Between the Wars & World War II

Isolationism v. Interventionism

Isolationist• Defeat of League of Nations

– Wilson v. Lodge

• “Return to Normalcy” mindset of 1920s

• Washington Disarmament Conference

• Kellogg-Briand Pact 1928• Charles Lindbergh• Hoover-Moratorium on War

Debts• Johnson Debt Default Act• Neutrality Acts of 1935 & 1937

Interventionist

• FDR “Quarantine Speech”

• Atlantic Charter

• Lend-Lease

American Isolationism

• Isolationists like Senator Lodge, refused to allow the US to sign the Versailles Treaty.

• Security treaty with France also rejected by the Senate.

• July, 1921 Congress passed a resolution declaring WW I officially over!

Sen. Henry Cabot

Lodge, Sr. [R-MA]

Washington Disarmament

Conference(1921-1922)

• Long-standing Anglo-Japanese alliance (1902) obligated Britain to aid Japan in the event of a Japanese war with the United States.

• Secretary of State Charles Evans Hughes

• Goals naval disarmament and the political situation in the Far East.

Five-Power Treaty (1922)

• A battleship ratio was achieved through this ratio:US Britain Japan France Italy

5 5 3 1.67 1.67

• Japan got a guarantee that the US and Britain would stop fortifying their Far East territories [including the Philippines].

• Loophole no restrictions on small warships

Four-Power Treaty

• Japan, US, Great Britain, and France

• All parties agreement to maintain the status quo in the Pacific, by respecting the Pacific holdings of the other countries signing the agreement, not seeking further territorial expansion, and mutual consultation with each other in the event of a dispute over territorial possessions.

• Main result of the Four-Power Treaty was the termination of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance of 1902.

Nine Power Treaty

• U.S., Belgium, Great Britain, China, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, and Portugal

• Treaty affirming the sovereignty and territorial integrity of China as per the Open Door Policy,

• Prompted Japan to cede territorial control of the Shandong Province to the Republic of China

• Lacked any enforcement regulations, and when violated by Japan during its invasion of Manchuria in 1931 and creation of Manchukuo, the United States could do little more than issue protests and impose economic sanctions.

Kellogg-Briand Pact (1928)

• 15 nations dedicated to outlawing aggression and war as tools of foreign policy.

• 62 nations signed.

• Problems no means of actual enforcement and gave Americans a false sense of security.

“America First” Committee

Charles Lindbergh

Hoover’s Moratorium and Johnson’s Debt Default Act

• Moratorium on all war debts issued by Hoover until 1932

• April 13, 1934. • forbids any new loans to

nations that have not repaid their WWI debts.

• Furthermore, since Britain was a principle defaulter, it made aid to Britain during the early years of WWII particularly problematic

Neutrality Acts: 1935, 1936, 1937

• When the President proclaimed the existence of a foreign war, certain restrictions would automatically go into effect:

• Prohibited sales of arms to belligerent nations.

• Prohibited loans and credits to belligerent nations.

• Forbade Americans to travel on vessels of nations at war [in contrast to WW I].

• Non-military goods must be purchased on a “cash-and-carry” basis pay when goods are picked up.

• Banned involvement in the Spanish Civil War.

• This limited the options of the President in a crisis.

• America in the 1930s declined to build up its forces!

US Neutrality

Interventionism

• an act of military, economical intervention that is aimed for international order

• FDR-– Major Supporter closer US

gets to WWII involvement

– Originally Isolationist (election of 1936 Campaign promise)

Interventionism

• FDR “Quarantine” Speech

• October 5th, 1937

• called for "positive endeavors" against the aggressions of Italy and Japan, something along the lines of economic embargoes.

Interventionism-Atlantic Charter

• Winston Churchill-British Prime Minister & FDR

• Signed August 14, 1941

– US Was not even in war at this time

Interventionism-Lend/Lease Act

• FDR plan to be in the war but not in the war.

• empowered the president to "sell, transfer title to, exchange, lease, lend, or otherwise dispose of, to any such government [whose defense the President deems vital to the defense of the United States] any defense article."

