World War II

Neutrality of the 1930’s  A. U.S. trying to stay out of world affairs and deal with depression issues  B. NAZI Germany and Italy are seizing Europe   1. Poland – Blitzkrieg  2. Paris  3. Battle of Britain  C. Japan is spreading its empire to include eastern China and the majority of the Pacific

Lend-Lease Act A. Part of the Neutrality Acts B. “Cash and Carry” 1. slowly help allies in efforts to fight of Germany  B. “Cash and Carry”  1. pay in cash and carry it yourself  2. originally did not include weapons, will in 1939  C. Vital to U.S. security  1. FDR moves the Pacific Fleet from San Diego to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii 

Atlantic Charter A. Secret agreement with Gt. Britain B.  Roosevelt and Winston Churchill outline the war goals and aims WHEN the U.S. DOES get involved 

U.S. enters the war A. December 7th, 1941 B. “A day that will live in infamy”  1. 180 Japanese “zeros” 7:00 am  2. Kamikaze pilots  3. 18 ships sank or damaged  4. 300 planes destroyed  5. 2,400 Americans killed  6. 1,200 American wounded  C. Congress declares war on Japan / Germany declares war on the U.S. 

War in Europe A. May, 1943 Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower captures North Africa  B. July, 1943 Gen. George S. Patton invades Italy 

Operation Overlord aka D-Day 1. invasion of Normandy France  2. Most massive amphibious assault in history  a. 4,600 invasion craft  b. 1,000 RAF bombers  c. 1,000 US planes  d. 173,000 soldiers  e. 2,000 men die on Omaha Beach alone  f. 2 million soldiers pass this area  g. This IS the TURNING POINT of the war in Europe 

D. Berlin – USSR moves in from the east, U.S. from the west  E. August of 1944, Paris is liberated 

War in the Pacific B. Coral Sea A. Philippines 1. 1st battle entirely by aircraft  2. both Japan and US heavily damaged  3. Japan loses what was needed to take Australia  A. Philippines  1. Gen. Douglas MacArthur  2. “I shall return” 

C. Midway D. Iwo Jima & Okinawa 1. “Revenge of Pearl Harbor” 2. scouting planes catch Japanese loading bombs on planes  3. US set a trap misleading the Japanese to head to Midway  4. Japan loses 4 aircraft carriers and 250 planes  D. Iwo Jima & Okinawa  1. Island hoping  2. bloodiest battles of WWII  3. 75,000 casualties trying to take these 2 small islands  4. last step before invading Japan 

Ending the War A. Manhattan Project 1. plan to develop the atomic bomb 2. Robert J. Oppenheimer & Albert Einstein  3. President Truman:  “Save American Lives”  4. dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki  a. Japan surrenders August 15, 1945 – VJ Day 

Home front / the war effort A. Office of War Mobilization  Decides which resources will be produced where  Turning manufacturing centers into producing war materials  B. War Bonds  Raising funds for the war effort  Metal drives  Recycling and conserving  Hollywood and media plays a big part in getting word out and promoting sales of bonds 

C. Rationing Car pooling – drive share Fats, metals etc.  Rain checks or “stamps” for future items to be sold / purchased 

Role of Women 1. “Rosie the Riveter” a. National Icon of women in the work force  b. worked in factories to produce war materials  c. industrial jobs  2. Military Service  a. Women’s Air Force Service Pilots (WASP)  a. 1,200 members  b. ferried planes across the country  b. Women Accepted Voluntary Emergency Service (WAVES)   a. 25% were Navy aviation  c. Women’s Army Corp (WAC)  a. largest group  b. 100,000 members 

Role of African Americans A. Segregated Units  1. hundreds of thousands serve.  2. Tuskegee Airmen  a. All black unit of Air Force pilots that were pivotal to the success of the bombing of Germany and it’s factories.  B. Dory Miller  1. USS Arizona, cook, Medal of Honor recipient  2. sold war bonds during the war

Internment 1. Internment camps keeping Japanese – American in camps 2. Executive Order 9066 by President Roosevelt  3. Leary of Japanese – Americans aiding in a Japanese invasion of the west coast  a. many citizens lose everything