Bell Ringer

• What were the conditions of the Treaty of Versailles that ended WWI?– Germany had to accept blame for the war– Germany lost their colonies (remember

Imperialism was a cause)– Germany’s military was limited (de-militarism)– Germany had to pay $33 billion in reparations– Austria-Hungary was broken up– Poland and Czechoslovakia were created– League of Nations established

World War II

CAUSES OF WAR- RISE OF DICTATORS

Treaty and Depression

• Remember:– Destruction and Bitterness from WWI

+– Poor economies, unstable governments

and countries in Europe=

– A bad combination…

Rise of Totalitarian Governments

• Totalitarian - Strict government control over every aspect of public and private life.– Coercive – uses force, censorship

and terrorism to maintain control.

Soviet Union- Josef Stalin

How leadership was obtained:

- member of Lenin gov’t - used power to build

support - assumed leadership

when Lenin died

Why population followed: - economic depression - “rule by terror” (secret

police)

Actions: - Signed non-aggression

pact with Hitler in 1939 - Invaded Finland in 1939

How leadership was obtained - led a rebellion - overthrew the King - used private army of “Black

Shirts”

Why population followed - resentment over Treaty of

Versailles - economic depression - fear

Actions - Invaded Ethiopia in 1935

Italy- Benito Mussolini

How leadership was obtained: - leader of Nazi party - elected to minor office - seized power in faked

“emergency”

Why population followed: - resentment over Treaty of

Versailles - economic depression - fear

Actions: - Invaded Rhineland in 1936,

Austria in 1938, Czechoslovakia in 1938, Poland in 1939, Denmark, Norway, Netherlands, Belgium and France in 1940

Germany- Adolf Hitler

How leadership was obtained - overthrew the civilian

government and demanded total obedience to the state

Why population followed - resentment over Treaty of

Versailles - economic depression - the need for space and

food - fear

Actions - Censored the media - Invaded Chinese

Manchuria in 1931

Japan- Senior Generals of the Army

How leadership was obtained:

- led a rebellion supported by Hitler and Mussolini

Why population followed: - resentment over Treaty

of Versailles - economic depression - fear

Spain- Francisco Franco

Dictators- Review

• Growth of Totalitarianism and Dictatorships– Stalin (man of Steel)- Russia

• Fear and Propaganda, no freedoms

– Mussolini (il duce)- Italy• Fascist, promised to make Italy great again

– Hitler- Germany• Fascist, totalitarian, dictator• Anti-semetic, blamed communists and jews• Desired world domination

– General Tojo, Emperor Hirohito- Japan• Military leadership after the depression hit

REACTION TO DICTATORS

Europe’s Response

• Appeasement (“giving in”)– Europe was exhausted from WWI

– economic depression

– widespread belief that the Treaty of Versailles was unfair

– belief that Germany served as a “buffer zone” protecting Europe from Soviet communism

• Armed Resistance - “too little, too late”

How did the United States respond to these dictators?1936 U.S. refusal to help Spain led to Franco’s

control of Spain

1937 economic embargoes of Italy and Japan

1938 sent telegrams urging Hitler and Mussolini to “stop”

1938 Congress approved funds for air fleets and a two-ocean navy

1939 grants of money were sent to Finland for nonmilitary supplies

1940 Congress passed the Selective Service and Training Act of 1940 after the fall of France (America’s first peacetime draft)

1940 the U.S. sent old destroyers to Britain (NOT a neutral act)

1941 Congress passed the Lend-Lease Act of 1941 and lent

other things to England

Reasons for the U. S. Response

• Economic depression

• Lack of military preparedness

• Resentment towards Europe for their “lack of appreciation” for U.S. assistance in WWI.

• Prejudice – Societal acceptance of segregation and

anti-Semitism

START OF THE WAR

American Isolationists

• Hurt and anguished by WWI, many Americans wanted to make sure that the US would never again be drawn into a foreign war.

• They thought entering WWI was a mistake.

American Isolation

• Isolationist congressmen held the majority in Congress through 1938. To ensure the US would stay neutral should war break out, they passed a series of neutrality acts

• The acts included:– Preventing citizens

from traveling on “belligerent” ships

– Forbade loaning $ to “belligerents”

– Forbade all arms shipments

Stay isolated?

• As aggression by dictators increased in Europe, FDR argued for neutrality and US security at the same time.

• It increased the military and naval budgets significantly.

Start of the War

• On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland in a blitzkrieg attack.

• Blitzkrieg means “lightning war” where the military attacks via land and air with speed to get further into a country.

Allies vs. Axis Powers

• Allies– Britain– Russia–US (1941)– France &

Poland*

• Axis– Germany– Italy– Japan

Isolation to Intervention

• Once war broke out, Americans were opposed to Hitler but still hoped to keep the US out of war.

• FDR believed that British survival was crucial to US security.

Isolation to Intervention

• Cash and Carry Act (1939)– Congress said that if nations in Europe

bought goods from the US in cash and carried them on their own ships, we would provide that country aid

– Although technically neutral, in reality, it strongly favored Britain (they controlled the ocean)

Changing U.S. Policy

• In addition to the Cash and Carry Act, Congress passed the Selective Service Act (1940) which registered all American men between 21 and 35 for training.

• Also, In September of 1940, FDR worked out a deal with Britain to trade 50 older US destroyers for a military base on British islands in the Caribbean.

