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 1
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 2
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 3
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 4
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 (1 st 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 5
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 Forestsymbolism?) 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 6
3/18/15 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 7
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 8
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 Fat Man- Nagasaki Little Boy- Hiroshima 9
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? 10