. Coast Guard prevents passengers on St. Louis from disembarking
b. Ship forced to return to Europe; most passengers killed in Holocaust
B. Hitler’s “Final Solution”
1. The Condemned
a. Hitler’s Final Solution—slavery, genocide of “inferior” groups
b. Genocide—deliberate, systematic killing of an entire population
c. Target Jews, gypsies, homosexuals, freemasons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, the mentally and
physically disabled
d. Nazi death squads round up Jews, shoot them
2. Forced Relocation
a. Jews forced into ghettos, segregated areas in Polish cities
b. Some form resistance movements; others maintain Jewish culture
3. Concentration Camps
a. Many Jews taken to concentration camps, or labor camps
- families often separated
b. Camps originally prisons; given to SS (elite German soldiers and secret police) to
hold the “undesirables”
c. Prisoners crammed into wooden barracks, given little food
d. Work dawn to dusk, 7 days per week
e. Those too weak to work are killed
C. The Final Stage
1. Mass Exterminations
a. Germans build death camps; gas chambers used to kill thousands
- Auschwitz (in Poland) could kill 12,000 people and dispose of bodies (cremation)
each day
(AH 13-14)
Visual:
the map shown above marks the locations of concentration and death camps
throughout Europe
b. On arrival, SS doctors separate those who can work
c. Those who can’t work immediately killed in gas chamber
d. At first bodies buried in pits; later cremated to cover up evidence
e. Some are shot, hanged, poisoned, or die from experiments
Visual:
A mass grave found at a concentration camp at the end of the war.
- I’m sorry that this is such a graphic picture, but we cannot afford to forget that this
happened. DON’T EVER FORGET THIS!
Source: http://www.endantisemitism.com/newphoto/prisoner19.jpg
(AH 13-14)
2. The Survivors
a. About 6 million Jews killed in death camps, massacres
b. Some escape, many with help from ordinary people
c. Some survive concentration camps
- survivors forever changed by experience
Visual: Holocaust survivors in camps at the end of the war. DON’T EVER FORGET THIS!
IV. Section 4: America Moves Toward War
In response to the fighting in Europe, the United States provides economic and military aid to help the Allies
achieve victory.
Important Question: Was FDR leaning toward isolationism or interventionism at this point? Be able to explain
how you know your answer to be correct.
A. The United States Musters Its Forces
1. Moving Cautiously Away from Neutrality
a. 1939, FDR persuades Congress to pass “cash-and-carry” provision
- allows warring nations to come to U.S. and give us cash for weapons that they must
then carry away (we will not ship them)
b. Argues will help France, Britain defeat Hitler, keep U.S. out of war
2. The Axis Threat
a. 1940, FDR tries to provide Britain “all aid short of war”
b. Germany, Japan, Italy sign Tripartite Pact, mutual defense treaty
- become known as Axis Powers
c. Pact aimed at keeping U.S. out of war by forcing fight on two oceans
3. Building U.S. Defenses
a. Nazi victories in 1940 lead to increased U.S. defense spending
b. First peacetime draft enacted—Selective Training and Service Act:
- draftees to serve for 1 year in Western Hemisphere only
(AH 13-14)
4. Roosevelt Runs for a Third Term
a. FDR breaks two-term tradition, runs for reelection
b. FDR reelected with 55% of votes
B. “The Great Arsenal of Democracy”
1. The Lend-Lease Plan
a. FDR tells nation if Britain falls, Axis powers free to conquer world
- U.S. must become “arsenal of democracy”
b. By late 1940, Britain has no more cash to buy U.S. arms
c. 1941 Lend-Lease Act—U.S. to lend or lease supplies for defense
Primary Source: (about moving toward interventionism)
Source: http://www.gilderlehrman.org/teachers/module_pop_resource.php?module_id=520&resource_id=1157
Our whole program of aid for the democracies has been based on
hardheaded concern for our own security and for the kind of safe civilized
world in which we wish to live. Every dollar of material we send helps to
keep the dictators away from our own hemisphere. Every day that they
are held off gives us time to build more guns and tanks and planes and
ships.