Four Freedoms

• As the war in Europe continued, FDR saw it as a direct threat to US security and to future democratic governments.

• In January 1941, he delivered his famous “Four Freedoms” speech.

Four Freedoms

• In his speech, FDR said the US must stand behind those nations that were committed to • freedom of speech• freedom of

religion• freedom from

want• freedom from fear

Lend-Lease Act

• Lend-Lease Act– FDR proposed ending

the Cash and Carry Act and allow Britain to get arms by credit

– The US agreed to lend or lease supplies to the Allies (but not to the Axis).• Like lending your

neighbor a garden hose to put out a fire.

A little meeting…

• FDR and Churchill (GB) had a secret meeting.

• They drew up the “Atlantic Charter” that said what the peace objectives would be following the war– Sound peace included self-

determination for all people, no territorial expansion, and free trade.

America Enters the War

• Pearl Harbor– December 7, 1941, attack by Japan– As a result of this surprise attack, 2500

people were killed (civilians and military), 8 battleships were damaged, 3 destroyed (including the USS Arizona), 160 aircraft destroyed knocking out our fleet for 6 months.

– “A day which will live in infamy”- FDR declares war on Japan

FDR’s Speech

• Speech Video• Pearl Harbor Clip

FIGHTING THE WARAt home and Abroad

Home front

• Similar to WWI, there were many efforts made at home to aid in military success.

• For instance…

Industry

• Industry again, needed to switch over from peace-time production to war-time production.

• The War Productions Board (WPB) was established to manage war industries.

• By 1944, unemployment had practically disappeared and the US was producing 2x the industrial output as the Axis powers.

Financing the War

• War bonds were again, a major source of financing for the war.

• Over $135 billion was raised.

• In addition, Americans were required to pay an income tax for the first time.

Women and Industry

• Just as in WWI, vacant jobs needed to be filled.

• Almost 5 million women entered the workforce, mostly in shipyards and defense plants.

• Clip from “Story”

Rosie the Riveter

The War’s Impact on Society

• African Americans, Mexican Americans, and Native Americans all contributed to the war effort, mostly by serving in the military and filling industrial jobs.

• “Navajo Code Talkers”

Internment

• Japanese Americans suffered significant discrimination during WWII, particularly due to resentment of the Japanese for PH. – Thoughts of them being spies, saboteurs, etc

• Executive Order 9066– In 1942, the government ordered over

100,000 Japanese Americans on the west coast to leave their homes and reside in internment camps

Fronts

• WWII was fought on two fronts (aka “theaters of operation”)– European Theater and Pacific Theater

• The Allies adopted a “Europe First” strategy, as Germany seemed like the more menacing enemy.

Operation Overlord (June 6, 1944)

• One of the most significant battles on the European front was D-Day/ Invasion of Normandy, France

• The goal was to liberate France from Germany.

• This was and still is the largest land, air, and sea battle

D-Day• 150,000 Allied soldiers invaded Normandy by

sending in paratroopers, tanks, infantry, and battleships.

• Paratroopers landed first and cut off means of transportation and communication.

• It was a surprise attack and it came in multiple waves. It was a long, painful battle, but by the end Allied troops gained a foothold in Europe and forced the Germans back.

• At dawn on 6 June 1944 Operation Overlord began. The invasion forces landed on 5 beaches along the Normandy coast: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword. On the first day, 2,700 vessels and 1,897 landing craft sailed. The cargo was 130,000 soldiers, 12,000 vehicles, 2,000 tanks and 10,000 tons of stores

Important Info- Europe• By August 1944, Allied troops freed Paris. As

Allied forces pushed the Germans west through Europe, Russians were pushing them east, closing in on Hitler.

• Hitler’s “last stand” in December 1944, was at the border of Belgium and Germany at the Battle of the Bulge. In this single battle alone, 200,000 soldiers died but it led to an Allied victory and the downfall of Hitler.

• **Allied troops surrounded Germany’s capital city of Berlin, Germany surrenders May 7, 1945. The war in Europe is OVER!! The nickname VE Day was given to May 7th meaning Victory in Europe

Pacific Front

• Main enemy: Japan• Strategy: Island

Hopping; get closer to the mainland

• Thorn in side: Kamikaze pilots

• Turning Point: Battle of Midway

The A-Bomb

• Code Name: Manhattan Project

• Reasons for use (Truman’s Options)– Save soldiers lives, end

war quickly– Land invasion,

blockade, drop bombs, wait for Russia, compromise, demonstration of bombs

The A-Bomb

• Bombs were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima (August 6, 1945) and Nagasaki (August 9, 1945)

• About 250,000 Japanese died immediately or after a prolonged period

• The Japanese finally surrender on August 15, 1945– V-J Day

Conferences

• Near the end of the war and after the “Big Three” (US, USSR, GB) met to coordinate militarily and establish peace Terms.

Conferences• Casablanca (January ‘43)• Teheran (November ‘43)• Yalta (February ‘45)– Decide what to do when war was over

• Divide Germany into 4 zones• Free elections in E. European countries• UN would be formed

• *Death of FDR*• Potsdam (July ‘45)– Demand Japan surrender unconditionally– Hold war-crime trials of Nazi leaders

Impact of the War

• Most destructive war in history• 300,000 Americans died; 800,000

wounded• $320 Billion• UN is established

A-Bomb Discussion

• Support or refute the following statement: – The US was justified in using the atomic

bombs against Japan in 1945.