HIST 1302 Part Three
27: America and the World
Prelude to War
1933-1939
In 1922, Fascist leader Benito Mussolini, became the ruler of Italy.
What is Fascism?
Fascism is a governmental system led by
a dictator (“Il Duce”) having complete
power, forcibly suppressing opposition
and criticism, regimenting all industry,
commerce, etc., and emphasizing
aggressive nationalism and often racism.
“Il Duce”
Mussolini envisioned a restoration of the ancient Roman Empire
and himself as a modern Caesar.
3 min. 48 sec.
In 1933, Nazi leader Adolf Hitler became the ruler of Germany.
What is Nazism?
Nazism is the body of political and economic
doctrines held and put into effect by
the Nazis in Germany from 1933 to 1945,
including the totalitarian principle of
government, predominance of especially
Germanic groups assumed to be racially
superior, and supremacy of the Führer.
“Der Führer”
Under Hitler’s rule, laws were passed that stripped German Jews
of their citizenship and made it difficult for them to earn a living.
Nazi persecution of German Jews
peaked on November 9-10, 1938--
“Kristallnacht” (the Night of Broken
Glass), following the shooting of a
German official in Paris by a Polish Jew.
Many Jews had already fled
the country. After 1938,
many more tried to leave.
Contrary to popular belief, Hitler was not an
atheist. Born a Roman Catholic, he saw Nazi
persecution of Jews as “the work of the Lord.”
During WWII, German soldiers went to war
wearing belt buckles that read “Gott mit uns”
(“God is with us.”)
“Today I believe that I am
acting in accordance with the
will of the Almighty Creator: by
defending myself against the
Jew, I am fighting for the work
of the Lord.”
--Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf
Like Mussolini, Hitler envisioned an empire, a
“Grossdeutschland” or Greater German “Reich.”
5 min. 37 sec.
Together, the two dictators were seen as a threat to world peace.
The Neutrality Acts Enacted to prevent American involvement in any future overseas wars.
• 1935 – Prohibited the sale of arms to belligerent nations &
warned against sailing on the ships of nations at war
• 1936 - Banned loans to belligerent nations
In 1935-1936, Italy invaded and
conquered Ethiopia. This was part
of Mussolini’s plan for a new
“Roman Empire.”
1 min. 24 sec.
During the 1936 Spanish Civil War,
both Germany and Italy helped the
right-wing Generalissimo Francisco
Franco seize power.
9 min. 29 sec.
In 1938 Nazi Germany used military force to
annex Austria and Czechoslovakia.
1 min. 48 sec.
In 1939 Germany and the Soviet Union signed a Non-
Aggression Pact, dividing Poland between them.
World War II Begins
World War II began when Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939.
In response, Britain and France declared war on Germany.
2 min. 29sec.
November 1939: FDR convinces
Congress to allow Britain and France
“Cash and Carry” war materials.
In early 1940 Germany conquered Norway,
Denmark, the Low Countries, & France.
In June, Paris fell to the Germans.
When France fell, thousands of British
troops had to be evacuated from Dunkirk.
2 min. 29sec.
Hitler’s “Final Solution”
At first, the Germans put Jews in urban
“ghettoes.” Warsaw, Poland had the largest.
Later, Hitler’s “Final Solution” led to the
“The Holocaust”--6 million Jews & 3
million other people systematically
murdered.
4 min. 35 sec.
Britain Stands Alone
1940-1941
British Spitfire Fighter Plane
German Bombers
2 min. 27 sec.
From 1940 to 1941 the British people fought the Battle
of Britain and endured the Blitz.
2 min. 36 sec.
In the “Battle of the Atlantic” German U-
Boats sank supply ships bound for Great
Britain.
“We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight
on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the
fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the
hills; we shall never surrender!” -- Prime Minister Winston Churchill
Britain remained defiant but it
needed America’s help.
3 min. 31 sec.
The Arsenal of Democracy
FDR makes “Destroyers for
Bases” deal with Britain (rights
to 9 overseas bases in exchange
for 50 old destroyers).
FDR persuades
Congress to increase
defense budget from
$2 billion to $10
billion and to institute
a peacetime draft.
1940: The President
Prepares for War
November 1940: FDR wins
unprecedented third term.
In December 1940, FDR
said the U.S. must be an
“Arsenal of Democracy.”
34 sec.
March 1941: In a mostly partisan
vote (Democrats for; Republicans
against), Congress passes “Lend-
Lease” bill, allowing U.S.
financial and military aid for
Great Britain and China (and
later, the Soviet Union).
1 min. 34 sec.
June 1941: “Operation Barbarossa”
Germany invades Soviet Union
U.S. begins aid to U.S.S.R.