President Roosevelt, May, 1941
2. Supporting Stalin
a. 1941, Hitler breaks pact with Stalin, invades Soviet Union
b. Roosevelt sends Lend-Lease supplies to Soviet Union
3. German Wolf Packs
a. Hitler uses U-boats to attack supply convoys
b. Wolf packs—groups of up to 40 submarines patrol North Atlantic
- sink supply ships
c. FDR allows navy to attack German U-boats in self-defense
C. FDR Plans for War
1. The Atlantic Charter
a. FDR’s proposal to extend the term of draftees passes House by 1 vote
b. FDR, Churchill issue Atlantic Charter—joint declaration of war aims
c. Charter is basis of “A Declaration of the United Nations” or Allies
d. Allies—nations that fight Axis powers; 26 nations sign Declaration
2. Shoot on Sight
a. Germans fire on U.S. ship, FDR orders navy to shoot U-boats on sight
b. U-boat attacks lead Senate to repeal ban on arming merchant ships
D. Japan Attacks the United States
1. Japan’s Ambitions in the Pacific
a. Hideki Tojo—chief of staff of army that invades China, prime minister
b. Japan seizes French bases in Indochina (later known as Vietnam)
- U.S. cuts off trade of important supplies, such as oil and steel
- Japan sees that action as basically an act of war against them; begins to plan attack
against U.S.
c. Japan needs oil from U.S. or must take Dutch East Indies oil fields
(AH 13-14)
2. Peace Talks are Questioned
a. 1941 U.S. breaks Japanese codes; learns Japan planning to attack U.S.
b. Peace talks with Japan last about 1 month
c. December 6, Japanese envoy instructed to reject all U.S. proposals
3. The Attack on Pearl Harbor
a. December 7, 1941 Japanese attack Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
b. 2,403 Americans killed; 1,178 wounded (most killed on U.S. soil by an outside attacker
until 9/11/2001
c. Over 300 aircraft, 21 ships destroyed or damaged (but not our aircraft carriers; allowed us to
fight back sooner than Japan had thought we could)
Visuals: Photos of the attack on Pearl Harbor (continued on next page).
4. Reaction to Pearl Harbor
a. Congress approves FDR’s request for declaration of war against Japan
(“A Day of Infamy” speech)
b. Germany, Italy declare war on U.S.
c. U.S. unprepared to fight in both Atlantic, Pacific Oceans
(AH 13-14)
Primary Source: “FDR’s Declaration of War” (a.k.a. “A Day in Infamy” speech)
Source: http://www.gilderlehrman.org/teachers/seminar_docs/depression_doc5.html
Here is FDR’s request for a declaration of war. (http://www.radiochemistry.org/history/nuclear_age/06_fdr_infamy.shtml)
Yesterday, Dec. 7, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy - the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately
attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.
The United States was at peace with that nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with the
government and its emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific.
Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in Oahu, the Japanese ambassador to the United
States and his colleagues delivered to the Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. While this reply
stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or armed
attack.
It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many
days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time, the Japanese government has deliberately sought to deceive the United
States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.
The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. Very many
American lives have been lost. In addition, American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San
Francisco and Honolulu.
Yesterday, the Japanese government also launched an attack against Malaya.
Last night, Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong.
Last night, Japanese forces attacked Guam.
Last night, Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands.
Last night, the Japanese attacked Wake Island.
This morning, the Japanese attacked Midway Island.
Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the
Pacific area. The facts of yesterday speak for themselves. The people of the United
States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the
very life and safety of our nation.
As commander in chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be
taken for our defense.
Always will we remember the character of the onslaught against us.
No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the
American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.
I believe I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the
uttermost, but will make very certain that this form of treachery shall never endanger us again.
Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that that our people, our territory and our interests are in grave danger.
