Transcript The U.S. in World War II

Do Now
• How did the U.S. prepare for WWII on the
homefront? Give at least 2 examples.
World War II
• 1940—FDR elected to a 3rd
term
• Broke tradition with
Washington’s precedent
• Only President to serve
more than 2 terms
• 1951—22nd Amendment—
limits Presidents to 2 terms
World War II
• The war was fought
on multiple fronts
• The Pacific Theater
• U.S. used the policy
of “island hopping”
to defeat Japan
World War II
• European Theater
• 1942-43
• The U.S. invades North
Africa, then Italy to
push back the Nazis
World War II
• The Soviet Union
was fighting the
Nazis in Eastern
Europe
• They wanted the
U.S. and Britain to
open up a front in
Western Europe
World War II
• The Allied invasion
of Western Europe
began on June 6,
1944--“D-Day”
• 160,000 troops
attacked
• Germans being
attacked on 3
fronts: Italy, Russia,
France
• This was the major turning point
of the war
World War II
• Less than one year
after D-Day, the
Allies (US, GB, Soviet
Union) had defeated
Hitler
• Hitler committed
suicide, and
Germany
surrendered
• W. Germany
occupied by the
Allies until 1952
• Tension between U.S. and Soviet
Union led to the Cold War (19451990)
The Holocaust
• Hitler’s “Final
Solution” was to
exterminate the
Jews of Europe
• 6 million killed
• German officials were put on trial
at Nuremberg in 1946, charged
with crimes against humanity for
the holocaust
End of the War
• April 1945—FDR
dies
• VP Harry Truman
becomes President
• U.S. must decide
how to defeat Japan
• Invade Japan??
• Use atomic
bomb???
• Truman gives Japan a warning that
the most destructive weapon ever
will be used
• Aug 6, 1945Hiroshima
• Aug 9, 1945Nagasaki
• Japan surrenders after 2nd bomb
Impact of WWII
• Fascism is defeated, but
new challenges arise
• Creation of the United
Nations
• Cold War between US
and Soviet Union
• Creation of Israel
• Occupation of W.
Germany and Japan
– Create democracy in
these countries
Closing
• 1. Do you agree with
the idea that Presidents
should be limited to
two terms? Explain your
view on this.
• 2. Considering the
options available,
should Harry Truman
authorized the use of
the atomic bomb on
Hiroshima and
Nagasaki?