Failures of the Treaty of Versailles Germans saw punishment as

unfair, couldn’t pay reparations ▪ As a result, experienced inflation

Soviet Union bitter that territory had been taken to make Poland, Finland, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia

Many European countries didn’t form new democratic governments, lacked democratic traditions ▪ ex: Germany, Austria, Italy, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria,

Romania, Greece

Treaty didn’t help war-torn nations rebuild or repair damage

Economic troubles were worldwide as depression spread, unemployment rose in capitalist

countries, especially those with close trade relationships with US

depression prevented countries from rebuilding after they were devastated by the war

countries could not pay off their war debts with their economies declining

Failure of democracies: strained democratic governments fell to dictators Soviet Union: Stalin – communist Italy: Mussolini – fascist Germany: Hitler – fascist Spain: Franco – fascist Japan: militarists (Tojo)

German aggression sparks fighting in Europe Austria: peaceful takeover in March 1938 (Anschluss)

Sudetenland: region of Czechoslovakia, Hitler claimed it would be his last demand ▪ Britain (Chamberlain) and France (Daladier) allow

Non-aggression pact: Germany and Soviet Union sign agreement to not invade each other Aug. 23, 1939

Poland: Germany raids Poland (blitzkrieg) Sep. 1, 1939, follows with invasion Britain and France declare war on Germany Sep. 3,

1939

France: Germany invades France through Belgium and mountains in South (avoided fortifications along Maginot line), France falls June 17, 1940

Britain: air attacks on military sites and London August and September 1940,

Britain does not fall to German control

Winston Churchill: inspires Britain to persevere

September 1940 Germany, Italy and Japan

sign Tripartite Pact (formal alliance), become known as Axis Powers

November 1940 FDR elected to 3rd term Gives “fireside chat”

saying United States should become “great arsenal of democracy” ▪ Wants to help Allies defeat

the Axis

1939: Cash and Carry Allowed sale of weapons to

nations at war if they paid in cash and provided transport

1941: Lend Lease Act United States would lend or

lease arms to any country whose defense is “vital to U.S.”

Germans respond with U-Boat attacks, FDR orders naval protection of lend-lease shipments

August 1941 Congress passes a draft

extension bill FDR and Winston Churchill

sign Atlantic Charter ▪ Statement of war aims ▪ Promoting free trade and

popular democratic government

▪ Encouraged international cooperation and open discussion of territorial changes

▪ Work towards disarmament ▪ Build “secure peace based on

freedom” and establish permanent system of security

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxIsVYdB0lA

Hideki Tojo became Japanese leader October 1941 Very militant, wanted to attack U.S. Gave peace talks a try, but ended when U.S. cut off their oil supplies in

response to expansion Dec. 6, 1941: U.S. receives decoded Japanese message to reject

all U.S. peace proposals Dec. 7, 1941: Japanese planes bomb naval base at Pearl Harbor Dec. 8, 1941: FDR asks for war on Japan

5 million volunteered for military service drafted another 10 million women accepted to army Chief of Staff George Marshall created Women’s

Auxiliary Army Corps

Shift of industry to wartime production Shutdown of automobile

production beginning 1942 18 million workers in war

industries 6 million of them were

women African Americans

demanded equal treatment in industry – A. Philip Randolph organized march on Washington July 1941

Office of Scientific Research and Development Improved radar and sonar, used DDT to fight insects Created Manhattan Project to develop atomic bomb

Evacuated from Hawaii & West Coast beginning in 1942 110,000 sent to internment camps (Executive Order 9066) many were Nisei: born in US, American citizens

Korematsu vs. US Supreme Court rules that govt has a right to relocate citizens

during wartime emergency

Called for the elimination of Jews Also non-conformists, homosexuals, non-Aryans, & disabled

Nuremberg Laws Jews excluded from public life, forced to wear star Jews forced to live in ghettos -- 1,000 ppl/day brought to camps Kristallnacht -- Nazis burn synagogues, loot Jewish-owned

businesses Concentration Camps: over 980 camps Provide labor, await execution

11 million people killed 1.1 million children 6 million Jews

Operation Torch General Dwight D. Eisenhower led troops

through North Africa in pursuit of German General Rommel beginning November, 1942

May 1943: all German and Italian resistance in North Africa had ceased

Next launched invasion of Italy – Allies aided by Italian rebels, who capture and execute Mussolini

D-Day (Operation Overlord) Invasion of Nazi-occupied France on June 6, 1944 Led with overnight parachute troops, followed up with

156,000 Allied troops landing on Beaches in Normandy Within a month, 1,000,000 Allied troops landed in France –

under General George Patton able to push back Nazi forces August 25, 1944: France liberated from Nazi control

Battle of the Bulge (Dec. 16, 1944-Jan. 25, 1945) Nazis try last offensive assault

on Allied troops in liberated Belgium

Germans were pushed back, never tried another offensive campaign

Allied troops pushed into German territory, discover concentration camps and liberate prisoners

Allies reached Berlin April 25, 1945

Hitler accepted defeat April 29, 1945 Married girlfriend Eva

Braun, then shot himself while she drank poison, had bodies burned

Nazis unconditionally surrender a week later

May 8, 1945: Allies celebrate V-E Day (Victory in Europe Day)

General Douglas MacArthur: leader of American forces in Pacific, struggled early in Philippines but vowed “I shall return”

US recruited Navajo to work sending messages in their native language, Japanese could never decipher “code”

Kamikaze pilots: Japanese used their planes as bombs by flying them into Allied ships

June 4-7, 1942 US wanted to stop Japanese naval attack, important for

setting up future campaigns in Pacific islands after victory US started “hopping” from island to island

reclaiming territory from the Japanese

February 19-March 26, 1945 Capturing heavily

fortified island important for proximity to Japan

Over 20,000 Japanese soldiers hiding in elaborate system of tunnels and caves on the island, only 200 survived Allied attack

Okinawa: April 1-June 21, 1945 Battle was Pres. Truman’s first

real test as new commander in chief after FDR’s death

Japanese defended the island, 7600 Americans died, 110,000 Japanese

High death tolls on Okinawa made Allied leaders nervous about death tolls in invasion of mainland Japan

Truman faced with challenge of ending the war Japanese military refusing to give up

fight ▪ US forces occupied Okinawa and Iwo

Jima , US bombing Japanese cities ▪ 2 million Japanese soldiers stationed on

main island Allied powers demand an

immediate unconditional surrender from Japan “Refusal would result in total

destruction” Potential for a conditional surrender Truman rejects demonstration of

atomic bomb

August 6, 1945: Enola Gay dropped atomic bomb on Hiroshima 70,000 Japanese citizens vaporized, 100,000 die from burns/radiation

August 9, second atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki 80,000 Japanese people perished

August 14, 1945, the Japanese surrendered – War is over Criticisms: New age of nuclear terror led to a dangerous arms race Japan could have surrendered bombings unnecessary US govt accused of racism (No bomb if Japan had been group of

whites) USA is the only nation to have used a nuclear weapon on

another nation Truman: decision was purely military prolonging war not an option Saved American casualties Difference btwn atomic bombing / fire bombing?