WWII in a Nutshell

Part I – Was WWII Just an Extension of WWI?

What document was written right after WWI? The document determined punishment for the “belligerent” countries that started the war.

That’s right! The Treaty of Versailles

Germany is to blame!

• The Treaty of Versailles blamed Germany for WWI. It claimed that Germany was the aggressor throughout the conflict. The treaty set up harsh punishments for Germany which included:

Germany is to blame!

• Germany was disarmed, stripped of its colonies, forced to admit sole blame for the war, and saddled with whopping reparation payments to the allies.

• Parts of Germany were taken from it and added to Czechoslovakia and Poland.

Germany resented the Treaty

• Germany forfeited 13 percent of its European territory (more than 27,000 square miles) and one-tenth of its population (between 6.5 and 7 million people).

• Many Germans felt that the treaty was much to harsh. They saw other countries as being equally responsible for the war, yet they were saddled with reparations and treated like they were the “bad guys”.

The Rise of German Nationalism

• Over time anger over the Treaty of Versailles turned into rage.

• After the signing of the Treaty the German economy went into a depression and experienced rapid inflation. Unemployment was a way of life.

• Germany’s once proud military machine was reduced to a small standing army of about 50,000.

The rise of Hitler

• Adolph Hitler was born on April 20th, 1889.• His last name was almost Schickengruber,

rather than Hitler.• Growing up he always wanted to be an artist.

Sample Pencil Drawing of Hitler’s

Hitler is not good enough

• Unfortunately for history, Hitler’s drawings were not good enough to get him into art school or make him any serious money.

• So instead of becoming an artist he decided to try and…

Take over the world!

• During WWI he fought in the German infantry.

• In 1923, he tried to take over Germany in was called the Beer Hall Putsch.

• He failed and was sent to prison

Meditations in prison

• While in prison he wrote the book Mein Kampf (my struggle), which spelled out his philosophy of life and the future of Germany.

• The book largely blamed Jews for WWI and the Treaty of Versailles.

• Millions of Germans bought copies of the book. Few, however, actually read it.

Mein Kampf is still being published today

• The average customer rating on Amazon.com for it is three stars!

Life after prison for Hitler

• After Hitler got out of prison he worked to increase the size and power of the Nazi Party.

• On January 30th, 1933 German Parliament approved his becoming Prime Minister of Germany.

• Shortly afterwards, he burned down Parliament and permanently disbanded it.

German Re-occupation

• After Hitler came to power he began to rebuild Germany’s army, defying the rules set down in the Treaty of Versailles.

• He then slowly began reoccupying parts of Europe that had been taken from Germany as a result of the Treaty of Versailles.

European Reaction

• When Germany began to annex and reoccupy parts of Europe lost to the Versailles Treaty, reaction was mixed.

• France was livid and wanted immediate sanctions placed upon Germany. They were not, however, willing to go to war, unless other countries would join their effort.

France is out of money

• The primary reason that France didn’t want to go to war was because their economy was in bad shape.

• They had spent hundreds of million of dollars building the Maginot Line, which was supposed to keep them safe from German enemies.

A complete waste of money!

British Reaction to German Aggression

• Believe it or not, by the time that Hitler was in office, many British citizens believed that the Treaty of Versailles was too harsh for Germany. Some people, including the Prime Minister at the time felt Germany’s quest for reunification was understandable.

Appeasement

• Many people in Britain supported the policy of appeasement in which Great Britain allowed Germany to take back some of it’s previous possessions in return for a promise by the Hitler that they would stop once they had gained most of their previous possessions.

Neville Chamberlain—The Great Appeaser.

Which of the following leaders would you want to run your country?

1. A former opium addict that drank and smoked heavily.

2. A womanizer that died at his mistresses house.

3. A non-smoking vegetarian.

Hmm….

1. A former opium addict that drank and smoked heavily.

a. Winston Churchill

2. A womanizer that died at his mistresses house.b. Franklin Delano Roosevelt

3. A non-smoking vegetarian.c. Adolph Hitler

Part II – Leading Up to WWII

Roosevelt Recognizes the Soviet Union

• President Franklin Roosevelt formally recognized the Soviet Union in 1933.

FDR’s Good Neighbor Policy

• In 1933, at the Seventh Pan-American Conference, America formally endorsed non-intervention in Latin America. This essentially overturned TR’s Roosevelt Corollary (Big Stick Diplomacy) and brought much good will from Latin America.

