WORLD WAR II

Japan suffered from a great

economic depression after

World War I. In 1930 Japan’s

military took control of the

country. Japan’s military took

control of the schools and

taught the young boys military

practices.

Hirohito – the emperor of Japan. 1

JAPAN

Japan suffered from a major shortage of natural resources. To obtain what they needed to run their military they invaded:

After Japan attacked French Indochina, the U.S. cut off Japan’s oil supply in 1941.

Manchuria

1931

China

1937

Soviet Union

1938

French Indochina

1940

Shanghai

1932

2

Benito Mussolini was born on

July 29, 1883. Mussolini served

in the Italian army during

World War I. Italy suffered a

terrible economic depression

after World War I. Mussolini

was elected to parliament in

1921. At the age of 39,

Mussolini became the Prime

Minister of Italy on October 31,

1922. Under Mussolini’s rule,

Italy conquered Corsica, Mece,

Albania, Tunisia and Ethiopia.

Benito Mussolini – dictator of Italy.

ITALY

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Adolf Hitler – dictator of Germany

Adolf Hitler was born in Austria on April 20,

1889. He fought for Germany in World War I.

Germany suffered a terrible economic

depression after World War I. Hitler formed

the Nazi Party and created his own army

called the Storm Troopers. He was arrested in

1923 for trying to take control of Munich,

Germany. He was sentenced to five years in

prison but served only nine months. Adolf

Hitler was appointed chancellor of Germany

in 1933. To gain the support of the German

army Hitler ordered hundreds of the Storm

Troopers to be executed on June 30, 1934.

Hitler became dictator of Germany when

President von Hindenburg died on August 30,

1934.

GERMANY

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Germany invaded the Rhineland in

1936, Austria in 1938,

Czechoslovakia in 1939, Poland in

1939, France, Luxembourg, Belgium

and the Netherlands in 1940.

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In August 1939 Germany

and the Soviet Union

signed an agreement to

not invade each other.

Germany invaded the

Soviet Union in 1941.

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Manchuria

1931

China

1937

Soviet Union

1938

French Indochina

1940

Shanghai

1932

Japan suffered from a major shortage of natural resources. To obtain what they needed to run their military they attacked:

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After Japan attacked French Indochina, the U.S. cut off Japan’s oil supply in 1941. On

December 7, 1941 Japan attacked the US Naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Their reason

for the attack was they wanted to invade several more countries (Hong Kong, Thailand, Guam,

Wake, Malaya, Burma, and the Philippines) to acquire their natural resources but thought the

US Navy at Pearl Harbor would try to stop them.

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On December 8,

1941 the United

States declared war

on Japan. On

December 11, 1941

Germany and Italy

declared war on the

United States.

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THE WAR IN AFRICA

AND EUROPE

ALLY STRATEGY: PART IThe Allies first goal in the war in Europe was to

gain control of Northern Africa, especially Egypt.

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ALLY STRATEGY: PART IIOnce they gained control of Northern Africa,

the Allies then began their invasion of Italy.

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ALLY STRATEGY: PART IIIOnce in Europe through Italy, the Allies then invaded France

on June 6, 1944 by crossing the English Channel from Great

Britain. This is called D-day.

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442nd REGIMENTAL COMBAT TEAMThe 442nd Regimental Combat Team fighting unit was composed almost entirely of American

soldiers of Japanese descent who volunteered to fight in World War II even though their

families were subject to internment. The soldiers of the 442nd fought with uncommon

distinction in Italy, southern France, and Germany. The 442nd is considered to be the most

decorated infantry regiment in the history of the United States Army. They were awarded

eight Presidential Unit Citations and twenty-one of its members were awarded the Medal of

Honor. Their motto was, "Go for Broke".

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761st TANK BATTALIONThe 761st Tank Battalion was an independent tank battalion of the United States Army during

World War II. The 761st was made up primarily of African-American soldiers, who by federal

law were not permitted to serve alongside white troops. The 761st fought in Europe.

For their bravery and success during battle they were awarded 11 Silver Stars and 69 Bronze

Stars. They were known as the Black Panthers after their unit's distinctive insignia; their

motto was “Come out fighting”.

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V-E Day, or Victory in Europe Day occurred on May 8, 1945. This ended the war in Europe.

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THE HOLOCAUSTAs the Allies worked their way through Europe to reach Germany they came across prison

camps that were filled with people who were marked for death by Adolf Hitler. During World

War II, the Germans killed about 6 million Jewish people. They also killed millions of other

ethnic groups, including Gypsies, Russians, and Poles. This became known as the Holocaust.

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THE WAR IN THE PACIFIC

ALLY STRATEGYThe goal of the Allies in the Pacific Theatre was to invade and conquer Japan. To do

this, the Allies had to follow a strategy known as island hopping.