2 min. 57sec.
The U.S. Enters the War
Americans were also worried about the
growing military might and conquests of
Imperial Japan.
Emperor Hirohito
• 1931 - Japan invades Chinese province of Manchuria
• 1936 - Japan signs alliance with Nazi Germany.
• 1937 - Japan goes to war with China
• 1939 - Outbreak of war in Europe
• 1940 - Japan occupies French Indo-China (Vietnam)
In September 1940,
the Japanese signed a
Tripartite Pact with
Nazi Germany and
Fascist Italy.
The United States responded by
cutting off sales of oil and scrap metal
to Japan.
Japanese planes sink or damage 18 ships
and kill more than 2,400 Americans.
December 7, 1941: Japanese forces launch
a sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
December 8, 1941: Congress declares war on Japan.
3 days later, Germany and
Italy declare war on the
United States.
2 min. 20 sec.
The War in Europe and Africa
An Overview of U.S. Participation in WWII in Europe and Africa
1. Bomb Germany
2. Defeat the Germans in North Africa
3. Invade Italy and defeat the Italians
4. Invade France and drive out Germans
5. Invade Germany and take Berlin
In November 1942 British, American,
and British Commonwealth forces
launched “Operation Torch” against
German forces in North Africa. 1min. 37sec.
By May 1943 the Allies, led by British General Bernard Montgomery
(“Monty”) and American General Dwight Eisenhower, had triumphed over
German General Edwin “Desert Fox” Rommel’s Afrika Korps.
In July 1943, the allies invaded Sicily and Italy.
Italy surrendered in September 1943 and by March 1944
Rome was occupied by the Allies, but German resistance
in Northern Italy continued until 1945.
5 min. 21sec.
From 1942 to 1945 Allied bombing raids
“softened up” Germany for the coming invasion.
4 min. 17 sec.
Russia’s fight against Germany was critical to the success of the war. By the
end of the war some 25 million Russians had died in the effort to defeat Hitler.
The U.S. Home Front
Ironically, arms building for World War II stimulated the
economy, effectively ending the Great Depression.
Women built airplanes, tanks and other armaments.
African-Americans left the South in large numbers
to work in munitions factories in the north and west.
4 min. 26 sec.
In 1942 120,000 Japanese and
Japanese-Americans were relocated
to ten internment centers located in
the Southwest and South. Two-
thirds were U.S. citizens.
2 min. 12 sec.
The Beginning of the End
On June 6, 1944, the Allies launched “Operation
Overlord”--the “D-Day” invasion of Normandy.
By July 19, more than 600,000
Allied troops had been landed in
Northern France.
By August 24, 1944, Paris was liberated.
9 min. 58 sec.
December 1944: Germans attempt to
break through Allied lines in the
“Battle of the Bulge.”
In February 1945, following the “Battle of the Bulge,” the
allies cross the Rhine River. Their objective: Berlin.
6 min. 51 sec.
FDR died at Warm Springs, Georgia, April 12, 1945.
4 min. 13 sec.
Vice-President Harry S Truman
became the new president.
In April 1945 Berlin fell to Soviet and Allied troops.
Before they arrived, Hitler committed suicide. On
May 4, 1945, Germany surrendered.
The War in the Pacific
The war in the Pacific called for retaking
all the islands that Japan had conquered.
From 1942 to 1945, U.S. Soldiers and Marines “island-hopped” their
way across the Pacific, encountering stiff resistance.
The 1942 Battle of Midway was a decisive victory for the
U.S. The Japanese lost 4 carriers and 332 aircraft.
8 min. 41 sec.
March 1945: Marines raise the U.S.
flag atop Mt. Suribachi on Iwo Jima.
7,000 Americans died in the assault.
Nearly 18,000 Japanese died. 9 min. 57 sec.
Feb.-April 1945: Gen. Curtis Lemay sends B-29s to firebomb Tokyo.
On August 6, 1945 an atomic bomb (developed by the secret
“Manhattan” project) was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan and on
August 9, a second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki.
2 min. 49 sec.
6 min. 45 sec.
On September 2, 1945, the Japanese formally
surrendered aboard the U.S.S. Missouri in Tokyo Bay.
8 min. 36 sec.
Some WWII Statistics
• Altogether, 70 nations participated
• U.S. participation lasted about 3½ years
• 61 million people died worldwide
• The Soviets lost the most - more than 25 million (civilian and military)
• By comparison, the British lost 388,000 and the United States about 400,000 (mostly military; U.S. civilian deaths were negligible)
• About 16 million Americans served in uniform
• German deaths totaled a little more than 7 million
• China lost 10 million people fighting the Japanese