European Dictators• In 1922 Benito Mussolini became

the fascist leader of Italy.• In 1933 Adolph Hitler was

appointed Chancellor of Germany• In 1936 Mussolini and Hitler allied

themselves in the Rome-Berlin Axis.

• In 1935 Mussolini attacked Ethiopia. The League of Nations could have made them withdraw with an oil embargo, but they chose not to.

Washington Naval Treaty

• The Washington Naval Treaty, also known as the Five-Power Treaty, limited the naval armaments of its five signatories: the U.S., Great Britain, Japan, France and Italy. The treaty was signed by representatives February 6th, 1922 on 6 February 1922. It was an attempt to prevent a naval arms race that began after WWI.

Problems with Japan

• In 1934 Japan terminated the Washington Naval Treaty. In 1935 it quit the Treaty of Versailles. It began to rapidly build up its military.

American Isolationism• America felt like it did not gain anything from

WWI and was hesitant to go to war again.• In 1934 Congress passed the Johnson Debt

Default Act. Any country that defaulted on its loans could not be given more U.S. aid, even if it was attacked.

• Some recommended a Constitutional Amendment not allowing the U.S. to go to war unless invaded.

• The Neutrality Acts of 1935, 1936 and 1937 proclaimed that when the president proclaimed the existence of a foreign war, restrictions would go into effect limiting trade with all foreign countries at war.

America Allows Spain to Fall to Fascism

• Fascist rebel leader Francisco Franco led a civil war against the Spanish government. He was given aid and munitions by Germany and Italy. America refused to help the fledgling Spanish government.

America Reacts Too Late

• It wasn’t until 1938, the year before WWII started, that the U.S. passed a billion-dollar naval construction bill.

Problems with Japan

• In 1937 Japan invaded China. The United States refused to initially do anything. Later Roosevelt gave his “Quarantine Speech”, which ambiguously called for an economic and military quarantine of belligerent nations. Isolationists in American screamed with indignation and Roosevelt quickly backed down.

• Japan later bombed an American gunboat off of the coast of China. After a quick apology and a promise to pay the families of the victims, the U.S. chose not to go to war.

The German Menace• In 1935 Germany introduced compulsory

military service for its citizens (openly defying the Treaty of Versailles).

• In 1936 he marched into the demilitarized German Rhineland and took it without firing a shot.

• In 1938 he did the same in his home country of Austria.

• In 1938, Hitler demanded that the German-inhabited Sudetenland of neighboring Czechoslovakia rejoin Germany.

• A conference was held by European powers in Munich in September of 1938. They agreed to “appease” Germany and allow them to take it, much to the chagrin of Czechoslovakia. Hitler claimed that it was the last part of Europe that he wanted.

Nazi-Soviet Pact

• In August of 1939 Germany and the Soviet Union signed a non-aggression pact. This enabled Germany to go to war with western Europe without having to deal with the colossus from the east.

WWII Begins• WWII officially started when

Germany invaded Poland on September 1st, 1939. The invasion took three weeks.

• What followed was seven months of quiet, in which the countries of Europe were technically at war yet no shots were being fired. This time was known as the phony war.

Poland v. Germany

All out war begins!

• In April of 1940 Germany invaded Denmark, followed by Norway.

• By May they invaded France.• Bypassing the Maginot Line in

the North, France quickly fell.• Hitler forced French leaders to

surrender in the exact same railcar that Germany surrendered in to end WWI.

Great Britain Barely Survives

• When Germany invaded France, many British soldiers were stationed in France. As the Germans advanced they attempted to evacuate, however, they did not have enough military vessels on hand to evacuate before being overrun by the Germans.

The Great Escape

• In the end the British had to rely on civilian vessels including fishing boats to cross the English channel and make it back to Britain.

U.S. Involvement Prior To Its Declaration of War

• The Neutrality Act of 1939 called for a “cash and carry” opportunity for countries at war. They were allowed to come to America in their own ships, but American munitions with payment in full and then leave.

• Overseas demand from belligerent nations helped end the Great Depression once and for all.

U.S. Involvement Prior To Its Declaration of War

• When France fell to Germany the U.S. became much more concerned. In 1940 the U.S. appropriated $37 billion to build up its military.

• This was more than the entire cost for the U.S. involvement in WWI and was five times larger than the annual New Deal budget.

