Chapter 26Chapter 26

America During the Second World War

Road to War: Aggression and Road to War: Aggression and ResponseResponse Rise of aggressor states

Japanese expansion in Asia Nazi Germany Fascist Italy

Isolationist sentiment and American neutrality Nye Committee questioned motives for U.S. entry into

World War I Neutrality Acts (1935–1937) to prevent another such

scenario Refusal to take sides in Spanish Civil War, 1936

Growing interventionist sentiment Domestic debates about international affairs FDR quarantine speech, October 1937

Road to War Road to War (cont)

Creation of Axis Alliance, November 1936 Germany, Italy, Japan all withdrew from League of

Nations Japanese invasion of China, summer of 1937

Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere Nazi land seizures

Austria Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia

Steps toward war Failure of appeasement

Munich Conference, September 1938 Nazi–Soviet Pact, August 1939

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German Expansion at Its

Height

Road to War Road to War (cont)

German invasion of Poland, September 1, 1939 Brought Germany into war with Britain Springboard for seizure of most of Europe by mid-1940

America’s response to war in Europe FDR pushed for “all measures short of war” “Destroyers-for-bases” deal, September 1940 Limits on how far the administration could go

America First Committee called for isolation Anti-Semitism prevented aid to European Jews

– Defeat of Wagner-Rogers Bill, 1939

Road to War Road to War (cont)

Some strong voices in support of aid to Allies Military Training Camps Association Committee to Defend America by Aiding the Allies

Presidential campaign in 1940 restrained in its rhetoric Administration stepped up aid after FDR’s re-election

Lend-Lease, March 1941 Atlantic Charter, August 1942 Undeclared naval war in the North Atlantic FDR convinced by autumn of 1941 that U.S. entry

into war was inevitable

Road to War Road to War (cont)

Route to U.S. entry came in Pacific, not Europe Administration efforts to halt Japanese

expansion in Asia had failed Applied economic sanctions in mid-1941 Attack destroyed nearly entire U.S. Pacific fleet

Designed to cripple U.S. and thereby avoid a long war Act of desperation

Led to charges that administration had left Pacific fleet vulnerable Evidence suggests confusion, but no true deviousness

Congress declared war on Japan - December 8, 1941

Fighting the War in EuropeFighting the War in Europe

Military strategy contentious issue for Allies Agreed on Europe-first strategy Otherwise disagreed on how to accomplish goals

Soviet calls for second front British opposition repeatedly delayed such an

operation Campaigns in North Africa and Italy

Favored by British officials, and Americans went along Casablanca Conference, 1943

Delayed second front Unconditional surrender

Fighting the War in EuropeFighting the War in Europe (cont)

Operation OVERLORD, June 1944 Dwight D. Eisenhower (Ike) Opened second front in Europe Came after Soviets turned tide of war in East at

Stalingrad D-Day landing turned tide of war in West

War in Europe ended in May 1945 Soviet forces from East met with Anglo-American forces

from West Soviets militarily controlled Eastern Europe British and Americans in control of Italy and

Mediterranean

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Allied Advances and Collapse of German Power

The Pacific TheaterThe Pacific Theater Seizing the initiative in the Pacific

Battle of Coral Sea (May 1942) first Japanese naval defeat

By 1943, Pacific and European theaters receiving roughly equal resources

War reinforced racial prejudices on both sides China policy

Mao Zedong Pacific strategy

Navajo Signal Corp Decisions often product of compromise Firebombing of civilian targets began in 1944 Coupled with stories of Japanese atrocities

A New President, The Atomic Bomb, A New President, The Atomic Bomb, and Japanese Surrenderand Japanese Surrender Harry S. Truman assumed presidency upon

FDR’s death in April 1943 Knew little of FDR’s intentions in foreign affairs

Manhattan Project First atomic weapon test - July 1945 Administration assumed weapon would be used against

Japan Atomic bombs used in Japan

Hiroshima, August 6, 1945 Nagasaki August 9, 1945

VJ Day August 15, 1945

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Pacific Theater Offensive Strategy and Final Assault against Japan

War at Home: The EconomyWar at Home: The Economy Government’s role in the economy

War Production Board War Labor Board War Manpower Commission Office of Price Administration

Business and Finance Massive war-fueled increase in government spending War production meant decline in availability of

consumer goods New Deal job creation programs and other initiatives

abolished in 1943 War concentrated power in the largest corporations

War at Home: The Economy War at Home: The Economy (cont)

Entry of new workers into workforce As men went away to war, women and minorities found

jobs in new industries War also provided numerous volunteer activities

Fair Employment Practices Commission (1941) To protect minorities in workplace

War brought long hours and high wages Farmers enjoyed prosperity for first time in

decades War strengthened organized labor

Weak commitment to female and minority workers Wartime no-strike pledge muted but did not destroy

labor militancy

War at Home: Social IssuesWar at Home: Social Issues

Wartime propaganda Focused on protecting the “American way of life” Frank Capra’s Why We Fight series Advertisers sold benefits of American freedom Office of War Information (1942)

Wartime gender equality Spurred by women’s entry into workforce Disagreement over proposed Equal Rights Amendment War widened gap between “femininity” and

“masculinity”

War at Home: Social Issues War at Home: Social Issues (cont)

Racial equality Growing popularity of belief that racial differences were

culturally created Helped to fuel postwar struggle against racial discrimination Northward migration of African Americans accelerated

demands for equality Demands for a “Double V” campaign

Racial tensions Racial disturbances in cities throughout the country

African Americans, Indians, and Latinos all involved Growing commitment to addressing racial grievances Congress on Racial Equality (CORE) Worst wartime treatment meted out to Japanese Americans

Executive Order 9066 authorized internment

Shaping the PeaceShaping the Peace United Nations, 1945

General Assembly with equal membership Security Council to maintain peace

International Monetary Fund, 1944 Maintain stable system of international exchange

International Bank of Reconstruction and Development, 1944 Provide loans to war-torn countries Promote resumption of world trade

General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, 1947 International structure for implementing free and fair

trade

Shaping the PeaceShaping the Peace (cont)

Allies all agreed that powerful nations would have spheres of influence

Eastern Europe FDR sympathized with Soviet security concerns Worried about Eastern European voters in United States

Germany Initially, U.S. supported its de-industrialization and

dismemberment Then supported division into zones controlled by Allies Finally led drive to unify three non-Communist zones in

West

Shaping the Peace Shaping the Peace (cont)

Poland Yalta agreements called for free and open elections Stalin believed his allies assented to the de facto Soviet

control Became highly contentious issue in Soviet–American

relations

Asia At Yalta, Soviets pledged to enter war against Japan

once war in Europe had ended U.S. didn’t want such entry once the atomic bomb

became available

Shaping the Peace Shaping the Peace (cont)

European colonies in Southeast Asia seized by Japan U.S. opposed immediate independence as halt to spread

of leftist political movements

Philippines U.S. granted independence in 1946

Latin America Office of Inter-American Affairs (1937) fostered good

relations during war

Palestine European Jews flocked to Palestine after War Created new state of Israel in 1948 Zionism

Web

Discussion QuestionsDiscussion Questions

What caused the Japanese to attack Pearl Harbor? Consider both U.S. and Japanese actions.

What were the major events in Europe between 1933–1939 that led to the war?

How did FDR muster U.S. economic and production forces in support of the war?

How did the war change the role of women and minorities in the United States?