Road to World War II
WORLD WAR II
#1
- "Between 1776 and 1823 a young and weak United States achieved
considerable success in foreign policy when confronted with the
two principal European powers, Great Britain and France. Between
1914 and 1950, however, a far more powerful United States was far
less successful in achieving its foreign policy objectives in
Europe."
- Discuss by comparing United States foreign policy in Europe
during the period 1776-1823, with United States policy in Europe
during ONE of the following periods: 1914-1932 or 1933-1950."
#2 - 1988
- DBQ - The United States decision to drop an atomic bomb on
Hiroshima was a diplomatic measure calculated to intimidate the
Soviet Union in the post-Second-World- War era rather than a
strictly military measure designed to force Japan's unconditional
surrender. Evaluate this statement using the documents and your
knowledge of the military and diplomatic history of the years 1939
- 1947.
I. THE FORMATION OF DICTATORSHIPS (1919 - 1932)
I. ITALY
A. COMMUNISM rejected
- govt. ownership of property with many of the same
characteristics as Fascism, except that it wanted to eliminate
nationalism.
- Italy unsatisfied with its territorial gains and facing
economic depression sought other answers
- It considered communism and fascism
- Strikes by communists scared the middle class
- Italy lacked leadership - people began to support Fascism
B. FASCISM
- 1919 FASCIST Party formed in Italy - Individual
subservient to the state
- 1. The rise of Dictatorships (rule without free elections)
Italy had a choice
- permitted private ownership, but place strict govt.
rules on the people.
- 1. Refused to allow opposing political parties.
- 2. Censorship
- 3. Complete control of people's lives -
Totalitarianism
- 4. Denial of civil rights - use of secret police
- 5. Exalts nation/race - glorification of military power
- 6. adulation of the individual leader
- 2. Fasces- Roman symbol of authority bundle of rods bound
around an ax.
- 3. membership mainly unemployed soldiers who wanted action.
- 4. leader - BENITO MUSSOLINI - Il Duce - leader
- Creates NEW ROMAN EMPIRE - uses nationalism to
motivate
- 5. Black shirts - uniform / Roman salute of the
raised hand and strict
- discipline gave the "lost generation" the structured
life that they needed.
- 6. Tactics - torture, beatings, murder; displayed the loss
of concern for human life that
- 7. Economic well being created through armament
-
OCT. 1922 MUSSOLINI USES FORCE TO TAKE OVER ITALY
- lost bid for legitimate election 10,000 marched on Rome
- king named Mussolini prime minister; then used terror to
become dictator;
- Fascists became only legal party; secret police arrested
opponents.
- 1928 MUSSOLINI CONSOLIDATES CONTROL
II. GERMANY
- 1919 TREATY OF VERSAILLES
A. David Lloyd George and Georges Clemenceau vs. Woodrow Wilson
- Wilson's Plan - 14 points - Germany expected the treaty to be
based on this.
- Wilson gave in on many issues in order to obtain the League of
Nations the U.S. did not join!
B. Eng. and Fr. sought revenge and profit.
C. Terms:
- 1. Art. 231 - WAR GUILT CLAUSE - sole responsibility
for WW I
- Germany was not the only country at fault for the start of
the war and they knew it.
- They resented taking all of the blame.
- This led to a stress of German national pride to resist the
shame of the treaty.
- This, in turn opened the door for dictatorships
-NATIONALISM
- 2. REPARATIONS - 32 billion plus interest payable
through 1986.
- Payments for war damages. Problems created by this:
- a. business slowdown - led to strikes
- b. unemployment e. inflation destroyed the
- c. worldwide depression middle class
- d. high prices - 8x 1914
- These problems also opened the door for radical govts. and
dictatorships.
- 3. Germany lost territory
- National Self determination was used to redraw the map of
Europe, but this was not completely accurate, leading to
widespread discontent.
- Many people were not satisfied with the country in which
they were located after the maps were redrawn.
- Fr. obtained Alsace and Lorraine
- RHINELAND became buffer zone between Ger. and Fr.
for 15 years.
- Fr. got control of the SAAR coal mine region for 15
years to pay back part of the war damages.
- POLISH CORRIDOR was created isolating East Prussia
(included Germans).
- SUDETENLAND given to Czechoslovakia to surround
Germany with more powerful neighbors (included Germans).
- Mandate system gave German colonies to the League, but most
of them were administered by Eng. and Fr.
- Germany began to desire revenge for its harsh treatment and
also wanted to recover its lost territory - IMPERIALISM.
- 4. REDUCED GERMAN MILITARY
- to 100,000 men and 6 naval ships; no planes or subs were
allowed.
- In order to restore the economy and national pride these
restrictions will be violated and then completely ignored by
Germany - MILITARISM.
- Germany refused to sign the treaty at first, but the new
Weimar government was a coalition of socialist parties and
did not have the strength to continue the war; it finally decided
to sign the treaty.
- The socialists were viewed as traitors to the Fatherland.
- JAN. 1923 Occupation of the RUHR - Germany tried to pay
debt with inflated money after this
-
NOV. 1923 BAVARIAN PUTSCH
- 1. Weimar Republic blamed for the unemployment and
inflation as well as the T. of Versailles.
- 2. Jews also blamed; the world had a long history of dislike
for the Jews.
- 3. Bavarian Putsch - failed - Hitler jailed wrote Mein
Kampf (My Struggle)
- presenting his plan for more Lebensraum.
- People did not believe he meant it.
- 4. one of many revolutions - armed bands roamed the country
- 5. Germany could no longer pay its reparations
- APRIL 1925 HINDENBURG ELECTED
-
1929 GREAT DEPRESSION - Unemployment 40% in Germany
-
1930 Hitler's Nazis Party created / Saar evacuated
- By 1930 the disillusioned lost generation blamed those
generals and
- leaders left over from WW I for all of their problems.
- JAN. 1933 Hitler becomes Chancellor
- 1. supported by the middle class
- 2. legally elected
- FEB. 1933 Reichstag burned
- Nazis gained control of the Reichstag using terror.
- Third Reich declared (Charlemagne - 800 / Bismarck -
1871)
- MARCH 1933 Jewish Concentration Camps created
-
MAY 1933 Hitler withdrew from the League of Nations
III. ASIA - CHINA AND JAPAN
A. CHINA
- 1911-1937 CIVIL WAR IN CHINA
- MAO ZEDONG (COMMUNIST) V. CHIANG KAI-SHEK
(NATIONALIST)
- Manchu dynasty overthrown to remove foreign influence
- 1. Sun Yat-sen - Kuomintang - Nationalist People's Party
overthrew Manchus in 1911.
- 2. Elected President in 1921 - controlled southern half.
- 3. The West gave no aid - Sun turned to the U.S.S.R. for
help.
- 4. Three Principles of the People
- a. nationalism and freedom from foreign control
- b. govt. by/for the people
- c. economic security for all Chinese people
- 5. Chiang Kai-shek took over control of the Kuomintang
- 6. Surprise attack against communists kills most of them
and unites the country in 1928.
- 7. Mao Tse-tung became leader of the rest
- civil war between the communists and the nationalists
continued.
- 8. Long March - 90,000 communists fled - 6,000 mile
retreat.
