Transcript File
WWII Erupts in Europe
A Brief Period of Prosperity
Some countries, like the U.S., were strong during the
post-WWI era
Europe after WWI
WWI caused the deaths of millions and destruction
of property
The Treaty of Versailles left many Europeans
unhappy
France thought treaty too easy on Germany
Italy felt they should have been given land since they
were on the winning side
German government (Weimar Republic) was weak
Ensuring Peace & Protecting New Nations?
The League of Nations is weak
It cannot convince countries to disarm
Why might that be the case?
It cannot help all of the new,
struggling nations that were created
It does not include the U.S., Germany,
or the newly created Soviet Union
Why would this make it weaker?
Adolf Hitler
Austrian- entered German
politics because angry over Treaty
of Versailles
Joined small political party called
National Socialists (Nazi)
Became German Chancellor in
1933
Set up totalitarian dictatorship
Secretly began to build up
German Military
The Situation in 1929
Germany relied on American money under the
Dawes Plan to be able to pay for the Reparations.
When the American Stock Market crash on Wall
Street, the USA stopped lending money to
Germany.
The German economy went into recession.
Germany 1933
By January 1933,
unemployment had reached
6,000,000.
No one would loan Germany
money. The Weimar
Government couldn’t do
anything to help the
unemployed.
Hitler was elected on a
promise to give the German
people ‘Bread & Jobs.’
Impact of Hitler’s Policies on
Unemployment
7000000
6000000
5000000
4000000
3000000
2000000
1000000
0
Series1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
1933
1934
1935
1936
1937
1938
1939
3,773,000
2,974,000
2,520,000
1,853,000
1,052,000
302,000
Series2 6,014,000
How did Hitler put Germany back to work?
RAD – The National Labour Service
Gave men jobs in public
work schemes
Men in RAD had to wear a
uniform & live in camps.
They were given free meals
and pocket money.
Built: drainage ditches,
schools, a new network of
motorways and planted new
forests.
To improve the
living conditions
of the German
people
Kick start the
Cycle of
Prosperity
What was the aim of
Hitler’s Public Works
Programme?
To build impressive
buildings so that the
German people
would feel proud
To improve the public
transport network for
industrial & military use
Autarky – National Self Sufficiency
Hitler wanted to Germany a strong independent country
that was sufficient in food and materials.
Germany had lost the WWI because it had run out of food
and war materials.
German scientist developed all sorts of artificial substitutes
such as petrol from coal and coffee from acorns.
These new substitutes were made in Germany and gave
the unemployed jobs in new industries.
Hitler also encouraged the growth of the car industry.
The Car Industry
Designed by Porsche and nicked named ‘The Peoples
Car’, known today as the ……?
The Car Industry
Recognise the design of this German Jeep called a Kubelwagen?
Created Jobs in
other industries
because of the need
for standardised
parts.
Produced low cost cars
which helped to keep
the German people
happy
Steel
Car Industry
Glass
Rubber
Car Production could easily
be switched to the
production of military
vehicles
Leather
Cycle of Prosperity
What other measures did Hitler introduce in
order to reduce unemployment?
By 1934 all Jews were fired from civil service
jobs which were then given to German workers.
Unemployed Jews were not registered.
Women lost their jobs which were given to men.
People who refused jobs offered by the labour
service were arrested and put into concentration
camps.
Benito Mussolini
In control in Italy by
1922
Founded Nationalist
Fascist Party
Established a
dictatorship that allowed
no other political parties
Had total control over
daily life of citizens
Other Totalitarian Regimes
Spain
Francisco Franco
took control after
Spanish Civil war of
1930’s
Fascist
Soviet Union
Joseph Stalin
Crushed political
opposition
Japan
Torn by political
conflict
Military leaders used
violence to gain
control of govt.
Tojo
Adolph Hitler Increases Power
Hitler takes steps to increase German power
Tries to unite Germany and Austria. Invades when Austria
refuses (Anschluss-1938)
Sends troops into the Rhineland (1939)
1.
2.
