Post on 27-Dec-2015
International Diplomacy and WWII
1929-1945
College Board Main Idea
The involvement of the United States in WWII, while opposed by most Americans prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor, vaulted the United States into global political and military prominence and transformed both American society and the relationship between the United States and the rest of the world.
From Neutrality to War
Pearl Harbor (Dec. 7, 1941) 2,400 died in less than
2 hours High government
officials knew of the attack because they had broken the Japanese codes. However, they did not know the exact date or target and thought it would be in Southeast Asia.
Declaration of War the next day
Mobilization
The mass mobilization of American society to supply troops for the war effort and a workforce on the home front ended the Great Depression
It also provided opportunities for women and minorities to improve their socioeconomic positions
Mobilization
Industrial Production War Production Board,
Office of War Mobilization
Government contracts Office of Price
Administration (OPA) Unions – Smith-Connelly
Anti-Strike Act Financing the War▪ Income tax & bonds
Mobilization
African-Americans Race riots in Detroit and NYC “Double V” campaign – NAACP membership rises Congress of Racial Equality
Mexican-Americans Worked in defense industries Served in the military Braceros Zoot suit riots
Navajos used as “code talkers”
Mobilization
Women 5 million enter the
workforce Serve in wartime
industries 200,000 in military
noncombat roles “Rosie the Riveter”
American Values in Wartime
Japanese-Americans Suspected of being potential spies FDR established internment camps Nisei regiments in the U.S. Army Korematsu vs. U.S. 1988 – Federal gov’t offered apology and
compensation
Japanese-American Grocery Store
Manzanar: War Relocation Center
Theaters of Fighting
Fighting Japan▪ After Pearl Harbor Japan takes over much of
East and Southeast Asia▪ The Pacific Front operations are based in Los
Angeles▪ The Battle of Midway is the turning point ▪ Island-hopping▪ How do Kamikaze pilots, and the battles for
Okinawa and Iwo Jima foreshadow the necessity of the A-bomb?
Theaters of Fighting
Atomic Bombs Manhattan Project Alamogordo, New Mexico Harry S. Truman calls on
Japan to surrender unconditionally or face “utter destruction”
Hiroshima, Aug 6th and Nagasaki, Aug 9th 1945
Japan Surrenders
Theaters of Fighting
North Africa and Italy
FDR decided to help Britain defeat Germany and Italy on this front before opening the Western front
Battle of El Alamein (led by Patton) protected the Suez Canal from capture
Theaters of Fighting
Western Europe
The liberation of France began with D-Day, June 6, 1944
Germany surrendered in May, 1945
(FDR had died in April, 1945)
The Invasion at Normandy
WWII Technology
Development of Sonar SOund Navigation And Ranging Collaboration between American and
British engineers led to creation of RADAR
DDT developed and used in the Pacific
WWII Technology
Manhattan Project: Long-Term Impacts Government maintains strict secrecy $2 Billion in taxpayer money spent to
make the most deadly weapon in history This initiates the start of “big science” –
government contract for expensive research and development programs
The War’s Legacy
The dominant American role in the Allied victory and postwar peace settlements, combined with the war-ravaged condition of Asia and Europe, allowed the United States to emerge from the war as the most powerful nation on earth
The War’s Legacy
The Bataan Death March Influences the Geneva Convention
The Holocaust & the Nuremburg Trials
The extent of the holocaust & the international tribunal for war criminals led to an increased demand for a Jewish homeland
Israel created in 1948
The War’s Legacy
Conservative politics returned, New Deal programs were slashed. War mobilization enormously expanded government power, especially the power of the executive branch. As never before the federal government managed the economy, molded public opinion, funded scientific research, and influenced people’s daily lives.