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Unit 6 – World War II

World War Looms

I. Dictators Threaten World Peace Nationalism Grips Europe and Asia For many nations peace had brought not prosperity, but revolution fueled

by economic depression and struggle. What (2) things did this led to?

1. 2.

1. Failures of the WW I Peace Settlement

Treaty of Versailles did not secure peace, but caused anger and resentment- especially in Germany.

What was the Weimar Republic?

2. Joseph Stalin Transforms the Soviet Union

Russia became the Soviet Union (and communist) in 1922 and after VI Lenin died, Joe Stalin took control of the USSR and ruled with an iron fist.

Success = he transformed the USSR from a backward, rural nation into a great industrial power – what was the cost of this?

3. The Rise of Fascism in Italy

Benito “Il Duce” Mussolini established the Fascist Party in 1921 Why was he able to seize absolute power in Italy?

4. The NAZIS Take Over Germany

Adolf Hitler followed a path to power that was similar to Mussolini In his book Mein Kampf he set forth the (3) basic elements of Nazism:

a. extreme nationalism b. racial purification c. national expansion

used the economic condition in Germany to establish the 3rd Reich

How long was this supposed to last?

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5. Militarists Gain Control in Japan

Japanese military leaders took control in post WW I Japan and seized the raw-material rich Chinese province of Manchuria What did the League of Nations do?

6. Aggression in Europe and Africa

The failure of the League of Nations in Japan led to aggression by:

Germany = Italy =

7. Civil War Breaks Out in Spain

Francisco Franco led a fascist rebellion backed by military support from Hitler and Mussolini

Franco, however, did not join the Rome-Berlin Axis. The United States Responds Cautiously Most Americans were alarmed by the international conflicts of the mid 30’s, but believed

that the United States should not get involved 1. Americans Cling to Isolationism

Congress held hearings on war profits made from WW I, and this helped fuel isolationist feelings.

What were the Neutrality Acts?

2. Neutrality Breaks Down

FDR found it more and more difficult to remain neutral, especially when Japan attempted to seize all of China

What held FDR back?

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II. War in Europe Austria and Czechoslovakia Fall In 1937, Hitler met secretly with his top military

advisers and boldly declared that to grow and prosper Germany needed the land of its neighbors.

1. Union with Austria

On March 12, 1938, German troops marched into Austria unopposed This Anschluss was met with silence from the US and the rest of the world.

2. Bargaining for the Sudentenland

3 million Germans were living in this western part of Czechoslovakia. What did Hitler say was happening to these Germans?

Munich Conference Hitler invited the French, British (Neville Chamberlain) to a meeting to discuss this

problem with the Sudentenland. What did Hitler promise if he received this part of Czech? DEFINE appeasement

The German Offensive Begins Hitler broke his promise and swept through all of Czechoslovakia (March 1939) 1. The Soviet Union Declares Neutrality

Hitler began to turn his attention to Poland, but the Soviet Union could cause a problem – WHY?

Non-aggression Pact

Stalin surprised everyone by signing this pact with Hitler Agreed never to attack one another. What was the secret provision of this pact?

2. Blitzkrieg in Poland

September 1, 1939 the German Air Force ( Luftwaffe) roared over Poland and at the same time German tanks (Panzers) raced across the countryside

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DESCRIBE blitzkrieg =

The attack was successful, Poland fell in 3 weeks

3. The Phony War For the next several months after the fall of Poland, French and British

troops waited along the Maignot Line for the German offensive Germans were poised to attack behind the Siegfried Line, and some newspapers began

calling this the “phony war” Where did the German offensive strike next?

France and Britain Fight On What happened to the Maignot Line? 1. The Fall of France – Operation Case Yellow

The German offensive into France (June 1940) trapped almost 400,000 British and French soldiers on the beaches of Dunkirk. What happened?

Italy then invaded France from the South and the Germans closed in on Paris

from the north – June 22, 1940 France fell to the German Army IDENTIFY Charles De Gaulle

2. The Battle of Britain

In the summer of 1940 the Germans began to assemble an invasion fleet along the French coast. Operation Sea Lion

German launched an air war; the Lutwaffe began making bombing runs over Britain – What was Hitler’s goal?

MISTAKE by Hitler = at 1st he concentrated attacks on airfields and aircraft but then

switched to civilian targets. Why was this a mistake?

The Royal Air Force (RAF) fought back brilliantly and by September, Hitler had called off any hopes of invading England, but the bombing continued.

III. America Moves Towards War The United States Musters its Forces As German tanks thundered across Poland, FDR proclaimed American

neutrality; at the same time he began to prepare the US for war. 1. Moving Cautiously Away from Neutrality

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What was the “Cash – and – Carry provision of the Neutrality

Act?

2. The Axis Threat

September 1940; the Germans, Italians and Japanese signed a mutual defense treaty, the Tripartite Act and became known as the Axis Powers

How could this keep the United States out of the conflict?

