Transcript Historical Background

We Were Heroes:
The Journal of Scott Pendleton Collins,
a World War II Soldier, Normandy,
France, 1944
(My Name Is America)
By Walter Dean Myers
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Harry S. Truman
George S. Patton, Jr.
Franklin D. Roosevelt
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Name: Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882-1945)
Birth: Hyde Park, New York
Nickname: FDR
Family Relations: Related to Theodore Roosevelt - fifth cousin
Illness: Roosevelt became disabled after suffering from Polio in 1921
Career:
o Governor of New York from 1929 to 1932
o Thirty-second president of the United States
Spouse: Eleanor Roosevelt (a distant cousin)
Children: 6
Achievements & Recognition: Roosevelt became president during the Great Depression
o Roosevelt was the only president elected four times: 1932, 1936, 1940, and 1944
 US Challenges:
 One out of every four workers had lost their jobs
 Many families had no money to buy food
 Others lost their homes because they could not make their house payments
 Contributions:
 Created the New Deal to help the people new jobs and/or money from government
 World War II (1939-1945)
o 1941, Japanese planes attacked U.S. Navy ships at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.
o The United States then went to war against Japan and entered World War II.
o Roosevelt was a strong leader throughout the war
o He died shortly before the war ended in 1945
Harry S. Truman
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Name: Harry S. Truman (1884-1972)
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Birth Place: Lamar, Missouri
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Post-secondary Training: Business school in Kansas City
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Career:
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1st: Family farm in Grandview, Missouri, with his father from 1906 to 1917
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2nd: During World War I (1914-1918), Truman fought as a soldier in France
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Thirty-third president of the United States (1945 – 1953)
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3rd: Bought a clothing store in 1919, but business failed due to hard times
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4th: Government work
 He won his first election in 1922 as a judge in Jackson County, Missouri
 In 1934, Truman was elected to the United States Senate, and he was reelected in 1940
 On January 20, 1945, Truman became vice president
 83 days later, on April 12, 1945, President Roosevelt died, and Truman became president
 During this time, World War II (1939-1945) was still being fought
 Truman was president for only a few weeks when the Allies—the United States and the other
countries that fought against Germany, Italy, and Japan—won victory in Europe
 Truman then made the huge decision to use the atomic bomb against Japan to end World War II in
Asia
 In 1948, Truman was elected president
 During his second term, Truman ordered U.S. soldiers to help fight for the independence of South
Korea
 He retired after his second term
Dwight D. Eisenhower
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Name: Dwight David Eisenhower (1890-1969)
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Birth: Born on October 14, 1890, in Denison, Texas
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Nickname: His friends called him “Ike” (Eisenhower, 2013)
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Post-secondary Training: U.S. Military Academy at West Point
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Career: He became an officer in the Army
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Spouse: Mamie Geneva Doud
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Children: two sons
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Achievements & Recognition:
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Promoted to Army general in 1941, just before the United States entered World War II (19391945).
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He became the leader of the armed forces in Europe. He planned the invasion of Europe that led
to the end of the war
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Accomplishments as 34th President of the United States (1953-1961)
 Eisenhower believed that the United States should help the South Korean due to war
between North & South Korea.
 Contributed to equal rights
 Promoted “space age” programs in 1957 after Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1
 Improved the teaching of science in U.S. schools
George S. Patton, Jr.
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Name: George Smith Patton, Jr., (1885-1945)
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Birth: Born on Nov. 11, 1885, in San Gabriel, California
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Post-secondary Training: Graduated from the
U.S. Military Academy in 1909
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Awards: placed fifth in the 1912 Olympic pentathlon
(track and field event)
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Nickname: "Old Blood and Guts" (Patton, 2013)
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Career: American General of World War II (1939-1945)
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Led the Allied invasion of North Africa in 1942
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He took command of the Seventh Army for the invasion of Sicily in July 1943
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In 1944, Patton led the Third Army across France and fought in the Battle of the Bulge in
Belgium that December
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When the Germans surrendered in 1945, Patton's army held a large part of what became the
American occupation (possession after invasion) zone
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Death: On Dec. 21, 1945, Patton died of injuries from a car accident
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He was buried in Luxembourg.
Adolf Hitler
Charles de Gaulle
Heinrich Himmler
Joseph Stalin
Hideki Tojo
Winston Churchill
Benito Mussolini
Adolf Hitler
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Name: Adolf Hitler (1889-1945
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Birth: born in Braunau, Austria
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Location: He moved to Germany in 1913
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Career: Ruler of Germany from 1933 to 1945
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Led a group called the Nazis
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World War II (1939-1945) began when he sent soldiers to attack
Poland in 1939
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Hitler's forces murdered more than 6 million Jews as well as an
estimated 5 million other innocent men, women, and children
 Jews are people who follow a religion called Judaism.
