WORLD WAR IIAmerica and the World

Introduction Research Paper #2

WebQuest Discussion—All 3 Due on Friday

What it means to be in a war

Intro to WWII

Underlying Themes Nationalism

Economic Situations in every country pretty bad

Civil Unrest

Radical Measures

Propaganda

Italy

1919: Benito Mussolini creates Italy’s Fascist Party Fascism: Nationalistic movement that considered

the nation to be more important than the individual Believe order in society comes through a strong

government/dictatorship Largely anti-communist…big role in getting support

1922: Mussolini threatens a march on Rome with the Fascist militia the Blackshirts Leaders resign, Mussolini named premier

Soviet Union Communistic Party in charge

One-party rule, suppressed individual liberties, and punished opponents

Joseph Stalin: Soviet Dictator in WWII Massive industrialization; Huge loss of wages Collectives: Government-owned farms Usage of concentration camps

2 million people by 1935 Most in Arctic and used as slave labor By 1953 (End of Stalin’s rule), between 8 and 10

million people died

Germany Many Germans disliked Allies and German

government that approved peace terms Creation of National Socialist German Workers’ Party Nationalism and Anti-communism

Nov. 1923: Nazis tried to seize power (failed) Hitler arrested—writes Mein Kampf in prison

New Strategy: Nazis in Reichstag Works! Hitler named Chancellor in 1933, President by

1934

Japan Very little economic growth…reliance on

imports

Military leaders and civilian supporters believe seizing territory the only option to get resources 1931: Manchuria invasion Japanese Prime Minister assassinated for

negotiating with China Nationalist policy of expansion begins

US Stays Neutral Americans begin to support isolationism

Nye Committee: Investigated allegations that arms manufacturers had tricked the US into entering World War I Report shows huge profits by arms factories Impression that gov’t was influenced by business

Neutrality Act of 1935: Illegal for Americans to sell arms to any country at war

Neutrality Act of 1937: “Cash-and-Carry” for non-military supplies

Franklin Delano Roosevelt 1933: Takes office as US President

First job: end the Great Depression

Views: Internationalism Idea that trade between nations creates prosperity and

prevents war US should preserve peace in the world Believed “Neutrality Acts” could drag us into war

Sold weapons to China in 1937 to stop Japan Claimed to not violate Neutrality Act since no war was

technically declared Warned US could not let an “epidemic of lawlessness” infect

the world

Major Players in the War

AXIS ALLIESGERMANY GREAT BRITAIN

ITALY SOVIET UNIONJAPAN UNITED

STATES

Review Axis and Allies

Leaders

US Isolationism and Internationalism

The Path To War 1935: Hitler announces German military expansion

Violation of Treaty of Versailles; European appeasement Why? Avoid war, demands reasonable, belief that peace

could be reached

1937: Unification of All German-speakers? Targets: Austria, Czechoslovakia, etc. Hitler thinks force only means to unification

1938: Anschluss—unification of Germany and Austria Hitler threatens to invade if Nazis not given gov’t posts Austrian chancellor gives in, asks to let democracy work

Hitler sends in troops in fear of results

Sudetenland Germany claims Sudetenland (Czechoslovakia)

Czech resistance France threatens to fight, Soviet Union promises

aid to Czechs; Britain says they will back France

Munich Conference (1938) Britain, France, Italy, Germany meet Appeased Hitler; told Czechs to give land to

Germany or fight on their own Failed to protect peace as Germany sends troops to

Czech by 1939

Danzig and the inevitability of war Hitler demands Danzig (city in Poland)

90 percent German, but part of Poland since WWI Requested a highway and railroad across Polish

Corridor, which connected Germany and East Prussia

Britain and France realize demands not ending Attack Poland, we back Poland in war Poland refused to cede lands, Hitler prepares for

invasion Hitler asks foreign minister to speak with USSR

Nazi-Soviet Pact We all know the Soviets eventually fought the

Nazis…but at first Hitler needed a non-aggression pact with the USSR to fight Britain and France USSR agrees to non-aggression pact (reason: turn

capitalism against capitalism) Secret pact to divide Poland between USSR and

Germany

One week after pact, Germany invades Poland (1939); Britain and France declare war

German War Ideas Blitzkrieg: Lightning War

Massive amounts of tanks to break through enemy lines and encircle enemy positions

Support tanks with bombings of enemy positions and paratroopers cutting supply lines

Strategy used to defeat the Polish military in roughly 1 month

Maginot Line Maginot Line: Line of bunkers and

fortifications along the German border with France

Fall of France

France opts to wait for Germany to approach Maginot Line Problem: allowed Germany to focus solely on

Poland first (no two front war)