- 1/2 died, but the communists gained the support of the
peasants
- which made up 99% of the country.
B. JAPAN
- 1920'S World Depression and high tariffs made it difficult for
Japan to obtain raw materials
- Japanese began to admire new Fascist govts.
- 1930 Japanese military took control of the Parliament with the
support of the peasants who blamed
- democracy for the bad economic conditions.
- Strikes gave the military more control.
- JAN 1930 London Naval Conference - ignored by Japan after 1935
-
1931 Japanese control of the puppet state of Manchuria was
threatened by Chiang
-
SEPT 1931 JAPANESE ATTACKED MANCHURIA
- violated the Open Door, the League Covenant, and the
Kellogg-Briand Pact
- By 1/2/32 the military had complete control and had set its
main goal as building up a strong army and navy.
- 1933 Japan withdrew from League of Nations
-
1933 Japan renounced naval limitations
US REACTION BETWEEN THE WARS
- 1920-1921 U.S. Rejects League of Nations - ISOLATION is
our new foreign policy
- Disillusionment results from WWI - believed that the oceans
would protect us.
- 20's and 30's witnessed rapidly changing conditions at home
- relations with foreign nations became equally complex and
changing.
- The US "seemingly" wanted to "withdraw" from world affairs,
except in efforts to make money
- 1. Wilson's plea for world leadership went unheeded
- 2. Americans wanted to return to its traditional policy of
"isolationism"
- 3. US wanted to "return to normalcy"
- 4. 20's would see attempts to keep out foreign ideas
-
NOV. 1921 WASHINGTON NAVAL CONFERENCE
- CHARLES EVANS HUGHES - SECRETARY OF STATE (1921-1925)
- U.S. feared Japanese and British imperialism in the Pacific
- A. FIVE POWER PACT - 1922
- limited the size of navies based on defensive needs
battleships, carriers, cruisers
- a. Great Britain - Empire
- b. U.S. - two coasts
- (U.S. scrapped 30 ships and promised not to fortify Guam
and the Philippines)
- c. France - 1/3
- d. Italy - 1/3
- e. Japan - 3/5ths UNHAPPY
- B. NINE POWER PACT - pledged to continue the Open Door
Policy in China
- C. FOUR POWER PACT - pledged not to attack each others
possessions in the Pacific
- 1922 FORDNEY-MCCUMBER TARIFF - raised tariffs making it
difficult for Europe to sell goods to us
- a. G.B. + France owed U.S. $10 billion
- $7 billion during war / $3 billion to rebuild
- b. repayment based on German reparation payments
- c. Germany couldn't sell to U.S.
- therefore their economy fell apart allowing Hitler to rise
to power.
-
1924 DAWES PLAN - reparations and debt repayment was
rescheduled and new loans were made.
- German middle class was the big loser since Germany had no
money to spend at home.
- Allies wanted debts canceled - US had already profited.
- Biggest area of friction between US and Allies
- We ignored the problems of Germany in developing these
schedules
- AUG 1928 KELLOGG-BRIAND PACT
- Secretary of State Frank Kellogg and French Foreign Minister
Aristide Briand
- outlawed war between each other.
- There was no means of enforcement since the League had been
left powerless.
- 62 nations eventually signed such treaties. 1st violation -
Japan invades Manchuria
- 1929 YOUNG PLAN (J.P. MORGAN)
- $8 billion over 58 1/2 yrs. at 5 1/2 % to be paid by 1986/ 75%
reduction
- By 1930 Germany again stopped payments.
- U.S. loaned $2.5 billion - Germany paid $2 -Allies paid $2.6
- JAN. 1930 London Naval Conference
- limited tonnage/ # of subs - ignored by Italy and Japan
- 1931 HOOVER MORATORIUM ON WAR DEBT
- U.S. became concerned over the economic threat to democracy in
Europe
- JAN 1932 HOOVER-STIMSON DOCTRINE
- applied moral pressure on Japan instead of military, the
League did same
- Stimson - Hoover's Secretary of State
- would not accept anything less than Chinese independence
- Hoover thought that the Washington Treaty and the
Kellogg-Briand
- Pact were worthless - Japan knew that nobody would stop them
FDR AND THE WORLD BEFORE WWII
A. Latin American Policy
- 1. 20's saw a reversal of "gunboat diplomacy" and an attempt
to undo "Yankee Phobia"
- 2. 1921 - paid Colombia $25 million for the "Panama Incident"
- 3. We withdrew troops from most of the Latin American nations
- 4. 1927 - Mexico
- 5. 1929 - repudiated Roosevelt Corollary to justify
intervention by U.S. in Latin American affairs!
- 6. Paved way for FDR's "Good Neighbor" policy
- one of "hemispheric cooperation"
- and an effort to raise L.A.'s standard of living in the
hope of increasing stability there
- plus increasing our trade
- 1933-1939 GOOD NEIGHBOR POLICY
- CORDELL HULL - SECRETARY OF STATE adopted this from Hoover
- MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY - FDR created close relations with L.A.
- we need allies and resources. The Germans were looking for a
foothold in L.A.
- No intervention - cooperation.
- Canceled the Roosevelt Corollary, the Platt Amendment, and the
right to intervene in Panama
- 1900-1920 Intervention / 1921-1932 Mutual Defense/withdrew
Marines from Haiti, D.R., Nicaragua but left dictatorships
- 1914-1929 Invested $5.4 billion
- 1933 U.S. RECOGNITION OF THE U.S.S.R.
- Controversy - Little trade, Propaganda, International
Revolution
- No Democracy, Atheisism / Common concern over Japan / US hoped
to increase trade
- 1934 TYDINGS-MCDUFFIE ACT
- independence promised to the Philippines within 10 years -
hoped to avoid war
- 1934 WEIMAR GOVT. DISMANTLED - GREAT PURGE - DER FUHRER
- stripped Reichstag / outlawed political parties
- Aryan - master race of super beings everyone else inferior
especially the Jews.
- Glorified War - textbooks rewritten and press censored
- Demanded "living space" - began plans for expansion
- Created police state with total control of everything began to
mobilize for war.
- 1934 JOHNSON DEBT DEFAULT ACT
- Prohibited private or public loans to any foreign govt. that
defaulted
- 19 Countries defaulted only Finland repaid their loans
- 1934 RECIPROCITY TRADE AGREEMENTS
- 1934-1936 "MERCHANTS OF DEATH" - GERALD P. NYE
- Showed that Industry and Banks favored US entry into WWI for
profits
- shocked public and increased isolationist sentiment
- led to a series of neutrality acts
- 1935 GERMAN REARMAMENT - Required military service
- French wanted action to stop them for violations of the Treaty
of Versailles - not supported
- sign of war to come
- 1935 NUREMBERG LAWS - JEWS
- a. took away Jewish citizenship
- b. forbid intermarriage
- c. by 1938 thousands were put in concentration camps
- d. Jewish children not allowed in German schools
- e. 1939 forced all remaining Jews to live in ghettos -
sections of the city restricted to Jews
- AUG. 1935 1ST U.S. NEUTRALITY LAW
- Poll: 64% Oppose intervention - Objective stay out of the war
- FORBID SALE OF WEAPONS TO WARRING NATIONS
- OCT. 1935 ETHIOPIA conquered by Italy - The League
voted sanctions
- U.S. Opinion Poll - 67% favored no action
- The Middle East was threatened
- a. Eng. left troops there
- b. Eng. kept control of the Suez Canal
- c. Eng. promised its' colonies in the Middle East
independence in exchange for aid in WW I.