U.S. Involvement Prior To Its Declaration of War

• On September 6th, 1940 the U.S. agreed to transfer to Great Britain fifty old destroyers left over from WWI.

U.S. Involvement Prior To Its Declaration of War

• In 1941 the Lend-Lease Act was passed. It allowed the U.S. military to lend and lease American military munitions to the allies to help them fight the axis powers. This was a huge shot in the arm for the allies, and by the end of the war over $50 billion American supplies had been given to the allies.

• The Lend-Lease Act led to a few limited direct military conflicts between the U.S. and Germany, but neither declared war upon the other.

Lend-Lease

• President Roosevelt said that Lend-Lease was like letting your neighbor use your hose to stop their house from burning down.

• Critics of the bill said it was more like allowing your neighbors to borrow your gum and then expecting it back…

U.S. Reaction to the War

• Most Americans were sympathetic to the French and British, however, following WWI they had become deeply isolationist.

• A poll taken in 1937 showed that 70 percent of Americans thought that the U.S. should have stayed out of WWI.

The Neutrality Acts of 1935-1937

• Laws were passed prior to the war, that attempted to make sure that America would stay neutral. The Neutrality Acts made it illegal for the U.S. government to supply money or arms to “belligerent” powers—in other words, countries at war.

The Election of 1940

• In 1940, Franklin Roosevelt was elected for an unprecedented 3rd term. See the 25th Amendment.

• Americans elected him, because they thought he might be able to keep them out of war.

America Slowly Moves Away From Isolationism

• In 1939 the U.S. created the “Cash and Carry” program.

• The law allowed Allied powers to purchase American weapons and goods as long as they paid cash and then shipped them from American ports themselves. NO Delivery!

America Slowly Moves Away From Isolationism

• Sensing the desperation of the Allied cause, in 1941 the U.S. went a step further and passed the “Lend-Lease” bill.

• The bill allowed Allied forces to lease U.S. vessels and weaponry, with the understanding that they would be returned following the war…

Meanwhile in Japan…

• Hitler’s triumphs in western Europe encouraged Japan to expand further into Asia.

• Japan envisioned an empire that included China, Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific. It invaded took over many countries from this vision.

America’s Response

• America wanted China and the rest of the countries in the western Pacific to remain open to trade. They vehemently opposed Japanese expansion.

• The U.S. stopped exporting metal and fuel to Japan. It froze all Japanese assets in the U.S. and put a complete moratorium on trade with Japan.

Japan completes the Tripartite Pact

• In response, Japan signs an alliance with Germany and Italy.

Allies - The Good (sort of)

Axis - The Bad

Mussolini, Hitler and Hideki Tojo

The Ugly

Prelude to Pearl Harbor

• The U.S. quickly got news that Japan was preparing for war. Very few took the threat seriously. Most Americans viewed the Japanese as caricatures. Weak, half-blind, and too goofy to take seriously.

Typical Racist Cartoon before the war.

Pearl Harbor

• On December 7th, 1941 the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.

• America’s forces were caught totally unprepared.

• Losses included: Dozens of Warships, 350 Aircraft and 2400 American lives.

A Day that Will Live in Infamy

• The next day, FDR asked Congress to declare war on Japan. The Senate unanimously backed the President.

• One member of the House voted no.

Jeanette Rankin

The Bataan Death March

• The Japanese quickly overran the Americans in the Philippines.

• Upon taking control of the Philippines the Japanese commenced the Bataan Death March.

• 3 days, 90 miles, little or no food, very little water.

All Out War!

• Soon after America declared war on Japan, Germany and Italy honored their pact with Japan and declared war on the U.S.

The War’s Effect on the Economy

• By late 1942 one-third of the U.S. economy was spent on war production.

• The U.S. spent $320 billion on the war (an average $250 million per day).

• Government spending on the war did what FDR’s New Deal never could—It completely ended the Great Depression.

Financing the War

• The U.S. financed the war by selling Liberty Bonds…

America was Encouraged to Make Sacrifices…

http://www.vahistory.org/WWII/image_archive/image.php?image_id=746&size=large&page=image_archive

Bonds were not the only way the government raised revenue

• The Revenue Act of 1942 raised the tax rate for the highest incomes from 60% to 94%.

• By 1945 the government was bringing in twenty times as much taxes as 1940…

Government and Economy

• National War Labor Board• Office of Price Administration• War Production Board• Dept. OF Treasury• Revenue Act of 1942

Women and the War• More than 6 million women

entered the workforce during the war.