With confidence in our armed forces - with the unbounding determination of our people - we will gain the inevitable triumph
- so help us God.
I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, Dec. 7, a state of war
has existed between the United States and the Japanese empire.
(AH 13-14)
Visual: This cartoon shows what supposedly would happen if Germany, Italy, and Japan won WWII
(carving-up the world between them).
The United States in World War II
Overview:
The U.S. helps lead the Allies to victory in World War II, but only after dropping atomic bombs on Japan.
American veterans discover new economic opportunities, but also simmering social tensions.
(AH 13-14)
I. Section 1: Mobilizing for Defense
Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States mobilizes for war.
A. Americans Join the War Effort
1. Selective Service and the GI
a. After Pearl Harbor, 5 million men volunteer for military service
b. 10 million more drafted to meet needs of two-front war
1. registered 16 million men between ages 21 and 35 for the draft and drafted 1 million
For one year (see chart below)
2. Congress boosted defense spending (see graph on the next page;
notice the effects on unemployment)
U.S. Active Military
Personnel (19391945) Year
1939
1940
1941
1942
1943
1944
1945
Army
189,839
269,023
1,462,315
3,075,608
6,994,472
7,994,750
8,267,958
Navy
Marines
Total
125,202
160,997
284,427
640,570
1,741,750
2,981,365
3,380,817
19,432
28,345
54,359
142,613
308,523
475,604
474,680
334,473
458,365
1,801,101
3,858,791
9,044,745
11,451,719
12,123,445
2. Expanding the Military
a. General George Marshall—Army Chief of Staff—calls for women’s corps
b. Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps (WAAC)—women in non-combat positions
c. Thousands enlist; “auxiliary” dropped, get full U. S. army benefits
3. Recruiting and Discrimination
a. Minority groups are denied basic citizenship rights
b. Question whether they should fight for democracy in other countries
4. Dramatic Contributions
a. 300,000 Mexican Americans join armed forces
b. 1 million African Americans serve; live, work in segregated units
c. 13,000 Chinese Americans and 33,000 Japanese Americans serve
d. 25,000 Native Americans enlist
B. A Production Miracle
1. The Industrial Response
a. Factories convert from civilian to war production
b. shipyards, defense plants expand, new ones built
c. produce ships, arms rapidly
- use prefabricated parts
- people work at record speeds
(AH 13-14)
2. Labor’s (workers’) Contribution
a. Nearly 18 million workers in war industries; 6 million are women
1. women’s role: - women played a larger role in the workforce
- U.S. could not have won war without their help
Visual: the poster below shows women being strong & working hard
b. Over 2 million minorities hired; face strong discrimination at first
c. A. Philip Randolph, head of Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters
d. Organizes march on D.C.; FDR executive order forbids discrimination
3. Mobilization of Scientists
a. Office of Scientific Research and Development
—technology, medicine
b. Manhattan Project develops atomic bomb
C. The Federal Government Takes Control
1. Economic Controls
a. Office of Price Administration (OPA) freezes prices,
fights inflation
b. Higher taxes, purchase of war bonds lower demand
for scarce goods (see war bonds poster to right)
c. War Production Board (WPB) says which companies
convert production
- allocates raw materials
- organizes collection of recyclable materials
2. Rationing
a. Rationing—Americans must once again conserve on resources and make sure there is
enough for the soldiers so that they can fight and win the war
(AH 13-14)
II. Section 2: The War for Europe and North Africa
Allied forces, led by the United States and Great Britain, battle Axis powers for control of Europe and North Africa.
A. The United States and Britain Join Forces
1. War Plans
a. Churchill convinces FDR to strike first against Hitler
2. The Battle of the Atlantic
Question: What was the Battle of the Atlantic and what role did the German u-boats
play in brining the U.S. into the war?
a. Battle of the Atlantic was the fighting that took place between the navies of Britain & Germany
- Germany’s goal was to use its u-boats in the attempt to prevent Lend-Lease supplies
from reaching Britain and the U.S.S.R.