- d. Saudi Arabia ruled by ibn-Saud (oil discovered 1932)
- e. 1921 - Iran - modernization begun by Shah Reza Pahlavi
- f. Palestine - 1917 -Balfour Declaration promised to
establish a national homeland for the Jews
- 1. 1920 - Palestine became a mandate and Jewish
immigration began
- 2. 1930's - Arabs began to use guerrilla warfare to try
and prevent further immigration.
-
1935 2nd London Naval Conference ignored by Italy and Japan
- US began to plan building a Pacific Fleet which they began in
1940
- Pearl Harbor - Japan began a huge secret naval buildup
- 1936 RHINELAND
- Militarized by Germany - no one stopped them
- JULY 1936 SPANISH CIVIL WAR - FRANCISCO FRANCO
- Fascist v. Loyalist - military dictatorship replaces legal
govt.
- Hitler and Mussolini gave aid to Franco
- Germans tested new weapons and techniques
- BLITZKRIEG
- 1)airpower - LUFTWAFFE/PARATROOPS
- (Terror - Stuka bombers, civilian attacks, paralyze
defenders)
- 2)tanks
- 3) motorized infantry
- US attempted to prevent any US participation in the war
- Oct. 1936 ROME-BERLIN AXIS
- (military pact with Japan also signed)
- MAY 1937 3rd Neutrality Act
- TRAVEL FORBIDDEN ON ANY SHIP IN WAR ZONES
- JULY 1937 JAPAN INVADED MAINLAND CHINA - their greatest fear
was the USSR
- Totalitarianism created with the necessity of military control
to run the war in China
- Rape of Nanking
- Mao - Chiang form an alliance v. Japan
- OCT 1937 QUARANTINE SPEECH
- FDR responds to China invasion by testing US public opinion
- proposes slowing trade and building US defenses
- FDR feared loss of trade
- public still isolationist
- DEC 1937 PANAY INCIDENT
- Japanese attack USS Panay intentionally - apologize and pay
indemnity
- Yangtze River
- US public demands that we stay uninvolved - 54% Wanted US to
withdraw from China
- 1938 Mexico Nationalized oil
- FDR kept cool, used negotiation v. intervention similar to
Watchful Waiting
- Gained some compensation - Good Neighbor Policy passes test
- MARCH 1938 AUSTRIA - ANSCHLUSS
- Annexed to Germany (army increased to 4 million)
- The Sound of Music
- SEPT 1938 SUDETENLAND - MUNICH AGREEMENT - NEVILLE
CHAMBERLAIN
- Appeasement
- 3.5 million German-speaking people
- Hitler promised not to demand more / Peace in our time
- DEC 1938 Prince Konoye announces the Greater East Asia
Co-prosperity Sphere
- (Japanese Monroe Doctrine)
- MARCH 1939 CZECHOSLOVAKIA invaded
- Hitler proves he cannot be trusted - Fr./Br. alliance to
protect Poland.
- They also appealed to USSR for an alliance too late
- APRIL.,1939 Mussolini takes Albania
- Southern Europe which Mussolini went after next was
mountainous
- AUG 1939 NAZIS-SOVIET NONAGGRESSION PACT - HITLER -
STALIN
- both sides were buying time to prepare for war with each other
- agreed to split Poland
- SEPT.1,1939 POLAND INVADED
- after demand for Danzig, the Polish Corridor, and living space
- 1st use of Blitzkrieg - Poland's army larger than the
U.S.lasted two weeks
- SS - killed 1000's of innocent civilians, put the rest in
labor camps
- No geographic barriers faced Hitler except Prypet Marshes in
Poland and the Russian winter
- SEPT.3,1939 FRANCE AND GREAT BRITAIN DECLARE WAR ON GERMANY
WWII BEGINS
- France had the largest army yet only mobilized 1/8th of it
- the British moved across the English Channel
- French Maginot Line
CAUSES OF WORLD WAR II
I. TOTALITARIANISM
- A. AXIS - GERMANY, ITALY, JAPAN WERE DICTATORSHIPS
- B. GOAL - DESTROY DEMOCRACY, CIVIL LIBERTIES
II. MILITARISM
- A. SPENT MUCH ON ARMAMENTS, NEW WEAPONS, BATTLE TECHNIQUES
- B. PSYCHOLOGICALLY PREPARED FOR WAR
III. NATIONALISM
- A. JAPANESE EMPEROR = GOD / MILITARY INDEPENDENT OF PARLIAMENT
- B. HITLER'S ARYAN MASTER RACE
- C. MUSSOLINI - ROMAN EMPIRE
- D. ALL SUPERIOR - DESTINED TO RULE OVER LESSER PEOPLES
IV. IMPERIALISM
- A. HAVE NOT NATIONS NEEDED LAND AND RESOURCES
- B. JAPAN - ASIA
- C. GERMANY - EUROPE
- D. ITALY - AFRICA AND MEDITERRANEAN
V. FAILURE OF APPEASEMENT
- A. BRITAIN AND FRANCE MADE CONCESSIONS TO AVOID WAR
- B. EACH CONCESSION MADE DICTATORS STRONGER
VI. LACK OF COLLECTIVE SECURITY
- A. USSR URGED COLLECTIVE SECURITY, OTHERS FEARED COMMUNISM AND
WAR
- B. PEACE-LOVING NATIONS COULD HAVE BANDED TOGETHER - LEAGUE
VII. AMERICAN NEUTRALITY
- A. US WOULD NOT INTERVENE TO STOP AGGRESSION
- B. US TOOK ACTIONS WHICH WEAKENED ALLIES
-
- SEPT.1939 US modified Neutrality Acts to allow Cash and Carry
to England
- CASH AND CARRY STILL REQUIRED / Get out of the Depression
before we helped others
- 1939 DECLARATION OF PANAMA - barred warring nations from the
Western Hemisphere
- CORDELL HULL - SECRETARY OF STATE
- SEPT 1939 Crisis in Europe gave Japan opportunity to attack
British and French holdings
- US had code knew this
- US gave notice that it would cut off all trade except oil and
steel with Japan in 6 months
- Winter 1939 Phony War
- Br. and Fr. manning the Maginot Line watched the the Germans -
no fighting
- NOV 1939 SOVIETS INVADE FINLAND
-
1940 ACT OF HAVANA
- attack on one an attack on all in the Western Hemisphere
- APRIL 1940 Germany invades (Parachutes) Norway and Denmark
- enabling Germany to send subs into the Atlantic
- north of the British mine field
- (Denmark provided foodstuffs)
- MAY 1940 Germany invaded Belgium and Holland and entered
France - more civilians than soldiers killed
- Holland - 5 days Belgium - 2 weeks
- U.S. began to build an air force for defense purposes
- MAY 1940 WINSTON CHURCHILL Replaces Neville Chamberlain
- Declares that England will not surrender
- US poll - 3/40 - 43% felt that a German victory would threaten
the US
- JUNE 1940 FALL OF FRANCE Hitler bypassed the Maginot
Line and captured Paris in 6 weeks
- Italy declares war and attacks France from the rear
- VICHY FR. - MARSHALL PETAIN - surrendered Southern France
without a fight
- Hitler's 1ST MISTAKE DUNKIRK
- most successful evacuation ever
- used terror bombing learned in Spain - did not work -
allowed troops to escape
- FREE FR. - CHARLES DEGAULLE and 1/3 million of England's
best troops trapped
- 9 days escaped
- Hitler left the attack to the Luftwaffe - bad weather delayed
their attack 3 days
- JULY 1940 BATTLE OF BRITAIN
- England stands alone /2ND MISTAKE - NO INVASION
- Luftwaffe attempted to destroy the RAF before invading England
- (Operation SEALION) to reduce German casualties accidentally
hit London with bombs
- England retaliated leading to THE BLITZ
- The terror bombing on London united England and allowed the
RAF to rebuild
- Radar key advantage
- 2 month Blitz was reported in the U.S. by Edward R.