Germany avoids Maginot Line with new blitzkrieg Sent tanks into Belgium and Luxembourg France and Britain goes to Belgium to stop attack;

believes Ardennes Mtns natural defense Germans plowed through lines, roll through

France, and trapped British and French in Belgium

Operation Dynamo Evacuation of Dunkirk

338,000 British and French forces saved Goal was 45,000 troops Loss of almost all weaponry

French surrender; Petain leader of Vichy France (puppet gov’t of Germany) Neutral, but not actually De Gaulle (Free France) resists Vichy France

gov’t and works with Allies

Battle of Britain Germany had few transport ships, thus

crossing the Channel was difficult even after the fall of France

Strategy: Defeat the Royal Air Force Luftwaffe (German Air Force) attacks shipping

vessels in Channel; then focus on RAF Aug 23, 1940—Germans accidentally bomb

London Britain responds by bombing Berlin; Hitler responds

by stopping strategic bombing and attacking London

Battle of Britain (continued) Hitler believed he could scare Britain into

surrender

Advantages: Germany: Number of Bombers Britain: Radar

October 12, 1940: Hitler ends invasion of Britain

Quiz Name the 3 Major Axis Powers

Name the 3 main leaders of the Allied Powers

What was the fortified area along the France and Germany border known as?

Which term means “lightning war”?

And here comes America… FDR asks Congress to allow arms sales

to nations at war

FDR bypasses the laws? Churchill needs destroyers to stop Germany US exchanges destroyers for bases on

Newfoundland, Bermuda, and Caribbean islands Legality: No actually sale, simply a swap

Internationalism or Isolationism? Destroyers for Bases Deal=Great Success in Public

Opinion…for most part

Fight for Freedom Committee: Get rid of neutrality laws and use stronger action against Germany

America First Committee: Isolationist group who wanted to US to give no aid to Allies

Committee to Defend America by Aiding the Allies: Give only aid to Allies but no armed intervention

Lend-Lease Act Lend or Lease Arms to any

country “vital to the defense of the United States” Allowed US to give weapons

as long as weapons or rent were received

Passed in Congress by wide margin Ultimately, US lent billions in

weapons, vehicles, and supplies to Allies

QUESTION TO THINK ABOUT

By giving economic and military aid to Great Britain and other Allied powers (notably USSR), did the United States make itself more likely or less likely to

enter into the Second World War?

The Great Debate Today, you will be putting yourself into a

debate to defend the ideals of either isolationism or internationalism in July of 1941. With this in mind, you must not discuss any

events that happened after July 1941 (Pearl Harbor, US military, etc.)

The Teams Atlanta Mike C. Shannon C. Nate Mike K. Tim Shane Elon Shelby

Brandon Billy Devin Erica Carrie Zacc Trevor Nadia Kassidy Jamie

Roles by each team (must be assigned)

3 Researchers Make arguments supporting your side for the debaters Support the debaters during the actual debate (may

not speak) 3 Debaters

Present the information during the debate Should help researchers during the preliminary

research 2 Artists

Create at least 2 propaganda posters supporting your viewpoint

May be made electronically or by handEach group will receive (4) laptops and (4) textbooks as resources. Plan

wisely.

Hemispheric Defense Zone Questions about how to

transfer goods to Britain U-Boats in Atlantic Inferiority of British Navy

U.S. Navy unable to protect British ships…why? Neutrality

Hemispheric Defense Zone: entire western half of Atlantic is neutral, thus FDR tells US Navy to patrol and reveal German locations

The Atlantic Charter August 1941: Roosevelt and Churchill

meet outside Newfoundland Plans for postwar world

The Atlantic Charter (continued) Basic Ideas:

Democracy Nonaggression Free Trade Economic Advancement Freedom of Seas

15 anti-Axis nations joined US & Britain

Churchill later says FDR pledged to “force an incident…justify opening hostilities” with Germans

9/4/1941: Greer “Shoot-on-Sight”

Oct 1941: Reuben James (115 dead)

Japan-US Relations US-Britain relations play key role

British navy v. German U-boats…role with Japan? British possessions in Pacific

Japan needs US Strategic Materials: fuel (80% of Japan supply), steel,

iron 1940: Congress gives Roosevelt power to restrict

sales

Japan allies with Germany and Italy

Japan-US Relations (continued) Roosevelt aiding China to prevent

Japanese expansion (Lend-lease)

Japan expansion continues…FDR sends MacArthur to Philippines, freezes Japanese assets in US, reduces oil exports even more

Embargo only ends with withdrawal from Indochina and peace with China

Japan losing due to oil shortage…attacks resource-rich Dutch and British colonies