3. Building US Defenses

FDR asked Congress to increase defense spending and pass the nation’s 1st peacetime draft – the Selective Training and Service Act

4. FDR Runs for a 3rd Term

FDR decided in 1940 to break the precedent set by George Washington and run for a 3rd term – wins 55% of the votes cast

“The Great Arsenal of Democracy” FDR tells the American people that if England falls to Hitler, we would be left alone in the

world, so we need to help defeat the Axis powers. 1. The Lend-Lease Plan

US would lend or lease arms and other supplies to any country whose defense was vital to the Unites States (England had run out of money)

2. Supporting Stalin

Operation Barbarosa – Hitler invaded the USSR in June 1941 and FDR began sending Lend-Lease supplies to aid Stalin and the Russians

3. German Wolf Packs

To prevent delivery of lend-lease shipments, Hitler deployed hundreds of German U-boats to attack supply ships. Became known as “Wolf Packs”

FDR Plans for War 1. The Atlantic Charter

FDR and Churchill met secretly aboard the USS Augusta where the leaders signed the Atlantic Charter:

- both countries pledged collective security, disarmament, self-determination, economic cooperation and freedom of the seas.

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- What was this the basis for?

2. Shoot on Sight

After a German submarine fired on the US destroyer Greer, FDR ordered navy commanders to respond.

German U-boats began sinking more American ships and destroyers; American sailors were killed – war seemed inevitable.

Japan Attacks the United States 1. Japan’s Ambitions in the Pacific

In July of 1937 Hideki Tojo, Japan’s war minister, launched an invasion into China and threatened European colonies

The British were too busy fighting Hitler in Europe, the US and their navy were the only ones in Japan’s way in the Pacific

How did the US protest Japanese aggression in the South pacific?

2. Peace Talks are Questioned

Tojo met with the Japanese emperor Hirohito and promised to work for peace with the US, but he was simultaneously planning an attack on the US.

The US had broken the Japanese military code and figured out an attack was inevitable, but was not sure of where the attack would take place.

3. The Attack on Pearl Harbor

December 7, 1941 more than 180 Japanese war planes attacked the US naval base at Pearl Harbor – our largest naval base in the Pacific.

In less than 2 hours, the Japanese had killed 2400 Americans and sunk or damaged 21 ships; including 8 battleships; 300 airplanes were also lost.

4. Reaction to Pearl Harbor

FDR asked Congress for a declaration of war against Japan, he got it and 3 days later, Germany and Italy declared war against the US.

The United States in World War II

I. Mobilizing for Defense Americans Join the War Effort The day after the Pearl Harbor attack the Japan Times boasted the US was “trembling in her

shoes” – Boy were they wrong!!! 1. Selective Service and the GI

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5 million men volunteered for military service, but it was not enough to fight a war on

two fronts (Europe and Pacific) The Selective Service System expanded the draft and provided another 10 million men

for the armed forces.

2. Expanding the Military

Army Chief of Staff George Marshall pushed for the formation of a Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps (WAAC)

What jobs did they perform?

3. Recruiting and Discrimination

Why did many minority groups (Blacks, Asians, etc) question the draft?

Despite discrimination, minority groups did serve in the military. A Production Miracle 1. The Industrial Response

Factories (automobiles especially) were converted to war production Shipyards and defense plants expanded with dizzying speed

2. Labor’s Contribution

Defense contractors were afraid there were not going to be enough workers. Who filled the holes left by the Selective Service draft? A. Philip Randolph

- president and founder of Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters - planned a march on Washington to protest discrimination in military and war effort industries (July 1941) - What happened to this march?

3. Mobilization of Scientists

FDR created the Office of Scientific Research and Development (OSRD) to bring scientists into the war effort

List some important contributions:

1. 2. 3.

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The Federal Government Takes Control As war production increased, there were consumer products available for purchase, which

would lead prices to shoot upwards. 1. Economic Controls

What did the Office of Price Administration (OPA) do for prices? Congress also raised taxes, which reduced consumer demand on scare goods by leaving

workers with less to spend. Government also encouraged the purchasing of War Bonds What was the War Production Board (WPB) ?

2. Rationing

Defined as establishing fixed allotments of goods deemed essential for the military Households received ration books with coupons for scarce goods such as meat, shoes,

sugar, coffee and gasoline How did most Americans feel about rationing?

II. The War for Europe and North Africa The United States and Britain Join Forces 1. War Plans

Prime Minister Winston Churchill arrived at the White House on December 22, 1941 and met for 3 weeks with FDR to map out war plans.

They agreed on a Europe 1st policy because they felt that Germany and Italy posed a bigger threat than Japan.

2. The Battle of the Atlantic

Hitler ordered submarine raids against ship’s along America’s East Coast. What was the German goal?