Totalitarianism

• Centralized government run by a dictator

• Examples

– Mussolini – Italy

– Adolph Hitler –Germany

– Josef Stalin – Russia

– Francisco Franco – Spain

Facism

• A political philosophy, movement, regime that exalts nation above the individual

• Uses force to dispose of opposition and maintain obedience

Communism

• A system of social organization in which all economic and social activity is controlled by a totalitarian state dominated by a single and self perpetuating party.

Nationalism

• Intense feelings of loyalty and patriotism towards one’s country

• Factors that unite nationalistic groups– Common language

– Heritage

– Ambitions

Anti-Semitism

• Strong racial and religious hatred towards Jews

• Leads to Holocaust

Causes of World War II

World War II

Treaty of Versailles

Failure of League of Nations

Japanese Imperialism

Worldwide Economic Difficulties

Treaty of Versailles

• Failed to address problems that led to WWI, specifically, territorial demands & nationalism

• Punished Germany so severely that they followed Hitler to escape economic deprivation and humiliation

Failure of the League of Nations

• U.S. had never joined

• League failed to deal with Japanese aggression in Manchuria/China

• League was powerless in face of Hitler’s demands

Japanese Imperialism

• Russo-Japanese War

– Success of Japan bred confidence

• Disarmament treaties of 1920s had been meant to curtail Japanese militaristic buildup but was ignored by Japan

• 1931-Invaded Manchuria

Japanese Imperialism

• Hoover-Stimson Note

– US “Scolded” Japanese but strong Isolationist sentiment in US prevented stronger action

• Manchuoku-Japanese launching point for Chinese invasions

• Axis Powers

– Alliance formed with Germany and italy in 1939

• Emperor Hirohito, Tojo Hideki

– Major Figures

Worldwide Economic Difficulties

• Great Depression hit worldwide

– Tariff barriers contributed to problems

• War Debts from WWI had handicapped economies of the allies

Worldwide Economic Difficulties

• Germany saddled with unreasonable reparations– Breeding ground for

Facism

• US responded in 1930s by cutting off the allies through Neutrality Acts– Emboldened dictators

like Hitler

Taking Sides

Axis Allies

Germany Great Britain

Japan USSR

Italy France

USA (after 1941)

Axis’ “Blitzkrieg” --Lightning War

Sept 1 1939-

Germany Invades Poland

April 1940-France

Falls

Dec 7, 1941-

Attack on Pearl

Harbor

Causes of US Entry

into WWII

Main Cause: Attack on Pearl Harbor Dec 7,

1941

Four Freedoms Speech: State of

the Union Address Jan 6,

1941

German attacks on US Vessels carrying Lend-Lease goods

FDR’s freezing of Japanese assets and embargo of war materials to

Japan

Dunkirk

• Defense and evacuation of British and allied forces in Europe from 26 May-4 June 1940.

• Germany stops and does not pursue.

• Had they done so, the course of the war might have been altered.

Battle of Britain

• Air campaign waged by the German Air Force-The Luftwaffe

• Summer and Fall of 1940

• Churchill– “the Battle of France is

over. I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin.”

Women in the Workforce

• Replaced men in industrial jobs—Especially Defense industries

• Rosie the Riveter

• Profound impact on social and economic roles of men and women

Women in the Armed Forces• Almost 400,000 women served

in and with armed forces• Exceeded total male troop

strength of 1939• Enlisted for the “duration plus six

months” to free male soldiers for combat by filling jobs that matched women’s “natural” abilities like clerical work and jobs requiring attention to detail and small motor skills

• Played a vital role in War effort• Cornelia Fort, a TN pilot who will

become the first woman to in American History to die in active duty.

Areas Women Served

• Army and Navy Nurse Corps.• Women’s Army Corps (WAC)• Women’s Navy Corps (WAVES)• Coast Guard (SPARS)• Marine Corps Women’s

Reserves• Although not officially members

of the armed forces, Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) provided critical support for the war effort.