- “wolf packs”, or large groups of German u-boats, would attack convoys of ships,
usually late at night;
- convoys full of destroyers with sonar; planes with radar
- construction of Liberty ships (cargo carriers) speeds up
Visual: The map below roughly shows where the fighting in the Atlantic Ocean took place. Take notice
of the location of the German u-boats (meant to block trade).
B. The Eastern Front and the Mediterranean
1. The Battle of Stalingrad
a. Hitler wants to capture Caucasus oil fields and destroy Stalingrad
b. Soviets defeat Germans in bitter winter campaign
- Over 230,000 Germans, 1,100,000 Soviets die
c. Battle a turning point: Soviet army begins to move towards
Germany
2. The North African Front
a. General Dwight D. Eisenhower leads invasion of North Africa
1. Visual: General Eisenhower (a future president)
b. Afrika Korps, led by General Erwin Rommel, surrenders May 1943
(AH 13-14)
c. Visual: The map below shows where the Allies landed in North Africa, swept across that
Africa, and then crossed the Mediterranean Sea and up through Italy (the “soft
underbelly of Europe”). You can also see how the Allies attacked from France and
eventually into Germany.
3. The Italian Campaign
a. Allies decide will accept only unconditional surrender (no bargaining) from Axis
b. Summer 1943, capture Sicily; Mussolini forced to resign
c. 1944 Allies win “Bloody Anzio”; Germans continue strong resistance
4. Heroes in Combat
a. African Americans —Tuskegee Airmen (a movie is out about them), Buffaloes—highly
decorated
b. Mexican-American soldiers win many awards
c. Japanese-American unit most decorated unit in U.S. history
C. The Allies Liberate (Free) Europe
1. D-Day
a. Allies set up phantom army, send fake radio messages to fool Germans
b. Eisenhower directs Allied invasion of Normandy on D-Day June 6, 1944
1. Visuals: The map (and arrows) show how the Allies left England, crossed the English
Channel, and then landed on the beaches of Normandy, France. The photo is
of the beach shortly after the battle.
http://chsapush3.wikispaces.com/Alex+Gilliland-D-Day
http://blog.aurorahistoryboutique.com/category/world-history/world-war-ii-world-history/page/2/
(AH 13-14)
2. The Allies Gain Ground
a. General Omar Bradley bombs to create gap in enemy defense line
b. General George Patton leads Third Army, reaches Paris in August
c. FDR reelected for 4th term with running mate Harry S. Truman
3. The Battle of the Bulge
a. October 1944, Allies capture first German town, Aachen
b December German tank divisions drive 60 miles into Allied area
c. Battle of the Bulge—Germans push back but have irreplaceable losses
4. Liberation of the Death Camps
a. Allies in Germany, Soviets in Poland liberate concentration camps
- find starving prisoners, corpses, evidence of killing
5. Unconditional Surrender
a. April 1945, Soviet army storms Berlin; Hitler commits suicide
b. Eisenhower accepts unconditional surrender of German Reich
c. May 8, 1945, V-E Day: Victory in Europe Day
6. Roosevelt’s Death
a. FDR dies April 12; Vice President Harry S. Truman becomes president
III. Section 3: The War in the Pacific
In order to defeat Japan and end the war in the Pacific, the United States unleashes a terrible new weapon, the
atomic bomb.
