America and World War II Chapter 20

Mobilizing for War The American War Economy  American industry geared up for war production  US used cost-plus contracts – agreed to pay a company whatever it cost to make a product plus a percentage of the costs as profit  American companies produced more goods more quickly than rest of world  Reconstruction Finance Corporation – helped companies convert to war production through loans

Mobilizing for War  America began converting to war production after France fell to the Nazis in 1940  Industry was fully mobilized after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941  Automobile factories and their assembly lines began producing trucks, tanks, planes, and other war materiel

Mobilizing for War  Liberty Ships – basic cargo ship used during the war welded from steel components  War Production Board – created to help control industrial production  Office of War Mobilization - created to help settle arguments between different agencies

Mobilizing for War Building an Army  Selective Service and Training Act – first peacetime draft in American history  Basic training was often rushed and men often trained without equipment

Mobilizing for War Segregation  military units were segregated with black units commanded by white officers  Black units tended to be used for supply and construction  Many blacks were disenfranchised (denied right to vote)

Mobilizing for War  Some blacks started the “Double V” campaign – victory in the war and victory over racism at home  Benjamin O. Davis – first black officer to be promoted to rank of Brigadier General

Mobilizing for War  When blacks did fight they often did so with distinction in units such as the 99 th Pursuit Squadron (Tuskegee Airmen) and the 614 th Tank Destroyer Battalion

Mobilizing for War Women  Women enlisted in the Army and Navy  Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) headed by Oveta Culp Hobby  Replaced by the Women’s Army Corps (WAC)

Early Battles Japanese missed American aircraft carriers in attack on Pearl Harbor Admiral Chester Nimitz began panning war against the Japanese navy

Early Battles Fall of the Philippines  The Philippines were attacked by Japanese same time as Pearl Harbor  General Douglas MacArthur ordered retreat of US Army to Bataan Peninsula  US Army surrendered – Bataan Death March

Early Battles The Doolittle Raid  Bombing raid on Japan by long-range bombers  Bombers took off from aircraft carrier – landed in China  Caused Japan to change strategy and attempt assault on Midway Islands

Early Battles Battle of the Coral Sea  US broke Japanese naval codes  Battle forced Japan to call off invasion of New Guinea Battle of Midway  US ambushed Japanese carriers  Turning point – stopped Japanese advance in Pacific

Early Battles Churchill did not believe Allies ready for invasion of Europe Wanted to attack periphery (edges) of Nazi empire Roosevelt ordered invasion of North Africa

Early Battles American troops suffered defeat at Battle of Kasserine Pass General Eisenhower appointed General Patton commander of US forces Patton won several victories and Allies won North Africa

Early Battles Battle of the Atlantic  German submarines attacked US ships transporting goods to Britain  US set up Convoy System – cargo ships grouped together under protection of warships

Early Battles Battle of Stalingrad  Greatest advance of German Army into Russia  Attempt to cut Russia off from oil supplies  Hitler ordered “No retreat”  Russian victory was turning point in war

Life on the Home Front Demand for labor caused industry to hire more women and minorities Millions of women were eventually hired Symbol was “Rosie the Riveter”

Life on the Home Front Industry reluctant to hire blacks A. Philip Randolph, head of the sleeping car union, threatened to march on Washington DC President Roosevelt created the Fair Employment Practices Commission to help black employment

Life on the Home Front Mexicans become Farm Workers  Labor shortages also in western agriculture  US introduced Bracero (worker) Program – brought workers into US from Mexico

Life on the Home Front Huge migration of Americans moving to get new jobs New industrial development established in the Sun Belt (California and Southern US)

Life on the Home Front Workers moving to factory areas often had no housing Many lived in tents and trailers Many eventually lived in pre-fabricated government housing

Life on the Home Front Racism and Violence  The Great Migration of blacks from the South to the North continued during WWII  Competition for jobs sometimes resulted in violence  Detroit, June 1943 – riots broke out between black and whites. 25 blacks and 9 whites were killed

Life on the Home Front Zoot Suit Riots  Many young Mexicans wore zoot suits  Zoot suits seen as unpatriotic – common was the victory suit  Rumors of attacks on servicemen caused thousands of military to descend on Mexican neighborhoods and attack young Mexicans

Life on the Home Front Japanese-American Relocation  After Pearl Harbor, many Americans afraid Japanese-Americans were disloyal to US  President signed order to “relocate” Japanese- Americans to internment camps