Munich Conference: September 1938
Britain, France, Italy and Germany meet
Britain and France agree to Hitler’s demands for land in exchange
for peace (Appeasement)
Allowed to annex German speaking portions of Czechoslovakia
(Sudetenland)
Hitler Invades
In 1939, Hitler will move into other countries
March- Hitler sends troops into what remained of
independent Czechoslovakia
Establishes a pact with Italy, and a non-aggression treaty
with Stalin - Stalin won’t stop Hitler, and Hitler won’t
attack Soviet Union
September 1st- Invades Poland
Uses Blitzkrieg (Lightning War)
Poland falls within a month
War Declared
September 3, 1939- Great Britain and France
declare war on Germany (Allies)
April 1940
Hitler invades Denmark and Norway
May 1940- Germans invade France
June 1940- Most of France falls to Germany
French leaders flee to Great Britain
American Neutrality
Neutrality Legislation
Isolationist ideals became stronger in 1930’s
because many European countries could not pay
debts to US.
Congress will pass the Neutrality Act of 1935
Made it illegal for Americans to sell arms to any country
at war (many believed this was what brought the US into
WWI)
After further violent escalation in Europe, Congress
passes the Neutrality Act of 1937
Added to the 1935 Act- required anyone who wanted to
purchase non-military supplies from US had to do so on
“cash and carry” basis
Destroyers for Bases Deal
Roosevelt officially proclaimed the US neutral two
days after Britain and France declared war on
Germany
1940- Britain asked US
to transfer old US
Destroyers to Britain,
who had lost nearly
half of theirs
• Roosevelt used loopholes in
American neutrality acts that
required cash for purchases.
• Exchanged the right to build
bases on British controlled islands
(Newfoundland, Bermuda, and
Caribbean) in exchange for 30 old
American destroyers
The Lend-Lease Act
Proposed by Roosevelt in December 1940
Allowed the US to lend or lease arms to any country It
considered “vital to the defense of the United States”
Allowed the US to send weapons to the British if British
promised to pay rent after the war was over.
Passed- By end of program- US had lent more than $40
Billion in weapons, vehicles and supplies to the Allied
war effort
The Atlantic Charter
August 1941
Roosevelt and Churchill met on American and British
warships anchored near Newfoundland
Agreed to Atlantic Charter
Committed both nations to a postwar world of democracy,
nonaggression, free trade, economic advancement, and freedom
of the seas
By late September, an additional 15 non-Axis nations had signed
The United States Enters World
War II
• Between August, 1939, and
December, 1941, Roosevelt’s
primary goal was to help
Britain and its allies defeat
Germany
– Knew Britain had to keep
much of its navy in Asia to
protect British territories
from Japanese attack.
– When German submarines
began sinking British ships in
the Atlantic, British had to
move warships from
Southeast Asia to the Atlantic
– This left the British Empire
vulnerable to attack by Japan
• Roosevelt introduced policies to discourage
the Japanese from attacking the British
Empire
– Japan relied on the US for many key materials (scrap
iron, steel, and oil- 80% of Japan’s oil came from U.S)
– July 1940- US Congress passes Export Control Act
which restricts sale of strategic materials
• Roosevelt immediately blocked sale or airplane fuel and scrap
iron to Japan.
– Japan immediately signs alliance with Germany and
Italy, becoming part of the Axis power
Additional Action Against Japan
• In 1941, Roosevelt also begins sending lend-lease
aid to China
– Japan had invaded China in 1937, and controlled much
of the Chinese coast
– Roosevelt hoped that the lend-lease aid would tie up
the Japanese and prevent them from attacking
elsewhere
– Failed- Japan sends troops into southern Indo-China,
and were threatening British ports
– Roosevelt froze all Japanese assets in the U.S, reduced
the amount of oil being shipped to Japan, and sent
General Douglas MacArthur to the Philippines to build
up American defenses there.