Murrow
- leading to a TURNING PT. OF U.S. OPINION
- US poll 60% willing to risk war to give aid
JULY 1940 Quota on oil and steel established
- MID 1940 AMERICA FIRST COMMITTEE FORMED
- SEPT 1940 50 DESTROYERS FOR BASES
- (Newfoundland/Caribbean) all aid short of war
- SEPT 1940 BURKE-WADSWORTH ACT
- 1ST Peacetime draft - AGE 21-35 (2 Million by Pearl) 12
Million by 1945
- 17TH largest military power behind Poland built up air force
and navy also
- 50% of public favored all out aid
- SEPT 1940 N. Indochina invaded by the Japanese
- US EMBARGO ON JAPAN - OIL/STEEL oil could be taken in
the Dutch East Indies
- Japan began to prepare attack on Pearl Harbor
- SEPT 1940 Tripartite Pact - Axis formed (Germany,
Japan, Italy)
- NOV. 1940 FDR 3rd term
- defeats Wendell Wilkie (America First Committee pro-isolation)
- JAN. 1941 Four Freedoms Speech
- freedom from fear, want/ freedom of religion, speech
- MAR. 1941 LEND-LEASE TO GREAT BRITAIN
- U.S. ARSENAL OF DEMOCRACY -$50 billion Allies had no
more cash
- JUNE 1941 HITLER ATTACKS SOVIET UNION - TWO FRONT WAR -
3RD MISTAKE
- Operation Barbarosa
- 1) caught Stalin by surprise
- 2) Germans had a technology advantage
- 3) Russian officers were inexperienced due to purges
- 4) Germans could have recruited Russian support
- if the Germans had not been brutal they might have had victory
- they turned out to be worse than the communists.
- JULY 1941 Japan invades S. Indochina after Russia was attacked
- threaten US source of rubber
- JULY 1941 US freezes Japanese assets in the US
- Dutch East India did the same
- making it impossible for them to obtain resources without
imperialism
- Japan had a 2 yr. supply of oil - clock running - like
Schlieffin Plan in WWI
- AUG. 1941 ATLANTIC CHARTER - USS Augusta
- declared war aims Germany first - Moral Purpose
- renounce territorial ambitions
- restore democracy
- freedom of the seas
- low tariffs
- open trade
- international security
- disarmament
- signed by FDR and Winston Churchill - secret agreement since
we were not yet in war
- based on Wilson's Fourteen Points
- AUG 1941 US begins Lend-Lease in China (Chiang)
- SEPT 1941 Konoye opens last ditch negotiations
- offers to withdraw from Indochina if oil/steel restored
- and if the US would allow them to keep China
- Hull made withdrawal from China a prerequisite for talks
- MID 1941 U.S. convoys - Greenland and Ireland - undeclared sub
war begins with Germany
- OCT 1941 TOJO REPLACES KONOYE prepares for war on Asia
and US
- NOV 25, 1941 Japanese fleet leaves for Pearl Harbor from the
Kuriles
- NOV 29, 1941 Hull rejects last Japanese offer
- knowing things would happen
- warns Japanese to stop
- OCT. 1941 LEND- LEASE TO USSR
- OCT. 1941 USS REUBEN JAMES attacked by Germany
- Congress armed merchant ships and allowed them to sail to
England
- (Exception - America First Committee) US ships ordered to
attack Germans on sight
- NOV 26,1941 Japanese fleet set sail for Hawaii
- NOV 1941 US Poll - 20% favored war with Germany
- DEC.7,1941 JAPANESE INVASION OF PEARL HARBOR - Yamamoto
- 1. OIL RESERVES WOULD BE EXHAUSTED BY THE END OF 1942
- DELAY WOULD HAVE ALLOWED THE US TO BUILD UP ITS NAVY
- 2. INTERCEPTED MESSAGES AND KNEW THINGS WOULD HAPPEN AFTER
- PROPOSAL WAS REJECTED
- (RADAR BLIPS NOT PASSED ON)
- 3. EXPECTED ATTACK IN SE ASIA (PHILIPPINES)
- RADAR BLIPS NOT PASSED ON
- SECRECY [ANY OTHER TWO]
- SUNDAY MORNING ROUTINE
- SHIPS
- 4. WOODEN TORPEDOES
- SECRECY
- PLANNING EARLY IN 1941 - PILOTS IN SEPT.
- GATHERING INFO ON US PACIFIC FLEET MOVEMENTS
- FLEET LEFT JAPAN IN EARLY NOV. AND CROSSED THE PACIFIC
SECRETLY
- 5. FLEET CRIPPLED
- 2,403 DEAD 1,178 WOUNDED
- 8 BATTLESHIPS DESTROYED OR CRIPPLED
- PLANES DESTROYED
-
- 6. PEARL HARBOR ATTACK FAILED FOR 3 REASONS
- MISSED AIRCRAFT CARRIERS
- FAILURE TO DESTROY THE HUGE OIL FACILITIES
- UNIFIED THE AMERICAN PEOPLE - date will live in infamy
-
- DEC. 1941 GERMANY DECLARED WAR on US then we declared war on
them
- HITLER'S 4TH MISTAKE - public opinion might have forced us to
fight Japan 1st
- DEC.8,1941 US DECLARES WAR ON JAPAN
A. When World War I ended, most Americans expected peace and the
spread of democracy, instead the Treaty of Versailles caused more
problems than it solved, especially in creating political and
economic instability, led to some extreme solutions to problems
B. Rise of Dictators (due to eco. conditions caused by WWI and
then the Great Depression)
- 1. Totalitarian Government
- a. Supremacy of state over individual
- b. Dictatorship over democracy
- c. Authority over civil liverties
- d. Militarism and war over peace
- e. Totalitarianism took several forms (facism, nazism,
communism, Japanese militarism)
- 2. Russia (Soviet Union in 1922) - communism
- a. 1917 - Bolshevik Revolution
- b. Vladimir Lenin pledged worldwide revolution, which
alarmed many nations; died in 1924
- c. Power struggle (Trotsky and Stalin)
- d. 1928 - Stalin supreme
- e. 1933 - US "recognized" the Soviet Union
- f. "Buffer" against Japan (and later Germany)
- g. Our mutual "friendship" lasted throughout WWII
- 3. Italy - lots of economic problems after WWI
- a. Benito Mussolini - 1919 Facist Party
- b. 1923 - "March to Rome"
- c. Became "il duce", the leader
- d. During 20's, Mussolini would consolidate power
- e. Used propaganda to win support
- 4. Germany - worse off than Italy
- a. Treaty of Versailles caused problems
- b. Germany left surrounded by "weak" nations
- c. The "war to end all wars" left Europe "unbalanced" and
in a state of uncertainty!
