Transcript Mur_Con26
Chapter 26 American During the Second World War Web The Road to War: Aggression and Response Rise of aggressor states – Japanese expansion in Asia – Nazi Germany – Fascist Italy Isolationist sentiment and American neutrality – Nye Committee questioned motives for U.S. entry into World War 1 – Neutrality Acts (1935-37) to prevent another such scenario – Refusal to take sides in Spanish Civil War, 1936 Growing interventionist sentiment – Domestic debates about international affairs – FDR quarantine speech, October 1937 Ominous International Developments Creation of Axis Alliance, November 1936 – Germany, Italy, Japan all withdrew from League of Nations Japanese invasion of China, summer of 1937 – Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere Nazi land seizures – Austria – Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia Steps toward war – Failure of appeasement Munich Conference, September 1938 – Nazi-Soviet Pact, August 1939 ©2004 Wadsworth, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Thomson Learning ™ is a trademark used herein under license. German Expansion at Its Height Outbreak of actual war in Europe German invasion of Poland, September 1, 1939 – Brought Germany into war with Britain – Springboard for seizure of almost all of Europe by mid-1940 America’s response to war in Europe – FDR push for “all measures short of war” to aid the Allies – “Destroyers-for-bases” deal, September 1940 – Limits to how far the administration could go America First Committee called for isolation Anti-Semitism prevented aid to European Jews – Defeat of Wagner-Rogers Bill, 1939 – Some strong voices in support of aid to Allies Military Training Camps Association Committee to Defend America by Aiding the Allies – Presidential campaign in 1940 restrained in its rhetoric Becoming the Arsenal of Democracy Administration stepped up aid after FDR’s re-election Lend-Lease, March 1941 Atlantic Charter, August 19421 Undeclared naval war in the North Atlantic FDR convinced by autumn of 1941 that U.S. entry into war was inevitable Attack at Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941 Route to U.S. entry came in Pacific, not Europe Administration efforts to halt Japanese expansion in Asia had failed Applied economic sanctions in mid-1941 Attack destroyed nearly entire U.S. Pacific fleet – Designed to cripple U.S. power and thereby avoid a long war – Act of desperation Led to charges that administration had left Pacific fleet vulnerable – Evidence suggests confusion, but no true deviousness Congress declared war on Japan, December 8, 1941 Fighting the War in Europe Military strategy contentious issue for Allies – Agreed on Europe-first strategy – Otherwise disagreed on how to accomplish goals Soviet calls for second front British opposition repeatedly delayed such an operation Campaigns in North Africa and Italy – Favored by British officials, and Americans went along – Casablanca Conference, 1943 Delayed second front Unconditional surrender Fighting the War in Europe (cont.) Operation OVERLORD, June 1944 – Opened second front in Europe – Came after Soviets turned tide of war in East at Stalingrad – D-Day landing turned tide of war in West War in Europe ended in May 1945 – Soviet forces from East met with Anglo-American forces from West – Soviets militarily controlled Eastern Europe – British and Americans in control of Italy and Mediterranean ©2004 Wadsworth, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Thomson Learning™ is a trademark used herein under license. Allied Advances and Collapse of German Power The Pacific Theater Seizing the initiative in the Pacific – Battle of Coral Sea (May 1942) first Japanese naval defeat – By 1943, Pacific and European Theaters receiving roughly equal resources – War reinforced racial prejudices on both sides Pacific strategy – Decisions often product of compromise – Firebombing of civilian targets began in 1944 – Coupled with stories of Japanese atrocities A New President, The Atomic Bomb, and Japanese Surrender Harry S. Truman assumed presidency upon FDR’s death in April 1945 – Knew little of FDR’s intentions in foreign affairs Manhattan project – First atomic weapon test July 1945 – Administration assumed weapon would be used against Japan Atomic bombs used in Japan – Hiroshima, August 6, 1945 – Nagasaki August 9, 1945 VJ Day August 15, 1945 Pacific Theater Offensive Strategy and Final Assault against Japan ©2004 Wadsworth, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Thomson Learning™ is a trademark used herein under license. The War at Home: The Economy Government’s role in the economy – War Production Board – War Labor Board – War Manpower Commission – Office of Price Administration Business and Finance – Massive war-fueled increase in government spending – War production meant decline in availability of consumer goods – New Deal job-creation programs and other initiatives abolished in 1943 – War concentrated in the power in the largest corporation The War at Home: Workers and Unions Entry of new workers into workforce – As men went away to war, women and minorities found jobs in new industries – War also provided numerous volunteer activities Fair Employment Practices Commission (1941) – To protect minorities in workplace War brought long hours and high wages Farmers enjoyed prosperity for first time in decades War strengthened organized labor – Weak commitment to female and minority workers – Wartime no-strike pledged muted but did not destroy labor militancy The War at Home: Social Issues Wartime propaganda – Focused on protecting the “American way of Life” – Frank Capra’s Why We Fight series – Advertisers sold benefits of American freedom’ – Office of War Information (1942) Wartime gender equality – Spurred by women’s entry into workforce – Disagreement over proposed Equal Rights Amendment – War widened gap between “femininity” and “masculinity” The War at Home: Racial Issues Racial equality – Growing popularity of belief that racial differences were culturally created – Helped to fuel postwar struggle against racial discrimination – Northward migration of African Americans accelerated demands for equality Racial tensions – Racial disturbances in cities throughout the country African Americans, Indians, and Latinos all involved – Growing commitment to addressing racial grievances – Congress on Racial Equality (CORE) – Worst wartime treatment meted out to Japanese Americans Executive Order 9066 authorized internment Shaping the Peace: International Organization United Nations, 1945 – General Assembly with equal membership – Security Council to maintain peace International Monetary Fund, 1944 – Maintain stable system of international exchange International Bank of Reconstruction and Development, 1944 – Provide loans to war-torn countries – Promote resumption of world trade General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, 1947 – International structure for implementing free and fair trade Shaping the Peace: Spheres of Interest and Postwar Settlements Allies all agreed that powerful nations would have spheres of influence Eastern Europe – FDR sympathized with Soviet security concerns – But was worried about Eastern European voters in United States Germany – Initially, U.S.supported its deindustrialization and dismemberment – Then supported division into zones controlled by Allies – Finally led drive to unify three non-Communist zones in west Shaping the Peace: Spheres of Interest and Postwar Settlements Poland (cont.) – Yalta agreements called for free and open elections – But Stalin believed his allies assented to the de facto Soviet control – Became highly contentious issue in Soviet-American relations Asia – At Yalta, Soviets pledged to enter war against Japan once war in Europe had ended – U.S. didn’t want such entry once the atomic bomb became available European colonies in Southeast Asia seized by Japan Shaping the Peace: Spheres of Interest and Postwar Settlements – U.S. opposed immediate independence as halt to spread of leftist political movements Philippines – U.S. Granted independence in 1946 Latin America – Office of Inter-American Affairs (1937) fostered good relations during war Web Palestine – European Jews flocked to Palestine after War – Created new state of Israel in 1948