A Date Which Will Live In Infamy

The Home front and Industry

Impact of America’s Entrance Industrial advantage

2x more productive than Germans; 5x more than Japanese throughout war

1940: Roosevelt declared emergency and planned on building 50,000 warplanes a year; also requested money for “two-ocean” navyArmaments Production, 1940-1943

  1940 1943

United States $1.5 billion $37.5 billion 

Britain 3.5 billion 11.1 billion 

USSR 5.0 billion 13.9 billion 

Germany 6.0 billion 13.8 billion 

Japan 1.0 billion 4.5 billion 

War Production in America

Cost-Plus Contracts Government agreed to pay companies

whatever it cost to make a product plus a percentage of the costs as profit Speed and quantity key to making money Very expensive for the government, but

increased war production in US Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC)

made loans to help companies transition to war production

American Industry Auto industry: producing trucks, tanks,

jeeps, aircraft, artillery, mines, etc. Ford: 8,600 B-24 Bombers Henry Kaiser: 3,000 Liberty Ships

Mobilization Issues Which supplies and contracts

were most important?

War Production Board (WPB): Set priorities and production goals; control raw materials and supplies

Office of War Mobilization (OWM): Settled arguments between government agencies

Military Build-up 1939: Army expanded to 227,000

soldiers Congress and most Americans oppose

peacetime draft

Sept. 1940 (after fall of France in June): first peacetime draft in US history approved

1941: 60,000+ enlist after Pearl Harbor Shortages in housing, equipment

African Americans in War Double V Campaign: Victory

over Hitler and Racism at home

Tuskegee Airmen: African American Air Force Unit

1943: Integration of Military Bases and Expanded role for minority groups

The Battles of World War II Project In pairs, you will

present a detailed analysis of a particular battle in WWII. You will be expected to explain the major people, events, and impact of the battle you are assigned.

Bataan Death March/Doolittle Raid

Battle of Midway Battle of the Atlantic Battle of Stalingrad D-Day Invasion

(Operation Overlord) Battle of the Bulge Battle of Iwo Jima Battle of Okinawa

Office of Price Administration Created during WWII to control prices

Price ceilings on most goods

Best known for rationing Food stamps Rationing of tires, automobiles, shoes,

nylon, sugar, gasoline, fuel oil, coffee, meats, processed foods, etc.

Victory Gardens in WWII Idea: Plant your own fruit, vegetable, and

herb garden at home to help the war effort! Less consumption of goods produced=more

ability to send to soldiers Less processing of foods saved on metal and

other wartime goods

Morale booster—everyone doing their share to help the war, even at home First lady Eleanor Roosevelt even planted one

US Debt Accrues during the war… Over $300 billion in debt

10 times more than WWI; equivalent to total US spending since 1776

FDR wants to raise taxes Congress limits his ability to raise them

WWII Propaganda Consider each of the following:

Message portrayed

Reason poster was created

Effectiveness of poster

Casablanca Conference January 1943 meeting between

mainly FDR and Churchill (some French reps—including De Gaulle—present as well) Stalin invited, declined to attend

due to Stalingrad

Key points European strategy: Make

Germany fight two front war? Unconditional surrender by Axis Allied aid to Soviets

Tehran Conference

November 1943

Stalin, Churchill, Roosevelt all present

Tehran Declaration: Agree to fight Nazi Germany until Hitler is defeated Plan Operation Overlord (D-Day Invasion)

Divide Germany between Allies

USSR will help with fight against Japan

The War in Europe Ends February and March, 1945

Soviets drive back Germans after Battle of Bulge US forces cross the Rhine River Soviets 35 miles from Berlin; US 70 Miles

April 21: Soviets enter Berlin

April 30: Adolf Hitler commits suicide and chooses Grand Admiral Karl Doenitz as his successor Tried to surrender to the US and British, but not USSR Eisenhower insisted on “unconditional surrender”

V-E Day May 8, 1945—Victory In Europe

Truman becomes President April 12, 1945—Roosevelt dies of a

stroke

Just weeks before the V-E Day; War in Japan still ongoing

Controversial Decisions to be Made Firebombing Japan with napalm (jellied

gasoline) Questionable because it would start fires

that killed civilians

Japan willing to surrender, but wants to keep emperor US looking only for unconditional surrender

Manhattan Project and the dropping of the bomb

V-J Day: August 15, 1945

The United Nations 50 Countries organized charter on April 25, 1945

1 delegate in the General Assembly 11 Nation Security Council

5 permanent members (US, Britain, France, China, USSR)

Goal: Prevent future wars and preserve peace

Commission on Human Rights Headed by Eleanor Roosevelt Lists 30 rights tat are said to be universal