- d. France and England wanted peace
- e. Under Treaty of Versailles, Germany was forced to
establish a "democracy", it set up the Weimar Republic
- f. Watched radical groups
- g. Conditions in Germany made it "ripe" for a radical
solution!
- h. Hitler had been watching Mussolini; in 1923, "March to
Berlin"; failed!
- i. Hitler imprisoned, wrote Mein Kampf (My Struggle), in
1925
- j. After his release (9 months), Hitler began consolidating
power, even though Germany's economy had rebounded (aided by
the Dawes Plan)
- k. Began to incorporate "geo-political" theory (began
sending "agents" throughout Europe, using all sorts of
techniques to gain support)
- l. By the mid-30's, Hitler would be ready to make his move!
- 5. Japan
- a. At end of WWI, Japan was strongest country in Asia;
wanted more space
- b. The "Showa Restoration" began in 20s (Shinto
nationalism)
- under Emperor Hirohito, but no one leader; in the 30s,
- "extremists" controlled the gov't, emphasized a "samurai"
- mentality
- c. Eyed China
- d. Would Japan be the first to test the world's reaction to
blatant aggression?
-
- So, by the 30's, the world was faced with uneasiness, it was
out of balance. Where would the spark be struck this time?
-
III. Aggression Leads to World War II
A. Could the League keep peace? Would K-B Pact work?
- 1. Sept., 1931 - Manchurian Incident
- 2. If the League would not act to stop aggression in Asia,
would it in Europe?
B. Aggression in Europe
- 1. 1935 - Mussolini invaded Ethiopia
- 2. 1935 - Hitler repudiated the Treaty of Versailles, began to
openly militarize, and dropped out of the League of Nations
- 3. March 1936 - Hitler moved 200,000 troops into the
Rhineland, reclaimed it for Germany
- 4. July 1936 - Spanish Civil War
- a. 1931 - monarchy collapsed and a fragile republic was
instituted in Spain
- b. Republican Loyalists
- c. Rebels led by Francisco Franco's Falangist Party
(facist)
- d. Rebels aided by Germany and Italy
- e. Spain fell in 1939 - democracy lost!
- 5. Hitler and Mussolini form "Rome-Berlin Axis" in Oct, 1936
- 6. July 1937 - China Incident
-
C. US Response to Early Aggression
- 1. During the 30's, the US was mired in the depression, sank
deeper into isolation
- 2. 1934 - Johnson Debt Default Act
- 3. 1934 - Walter Millis wrote The Road to War
- 4. 1935-37 - Neutrality Acts
- 5. By 1937, FDR began having doubts about wisdom of such a
strict neutrality
- -Oct. 5 - "Quarantine Speech" given in Chicago
- -Huge isolationist backlash!
D. Continued Aggression
- 1. By 1938, Hitler was getting bolder
- a. March - "Anschluss" with Austria
- b. Sept - announced plan to annex Sudentenland
- 2. By year's end, Hitler now saw that no one would stop him!
- 3. March 1939 - took rest of Czech
- 4. April 1939 - Mussolini invaded Albania
- 5. June 1939 - Britain and France asked the US to join them in
an alliance; we turned them down
- 6. August 1939 - Nazi-Soviet Nonaggression Pact
- 7. Sept. 1, 1939 - Hitler invaded Poland, introducing
"blitzkrieg"
V. US Reaction to Europe's War (again)
A. Proclamation of Neutrality (Sept. 5, 1939)
B. FDR sent letter to Hitler and Mussolini
C. Additional Responses
D. Blitzkrieg!
- 1. For the remainder of 1939 there was little action
- 2. But, in the spring, Hitler hit with everything he had!
- 3. Began April 9, 1940
- -Denmark and Norway; Holland, Lux., Belgium
- -May 11 - France
- -June 10 - Mussolini entered the war
- -June 14 - Paris fell; June 22 - France surrendered
- 4. England left to fight alone
E. Debate at Home - What if Great Britain lost?
- 1. US formed committees to aid Allies and fight for freedom
- 2. FDR decided to aid the Allies and display the show of
strength
- a. $37 Billion to build up our defenses
- b. added Republicans to Cabinet for bipartisan support
- c. Sept 1940 - "Destroyers for Bases" deal
F. 1940 Election
- 1. Rep - Wendell Willkie (22m, 82)
- 2. Dem - FDR (27m, 449)
G. Following reelection
- 1. Announced plan to make the US the "arsenal of democracy"
(Dec 29, 1940)
- 2. Added that only way for US to be safe was to stop the war
in Europe
- 3. Gave Four Freedoms speech in Jan.
- (speech and expression, worship, fear from want, free from
fear)
- 4. Proposed the "Lend-Lease" program
- 5. Our ships were now going to Europe!
- 6. Still, a poll showed that only 20% favored war. What would
change that?
H. Closer to War
- 1. Aug 14, 1941 - FDR and Churchill met to discuss war aims
- 2. Began "neutrality patrols" to protect our supplies going to
England; seized Axis ships in US
- a. Led to an "undeclared war" in the Atlantic
- b. German "wolfpacks"
VI. The US Goes to War
A. War did come in the fall, but not from events in the Atlantic!
B. Events in the Pacific
- 1. Following the "China Incident"
- 2. Japan had to look elsewhere for needed supplies
- 3. Sept 24 - Formal Embargo
- 4. Sept 27 - Tripartite Pact (Japan, Germany, Italy)
C. US Reaction ("economic warfare")
- 1. Froze Japanese assets in US
- 2. $100m loan to China
- 3. Consolidated military in the Pacific
- 4. Closed Panama Canal to Japan
- 5. Continued formal talks
D. War Comes
- 1. Japan believed we were "choking" them
- 2. Oct 16, 1941 - Japans moderate government fell
- 3. While "peace talks" were being conducted in Washington,
Japan began its move against the US
- 4. Pearl Harbor, HI (Peru warned us, we didn't believe)
- a. Planned by Adm. Isoroku Yamamoto
- b. Nov. 25 - large Japanese fleet left the Kurile Islands
- (6 carriers, 2 battleships, escort of cruisers,
destroyers, and subs)
- c. We lost contact
- d. Japan planned to break diplomatic relations, then
attack;
- however, analysts in US had delays in decoding Japan's
message;
- last message sent to Hawaii arrived 5 hours after the
attack!