• Women earned on 65% of what men did, doing the same work.

• “A woman is a substitute,” claimed a War Department brochure, “like plastic instead of metal”.

• Many women joined the Women’s Army Corps (WAC’s), earning respect for their work in the military.

Long Term Effect on Women

• The long term effect on women was mixed. After the war, many women returned to the home or lost their jobs to returning soldiers.

• Divorce rates nearly doubled and have never come down.

• Ultimately, the independence that women gained and felt led to the feminist movements of the 60s and 70s. Change was slow.

African Americans and the War

• Most blacks fought in segregated units. A few units were integrated.

http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/photos/WWII/maneuvers/130361.jpg

Tuskegee Airmen

Tuskegee Airmen

African-Americans and the War

• Back home, over 700,000 African-Americans migrated from the South to Northern cities to help fill the numerous manufacturing jobs that serviced the war industry.

• After seeing the Nazi’s theory of a “master race” many Americans started to reconsider how they treated African American citizens.

Great Migration

Braceros

• World War II resulted in a sudden shortage of farm labor in the US. Congress approved the Emergency Labor Program in 1942 that led to the importation of thousands of workers from Mexico.

Braceros

Zoot Suit Riot

The Zoot Suit Riot

• In June 1943 riots broke out in Los Angeles between Mexican-Americans nicknamed pachucos and servicemen.

• Many servicemen cut the hair of the pachucos, ripped off their clothes and beat them.

• In typical racist fashion of the day, the Los Angeles city council responded by making it a misdemeanor to wear a zoot suit.

Japanese Internment

• Fearing that Japanese Americans would attempt to sabotage key military installations on the west coast. The government decided to force Japanese relocated to internment centers.

Executive Order 9066

The Supreme Court

• The Supreme Court upheld Japanese internment in it’s 1944 case Korematsu v. U.S.

We have changed

• In 1988 Congress agreed to give $20,000 compensation to all living Japanese Americans that were interned during WWII.

Back to the fighting…

• Hitler’s mistakes:1) After occupying France, German forces paused

before they tried to take over Britain. Their goal was to soften Britain up through aerial attacks and eventually lead an amphibious invasion. By the time Germany attacked, Britain had regrouped and was able to defend itself through the air. The invention of the radar helped significantly.

Operation Barbossa (Hitler’s Big Mistake)

• In 1941, Germany invaded the Soviet Union.

• Shortly after this, Roosevelt and the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, met off of the coast of Newfoundland and drafted the Atlantic Charter.

• It outlined the aspirations of democracies at the end of the war.

• It called for self-determination by all nations.

• It called for a new and improved League of Nations (which eventually became the U.N.) at the end of the war.

Mistake #2• Hitler decided to break his truce with the Soviet

Union. He invaded the Soviet Union in what was called Operation Barbossa.

• After quick gains, German soldier got bogged down fighting in Stalingrad and Leningrad.

• 20 million Soviets lost their lives during the war.• Fighting on both the eastern and western fronts

stretch out Hitler’s military too much.

Operation Overlord

• Otherwise known as D-Day.• June 6th 1944• Americans stormed the beaches of Normandy,

France and quickly overran German resistance.

• Shortly after Allied forces liberated most of France and began moving east.

Hitler’s Last Stand

• In mid-December, Hitler attacked Allied forces in the forest Ardennes in Belgium and Luxembourg. The Battle, known as the Battle of the Bulge cost 70,000 American lives.

• That was the last major battle for the Germans.

The Yalta Conference

• In February 1945 President Roosevelt, Stalin and Churchill met in the Soviet city of Yalta to discuss postwar arrangements.

• Stalin agreed to declare on war on Japan in return for major concessions from the Americans and British

The Yalta Conference

The Death of Hitler?

• On April 30th, with the siege of Berlin by the Soviets less than 24 hours away, Hitler committed suicide.

The Death of Hitler?

• He first had his mistress Eva Braun drink poison.

The Death of Hitler?

• Next he shot his dog.

The Death of Hitler?

• Finally he took cyanide then he shot himself

The Death of Hitler?

• Hitler, his mistress and his dog’s body were all taken outside and burned to a crisp.

• Conclusive DNA proof of his death never existed. No photographs of his body were taken.

VE Day

• On May 8th, 1945 Germany surrendered unconditionally.

