1. How far is Japan from California? 2. How far is Germany from NC? 3. According to these numbers, why might the U.S. stay neutral?

 Devastation of WWI convinced many Americans to stay out of international issues  Congress passed laws prohibiting selling weapons to countries at war  Some people like Dr. Seuss did not agree and knew the U.S. would have no choice but to get involved

 FDR changed policy in 1939 to help Allies without fighting  Lent or leased $50B of weapons  Many people considered this fighting for the Allies

 Due to Japan’s war actions U.S. cut off all oil shipments; Japan attacks in response  8 battleships destroyed; aircraft carriers were out to sea and unharmed  Germany declares war on U.S. because of its alliance with Japan

 Germany too strong to attack directly  Allies find weak point in N. Africa in 1942; go to Italy in 1943

 German-Soviet Russian alliance fell apart  Nazis cannot capture Stalingrad in 1942  Extremely hard-fought and bloody battle

 Jun 6, 1944 Allies finally invade France  176,000 troops come ashore; 10,000 die  Sets up Allied supplies to reach Germany

 U.S. & Allies move from west; Soviet Russians from east  Meet in Germany in May 1945  Hitler commits suicide hidden in bunker

 U.S. had to rebuild destroyed fleet  Japan conquered 1/7 th of entire planet by spring 1942  U.S. policy of island hopping to cross ocean and defeat Japan

 May 1942 Japanese move towards Midway Islands near Hawaii  Largest sea/air battle in world history  U.S. pushes back Japan

 U.S. Navy & Army went from island to island as bases to attack Japanese forces  Japanese fought very hard; no surrender  Iwo Jima and Okinawa very bloody sites

 Top secret program to build atomic bomb before Nazis did  FDR died in April 1945; Truman now #1  Dilemma: using it kills civilians, not using kills Americans

 Truman orders atomic bombs dropped on cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki  170,000 mostly civilians killed  Japan surrenders