- e. Dec 7, 1941 (Sunday)
- -destroyed 2-man Japanese sub
- -6:45 am - blips on radar
- -7:53 am - the two-hour attack began in 2 waves
- -Japan suffered "victory fever"
- 5. Response
- a. The attack of Pearl Harbor solidified public opinion
- b. Dec. 8 - FDR gave his war message to Congress
- c. Dec. 9 - war declared
- d. Dec. 11 - Germany and Italy declared war on the US
-
- Now we must begin the awesome task of once again mobilizing
our nation, physically and mentally, to fight a foreign war! This
time we would have a better idea of what to do...hopefully!
- Mobilization for World War II
MOBILIZATION
I. MOBILIZATION OF INDUSTRY
A. Early Attempts at Mobilization Coordination
- *1. War Resources Board
- FDR'S experience with WWI convinced him to start
mobilization as early as 1939
- planned a rigid govt. control of mobilization which FDR
allowed to die
- 2. National Defense Advisory Commission - May 1940 - William
S. Knudsen
- Had problems assigning priorities for the acquisition of
scarce materials in proportion to importance.
- Also had problems balancing big business-labor pressures
- 3. Office of Production Management - William Knudsen - 1/7/41
- Actually began the shift toward a war economy creating a
strained domestic economy and shortages
- *4. Economics Significance - created jobs ending the Great
Depression
B. Mobilization after Pearl Harbor - our biggest contribution to
victory
- * 1. WAR PRODUCTION BOARD - DONALD NELSON - Sears - ECONOMIC
- a. JAN. 1942 - 1944 supreme command over the entire economy
deciding what would be produced
- b. Allowed the economy to develop unevenly - lost influence
by 1943
- 1. Cut back the building of plants - ended by 1942
- 2. Coordination to eliminate bottlenecks
- 3. Nelson was inadequate for the job
- * 2. OFFICE OF WAR MOBILIZATION - Job coordination - James F.
Byrnes /
- (William Knudsen - General Motors)
- Byrnes solved the problems of priorities and brought order
to the whole plan
- a. Results of WPB/OWM efforts
- 1. 75% increase in production
- 2. Auto industry produced trucks, tanks, planes -
- by 2/42 no passenger cars were available - B-24/hr
- 3. Substitutes for rubber, tin, quinine etc. had to be
found - collected in drives
- a. Rubber was the most serious problem -
- auto use was discouraged and synthetic rubber was
produced
- 4. HENRY KAISER - Liberty ship production using an
assembly line
- a. cut production time from 6 months to 17 days
- b. By 1943 we produced 5/day
- c. (Emory S. Land - US Maritime Commission encouraged
reduction to less than 10 days/ship)
- 5. Food production doubled to feed allies and our own
army
- Farmers reached 110% of parity
- 6. War Shipping Administration - Office of Defense
Transportation
- 7. Office of Scientific Research and Development -
economic results -
- US #1 science
- a. Improved radar and various weapons
- b. Manhattan Project - J.Robert Oppenheimer - began
1940
- 1. Enrico Fermi and Albert Einstein warned that
the Germans were close to having their own atomic bomb
- 2. By 1943 began producing radioactive material
- 3. By 1945 had enough material to build 3 bombs
- 8. We produced twice that of Japan and Germany combined
- 9. ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS
- * 3. OFFICE OF PRICE ADMINISTRATION - Chester Bowles - SOCIAL
- sacrifice lifestyles
- 1. RATIONING using coupon books and stamps - caused
inflation hurt the poor
- a. GASOLINE c. SUGAR e. RUBBER
- b. MEAT d. CLOTHING f. SHOES
- 2. Price ceilings which slowed inflation
- inflation increased 29% during the war - compared to 63%
during WWI
II. FINANCING THE WAR - ECONOMIC
A. RECONSTRUCTION FINANCE CORPORATION
- raised money for defense plants under the Revenue Act of June
1940
- 1. 20% depreciation as incentive to participate
- 2. Cost-plus defense contracts (certain % profits)
- 3. Effective but wasteful
- 4. Harry S. Truman (D) Missouri led an investigation into
waste and improved efficiency
B. Economic results of the war
- 1. Income tax was increased - (41% paid by taxes 59% by
borrowing)
- Drained off excess purchasing power
- 2. Corporation tax was increased - 90% of excess profits
- 3. WAR BONDS were sold (debt increased from $47 billion to
$259 billion)
- 4. 1939 - Govt spending = 9% of GNP 1944 = 45% of GNP
- 5. Total cost to US $400 billion - Twice what the US had spent
in its entire history to 1940 - 15 times WWI
III. MANPOWER MOBILIZATION - SOCIAL
A. LABOR - WAR LABOR BOARD
- 1. War Manpower Commission put 30 million wage earners into
the war production effort
- 2. Smith-Connelly Anti-strike Act - 1943 NLRB allowed 15% wage
increase before wages were frozen
B. ARMED FORCES
- 1. BURKE-WADSWORTH ACT - 1940 army ranked 17TH, behind Poland
- SELECTIVE SERVICE DRAFT took ages 21-35; 10 million of 16
million
- 2. CCC used for army drill sergeants
-
C. WOMEN
- 1. 250,000+ served in the military (WACS, WAVES, SPARS) as
typists, drivers, etc. so the men could fight
- 2. 6 million worked in essential war industries - ROSIE THE
RIVETER
- 3. Increased divorce rate and birth rates
- 4. Juvenile neglect increased
- 5. Expected to continue to work after WWII unlike after WWI
- a. increased purchasing power for luxuries and durable goods
- b. new desire to gain equality begins to grow (matures in the
60s)
B. BLACKS
- 1. 1 million served mostly in the army (in combat)
- 2. Units were segregated except in emergencies
- 3. 2 million in industry were able to pressure the federal
government to end their discrimination
- 4. Efforts against discrimination outside the govt. increased
- NAACP increased from 50,000 to 450,000
- 5. Had been treated better by the Europeans and expected the
same at home
- 6. After the war the army was desegregated
C. NISEI - 2/42
- 1. 112,000 including 71,000 citizens were relocated in
detention camps in the Rockies until the war ended
- 2. Most were moved from California
- 3. Motives for moving them
- A. Racial dislike
- B. Profits - $350 million off of property takeovers, etc. -
40% f their possessions
- C. Fear - they might aid a Japanese invasion -although none
did
- 4. They were moved without trial, however, they were allowed
to join the army and fight in Europe (Not Asia)
- 5. KOREMATSU V. U.S. - 1944 upheld internment
- 6. Considered to be the worst violation of Civil Rights since
slavery
- 7. 1948 - Congress passed a law allowing them to recover some
of their lost property
- 8. President Ford apologized in 1976
- 9. A settlement was offered in the 1980's
- 10. Losses are still in court today the govt has stalled to
prevent paying reparations
-
- D. OTHER SOCIAL RESULTS OF MANPOWER MOBILIZATION
- 1. Elderly (1 million) and the young (4 million) worked during
the war
- 2. Overcrowded housing - in the boom areas
- 3. Relocation of population - coasts and cities near the war
plants - Cal.
- 4. School dropout rates went up and teachers quit for better
paying jobs
-
I. Mobilization - Why would it be easier this time?
-
- A. World War II was won on the "Homefront" (fields and
factories) as well
- as on the "Battlefields"
-
- B. U.S. Advantages
- 1. Vast resources
- 2. Enormous industrial capacity
- 3. Splendid leadership
- 4. A unified nation
-
- C. Financing the War
- 1. By 1943, costing $1.15/day/man, woman, child in America;
tax only 40 cents!