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STRATEGIC ISLANDS TO CAPTUREThe islands the Allies fought the Japanese for in the Pacific Theatre

included Midway, Guam, Iwo Jima and Okinawa.

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BATAAN DEATH MARCHOn March 11, 1942, General Douglas MacArthur

obeyed orders from President Roosevelt and left

the Philippine Islands to travel to Australia. He

left behind 76,000 American and Filipino

soldiers, who were running out of food and

ammunition, to fight the much stronger

Japanese army. MacArthur promised his men, “I

shall return.” Shortly after MacArthur’s

departure, the American and Filipino soldiers

surrender to the Japanese. They were then

forced to march 55 miles, during which they

were denied food and water. The prisoners of

war were bound, beaten, or killed by their

captors. Some were bayoneted when they fell

from exhaustion. Some were forced to dig their

own graves and were buried alive. Others were

forced to sit in the sun for hours during the

hottest part of the day and given no water. Only

56,000 prisoners reached camp alive.19

158th REGIMENTAL COMBAT TEAMThe 158th Regimental Combat Team, an Arizona National Guard unit of mostly Hispanic

soldiers, fought in the Pacific Theatre. Early in the war, the 158th, nicknamed the

"Bushmasters", had been deployed to protect the Panama Canal and had completed jungle

training. The unit later fought the Japanese in the New Guinea area in heavy combat and was

involved in the liberation of the Philippine Islands. General MacArthur referred to them as

"the greatest fighting combat team ever deployed for battle." 

Members of the 158th cross a swamp in Panama, 1942. 20

The Navajo Code Talkers, as they became known, were the key to America's success in World

War II. They were Navajo Marines who created a secret code that made it possible for the

United States to defeat the Japanese in World War II and end the war. Before World War II,

every code that the United States had created for warfare had been broken. Known as

experts at code deciphering, the Japanese were never able to decipher the Navajo's secret

code.

NAVAJO CODE TALKERS

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The war with Japan ended

when the U.S. dropped

two atomic bombs, one

on Hiroshima on August

6, 1945 and one on

Nagasaki on August 9,

1945.

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THE ATOMIC BOMB

Length: 10 feet Weight: 9,700 lbs

Little Boy – Uranium Bomb dropped on Hiroshima

Length: 10 ft 8 in Weight: 10,265 lbs

Fat Man – Plutonium Bomb Dropped on Nagasaki

RATIONINGA variety of shortages occurred due to the volume of supplies needed overseas. Some

things were scarce because they normally were imported from countries with whom we

were at war or because they had to be brought in by ship from foreign places. Sugar and

coffee were very scarce. They didn't make Coca-Cola during the war because sugar was so

scarce. Other things disappeared entirely such as silk stockings. New things were made of

wood instead of metal or rubber. Salvage campaigns helped save items such as: scrap

metal, rubber, cooking fat and nylon/silk stockings. From these items weapons,

ammunition, gas masks and explosives were made.

Rationing, instituted in the spring of 1942, was a system that provided everyone with the

same amount of scarce goods. The system was designed to keep prices low and to make

sure people had what they needed. Each member of the family was issued ration books,

and it was the challenge of the homemaker to pool the stamps and plan the family's meals

within the set limits. Lost ration books was a major headache because you couldn't buy the

rationed items without the stamps. Grocers and other business people would post what

your ration could buy that week. It was up to you to decide how to spend your stamps.

Ration books became a way of life for everyone at home during World War II. Books were

about the size of a postcard. Each one was filled with ration stamps. Ration stamps

themselves were very small. You had to have ration stamps to buy things at the store. It

still cost money, but you couldn't even buy it unless you had stamps. 23

When the United States entered World War II, approximately 16 million men either enlisted

or were drafted into the war. With many of the working-aged men off to war, the war

factories experienced a huge labor shortage. The government began a propaganda campaign

whose goal was to convince middle class women (many with children) to work in the war

factories. “Rosie the Riveter” was the title character for the government’s propaganda

campaign.

ROSIE THE RIVETER

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Over 127,000 United States citizens were imprisoned during World

War II. Their crime? Being of Japanese ancestry. Despite the lack

of any concrete evidence, Japanese Americans were suspected of

remaining loyal to their ancestral land. ANTI-JAPANESE

PARANOIA increased because of a large Japanese presence on the

West Coast. In the event of a Japanese invasion of the American

mainland, Japanese Americans were feared as a security risk.

Succumbing to bad advice and popular opinion, President

Roosevelt signed an executive order in February 1942 ordering

the RELOCATION of all Americans of Japanese ancestry

to CONCENTRATION CAMPS in the interior of the United States.

In 1988, Congress attempted to apologize for the action by

awarding each surviving intern $20,000. While the American

concentration camps never reached the levels of Nazi death

camps as far as atrocities are concerned, they remain a dark mark

on the nation's record of respecting civil liberties and cultural

differences.

JAPANESE INTERNMENT

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