A. The Allies Stop the Japanese Advance
1. Japanese Advances
a. In first 6 months after Pearl Harbor, Japan conquers empire
b. Gen. Douglas MacArthur leads Allied forces in Philippines
c. March 1942 U.S., Filipino troops trapped on Bataan Peninsula
d. FDR orders MacArthur to leave; thousands of troops remain
2. Doolittle’s Raid
a. April 1942, Lt. Col. James Doolittle leads a bombing raid on Tokyo
3. Battle of the Coral Sea
a. May 1942, U.S., Australian soldiers stop Japanese drive to Australia
b. For first time since Pearl Harbor, Japanese invasion turned back
4. The Battle of Midway
a. Admiral Chester Nimitz commands U.S. naval forces in Pacific
b. Allies break Japanese code, win Battle of Midway, stop Japan again
c. Allies advance island by island to Japan
B. The Allies Go on the Offensive
1. The Allied Offensive
a. Allied offensive begins August 1942 in Guadalcanal
b. October 1944, Allies converge on Leyte Island in Philippines
- return of MacArthur
(AH 13-14)
2. The Japanese Defense
a. Japan uses kamikaze attack—pilots crash bomb-laden planes into ships
b. Battle of Leyte Gulf is a disaster for Japan
- Imperial Navy severely damaged; plays minor role after
3. Iwo Jima
a. Iwo Jima critical as base from which planes can reach Japan
b. 6,000 marines die taking island; of 20,700 Japanese, 200 survive
c. Visual: famous photo of U.S. forces raising flag on Mt. Suribachi, Iwo Jima
4. The Battle for Okinawa
a. April 1945 U.S. Marines invade Okinawa
b. April–June: 7,600 U.S. troops, 110,000 Japanese die
c. Allies fear invasion of Japan may mean 1.5 million Allied casualties
C. The Atomic Bomb Ends the War
1. The Manhattan Project
a. J. Robert Oppenheimer is research director of Manhattan Project
b. July 1945, atomic bomb tested in New Mexico desert
c. President Truman orders military to drop 2 atomic bombs on Japan
2. Hiroshima and Nagasaki
a. August 6, Hiroshima, major military center, destroyed by bomb
b. 3 days later, bomb dropped on city of Nagasaki
c. September 2, 1945 Japan surrenders
d. Visual: a photo of the atomic bomb’s “mushroom cloud” over Japan
D. Rebuilding Begins
1. The Yalta Conference
a. February 1945, FDR, Churchill, Stalin meet in Yalta
- discuss post-war world
b. FDR, Churchill concession: temporarily divide Germany into 4 parts
c. Stalin promises free elections in Eastern Europe; will fight Japan
d. FDR gets support for conference to establish United Nations
(AH 13-14)
2. Human Costs of the War
a. WW II most destructive war in human history
3. The Nuremberg War Trials
b. Nuremberg trials—24 Nazi leaders tried, sentenced
- charged with crimes against humanity, against the peace, war crimes
c. Establish principle/idea that people responsible for own actions in war (can’t use the excuse
that “I was just following orders” if you do something bad/wrong)
4. The Occupation of Japan
a. MacArthur commands U.S. occupation forces in Japan
b. Over 1,100 Japanese tried, sentenced
c. MacArthur reshapes Japan’s economy, government
(AH 13-14)
IV. Section 4: The Home Front
After World War II, Americans adjust to new economic opportunities and harsh social tensions.
A. Opportunity and Adjustment
1. Economic Gains
a. Defense industries boom, unemployment falls to 1.2% in 1944
- average pay rises 10% during war
b. Farmers prosper from rising crop prices, increase in production
- many pay off mortgages
c. Percentage of women in work force rises to 35%
Impact of World War II
(Source: http://www.gilderlehrman.org/teachers/module_pop_resource.php?module_id=519&resource_id=1161
Distribution of Family Income
Labor Force Participation
1941
1944
Wealthiest 5%
24
20.7
Wealthiest 20%
48.8
Second Wealthiest 20%
Males
Females
1940
55%
28%
45.8
1944
62%
37%
22.3
22.2
1947
57%
31%
Middle 20%
15.3
16.2
Second Poorest 20%
9.5
10.9
1940
$1,300
Poorest 20%
4.1
4.9
1944
$2,108
1947
$2,589
Average Earnings
Federal Spending, 1929-1945 (in millions of dollars)
Personal Savings
1940
$ 4.2 billion
1941
11.1 billion
1942
27.7 billion
1943
33.0 billion
1944
36.9 billion
1945
28.7 billion
1946
13.5 billion
1947
4.7 billion
Source | Adapted from “Table 1.1—Summary of Receipts Outlays, and Surpluses or Deficits (-):
1789—2009,” from Budget of the United States Government: Historical Tables Fiscal Year 2005,
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/usbudget/fy05/hist.html.