Japanese Response
• Roosevelt made it clear that he
would lift the oil embargo ONLY
if Japan left Indochina and made
peace with China
• Japanese oil resources are
running low
– Japanese military began making
plans to attack resource-rich British
and Dutch Colonies in SE Asia
– Decide to seize the Philippines
– Make plans to attack the American
fleet at Pearl Harbor
– Could not risk leaving the US navy
viable to stop their plans for
conquest
• Negotiations continue, but
neither side would back down
– November 26, 1941- 6 Japanese
aircraft carriers, two battleships,
and several other warships set sail
for Hawaii
• Nov. 27, 1941
– American intelligence
decodes a Japanese
communication that
makes clear that Japan
is planning to go to war
with the United states
– US commanders at
Pearl Harbor receive a
warning about attack
from Washington
– Hawaii not mentioned
as a target
– Washington doubted
Japan would launch
such a long-range
attack
• Japan attacks on the morning of
December 7, 1941
– Sank or damaged 21 ships of the US
Pacific Fleet which included
Roosevelt asks
Congress for a
declaration of war on
the next day
•
•
•
•
•
8 battleships
3 cruisers
4 destroyers
6 other vessels
188 airplanes
– Killed 2,403 Americans- Injured
1,178
Roosevelt’s
Request to
Congress
Play:
Roosevelt’s
Speech
(4:49)
Germany and Italy both declare war on the
United States on December 11th, 1941
Mobilizing
for War
• American industrial output was
astounding- workers were more
productive
• US converted the economy to war
production
– Was able to do so quickly because the US
economy had already started converting to war
production even before a declaration of war
– Preventative measure when Germany began to
invade
Tanks Replace Cars
• Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, even
more factory owners were willing to switch
to war production
– American car producers
began to produce trucks,
jeeps and tanks
– Automobile factories also
produced artillery, rifles,
mines, helmets, pontoon
bridges, and cooking pots.
– Automobile industry
produced nearly 1/3 of the
military equipment
manufactured during the
war
Building an Army
• Within days of Germany’s attack on
Poland, Roosevelt expanded the army
to 227,000 soldiers
• When France surrendered in June 1940,
Congress introduced the Selective Service
and Training Act
– Plan for the first peacetime draft in American
history
– Approved in September by a wide margin
Non-Traditional Soldiers
• African American
Soldiers
– Still segregated
– “Double V” Campaign
• Women
– Enlisted for first time but barred
from combat
– Mostly assigned to
administrative and clerical
positions
The
American
Home
Front
World War
II
Women and Minorities Gain Ground
• In contrast to Europe, WWII had a positive
effect on society in America
• Put an end to the Great
Depression
• Created almost 19 million new
jobs
•At the start of the war, defense
factories wanted to hire white men
• Lack of white men caused factory
owners to recruit women and
minorities to work in factories
Women in the Defense Plants
• During the
Depression,
many people
believed
married
women should
not work,
especially if it
meant taking
jobs away from
men
• Due to the
wartime labor
shortage during
WWII, married
women were
recruited to do
industrial jobs
that were
traditionally
reserved for men
“Rosie the Riveter” was the symbol of the
campaign to hire women
- 2.5 Million women will work in industry
African Americans Demand War
Work
• Factories continued to resist
hiring African Americans
• A. Philip Randolph informed
Roosevelt that he was
planning a large march on
Washington to secure jobs
• Roosevelt issued Executive
order 8802 on June 25, 1941
– Declared “There shall be no
discrimination in the
employment of workers in
defense industries or
government because of race,
creed, color or national origin
Japanese American Relocation
• Following the attack on Pearl Harbor,
many West Coast Americans turned
their anger against Japanese Americans
– Mobs attacked business and homes
– Banks would not cash their checks
– Grocers wouldn’t sell them food
Japanese American Relocation
• Newspapers printed
rumors about Japanese
spies in the American
community
• Many members of
Congress, mayors, and
business leaders
demanded that all
people of Japanese
ancestry be removed
from the West Coast
– Did not believe Japanese
Americans would remain
loyal to the US when at
war with Japan
Japanese American Relocation
• February 19, 1942
– President Roosevelt issues
Executive Order
– Ordered all people of
Japanese ancestry to
evacuate to 10 internment
camps
– Forced to sell businesses
and could only take what
they could carry
Japanese American Relocation
Daily Life
• Demand for raw
materials and supplies
created shortages
• The government began
rationing or limiting
the availability of
materials to make sure
there was enough for
the military
– Meat
– Sugar
– Gasoline
Victory Gardens
• Americans
planted gardens
to produce food
• Any food they
could grow would
be less they
needed to take
from the soldiers
Scrap Drives
• Certain raw materials
were so vital to the war
effort that the
government organizes
scrap drives
– Spare rubber, tin,
aluminum and steel
• Oils and fats were vital
to production of
explosives
– Americans would
exchange bacon grease
and meat drippings for
extra ration coupons
War Bonds
• To raise money for the war, the government raised taxes
• To raise the rest of the money, the government sold bonds which
could be cashed in in the future
• Sold at $18.85, could be redeemed after 10 years for $25
• Raised nearly $150 Billion
Propaganda
“Der Fuhrer’s Face” and “The Spirit of
’43”