CHAPTER 35

REVIEW CHAPTER 35.1 NOTES

AMERICAN ISOLATIONISMIsolation was the American foreign policy from 1920-1939

Isolation policy was a return to basic American policy before World War I

The U.S. refused to join the League of Nations

The emphasis in the U.S. was on America—first prosperity and then depression

The U.S. was angry at Great Britain and France because they did not pay World War I debts to the U.S.

America emphasized the reduction of armaments and peace

The U.S. became more wary of getting involved in Europe b/c the NYE COMMITTEE and historians said that the U.S. had been tricked into fighting in World War I

NEUTRALITY ACTSWhen Germany and Japan began to become aggressors, the US passed Neutrality Acts of 1935 & 1937

The United States would not trade with any country at war

The United States would not allow their merchant ships to be used to supply nations at war

REVIEW: THE STEPS TO WARHitler’s coming to power in Germany in 1933 and his renunciation of the Treaty of Versailles caused Europe and some Americans to be afraid of Germany

After Hitler took over Austria and Czechoslovakia, the US amended the Neutrality Acts and allowed England and France to buy goods from the US but it had to be “cash and carry”

Even after Hitler’s invasion of Poland (Sept 1, 1939), which officially began World War II, the US felt that it could stay out of the war

After most of Western Europe fell to Hitler in 1940, the US became concerned and increased defense spending and started the first peace-time draft

REVIEW: THE STEPS TO WARThe German attack on the USSR causes Americans to believe that all of Europe will fall to the Germans

The US began to help Great Britain with old weapons and loaning them supplies and materials (Lend-Lease)

The US helped patrol for German submarines in the Atlantic Ocean

The US still remained neutral as most Americans wanted to stay out of the war, particularly the AMERICA FIRST group led by Charles Lindbergh

The attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese caused Germany and Italy to declare war on the US because of the Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis treaties

LECTURE 35.3America During WW2

The Home Front

MILITARY MOBILIZATIONThe war on the home front called for a total commitment to victory

Much of the focus turned to military mobilization

SELECTIVE SERVICESelective Service registration expanded men 18-65 after

Pearl HarborWomen enlisted as WAC’s and WAVE’s

Women also medical and technical supportBy wars end, some 16 million men and women had

servedNearly a million African Americans served in segregated

units

ECONOMIC MOBILIZATIONEconomic mobilization called for control over the economies

production and consumption

Office of War MobilizationUS created the OWM or OFFICE OF WAR MOBILIZATION to supervise an increase in war productionWAR PRODUCTION BOARD established to regulate the use of raw materials “Rosie the Riveter”

“Rosie the Riveter” became the famous symbol of women in the labor production force

Over 5 million women joined the labor force during the war

Sunbelt RegionThe impact of war mobilization was a major demographic shift of people from Northeast to the Southwest and SouthSUNBELT REGION began to emerge during the war years in California and other areas of the South

WAR LABOR BOARDThe United States also created the WAR LABOR BOARD to control inflation and control

laborWent much better than WWI where there had been numerous strikes!!

CONTROL OF PRICESOFFICE OF PRICE ADMINISTRATION

To control prices, the United States established the OFFICE OF PRICE ADMINISTRATION

Job was to control prices and consumption of goods

Instituted rationing on items like gasoline, tires, sugar, and other food stuffs

PAYING FOR THE WARMoney for the war was raised through increased taxes and selling of

war bonds

LECTURE 35.4Discrimination

During World War 2

DISCRIMINATION IN WW2Although most people think America was totally focused on the war

effort in WW2, there were some distractions with discriminationCaused by massive migration of minorities to industrial centers for

jobsCompetition in the workplace

Competition for resources like housing

DETROIT RACE RIOTS

Major violence occurred in 47 citiesThe worst was the DETROIT RACE RIOT in 194325 blacks dead; 9 whites6,000 troops needed to restore order$2 million in property damage

FEDERAL DISCRIMINATIONA. Phillip Randolph

Another problem with discrimination showed itself in demands on the federal governmentIssue led by A. PHILLIP RANDOLPH who was the President of the BROTHERHOOD OF SLEEPING CAR PORTERSProblem was blacks were excluded from well-paying jobs in war-related industriesIn order to get his demands, Randolph proposed a black march on Washington in 1941 if his conditions were not metIn response, FDR issued Executive Order 8802 establishing FAIR EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES COMMITTEEIts job was to investigate violations in defense industriesRandolph cancelled march

DEMANDS?1. An end to segregation in federal agencies2. The desegregation of the armed forces3. Equal access for blacks to defense jobs

The major result was government agencies,

job training programs, & defensecontractors ended segregation!

