World War II

Why fight?• June 22, 1941 Germany attacked Russia. Russia,

who had been friends with Germany, then became an enemy of the Axis Powers and joined the Allies.

• The original members of the Allies included Great Britain, France and Poland. When Germany invaded Poland, Great Britain and France declared war on Germany.

Causes of WWII

• Rise of dictators• Rise of Facism

• Treaty of Versailles

Adolf Hitler- Germany-AXIS

Emperor Hirohito- Japan-AXIS

Benito Mussolini-Italy AXIS

WHO WAS IN THE WAR?

The Allies wanted to stop war of aggression by the Axis countries.

The “Big Three” were the main leaders of the Allies: Winston Churchill (Great Britain), Franklin D. Roosevelt (USA) and Joseph Stalin (Soviet Union)

• Other Allies included FRANCE, CHINA, Poland, Belgium, Brazil, Ethiopia, Greece, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Yugoslavia, and Czechoslovakia.

• Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Newfoundland, and South Africa were part of the British Commonwealth and so were also Allies.

US enters WarUS did not want to directly get involved; Japan saw USA aid to Great Britain as a threatDecember 7th, 1941 – Japan attacked USA military base, Pearl Harbor, in Hawaii; USA joined Alllied powers

Texans in the War

Texas became a training ground for US Army, large amounts of open areasOver 750k Texans served: More than 23K died.

USS Texas:Only US Battleship toserve in both WWIand WWII

POWs and Internment Camps

Internment= Confinement for “aliens” the US thought were a threat to security (mostly Japanese)

Texas had 3 large Internment Camps

Texas Leaders in WWIIChester Nimitz: Commander of the Pacific Fleet

Dwight D Eisenhower: Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe and defeated Germany.

Oveta Culp Hobby: First Commander of WACs-Women’s Army Corps.

Other Texas HeroesAudie Murphy: Single handedly stopped a German Tank Attack; most decorated US combat soldier in WWII

Samuel Dealy: Submarine Commander that sank 16 enemy warships.

Doris (Dorie) Miller: First African American Hero of WWII. At Pearl Harbor, fired on enemy planes until his ship went down.

Other Texas HeroesCleto Rodriquez: Mexican American hero from San Marcos

Thousands of other Texans, both men and women, played a vital role in bringing about victory in WWI.

• The 36th Texas Division: spent 400 days in combat • Took part in two assault landings• 1st division to land on the continent of Europe• 9th highest casualty rate of any army division in WWII• 14 members were awarded the Medal of Honor

Hard Times on the Home Front:Sacrificing for Victory

Rationing: Purchase ration stamps to buy gasoline, sugar, shoes, coffee and meat.

War’s Political Impact on Texas

The Democratic Party split in two wings: Liberals and Conservatives

People moved to Urban cities.

More than half a million moved from rural communities

V J Day in New York City- August 15, 1945

War’s Social Impact on TexasRacial Issues increase: Wartime efforts forced people of different races to live close to each other. Created a competition for jobs, housing, and food. Riots broke out.

Segregation issues were still in place after war

Gender equality issues: During war, women ran the farms, worked in factories building war products. After war, they lost their jobs to men. Women who did work were paid less

and had fewer benefits.

After war, there is a greater call for social change!

War’s Economic ImpactNew Military Defense Plants built

Texas provided a variety of War Products

Texas Gulf Coast became leading Petrochemical Center. Oil replaced cattle/cotton as top product.

Growth in Industry = Growth in Urban Areas (Cities)

Unemployment dropped, quickly ending Great Depression.