World War II U.S. History

Germany starts the war in Europe by invading Poland in 1939

Germany’s war strategy, blitzkrieg, means “lightning war” Sudden, massive attack to achieve a quick victory

Even though they did not enter the war, he United States passed the Lend-Lease Act, which allowed the U.S. to supply the Allies with war supplies

The United States enters the war in December 1941 as a result of the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor.

War Mobilization After Pearl Harbor, 5 million volunteered to join the army, but this was still not enough to face a war on two fronts. The Selective Service System brought 10 million more soldiers in the U.S. armed forces. Factories across America were quickly converted to war production Shipyards and defense plants expanded with amazing speed Women and minorities filled the need for workers in war industries

A. Philip Randolph proposed a march on Washington to protest discrimination against African-Americans in war industries

Women contributed to the war effort by working men’s jobs and conserving resources

Rationing Rationing: establishing fixed amounts that people could buy of goods deemed essential for the military Households received ration books with coupons used for buying scarce goods such as meat, shoes, sugar, coffee and gasoline

The U.S. put Japanese Americans and some German Americans and Italian Americans in internment camps during the war because Americans were afraid they were spies or would hurt the war effort

The Battle of Midway is the turning point of the war in the Pacific U.S. wants to stop Japanese naval advancement Americans broke Japanese code and knew Midway would be their next stop After Midway, the Allies began “island hopping” and winning territory back from Japan

The Manhattan Project was the name of the project to develop the atomic bomb in the U.S.

Los Alamos is where the U. S Los Alamos is where the U.S. tested the atomic bomb before dropping it on Japan

D-Day is the Allied invasion of France June 6, 1944 Allies trick Germans and land at Normandy Allows the Allies to liberate France

The Battle of the Bulge was a month long battle in Europe in which the Allies turn back the Germans in October 1944

In August 1942, the Soviets stop the German offensive in Russia in the Battle of Stalingrad

Fall of Berlin May 2, 1945 Soviet troops complete the capture of Berlin Shortly thereafter, the Axis powers surrender in Europe (VE Day)

FDR dies on April 12, 1945 and Truman becomes president

The U.S. drops atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, ending the war in the Pacific