Major Events of WWII and Changes in American Policy

Central Themes

• As conflict grew in Europe and Asia, American foreign policy evolved from neutrality to direct involvement.

• Despite initial Axis success in both Europe and the Pacific, the Allies persevered and ultimately defeated Germany and Japan.

American Policy: Isolationism

• After WWI the United States wanted to remain isolated from European problems

• They passed the Neutrality Acts of 1935 and 1937 to outlaw selling or loaning weapons to nations

Germany Begins Aggression

• Germany began to build up its military - in direct violation of the Treaty of Versailles

• Many of Austria’s people wanted to unite with Germany, so when Germany invaded, it was unopposed

• Hitler then put troops on the western border of Czechoslovakia where 3 million German-speaking people lived, prepared for further invasions

Appeasement• Britain and France did not want to engage in

another war• They created a policy of “appeasement”

– Giving in to Germany in hopes that another war would not occur

Next Target: Poland• Many didn’t believe that

Hitler would actually invade Poland because it would bring Europe into war

• Then he signed the Non-Aggression Pact with Stalin– Fascist Germany and

Communist Soviet Union vowed to never attack each other

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Blitzkrieg in Poland

• On the morning on September 1, 1939, the German Luftwaffe (air force) roared over Poland, raining bombs on airfields, military bases, railroads, and cities

• German tanks raced across the Polish countryside

Poland Invasion

The Soviet Union Invades• The Soviet Union invaded Poland from the

east on September 17, 1939, and continued to invade the Baltic nations.

Fall of France• Germany wanted to

eliminate a powerful rival as quickly as possible

• They invaded France and captured Paris in June, 1940.

• On June 22, France signed an armistice agreeing to German occupation of the north and coast.

• Britain was left alone to defend Europe.

Europe in 1940 KEY

Red - Nazi controlled

Purple - Nazi controlled under Mussolini

Blue - Free country, supported by the United

States

Green - Under the control of Stalin of Russia who sided with the Nazis in

1939

Yellow - Neutral, but greatly influenced by

Nazis, for example, Spain was under the dictatorship of General Franco who was

controlled by Hitler

Battle of Britain

• In the summer of 1940 Germany launched an air attack on England

• The goal was to bomb England into submission

• Every night for 6 weeks, the Luftwaffe bombed airfields, military bases, and cities

Britain Fights the Blitz

• The British Royal Air Force bought back with a new device called radar

• Radar allowed the British to spot German planes in the dark

• Six weeks later, Hitler called off the attack on England

Germany Invades the Soviet Union

• Germany committed a big mistake:– Breaking the Non-Aggression Pact, Germany

invaded the Soviet Union– He wanted to end Communism and gain oil and gas

• On June 22, 1941, Hitler launched Operation Barbarossa, sending 4 million soldiers into the Soviet Union– Unfortunately for him, 90% of German deaths

would happen on the Eastern Front

Yertle the Turtle: Hitler?

Yertle Clip

American Policy: Lend Lease• As Germany became more aggressive, the United

States began to send economic aid to the allies– 1940: “Cash and Carry”

• Allied ships could buy and transport weapons in their own ships

– 1941: “Lend Lease”• Allowed sales or loans to any country whose defense

FDR believed was important to the defense of the United States

• The United States gave Britain war supplies and old naval warships in return for military bases in Bermuda and the Caribbean

Rising Tension: USA vs. Japan• Japan was aggressively taking over parts of

East of Asia, leading to tension between the US and Japan

Japanese Aggression

SAFARI Montage

The U.S. Punishes Japan

• In response to Japan’s aggression in East Asia, the United States started an embargo on Japan (a refusal to sell goods)

• Japan was cut off from 80% of its oil source• The United States demanded an end to the

aggression on November 26, 1941

PEARL HARBOR• On December 7, 1941, Japan

attacked the United States at Pearl Harbor without warning.– The U.S. was caught unprepared– 2400 sailors died, 1200 were

wounded, 18 ships were destroyed, 200 aircraft were destroyed, and 160 aircraft were damaged

– Only the aircraft carriers, by chance on maneuvers, escaped the worst naval defeat in American history.

Lost Evidence

5 PHASE ATTACK BY JAPANESE

(as noted by the U.S. Navy)

• PHASE 1: Combined torpedo plane and dive bomber attacks lasting from 7:55 a.m. to 8:25 a.m.

• PHASE 2: Lull in attacks lasting from 8:25 - 8:40 a.m.

• PHASE 3:Horizontal bomber attacks from 8:40 – 9:15 a.m.