Other Opportunities for Women

• Other women worked with the military through service organizations

• These organizations included:– The American Red Cross

– The United Service Organizations (USO)

– The Civil Air Patrol.

Movement to Urban Centers

• Second “Great Migration” as African Americans and a smaller number of whites moved north and West to work in Defense Plants

• Nearly 30 million people move during war.

Minority Employment

• Need for full employment in defense industries opened up opportunities for African Americans

• Especially prevalent in the west including Boeing in Seattle

• First non-discrimination policies applied in industries with Government contracts

Bracero Program

• Encouraged Mexican immigrants to come to US to work in Fruit and vegetable fields

Rationing

• Essentials for war effort

– Gas

– Sugar

– Nylon

– Rubber

– Metal

• Government enforced gives rise to black market

Propaganda

• Primary Purposes:

– Generate public support for war

– Encourage people to get on board with Wartime policies (espionage, rationing, etc)

– Raise revenue via bond drives

War in Africa

• Bernard Montgomery– Allied Commander

• Erwin Rommel- Desert Fox– Axis Commander

• Allied victory (May 1943) in North Africa opened the door for the invasion of Italy two months later

• This would eventually lead to the downfall of the fascist regime in Italy.

D-Day

• June 6th, 1944

• Normandy

• Airborne drop commenced at midnight with amphibious landing to begin at 6:30 am.\

• Supreme Ally Commander- Dwight D. Eisenhower (Ike)

Battle of the Bulge

• Last significant German Offensive

• Last from December 16, 1944 to January 25, 1945

• American Casualties around 19000 surpass any other engagement of the war

Yalta Conference

• Febuary 4-11, 1945• USSR, Great Britain, and US• FDR wants quick Soviet entry

into Pacific war.• FDR & Churchill concede

Stalin needs buffer, FDR & Stalin want spheres of influence and a weak Germany.

• Churchill wants strong Germany as buffer against Stalin.

• FDR argues for a “United Nations”.

V-E Day

• May 8, 1945

• signed by Karl Donitz of Germany

• Celebrations erupted around the world

Main Leaders During WWII

FDR Hitler Mussolini

Dies April 12, 1945 In Warm Springs, GA due to complications from polio.

Commits Suicidewith new wife on April 30th, 1945

April 28, 1945 Heand his mistress, Clara Petecci, are shot and their bodies hung on display in Milan

Potsdam Conference

• Held in Potsdam, Germany

• July 17- Aug 2, 1945

Japanese offensive moves in the Pacific

Early War

Philippines• General Douglas MacArthur

was commander in the Pacific. – In 1942 forced to relocate to

Austrailia.– “I Shall Return”

• Bataan Death March 1942– Filipino and American POWs

forced to march to POW camp– Began april 9th, 1942– 2,500–10,000 Filipino and 100–

650 American prisoners of war died before reaching destination

Battle of the Coral Sea

• May 4-8, 1942• major naval battle in the Pacific

Theater of World War II between the Imperial Japanese Navy and naval and air forces from the United States and Australia.

• Battle was first action in which aircraft carriers engaged each other.

• also the first in which neither side's ships sighted or fired directly upon the other.

Battle of Midway

• June 4-7, 1942

• Several Japanese ships damaged during the Battle of the Coral Sea were out of commission for this battle

• Most important naval battle of World War II.

• 4 Japanese ships lost to 1 American ship

• 1st Japanese naval defeat since 1863

Guadalcanal

• August 7, 1942-February 9, 1943

• Combined arms victory

• Marked a shift in policy by the allies in the Pacific theater from Defensive to offensive strategy

Allied Offensive Strategy

• Island Hopping

– Launched following the Battle of Midway

– Attacked the weak islands under Japan’s control

– Would set up small bases on each conquered island to use as a jumping off point for the next invasion

Japanese Surrender

• Bombs Dropped on Aug 6 and Aug 9, 1945

– Hiroshima (aug 6)

– Nagasaki

• USSR declares war on Japan (August 8, 1945)

• September 2, 1945- V-J Day