- 2. US would spend $321 billion
- 3. FDR - "pay as you go"; Congress says no
- 4. Revenue Act
- 5. Borrowing
- 6. 41% from taxes
- 7. National debt rose!
-
- D. Economic Conversion
- 1. War Powers Act (Dec. 1941) - "war socialism"
- 2. War Resources Board (created in 1939); became National
Defense Advisory Committee in 1941 (William Knudsen)
- 3. War Production Board (Donald Nelson) - directed eco.
conversion
- 4. War Manpower Commission (Paul McNutt)
- 5. War Labor Board
- 6. Office of Price Administration (Leon Henderson)
- 7. War Investigation Committee (Harry Truman)
- 8. One year after Pearl Harbor, $47b in war materials
-
- E. Finding manpower to fight the war
- 1. Not as difficult as WWI
- 2. Burke-Wadsworth Act (9/40, first peacetime draft)
-
II. Impact of Mobilization
-
- A. Political Impact
-
- B. Economic Impact
-
- C. Social Impact/Effects
- 1. Daily Life
- a. Controls
- b. Shortages
- c. Black market
- d. Drives
- e. Air raid drills
- f. Ads
- g. Music
- h. Movies
- 2. Blacks
- a. 1 million served
- b. 2 million take jobs in defense plants
- c. Wanted full recognition
- d. Executive Order 8802
- e. Committee on Fair Employment Practices - 1941
- f. Impetus to civil rights movement
- g. Racial violence
- 3. Women
- a. 200,000 served in military
- b. 20 m worked in defense plants
- c. New types of jobs
- d. Married women worked
- e. Family affected
- f. After war, many chose to stay in work force!
- 4. Civil Liberties
- a. Unlike WWI, no real disloyalty problems
- b. Office of Civil Defense
- c. Office of Censorship and Office of War Info.
- d. Some 1700 Nazi sympathizers rounded up, tried
- e. Japanese-Americans (Issei and Nisei)
-
- Of course, mobilization in World War II, like in World War I,
had the overall purpose of winning the war on the Battle Front!
-
The U.S. in World War II
I. The Military Front
-
- A. WWII was actually four separate wars
- 1. Great European War (Germany/Italy vs. Allies)
- 2. Great Patriotic War (Germany vs. Russia)
- 3. Great Pacific War (U.S. vs. Japan)
- 4. War for East Asia (China vs. Japan)
- 5. Still, "Axis vs. Allies"
- 6. Fought on two fronts, "European Theater" and "Pacific
Theater"
-
- B. Planning Strategy
- 1. When U.S. entered the war, Hitler had made several mistakes
- a. Decided not to attack at Dunkirk
- b. Failed to conquer Great Britain
- c. Attacked Russia, making a two-front war
- d. Declared war on U.S. before he was ready
- 2. Strategy
- a. Jan 1942 - 26 nations met in Washington to discuss the aims
- b. Joint Chiefs evolved
- c. Where to attack?
-
II. The European Theater
-
- A. Winning WWII in Europe
- 1. North Africa Campaign (Operation Torch)
- a. Axis were winning North Africa
- (threat to Middle East oil and Suez Canal)
- b. Erwin Rommel's "Afrika Korps" sent
- c. Oct. 1942 - Bernard Montgomery stopped advance at
- El Alamein - turning point
- d. Nov. 1942 - Dwight Eisenhower landed in Morocco and Algeria
- e. First action - U.S. battered at Kasserine Pass
- f. May 13, 1943 - surrendered at Tunis (Tunisia)
- 2. FDR and Churchill met for Casablanca Conference (Jan. 1943)
- a. Unconditional surrender of Axis called for.
- b. Plan invasion of Italy through Sicily
- c. Priority to win control of Atlantic
- 3. Battle of the Atlantic
- a. By 1942, 500 Allied ships lost to Germans, 900 lost in 1942
- b. Sonar, depth charges, air patrols, radar
- c. Atlantic "won" by May, 1943
- d. After summer, 1944, no Allied vessels lost
- 4. Sicily and Italy (Operation Huskey)
- a. July 10, 1943 - 250,000 Am. and Br. troops landed in Sicily
- b. July 25, Mussolini's gov't fell - he was imprisoned
- c. Sicily fell in 38 days!
- d. Italy agreed to surrender and switch sides!
- -Pietro Badoglio new Premier
- e. Battle of Italy became a "bloodbath"
- 5. While Battle of Italy going on, Allies met again to discuss
- strategy
- a. Conferences in Washington and Moscow
- b. Planned an invasion of Europe
- c. Nov 23 - "Big Three" (FDR, Churchill, Stalin), or
- "Grand Alliance" met at Teheran, Iran
- -Stalin wanted relief
- -Feb 1943 - Russians stopped German advance at
- Stalingrad
- d. By end of 1943, events favoring Allies
- -Bombing of Germany
- -By Spring, 1944, Allies control the air
- e. Planned invasion of Western Europe
- (Eisenhower put in charge of "Operation Overlord"
- 6. Operation Overlord
- a. After France fell, Nazis fortified coast, weak spot was
- Normandy
- b. Allies amassed 3m troops, tons of equipment in S. England
- c. Prior to invasion, Allies sent 20,000 paratroopers to clear
the beaches (five sites - Omaha, Utah, Gold, Juno, Sword)
- d. Feigned attack at Calais; Hitler fell for it!
- e. At dawn, June 6 (D-Day) Allied army hit the beaches at
- Normandy
- f. July 25, Allies broke out
- g. Aug. 15, second invasion force landed on the Med. side of
- France (Cannes)
- h. Aug 25, Paris liberated
- i. By Sept, Allies reached Germany (Siegfried Line); talk of
- being home for Christmas
- j. Germany launched V-1 and V-2 rockets at England
- k. By late fall, Allies slowed down
- 7. Battle of the Bulge (Ardennes Forest, near Belgium)
- a. Dec. 16, Germans lunched last counteroffensive
- b. Pushed a "bulge" of some 50 miles into Allied line
- (75 miles across)
- c. Slowed Allied advance by 6 weeks; Russians entered
- Germany from the east
- d. 77,000 Allied casualties, 100,000 German
- e. By late Jan, the "bulge" had been wiped out
- f. But, before invading, one more conference
- 8. Yalta Conference (Crimea) - to plan for post-war Europe
- a. Feb. 4-11, 1945
- b. Ensured that Soviets would stay in war vs. Japan
- c. Planned another world organization (United Nations)
- 9. Fall of Germany (1945)
- a. Hitler still believed he could win!
- b. March 6 - bridge at Ramagen (Rhine) captured
- c. Took Ruhr Valley (heavy industry), dropped 245,000 tons of
- bombs on German cities ("saturation bombing")
- d. Before victory complete, FDR died in Warm Springs, GA on
- April 12, 1945
- e. April 16 - Red Army launched massive attack on Berlin
- f. April 25 - US and USSR armies met at the Elbe
- g. April 28 - Mussolini captured with his mistress
- h. April 30 - Hitler and Eva Braun commit suicide
- i. May 2 - Berlin fell to Soviets
- j. May 7 - Karl Doenitz (U-boat commander), Hitler's
successor,
- surrendered to U.S.