o
Troops led by the United States, the United Kingdom, and the
former Soviet Union fought Hitler's armies and won World War
II in 1945
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Death: Hitler killed himself when he knew he would lose the war
Charles de Gaulle
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Name: De Gaulle <<duh GOHL or duh GAWL>>, Charles André
Joseph Marie (1890-1970)
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Birth: born on Nov. 22, 1890, in Lille
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Career: French patriot, soldier, and statesman of the 1900's
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(1939-1945) - led French resistance against
Germany in World War II
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Restored order in France after the war
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1958 - Guided the formation of France's Fifth Republic
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Served as its president until 1969
 Led his country through a difficult period
 France granted independence to Algeria
and other overseas territories
 His leadership restored political and economic stability
and again made France one of Europe's leading powers
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Death: He died on Nov. 9, 1970
Joseph Stalin
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Name: Joseph Stalin (1879-1953)
o His real name was Iosif Vissarionovich Djugashvili
o In 1913, he adopted the name Stalin from a Russian word that means man of steel
Birth: Dec. 21, 1879, in Gori, a town near Tbilisi in Georgia (Russian Empire)
Career: Dictator of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics from 1929 until 1953
o In the late 1800’s, Stalin joined a Marxist revolutionary group
 Marxists believed that the working classes should take control
of industry and government
o 1917 - Marxists overthrew Russia’s czar (emperor) and set up the world's first Communist government
 Stalin played a minor part in the revolution
 After the Communists won a civil war, Stalin became an important leader
o 1922 - Russia became a part of the Soviet Union
o 1924 - V.I. Lenin, the head of the Soviet government, died, and Stalin began to take control
o 1929 - he had become a dictator
 Stalin began programs to end private ownership of businesses and to begin government control of
farms
 Stalin had millions of Russians killed or exiled (sent far away) because they opposed his plans or
threatened his power
 Stalin’s style of government became known as Stalinism
o In the late 1930’s, Stalin and the German leader Adolf Hitler made a secret plan to divide Poland between
the two countries
 but…Germany attacked the Soviet Union in 1941
 For most of World War II (1939-1945), the Soviet Union fought against Germany
 After the war ended, the Soviet army remained in many countries in Eastern Europe, and Stalin
set up Communist governments there
 Death: Stalin died on March 5, 1953
Sir Winston L. S. Churchill
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Name: Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (1874-1965)
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Birth: November 30, 1874, in Oxfordshire, England
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Post-secondary Training: Graduated from military school
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Career: He became an officer in the British cavalry (fought on
horseback)
Achievements & Recognition:
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Elected to the House of Commons in the British Parliament in 1900
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During World War I (1914-1918), he served in several important
military and government positions
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Prime Minister (political leader) of Great Britain during World War II
(1939-1945
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1951, however, Churchill became prime minister for the second time
in 1951
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He won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1953
 an important award for his works of history and biography
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Churchill stepped down as prime minister in 1955, but he kept his
seat in the House of Commons
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In 1964, at the age of 89, Churchill retired from Parliament
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Death: He died in 1965
Heinrich Himmler
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Name: Heinrich Himmler (1900-1945)
Birth: Born on Oct. 7, 1900, in Munich, Germany
Career: Powerful leader of Nazi Germany
 The Nazis, who belonged to the National Socialist German
Workers' Party, controlled Germany’s government from
1933 to 1945
o Chief of police for all Germany in 1936
 Himmler was head of the German police, including the
Gestapo, the Nazi secret police force
o He became minister of the interior in 1943 and minister of home
defense in 1944
 He ordered the deaths of millions of people before and
during World War II (1939-1945)
 Those killed included some high-level Nazis and
many prisoners in concentration camps
o A concentration camp is a place where people
are imprisoned, and in some cases killed,
without legal proceedings
o The Nazi concentration camps held political
prisoners, Jews, and others.
o Death: Himmler killed himself on May 23,
1945, after Allied troops captured him
Hideki Tojo
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Name: Tojo, Hideki <<hee deh kee toh joh>> (1884-1948)
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Birth: Born on Dec. 30, 1884, in Tokyo
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Career: Japanese General and Prime Minister
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He led his country into war with the United States
in World War II (1939-1945
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In 1940, Tojo helped create a treaty with Germany
and Italy that made Japan a member of the alliance called the Axis
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In October 1941, Tojo became prime minister of Japan
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He ordered the bombing of the U.S. fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on Dec. 7,
1941
 Tojo was forced to resign as prime minister in 1944
 After Japan’s surrender, he was arrested and found guilty of war crimes
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Death: Tojo was executed on Dec. 23, 1948.