Life on the Home Front  One man tried to fight his relocation in court  Korematsu v. United States – supreme court ruled relocation was constitutional  Many Japanese-Americans fought in WWII such as the 442 nd Regimental Combat Team  After the war, the Japanese American Citizens League tried to help recover property lost during the relocation

Life on the Home Front Wage and Price Controls – to prevent inflation, President created the Office of Price Administration (OPA) to regulate wages and prices

Life on the Home Front Rationing  Demand for certain commodities like meat and sugar created shortages  The OPA rationed goods to ensure there was enough for military use  Ration coupons controlled purchase of everything from food to gasoline

Life on the Home Front Victory Gardens – people planted gardens everywhere to produce food for the war effort Scrap Drives – groups collected raw materials such as scrap metal for the war effort

Life on the Home Front Paying for the War  Government raised money by increasing taxes  Government issued war bonds – common people basically lending money o the government  The most common bonds sold were E Bonds

Pushing the Axis Back British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and President Roosevelt met at the Casablanca Conference They agreed to bomb Germany and attack Italy President Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill

Pushing the Axis Back Strategic Bombing – the Allies bombed German factories, oil supplies, and railroads Allied armies invaded Sicily and then Italy itself DUKW – amphibious vehicle used by the Allies

Pushing the Axis Back Italy surrendered in September 1943 but German troops in Italy fought on Americans suffered heavy losses at Monte Cassino and Anzio Italy was never fully conquered. German troops were still there at the end of the war Monte Cassino

Pushing the Axis Back Meeting at Tehran  Meeting between Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin – “The Big Three”  Agreed to break up Germany after the war  Stalin promised to help beat Japan once Germany was defeated  Agreed to the creation of the UN

Pushing the Axis Back D-Day (aka Operation Overlord)  Invasion commanded by General Eisenhower  Invasion of France – June 6 th 1944  Invasion on five beaches: two US (Utah & Omaha) led by General Omar Bradley, two British (Gold & Sword) and one Canadian (Juno)

Pushing the Axis Back Plan to push the Japanese back was “Island Hopping” Battles were hard- fought with very few Japanese soldiers surrendering Guadalcanal was the first island taken by the US

Pushing the Axis Back US forces commanded by General Douglas MacArthur retook the Philippines The Battle of Leyte Gulf was the largest naval battle in history The Japanese used kamikaze (“Divine Wind”) attacks for the first time

The War Ends After D-Day, Allied forces stalled in France in Hedgerow country Hedgerows were dirt walls covered in shrubbery used to fence in crops and animals

The War Ends Battle of the Bulge  In December 1944, Hitler made a last-gasp counterattack on Allied forces  As they attacked west, they created a bulge in Allied lines  Americans held out against the Germans in the town of Bastogne

The War Ends The Allied crossing of the Rhine River at Remagen caused a German collapse The Russians, attacking from the East, captured Berlin May 8, 1945 was V-E Day

The War Ends President Roosevelt died April 1945 Succeeded by Harry Truman US forces attacked Iwo Jima – to be used as air base for planes attacking Japan

The War Ends Bombing Japan  B-29 new high-altitude bombers  General Curtis LeMay changed strategy due to US missing targets  US used firebombs filled with napalm (jellied gasoline)  Firebombs killed more Japanese than the atomic bombs

The War Ends US captured island of Okinawa – one of the Pacific’s most brutal battles More than 12,000 US soldiers, sailors, and marines died in the battle

The War Ends The Manhattan Project  Albert Einstein wrote to President Roosevelt about the advances the Germans had made in building an atomic bomb  FDR responded by setting up a program to build an American bomb called the Manhattan Project

The War Ends President Truman decided to drop the bomb after warning Japan they were facing “prompt and utter destruction” Aug – first bomb Little Boy dropped on Hiroshima Aug – second bomb Fat Man dropped on Nagasaki V-J Day – surrender of Japan Aug Little Boy - Uranium Fat Man - Plutonium

The War Ends The United Nations (UN)  Charter (constitution) established April 1945  Composed of  General Assembly – representatives of all member nations each having one vote  Security Council – five permanent members (US, GB, FR, USSR, CH) with veto power

The War Ends War Crimes  The winning nations decided to punish German and Japanese leaders for war crimes  The International Military Tribunal was created to try these leaders  The trials in Germany were called the Nuremberg Trials