- k. May 8 - repeated with all Allied reps present
- (V-E Day)
- l. Black mark - Nazi Holocaust (6m Jews, about that many
- others systematically executed)
- 1) After "Kristallnacht" - Nov. 9, 1938
- -100 died
- -30,000 arrested (esp. rich), moved them to
- Buchenwald, Dachau, Auschwitz, etc.
- 2) 1941 - "final solution" instituted
- 3) Eisenhower made civilians from nearby towns view the
- concentration camps
- 10. Following the war in Europe (and in Japan), an attempt to
punish
- the guilty
- a. Nuremburg Trials and Tokyo Trials
- 1) 22 major offenders in Germany, 25 in Japan, plus
- 1000's of lesser Nazi and Japanese officials
- 2) Some key figures
- b. The Nuremburg Trials established the principle of
- "individual responsibility" in international law!
-
- B. After defeating the Nazis, the Japanese still had to be
defeated
-
III. The Pacific Theater
-
- A. Winning World War II in the Pacific
-
- 1. At the same time Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, attacked
- Guam, Philippines, several U.S. and Allied sites in Pacific
- 2. In early going, they won everything!
- 3. We planned to fight a "delaying action" until Hitler was
defeated;
- we did much more!
- 4. Early Action
- a. March 12, 1942 - Gen. MacArthur abandoned the
- Philippines (" shall return")
- b. April 28 - Jimmy Doolittle's B-25s attacked Tokyo ("30
- seconds over Tokyo"), but only a token victory
- c. Bataan and Corregidor held out until May 1942
- d. After initial successes, Japanese again suffered from
- "victory fever", overcommitted, decided to extend its
- "perimeter"
- (Midway, to invade Hawaii; New Guinea, to invade Australia)
- 5. Turning the Tide
- a. Coral Sea - May 7-8, 1942
- b. Battle of Midway (turning point) - June 3-6, 1942
- c. New strategy - 2-pronged attack (save Australia)
- d. Guadalcanal - Aug, 1942 to Feb. 1943
- 1) First U.S. offensive
- 2) Ensured Australia would be safe from invasion
- e. Bismark Sea - March 2-3, 1943
- f. New Guinea campaign also successful
- g. April - Yamamoto shot down over Bougainville
- h. Decided not to attack Rabaul, another strategy
- 6. "Leapfrogging" (MacArthur - "island hopping"
- a. We reevaluated our strategy - island hop to Japan
- b. Took Solomons, Gilberts, the Marshalls
- c. Marianas - shot down 300 Japanese planes
- d. In bombing range of Japan (B-29s), plus, Allies established
- bases in mainland Asia, but going there was very slow!
- e. Before we "climbed the ladder" to Tokyo, we took a detour
- 1) MacArthur insisted that we recapture the
- Philippines (cut off oil supplies)
- 2) June 1944 - Battle of Philippine Sea
- (kamikazes) Jap. lost 3 carriers, 350 planes
- 3) Oct. 1944 - Battle of Leyte Gulf (Luzon)
- -greatest naval battle in our history
- -Japan lost 3 battleships, 4 carriers, 20 others
- 4) By year's end, Philippines secure!
- (MacArthur - "I have returned")
- 7. Victory in the Pacific - by 1945, due to subs, planes, the
- Japanese were barely able to resupply themselves!
- Victory was eminent
- a. Feb. 19 - Iwo Jima (8 sq. mi.) to mid-March
- -"Tunneled-in"
- -Mt. Suribachi flag raising
- -7,000 US dead, 21,000 Japanese
- -Bloodiest battle in history of U.S. Marine Corps, 9,000
- casualties
- -now, 750 miles from Tokyo: could bomb at will; one day,
- March 9, 100,000 Japanese killed
- b. April 1 - Okinawa to June 17
- -350 miles from Tokyo
- -100s of kamikazi missions
- -Japan - 117,000 casualties, 110,000 killed; US - 36,000,
- 12,500 killed)
- -Began saturation bombing of Japan's largest cities; 40% of
- cities leveled; 2.5m buildings destroyed; 700,000 killed
- c. With victory near, one more conference, Potsdam
- Conference
- 1) Big Three met in suburb of Berlin, Germany from July
- 17-Aug. 2 (July 16, Truman got word, "it works"!)
- 2) Intelligence told us Japan still had thousands of
- planes hidden away, 2 million soldiers
- 3) Truman informed that the "bomb" worked
- -Manhattan Project (J. Robert Oppenheimer - civilian,
- Leslie Groves, military)
- -July 16 - first bomb tested
- 4) Issued Potsdam Declaration on July 27; gave Japan a
- week to surrender, or else!
- 5) Russia promised to enter war within 6 weeks
- 8. Victory in Japan
- a. Aug. 6 - Col. Paul Tibbets (Enola Gay, a B-29) dropped an
- atomic bomb on Hiroshima ("Little Boy") (uranium bomb)
- b. Aug 8 - Russia declared war on Japan
- c. Aug 9 - another bomb dropped on Nagasaki ("Fat Man"),
- another 35,000 killed (plutonium bomb)
- d. Were the bombs necessary?
- e. Aug. 15, Japan surrendered
- f. Sept. 2, 1945 - formal ceremony on U.S. Missouri (V-J Day)
-
- B. What effects did the war have on the U.S. and the world?
-
IV. Results of World War II (on U.S. and the world)
- (Questions, Effects, Lessons)
- A. There was no one treaty ending WWII
- B. It was "total war", its effects were great
- C. Questions
- 1. How to demilitarize the Axis?
- 2. How to prepare the world for peace?
- 3. How to rebuild war-torn world?
- 4. What about power vacuums?
- 5. What role would U.S. take in world affairs this time?
- D. Economic Effects
- 1. $1.1 trillion total ($321b for U.S.)
- 2. $2 trillion in property loss
- 3. Europe and Asia left with problems of rebuilding
- 4. Germany and Japan forced to pay reparation "in kind"
- (equipment)
- 5. Communism spread across East Europe
- 6. What role should U.S. play? (only Allied nation left with
capital)
- E. Social Effects
- 1. About 70m fought, but almost everyone was affected, either
- directly or indirectly
- 2. 50 million military and civilian dead
- 3. Several million left homeless and displaced
- 4. Of course, the Holocaust!
- 5. Legacy of hatred
- F. Political Effects
- 1. Grand Alliance did not always get along well
- 2. Power vacuum in Europe and Asia
- 3. Poland, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Albania, Romania, Bulgaria
left
- dominated by Soviets, Baltic states annexed by Russia!
- 4. Germany and Austria left "divided"
- 5. Atomic age began (how to control it)
- 6. Origins of a "Cold War" between US and USSR
- 7. Saw failure of appeasement (Munich Syndrome) and the need
for
- "collective security"
- 8. International organization planned, would it work this
time?
- 9. Isolation dead, at least for the U.S.
- 10. Would begin what would be called "globalism" (events in
far away
- places can affect our peace and prosperity)
-
- What would the post-World War II be like? That will be the
focus of most of the remainder of next semester's study! Only
recently, have events began to dramatically change!
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