Benito Mussolini
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Name: Benito Mussolini (1883-1945)
Birth: July 29, 1883, in Dovia, near Forli, in northeastern Italy
Career:
Dictator of Italy
Founder of the Fasci di Combattimento (Combat Groups)
Transformed the Fasci into the National Fascist Party 1921
 The Fascist Party promised to restore the high standing
that Italy had held during the days of the Roman Empire
 The party gained the support of many landowners and
business and military leaders
 By 1922, the Fascists had become powerful enough to
force the king of Italy to make Mussolini prime minister
 Mussolini abolished all political parties in Italy except the Fascist
Party and seized control of industries, newspapers, police, and
schools
 He took the title Il Duce (The Leader)
 In 1940, under Mussolini's leadership, Italy entered World War II
on the side of Nazi Germany
 In 1943, members of the Italian government overthrew Mussolini
 On April 27, 1945, Italians opposed to fascism captured him as he
attempted to escape to Switzerland
Death: He was shot to death on April 28, 1945
JAPANESE AIR RAIDS ATTACKED THE U.S. NAVAL
BASE AT PEARL HARBOR ON THE ISLAND OF
OAHU IN HAWAII ON THE MORNING OF
DECEMBER. 7, 1941
THE JAPANESE ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR
CAUSED GREAT DAMAGE AND LOSS OF LIFE, BUT
THE DRY DOCKS AND OIL STORAGE FACILITIES
REMAINED LARGELY INTACT, ALLOWING THE U.S.
NAVY TO QUICKLY RECOVER.
HUNDREDS OF AIRCRAFT AND A NUMBER OF
WARSHIPS WERE DESTROYED IN THE 1942
BATTLE OF MIDWAY (ZAPOTOCZNY, J. S. MIDWAY,
2013).
“THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS YORKTOWN IS HIT BY A
JAPANESE AERIAL TORPEDO DURING AN ATTACK BY
PLANES FROM THE JAPANESE CARRIER HIRYU ON JUNE 4,
1942, DURING THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY. BLACK CLOUDS
OF ANTIAIRCRAFT FIRE CLOG THE SURROUNDING SKY.
YORKTOWN WAS ABANDONED, SINKING EARLY ON JUNE
7 AFTER BEING TORPEDOED BY A JAPANESE SUBMARINE”
(LUKER, 2013).
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D-Day: the invasion of Normandy, France by allied forces was June 6, 1944.
o At the time of the invasion, Nazi Germany controlled France and most of western Europe
Code Name: Operation Overlord
What happened?
o Early on the morning of June 6, an estimated 23,000 American and British troops dropped by parachute and
glider into Normandy
o More than 130,000 Allied troops crossed the English Channel in boats from bases in southern England
o Allied warplanes perforated the invasion area with bombs and gunfire, while warships bombarded the Normandy
beach.
o United States soldiers landed at beaches code-named Omaha and Utah
o British soldiers landed at Gold and Sword beaches, and Canadian troops landed at Juno Beach.
Resistance:
o About 70,000 German soldiers put up fierce resistance.
o The invading Allies met heavy machine gun and rifle fire, artillery fire, land mines, tanks, barbed wire, and
fortified bunkers.
Accomplishments:
o By the end of the day, the Allies had secured all five beaches, and Allied soldiers and supplies were pouring
ashore.
Losses:
o In the April and May operations that paved the way for D-Day, the Allies suffered nearly 12,000 casualties and
lost more than 2,000 aircraft.
o On D-Day itself, more than 10,000 Allied soldiers, sailors, and aviators were killed, were wounded, or went
missing. German losses were slightly less.
o
Zapotoczny, J. S. (2013). D-day. In World Book Student. Retrieved from http://www.worldbookonline.com/student/article?id=ar146180
“HITTING THE BEACH, ALLIED INFANTRYMEN SWARMED
ASHORE ALONG THE NORMANDY COAST OF NORTHERN
FRANCE ON D-DAY—JUNE 6, 1944. IT WAS THE LARGEST
SEABORNE INVASION IN HISTORY. HITLER HAD BOASTED
THAT GERMAN DEFENSES ALONG THE COAST COULD
RESIST ANY ATTACK. BUT HE WAS WRONG.”
(ZAPOTOCZNY, D DAY, 2013).
THE GERMAN ATTACK THAT BEGAN THE 1944
BATTLE OF THE BULGE CAUGHT THE ALLIES BY
SURPRISE. THE GERMANS RAPIDLY ADVANCED,
FORMING THE DISTINCTIVE BULGE ON THE MAP.
ALLIED FORCES SOON RECOVERED, HOWEVER,
AND DROVE THE GERMANS BACK BEYOND
WHERE THEY STARTED (ZAPOTOCZNY, J. S. BULGE,
2013).
“THE ALLIES ATTACKED THE AXIS IN EUROPE AFTER
DEFEATING IT IN NORTHERN AFRICA IN MAY 1943. ITALY
SURRENDERED IN SEPTEMBER 1943, TWO MONTHS AFTER
THE INVASION OF SICILY. IN JUNE 1944, THE ALLIES
LANDED IN NORTHERN FRANCE. ATTACKS FROM THE
EAST AND WEST FORCED GERMANY TO SURRENDER IN
MAY 1945” (ZAPOTOCZNY, J. S. BULGE, 2013).
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