GROWTH OF THE NAACPA long term result included the NAACP grew from 50,000 before

the war to around 500,000 members by war’s end

DISCRIMINATION: MEXICANS

BRACERO’SZOOT SUIT RIOTS

Mexican Americans also found themselves in the sights of discrimination

Under the BRACERO program, Mexican migrant farmers were allowed into the U.S.

Need for increased farm work for the war effort!

Mexicans will be attacked by US sailors in Los Angeles in the ZOOT SUIT RIOTS

DISCRIMINATION: JAPANESE AMERICANS

By far, one of the most clearly seen examples of discrimination during World War II occurred with the Japanese-Americans

FDR issued EXECUTIVE ORDER 9066 in 1942 which authorized the War Department to declare the West Coast a “war theater”

110,000 people of Japanese ancestry forcibly interned in camps

Why? Pearl Harbor had left pubic paranoid that people of Japanese ancestry living in California might help Japan

Although the government considered relocation of Germans and Italians, the Japanese were the only ethnic group singled out by the government for action!

The greatest fear of the Japanese was that they may be potential spies

Represented the greatest violation of civil liberties in WWI

No act of sabotage was ever proven against any Japanese-Americans

Camps closed in 1946KOREMATSU V. USIn the famous court case, KOREMATSU V. US, the Supreme Court ruled that

the court could not second-guess military decisionsIn a nutshell, the Supreme Court upheld internments

In 1988, President Ronald Reagan officially apologized for the US actions and approved the payment of reparations to camp survivors totaling 1.25 billion dollarsIn 1990, Congress appropriated funds to pay $20,000 to each internee

LECTURE 35.5Allied Turning Points

of World War II

GERMANY FIRSTThe first major decision made by the Allies for fighting World War II involved focusing on Germany first!!!!!During the first 6 months of the conflict, it looked like the Allied powers would lose the warJapan took major territories in the Pacific

The US lost the Philippines and Gen. Douglas MacArthur withdrew to BataanBATAAN DEATH MARCH –85 mile forced march of US soldiers who were tortured and eventually burned aliveMacArthur ordered by Washington to leave for Australia gave the famous line “I SHALL RETURN”

In the European theater, German Uboats were sinking lots of Allied ships and Allied suppliesGermany was beginning to push east to Stalingrad

Gen. MacArthur

“I shall return”

BATTLE OF STALINGRADThe BATTLE OF STALINGRAD becomes the FIRST major turning point of the war!

Stalingrad was the first major German defeat on land

Germany will be in retreat from the East here on out

Stalin became angry at Allies b/c they were so slow in opening a second front

OPERATION TORCHDWIGHT EISENHOWER

Second turning point of the War was “OPERATION TORCH’ led by Gen. Eisenhower in North AfricaBritish had been fighting German Panzer divisions in North Africa since 1941 ERWIN ROMMEL

DESERT FOX

Germans were led by military leader Gen. Erwin Rommel (the Desert Fox)

BATTLE OF EL ALAMEINImportant battle was the BATTLE OF EL ALAMEIN which signaled the end of German presence in North AfricaBritish forces pushed Rommel out of Egypt all t he way back to Tunisia with massive German casualtiesConsidered one of the major turning points of the warIn Operation Torch, 100,000 Allied troops invaded N. Africa

DEFEAT OF ITALYGEORGE C. PATTONA turning point in the War in Europe was the invasion and defeat of ItalyInvasion of Italy led by Gen. George C. PattonBritish and US forces victorious after 1 monthMussolini forced out of power and killedRome first capital freed from Nazi control

NORMANDY INVASIOND-DAYOne of the most major turning points was the Invasion of Normandy

or Operation OverlordMost Americans refer to this as D-DAYPerhaps the wars most important battle

Commanded by General Dwight D. Eisenhower

ESTABLISHED A SECOND FRONT FOR THE REST OF THE WARGERMANY PUSHED FROM BOTH WEST AND EAST!!!!