Creator | American Social History Project/Center for Media and Learning
(AH 13-14)
Source | Bureau of Labor Statistics, Historical Statistics of the United States Colonial Times to the
1970, Part I (U.S. Government Printing Office, 1975), Series D 85-86 Unemployment: 1890-1970, 135.
Creator | Bureau of Labor Statistics
Questions to Think About
1. What impact did World War II have on family income, the distribution of income, earnings, labor
force participation, savings, federal spending, and unemployment?
2. What happened to women's participation in the labor force during and after the war?
2. Population Shifts
a. War triggers mass migrations (movements) to towns with defense industries
3. Social Adjustments
a. Families adjust to fathers in military; mothers rear children alone
b. Families must get to know each other again after fathers return
c. Many couples rush to marry before husband goes overseas
d. 1944 GI Bill of Rights or Servicemen’s Readjustment Act:
- pays education; loan guarantees for homes, new businesses
B. Discrimination and Reaction
1.Civil Rights Protests
a. Racial tensions rise in overcrowded Northern cities
b. James Farmer founds Congress of Racial Equality (CORE)
- works on racial segregation in North
c. 1943 racial violence sweeps across country; Detroit riots worst case
2. Tension in Los Angeles
a. Anti-Mexican zoot suit riots involve thousands servicemen, civilians
C. Internment of Japanese Americans
1. Japanese Americans Placed in Internment Camps
a. Hawaii governor forced to order internment (confinement) of Japanese
(AH 13-14)
1. Visual: a Japanese internment camp in the middle of the U.S. desert
b. Executive Order 9066
1. 1942 FDR signs removal of Japanese Americans in four states
c. U.S. Army forces 110,000 Japanese Americans into prison camps
d. 1944 Korematsu v. United States—Court rules in favor of internment
e. After war, Japanese American Citizens League pushes for compensation
f. 1988, Congress grants $20,000 to everyone sent to relocation camp
V. “Superpowers” Clash: The Origins of the Cold War
The United States and the Soviet Union emerge from World War II as two “superpowers” with vastly different
political and economic systems.
Superpowers: “The world powers after WWII created a new balance of power. These superpowers
consisting of the United States, the Soviet Union, and Great Britain began proceedings
such as the Yalta and Potsdam. Conferences represented the superpowers and their
importance in postwar reconstruction.”
(http://www.course-notes.org/US_History/Unit_Notes/Unit_Nine_1940_1960/Origins_of_the_Cold_War)
“Although relations with the Soviet Union were already strained, Roosevelt’s death and the beginning of Truman’s
presidency brought new tensions to the relationship. Russia’s traditional paranoia led to the establishment of a
communist satellite buffer zone around the USSR. The spread of communism into Asian and South American
countries fueled anticommunist feelings in the United States and added to the pressure for increased buildup of
defensive (military) forces.” (http://www.course-notes.org/US_History/Unit_Notes/Unit_Nine_1940_1960/Origins_of_the_Cold_War)
A. Former Allies Clash
1. U.S.-Soviet Relations
a. U.S., U.S.S.R. have very different economic, political systems
b. U.S. suspicious of Stalin because he had been Hitler’s ally at one point (think “Non-aggression
Pact)
c. Stalin resents that U.S. delayed attacking Germany (doing D-Day) and hid atom bomb
UNIT ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
Be able to answer the following:
1. When should the United States go to war?
2. What is required to achieve victory in war?
3. What impact do challenges abroad have on Americans at home?
4. Did America’s involvement in World War II and the Cold War move it closer or further away
from its founding ideals?