• PHASE 4: Dive bomber attacks between 9:15-9:45 a.m.

• PHASE 5: Warning of attacks and completion of raid after 9:45 a.m.

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USS Arizona: 1,100 Casualties

USS Arizona

Total Casualties• Japan

– Less than 100 men killed– 29 planes– 5 midget submarines

• United States– 68 civilians killed– 2,335 servicemen killed– 1,178 servicemen wounded– 188 planes– 8 battleships– 3 light cruisers– 3 destroyers

American Policy: The United States Declares War

• “Yesterday, December 7th, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy – the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.” - FDR– The US declared war on Japan and

Germany on December 8th, 1941.– The United States directly entered

the war against the Axis powers.– Gradual change of American Policy

• From Isolationism• Economic Aid to The Allies• Direct involvement in the war

SAFARI Montage

Primary Source Activity

• “A Date Which Will Live in Infamy”– Read the passage and answer the following

question on a separate piece of paper:• What was President Roosevelt implying when he said

that “this form of treachery shall never again endanger us”?

– You are an American teenager learning of this declaration of war. Write an entry in your diary dated December 8, 1941.

Fighting in the Pacific

• The strategy of fighting in the Pacific front was to “island hop”, or to gain control of each island one at a time as your army moves across the Pacific

• Many bloody battles were fought, sacrificing lives of soldiers for control of tiny islands barely visible on a map.

Turning Point of the Pacific: Midway• The turning point of the war in favor

of the United States was in June of 1942

• The Japanese were experiencing a shortage of materials, but had their sights set on Midway Island, northwest of Hawaii

• As the Japanese prepared to take over the island, American Admiral Chester Nimitz sent his forces to defend it

• The US had a significant victory that turned the tide in our favor after destroying 4 Japanese carriers and 250 plans

• News of defeat was kept from the Japanese public

Turning Point of the Eastern Front: Stalingrad

• Hitler wanted to wipe out Stalingrad, a major industrial center

• In the summer of 1942, the Germans took the offensive in the Southern Soviet Union

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Stalingrad

Turning Point of the Eastern Front: Stalingrad

• The German Army had already lost 2 million men on the Eastern Front

• Winter set in while the Germans were still in summer uniforms

• In 1942-1943, 300,000 Germans were defeated and captured at the Battle of Stalingrad – the rest began to retreat back toward Germany

• The Soviets lost more than 1 million men in the battle (more than 2x the number of deaths the US suffered in the whole war)

Turning Point in the Western Front: D-Day

• On June 6, 1944, American and other Allied troops landed in Normandy, France, on what is known as “D-Day” to begin liberation of western Europe

• It was known as “Operation Overlord”

D-Day: Operation Overlord

• The Allies needed to establish a second front• The largest land-sea-air operation in military history

was led by General Dwight D. Eisenhower– 4,000 ships– 150,000 soldiers (57,000 Americans)

• The victory allowed the Allies to gain a foothold on the continent to push Germany back– 5,000 killed and wounded Allied troops

• Within a month, the Allies had landed 1,000,000 troops and 567,000 tons of supplies

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“Veterans Day”:A Poem by Peter Thomas

Turning Point Battles of WWII• Use the American Journey textbook to help

complete the chart. Make sure you locate and color them on the map.

Capture of Berlin• The western Allies and the Soviets raced

toward Berlin, Germany, to capture Hitler and end the war

SAFARI Montage

• On May 8, 1945, the Allies celebrated V-E Day (Victory in Europe Day)

Truman Becomes President

• FDR passed away in April, 1945, before VE Day• Harry S. Truman was sworn in as the new

President

Safari Montage

Truman’s Dilemma

• As a new President, Truman had to decide how to continue fighting against Japan

• After D-Day, General MacArthur believed it would cost 1.5 million Allied deaths to fight

• Truman saw only one option…

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Manhattan Project

• Scientists in America had already been called upon by FDR to create an atomic bomb

• Albert Einstein informed the President that the Germans were attempting to create one

• Dr. Robert Oppenheimer successfully tested one for the Americans in 1945

Safari Montage

The United States dropped two atomic bombs: on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Japan Surrenders• Japan surrendered to the United States after

the dropping of the atomic bomb on Nagasaki.• General MacArthur said:

– “Today the guns are silent. The skies no longer rain death…the entire world is quietly at peace.”

On August 14, 1945, World War II finally ended.

To the left you can see President Truman sharing the news at the White

House.

Discussion Questions

• How did American policy toward events in Europe and Asia change over time?

• What were the major events and turning points of World War II?