Mussolini’s Death

• Earlier that year Mussolini and his wife were killed by angry Italian citizens.

• His last word were, “please don’t shoot me in the face”.

• His body was strung up in the town square for most of the day.

With Hitler out of the picture America’s attention turned to Japan

• During the war, an atomic bomb was developed in what was known as the Manhattan Project.

• Ironically many of the people that worked on the project were Jewish refugees.

FDR Dies

• On April 12th, 1945 FDR died of a cerebral hemorrhage.

• Harry Truman took over.• He was totally out of the loop and had no clue

about the Manhattan Project.

Hiroshima and Nagasaki

• On August 6th, 1945 an American bomber the Enola Gay dropped a uranium bomb on Hiroshima. Over 70,000 Japanese civilians died almost instantly.

• On August 9th a bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, killing 35,000 civilians.

The Japanese Surrender

• On August 14th Japan accepted America’s terms of surrender.

Photo Essay

• Take out a piece of paper• Look at each image from World War II• Examine the image carefully and record what

you believe is happening• Look for subtle hints and use your knowledge

of events

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

#7

#1

British citizens try to douse fires during the Battle of Britain, 1941

#2

German soldiers executing four Jews in Lithuania, USSR, 1941

#3

Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii: Dec. 7, 1941

#4

American Air Force gunner firing a machine gun at German fighter planes in 1942

#5

Jews captured by German soldiers during a raid on the Warsaw ghetto in Poland, 1943. They are on their way to Treblinka.

#6

Medics tending to an injured American soldier at Normandy, France: D-Day, Jun. 6, 1944

#7

An American bomb, assembled in New Mexico with uranium enriched in Washington state, is dropped on Nagasaki, Japan: August, 1945

Nagasaki After the A-Bomb

Before and After

Oregon During World War II

• As the world was marching towards war, there was unrest in parts of Southern Oregon and Northern California.

• Many of these rural citizens felt as though they were being ignored by their representatives in Salem and Sacramento

• They conspired to secede and form a new state…

State of Jefferson

State of Jefferson

Secessionists attempted to form what would have been the 49th state with its proposed capital at Yreka, California

The two X’s on the state flag stood for those who had been “double crossed” by the governments of Oregon and California

State of Jefferson

They Failed!

What If?

• Jefferson State as originally proposed would be the smallest state in terms of population• Would likely lead to three more Republican votes in Congress• Crater Lake, Oregon’s only National Park, would actually be a

part of Jefferson

State of Jefferson

• Many local business in the region carry the “Jefferson” name• The State of Jefferson scenic byway that runs along the Klamath

River• Ashland’s NPR affiliate that broadcasts out of Southern Oregon

University is known as Jefferson Public Radio

Fort Stevens Shelled!!!

• Japanese ships fired on Fort Stevens• American troops were not allowed to fire back• The American commander did not want to compromise their

positions and wished to avoid being drawn into a battle on the American mainland

Japan Attacks!!!...Bly, OR?6 civilians were killed by an exploding Japanese “fire balloon”

Bly, Oregon

They were the only known civilian casualties directly caused by the Japanese on the American mainland

Quiz Time

Take out a sheet of paper and number it1-10.

Question #1

1. What country did Germany invade to begin WWII?

Answer…

• Poland

Question #2

• Who was the Great Appeaser?

Answer….

• Neville Chamberlain

Question #3

• What did France do to try to defend itself from attack prior to the start of WWII?

Answer…

• Built the Maginot Line

Question #4

• Who was the leader of Italy for most of WWII?

Answer….

• Benito Mussolini

Question #5 & 6

• What were the two military aid programs that were designed to help the Allies during the War?

Answers…(one point for each)

The Cash and Carry Program

And

The Lend Lease Program

Question #7

• Who was the U.S. President during WWII?

Answer

• Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Question #8

• What was Hitler’s biggest mistake during WWII?

Answer…

• Invading Russia (Operation Barbossa)

Question #9

• What U.S. military base was attacked by Japan that led to America’s entry into WWII?

Answer…

• Pearl Harbor

Question #10

• What two Japanese cities did America drop nuclear bombs on at the end of WWII?

Answer…

• Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Scoring

1-5: Spend some quality time with your notes and textbook

6-8: You’re on the right track but don’t get overconfident

9-10: Nicely done, you’re clearly ready to rock

11+: You cheated