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World War II
Chapter 35
Allied Strategy
Axis Powers - Germany, Italy, Japan Allied Powers - U.S., G.B., France,
U.S.S.R.,# of others Many in the U.S. wanted to go after Japan
because of Pearl Harbor Decided to begin the main thrust in
Europe- knock Hitler out first Time was most important- must prepare
for 2 front war
Getting Ready for WWII
Country was more united behind the war effort….why?
Needed to prepare for war before it was too late Had to feed and arm the U.S. military and Europe
and also fight a two theatre war
Was very little witch-hunting compared to WWI Immigration was slowed during the 1920s The HUGE exception was U.S. treatment of
Japanese Americans
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Japanese Internment Was a great deal of suspicion towards
Japanese-Americans and sabotage (W. Coast) Combined with long-standing racism
Thousands of Japanese-Americans and Japanese were placed in internment camps throughout the U.S. Some actually asked to serve in the Army - Nisei 442nd Regiment - most decorated in history
Was found constitutional in the Supreme Court case Korematsu v. U.S (1944). Was a “military necessity” U.S. govt. later apologized and gave $20,000 to
each camp survivor
Building the War Machine
War Production Board Oversaw production of war materials- 300,000
aircraft, 76,000 ships, 86,000 tanks, 2.6 million guns Halted the manufacture of non-essential materials
(passenger cars) Rationing - meat, butter, nylon, rubber, national
speed limit, gasoline rations
Office of Price Administration Dealt with inflation People were making lots of $ and nothing to spend it
on
World War II & Labor War Labor Board
Dealt with labor issues during the war Placed ceilings on wages to help with
inflation
Labor Union membership went way up Large # of walkouts, led by John Lewis Smith-Connally Anti-Strike Act
Govt. could seize and operate industries tied up with labor disputes
Strikes against govt. operated industries were illegal
Govt took over coal mines and railroads
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Manpower & Womanpower
15 million men were in the military 216,000 women (WAACS, WAVES, SPARS)
Workers in certain key industries were exempt from the draft Still short of personnel
Braceros - was a deal made with Mexico for immigrant workers to come to the U.S.
Agreement lasted for 20 years
Manpower & Womanpower
Much of the labor loss in factories was filled by women 6 million women worked during WWII Were paid less than men “Rosie the Riveters” Not just single women anymore either About 2/3 left the workforce after the
war Still, most women stayed home
Shifting Population
WWII caused a huge demographic shift in the U.S. From rural to urban areas Migration North by many Southern blacks
to fill factory jobs This made race more of a national issue 5 million tenant farmers and sharecroppers
would head North for the next 30 years
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African-American Rights During WWII A. Philip Randolph
Threatened a march on D.C. to protest discrimination in the workplace & hiring
FDR want to prevent this Created the Fair Employment Practices
Commission- monitored compliance Monitored compliance with Exec. Order that
prohibited discrimination in defense industries
Blacks were drafted, saw little action Served in segregated units
Membership in the NAACP & CORE went up
Other Minority Groups During WWII
Native Americans Also left reservations for urban areas 25,000 served in the military
Navajo Code Talkers
Hispanic Americans Conflict in the SW US Zoot-Suit Riots- LA
Changes in America After WWII
The U.S. came out of WWII more powerful than ever Business healthy, people had lots of $
Govt. became more involved in daily lives of Americans Draft, rationing, jobs in defense
industries, govt. health care, etc. Govt./University partnership in research
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Major Battles-Pacific
Japan successful in taking Guam, Wake Island, Philippines (Bataan Death March), Dutch East Indies- 1942
Pivotal battles- Coral Sea (May 1942)- fighting was done by aircraft
carriers (1st time in history) Midway Islands-
IF Japan takes islands, can launch assaults on Hawaii and later US
US Admiral Chester Nimitz US destroyed 4 Japanese aircraft carriers, stop Japan
aggression
Pacific War After Midway, US goes on attack
Guadalcanal (Aug. 1942) Japanese loss- 20,000 US- 1,700
US Begins “Island Hopping” Campaign Bypass some of the heavily fortified posts,
capture nearby islands and begin heavy bombing Move towards Japan’s mainland
Marshall Islands (Jan-Feb 1944) Marianas and the B-29 superbombers Leyte Gulf (Oct. 1944) Iwo Jima (March 1945) Okinawa (June 1945)
29
B-29 Superfortress
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Major Battles - Europe Battle of the Atlantic - sonar Battle of El Alamein
stopped German advance in North Africa
Battle of Stalingrad Soviets stopped the German advance in the east
Soviets wanted a second front opened to ease their fight - Europe or Africa?
Operation Torch Allied invasion of N. Africa - against E. Rommel British pushed from the East (Egypt), U.S. from
the West (Morocco)
Major Battles - Europe Decision was made to open a second front in
N. Europe up against the Atlantic Wall - defenses set up by
Rommel
Operation Overlord - D-Day invasion (June 6, 1944) Largest invasion of its type in history
Battle of the Bulge (Ardennes Forest-symbolism?) Hitler’s last ditch effort at winning
Was running out of supplies and oil
A major counter-offensive to the Allied advance Eventually pushed back - Battle of Bastogne
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Eisenhower
Patton
Macarthur
Nimitz
WWII Europe
Map
The End of WWII in Europe
April 12, 1945- Roosevelt dies from cerebral hemorrhage
April 30, 1945- Hitler dies from suicide May 8, 1945- V-E Day
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The end for Japan
Massive fire-bomb raids on Tokyo (March 9-10, 1945) 83,000 people dead
Japan’s sea power gone Lost 60 ships at the Battle of Leyte Gulf
Iwo Jima
Purpose-Needed for damaged American bombers returning from Japan
March 1945 25 days- 4,000 Americans killed
Okinawa
April-June 1945 Purpose- needed for closer bases to
bomb Tokyo Kamikaze pilots 50,000 Americans killed Next stop…Japan
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Use of the Atomic Bomb
Why? Saved lives from an invasion of main
islands of Japan Could cost 500,000 US lives? One more year of war
Stop the war before the Soviets got too involved
Should it have been used?
Hiroshima Aug. 6, 1945 70,000 killed; 60,000 more later from
burns/radiation
Nagasaki Aug. 9, 1945 80,000 dead V-J Day- Sept. 2, 1945
Little Boy- Hiroshima
Fat Man- Nagasaki
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Shadows of Atomic Bomb blast
Wartime Conferences Tehran Conference
The Big Three ( FDR, Churchill, Stalin) Agreed to open a second front and attack
simultaneously with the Soviets
Potsdam Conference FDR has died, new Prez Truman attends Agree to give an ultimatum to Japan
Surrender or face total annihilation… bomb?