In the 1st four months of 1942, the Germans sank 87 off the Atlantic coast; in 7 months

the total was up to 681 How did the US respond to this?

By mid-1943 the tide of the Battle of the Atlantic had turned.

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The Eastern Front and the Mediterranean 1. The Battle of Stalingrad – 1st great turning point of the war

Summer of 1942, the Germans took the offensive in southern USSR There was brutal house to house fighting, along with the cold

Russian winter. German commander surrendered on January 31, 1943. What was the significance of this loss for the Germans?

2. The North African Front

Why did Stalin want another front opened against Hitler?

Allies launched Operation Torch – November 1942 Invasion of Axis-controlled North Africa commanded by General Dwight D.

Eisenhower. By May 1943, the German Afrika Korps led by Gen. Erwin “Desert Fox”

Rommel had surrendered.

3. The Italian Campaign - Operation Torch - Summer 1943

Allies agree to attack Hitler’s “soft underbelly” of Europe. Allies easily took Sicily, and then they advanced up the Italian peninsula. When did the Allies eventually liberate all of Italy?

4. Heroes in Combat

IDENTIFY the Tuskegee Airmen and the Nisei Battalion The Allies Liberate Europe “Operation Overlord”; the Allied invasion of occupied France 1. D-Day

The Allies gathered a force of nearly 3 million British, US + Canadian troops Invasion occurred on June 6, 1944; it was successful but very costly

2. The Allies Gain Around

Despite heavy casualties, the Allies held the beachheads. Who led the advance against the Germans across France? August 25, 1944 – Paris was liberate

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3. The Battle of the Bulge

Last major German offensive of WW II – German defeat Why was it called the Battle of the Bulge?

4. Unconditional Surrender

By April 25 ,1945 the Soviets had stormed Berlin and Hitler eventually committed suicide (April 20, 1945)

V-E Day = May 8, 1945 the Germans unconditional surrender to Ike.

5. Roosevelt’s Death

FDR did not live to see VE day; he died April 12, 1945 and Vice-President Harry S. Truman became the nation’s 33rd President.

III. The War in the Pacific The Allies Stem the Japanese Tide 1. Japanese Advances- Bataan Death March

In the 1st 6 months after Pearl Harbor, the Japanese conquered an empire that dwarfed Hitler’s 3rd Reich

Who led the Americans in the Philippines and stated “I shall return!” ?

2. Doolittle’s Raid – April 18, 1942

Lt. Col. James Doolittle led 16 bombers in a daring raid on Tokyo and other Japanese cities. What was the importance of this raid?

3. Battle of the Coral Sea – May 1942

5 – day battle that halted the Japanese drive towards Australia Fought by airplanes from aircraft carriers

4. The Battle of Midway

Japan’s next target were the Midway Islands Led by Admiral Chester Nimitz; the islands were defended and the Japanese lost 4

aircraft carriers and 250 airplanes. What was the importance of Midway?

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The Allies Go on the Offensive The 1st Allied offensive and victory began in August 1942 when

19,000 troops stormed Guadacanal in the Solomon Islands 1. The Japanese Defense

The Kamikaze was first used by the Japanese during the Battle of Leyte Gulf The attacks were deadly, but not enough to turn the tide of the battle;

Japanese navy lost 3 battleships, 4 aircraft carriers (basically finished)

2. Iwo Jima – February 1945

Why was this island a key for the Americans? Mt. Suribachi and raising the American flag.

3. The Battle for Okinawa – April 1945

US wins a costly victory = 7600 Americans died; 110,000 Japanese dead What was this battle an indicator of?

The Atomic Bomb Ends the War The raking of Iwo Jima and Okinawa opened the way for an invasion of Japan. What was the problem Allied leaders faced? 1. The Manhattan Project

IDENTIFY J. Robert Oppenheimer The 1st test of the new bomb took place on the morning of July 16, 1945 in the desert

of Alamogordo, New Mexico President Truman now faced the dilemma of whether to use this new weapon

against the Japanese or not; he did not hesitate and ordered the final plans. 2. Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Hiroshima = August 6 ,1945; Enola Gay dropped “little boy” on this Japanese

industrial city Nagasaki = August 9, 1945; Box Car dropped “fat man” and leveled half of the city

***** about 200,000 people died by the end of the year*****

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Rebuilding Begins The Japanese surrender on September 2, 1945 on the USS Missouri 1. The Yalta Conference

In February 1945 FDR, Stalin, and Churchill (the Big Three) met in the resort city of Yalta in the Soviet Union. What were the key issues?

1. 2.

2. The Nuremberg War Trials

War crimes tribunal in Nuremberg, Germany where 24 of the top remaining NAZI were charged with various war crimes. (12 were sentenced to death)

3. The Occupation of Japan

Gen. MacArthur ruled Japan for 7 years and made many positive reforms.