Major 20th Century Military Conflicts

Beginning of WWII Nation groups took control of Italy, Germany, and Japan in the 1920s and 1930s Benito Mussolini: Fascist Adolf Hitler: Nazi Hirohito 1939: Germany invaded Poland Britain and France went to war with Germany The United States did NOT want to be involved in another war

US enters WWII 1940: Germany invades France US agrees to lend or lease weapons to Britain Sept. 1940: Germany, Italy, and Japan form Axis Powers Japan believed the US was a major threat December 7, 1941: Japan attacks naval base at Pearl Harbor Congress declared war on Japan the next day Germany and Italy declared war on US

Fighting the War Allies decided to focus on European theater first then move to the Pacific June 6, 1944: D-Day Allies landed in France and fought their way into Germany Dec 16, 1944: Battle of the Bulge Battle last for a month 75,000 Allied and 100,000 Axis casualties Discovered concentration camps April 12, 1945: FDR has a stroke and dies in GA May 8, 1945: V-E Day

Fighting the War Manhattan Project: President Truman decided to use the atomic bomb against Japan if they did not surrender August 6, 1945: Bomb is dropped on Hiroshima August 9, 1945: Bomb is dropped on Nagasaki Aug 15, 1945: V-J Day

The Home front Americans united Japanese Americans were placed in internment camps FDR chose James F. Byrnes of South Carolina to oversee all economic phases of the war War production brought prosperity to farmers and factory workers Millions of women entered the workforce

SC during WWII 184,000 South Carolinians served in the armed forces 2,500 were women Infantry training camps opened Navy trained at Charleston and Marines trained at Parris Island Airfields operated near Greenville, Columbia, Sumter and Charleston Citizens received ration stamps to buy scarce items such as sugar, meat, shoes, and gasoline Volunteers served as air raid wardens, women made bandages, and students planted victory gardens Recreation centers opened for service men and women

James F. Byrnes FDR called Byrnes his “assistant president” Named Byrnes the Direct of Economic Stabilization during WWII President Truman made Byrnes Secretary of State

African Americans in WWII Enlistment of soldiers created a labor shortage Northern states had more factories 1940-1944: 1Million African Americans left southern farms for jobs in northern factories

Cold War After WWII, the US and Soviet Union were superpowers No longer trusted each other Divided over democracy and communism 1950s: Missile Crisis: Both countries were in a deadlock over nuclear weapons but neither would risk a nuclear war 1970s: President Richard Nixon eased tensions by signing an agreement with the Soviets which cut the number of missiles on both sides Ronald Regan and Mikhail Gorbachev formed a spirit of cooperation between the two countries

The Korean War The US and Soviet divided Korea at the end of WWII Soviets formed a communist state in North Korea US supported a separate state in South Korea June 1950: North Korea invaded South Korea US sent troops to South Korea

Vietnam Vietnam declared independence from France in 1945 France formed a non-communist government in south Vietnam supported by the US 1965: 184,000 US troops were sent to Vietnam Huge discontent in US over war Protest held all over nation Students burned draft cards Members of Congress challenged President January 1972: cease-fire was signed

Operation Desert Storm Iraq invaded Kuwait President G. H. Bush sent troops to the Persian Gulf Troops forced Iraqis out of Kuwait Fighting lasted six weeks

September 11,2001 Terrorists high jacked four airplanes, two hit the World Trade Center President Bush declared a war on terrorism US troops were sent to Afghanistan and Iraq in search of Al Qaeda and weapons of mass destruction Public opinion was extremely divided