Transcript chapter26
Chapter 26 America During the Second World War 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 I Neutrality Acts (1935–1937) 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 Road to War (cont) 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 Road to War (cont) German invasion of Poland, September 1, 1939 Brought Germany into war with Britain Springboard for seizure of most of Europe by mid-1940 America’s response to war in Europe FDR pushed for “all measures short of war” “Destroyers-for-bases” deal, September 1940 Limits on 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 Road to War (cont) 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 Administration stepped up aid after FDR’s re-election Lend-Lease, March 1941 Atlantic Charter, August 1942 Undeclared naval war in the North Atlantic FDR convinced by autumn of 1941 that U.S. entry into war was inevitable Road to War (cont) 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. 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 Dwight D. Eisenhower (Ike) 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 China policy Mao Zedong Pacific strategy Navajo Signal Corp 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 1943 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. 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 power in the largest corporations War at Home: The Economy (cont) 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 pledge muted but did not destroy labor militancy 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” War at Home: Social Issues (cont) 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 Demands for a “Double V” campaign 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 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 (cont) Allies all agreed that powerful nations would have spheres of influence Eastern Europe FDR sympathized with Soviet security concerns Worried about Eastern European voters in United States Germany Initially, U.S. supported its de-industrialization and dismemberment Then supported division into zones controlled by Allies Finally led drive to unify three non-Communist zones in West Shaping the Peace (cont) Poland Yalta agreements called for free and open elections 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 Shaping the Peace (cont) European colonies in Southeast Asia seized by Japan 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 Palestine European Jews flocked to Palestine after War Created new state of Israel in 1948 Zionism Web Discussion Questions What caused the Japanese to attack Pearl Harbor? Consider both U.S. and Japanese actions. What were the major events in Europe between 1933–1939 that led to the war? How did FDR muster U.S. economic and production forces in support of the war? How did the war change the role of women and minorities in the United States?