BATTLE OF THE BULGEAnother major turning point battle involved the invasion into Germany called the BATTLE OF THE BULGE

Was Germany’s last major offensive

From this point on Germany on the run back to Berlin

VE Day

Germany will eventually surrender on May 7th, 1945

Known as V-E Day or Victory in Europe Day

BATTLE OF CORAL SEAOne of the first major victories against the Japanese was

the BATTLE OF THE CORAL SEA

Entire battle fought with aircraft

Prevented Japan from invading New Guinea and Australia

BATTLE OF MIDWAYOne of the greatest turning point battles in the

Pacific was the BATTLE OF MIDWAY

Allies had broken the Japanese code

From this battle on, the Japanese lost any hopes of attacking the US mainland!!!!

At this point on, the Americanswill use an “island hopping”

strategy to make their way to the Japanese mainland!

OKINAWA/IWO JIMA

Two major battles that occurred as the US hopped towards Japan included IWO JIMA and OKINAWA

Both of these battles produced very heavy American causalities

Perhaps part of the reason Truman will consider using the atomic bomb

LECTURE 35.6Japan

and the Atomic Bomb

THE CREATION OF THE BOMB

MANHATTAN PROJECTThe atomic bomb had been developed during the secret MANHATTAN PROJECT

led by DR. ROBERT OPPENHEIMERThe United States successfully tested the bomb in mid-July 1945 at Alamogordo,

New Mexico

POTSDAMAt the POTSDAM CONFERENCE, the three Allied leaders (Truman, Stalin, and Clement Atlee) warned Japan without specifics to surrender of suffer “complete and utter destruction”Japan refused removal of emperor but showed signs in secret dispatches it might be willing to surrender if emperor remained on the throneMilitary advisors warn of casualties as high as 46,000 if the United States invades Japan!!!

When Japan refused to

surrender, the Potsdam

threats were fulfilled!

HIROSHIMAOn August 6th, 1945 the first atomic bomb called LITTLE BOY was

dropped on HIROSHIMA

80,000 killed instantly; 100,000 injured

Bomb was dropped by the plane Enola Gay

JAPAN STILL REFUSES TO

SURRENDER

NAGASAKIOn August 8th, Stalin and the Soviet Union entered the war against Japan as promisedStalin wanted a say in the division of Japan’s holdings

On August 9th, a second bomb was dropped called “FAT MAN” on NAGASAKI60,000 dead

On August 14th, Japan surrendered and World War II was officially overJapanese surrender aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay

Arguments for use

• Japanese refused to surrender.

• Estimated an invasion similar to D-Day was needed to end

war.

• Estimated Japan’s empire would last 2 years.

• Estimated Allied casualties at 1 million or more men with

huge Japanese losses.

• Japanese leadership was told of the destructive power of the

bomb

• Offered a period to surrender but declined.

Arguments opposed

• Atomic bombs were untested and their destruction unknown

• Hiroshima and Nagasaki were not major military targets.

• Those killed in the attacks would be Japanese civilians.

• Radiation poisoning would have negative effects on the

population.

• Nuclear weapons would set a precedent that using weapons

of mass destruction was allowable in war

WHAT HAPPENED TO HITLER?German cities and major industries being bombed by Allied forces

Forces pushing from both sides towards Germany in a race to Berlin

Battle of the Bulge—last desperate attempt by German forces

Hitler kills himself along with wife Eva Braun

LECTURE 35.7Diplomacy ofWorld War II

THE CASABLANCA CONFERENCEThe diplomacy of World War II between the Allies is mainly seen in the four major

conferences attended by most leaders of the major Allied nations

FDR and Churchill declare policy of unconditional surrender for “all enemies”Agreed that Italy would be invaded first before opening a 2nd front in France

TEHRAN CONFERENCEFirst meeting of the BIG THREE (FDR, Stalin, and Churchill)Allied agreed to an invasion of Western Europe in 1944Stalin reaffirmed the Soviet commitment to enter war against JapanDisputes did begin to arise over the post-war world!

DISPUTES???Stalin insisted on Soviet control of eastern Europe and division of GermanyChurchill demanded free governments in Eastern Europe and a strong Germany after the war to preserve balance of power in EuropeRoosevelt acted as a mediator and believed he could work with Stalin to achieve a post-war world peace with the construct of the UNITED NATIONS

YALTA CONFERENCEBig Three met to discuss post-war EuropeStalin agreed to enter Pacific War within 3 months of German surrenderStalin agreed to “Declaration of Liberated Europe” which called for free electionsCalled for a world organization to meet in the United StatesGermany divided into occupation zones

POTSDAM CONFERENCETruman, Stalin, and Clement Atlee (Britain) meet in Potsdam, eastern GermanyConference disagreed on most issues; war alliance beginning to break down!During conference, Truman ordered dropping of atomic bomb on Japan!