World War II 1938 - 1945 The US is drawn into another war. The Great Depression had devastated European countries as well as the US. People everywhere were looking for leaders who could restore the world as they knew it.

The War Begins Italy Benito Mussolini Fascism Nationalism Invaded other countries Benito Mussolini became the prime minister of Italy in 1922. He started the political movement call Fascism. Fascists believe that their government should control everything in society. Their extreme nationalism became a belief in the superiority of their own country’s heritage, and often led to racism. Mussolini declared himself as a dictator in 1925, and he started invading other countries in 1935. Read page 393

The War Begins Germany Adolph Hitler Met an unmet need Nazi Party Invaded other countries Elected Chancellor in 1933, Adolf Hitler spearheaded Germany's recovery from depression with messages of unity (Ein Folk = One People) and authority (Ein Reich = One Reich, or reign; Ein Fuhrer = One Leader). In speeches laced with memories of bitterness and hopes of greatness, Hilter became an idol to the German people.  Even his feelings about Jews were consistent with how many other Germans already felt.  On September 1, 1939 his quest for empire began . Read page 394

The War Begins Japan Hideki Tojo “American interference” Wanted more power Invaded other countries Japan invaded a large part of China called Manchuria. The US was concerned that Japan was trying to take control of East Asia, including areas that belonged to France, Britain, and the US. Read page 394

Who were the Axis Powers? The Axis were a group who planned on ruling the world, and having the world be populated entirely by their “perfect race.” They formed an alliance (there’s that word again!) to strengthen each country’s own desire for more power and control (imperialism, militarism, nationalism – again!) Read page 394 Germany, Italy, Japan

Who were the Allied Powers? The Allied Powers were a group of countries who planned to stop the Axis Power’s attempt to take over the world. Who were they? Great Britain and France, USA in 1941

The United States Reacts National Defense at any Expense but Keep Our Boys at Home Consistent with our isolationist recent past, America wanted nothing to do with another European war.  Anti-war sentiment was high, demonstrated by this poster urging the nation to Keep Our Boys at Home. Some Americans thought that US involvement in WWI had been a mistake. Others believed that war was not the way to solve problems. Most Americans favored the policy called ISOLATIONISM. The US was still fighting the war against the Great Depression. Read page 396

The United States Reacts Neutrality Acts No passage on ships belonging to warring nations No loans or credit to warring nations Lend-Lease Act Federal gov’t power Lend or rent military goods $50 billion Americans began to understand the threat Hitler posed to Europe and freedom everywhere. Congress passed the Lend-Lease Act in early 1941. It gave FDR the power to lend or rent military goods (airplanes, tanks, bullets, and equipment) to any country that he thought was important to US interests. Britain’s navy escorted America’s ships across the Atlantic. However, when it became clear that the German submarines were willing to sink American ships, FDR issued a “shoot on sight” order. Unofficially, the US was at war with Germany, but it was another event that pushed the US into the war officially. 397

Pearl Harbor As Hitler stormed through Europe and Japan through eastern Asia, America remained militarily (though not politically or economically) neutral.   But on December 7, 1941, the history of our nation changed forever.  A surprise attack by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor triggered declarations of war and calls for revenge against the Japanese.  In addition, England's prayers of American entry into the war with Germany would be answered. Read page 397

The explosion of the USS Shaw

USS West Virginia (foreground) USS Tennessee (background).  

USS California  

USS Maryland (left) and the capsized hull of USS Oklahoma

USS Arizona

Airfield at Ford Island

The War Begins F.D.R. (1882-1945) 32nd President of the United States longer than any other, also was the President during World War Two. Died eighty- three days after being elected for the fourth time. Less than a year after being elected to his third term, Roosevelt signed the declaration, beginning the second great crisis of his administration.  In his speech on Dec 8, 1941 to Congress he promised, "with the unbounding determination of our people - we will gain the inevitable triumph." Read page 399

With men enlisting by the millions, the campaign on the home front began.  Charged with giving men the materials they needed to win the war, civilians, particularly women, headed to the factories.  Rosie the Riveter, above, became a symbol of the power and influence that women held regarding the outcome of the war.

The degree of social control and conformity during the war was immense The degree of social control and conformity during the war was immense.  Liberty became smothered by necessity. Even freedoms that defined American life, like freedom of speech took a back seat to Victory.  Most Americans willingly made sacrifices because propaganda convinced them their actions played a significant role in the outcome of the war. FDR asked business leaders to stop making other products to make tanks, antiaircraft guns, planes, ships, ammunition, and other military equipment. This led to shortages of other products.  

D-Day June 6, 1944 Omaha Beach, Normandy, France 600 ships 175,000 Allied soldiers 11,000 airplanes In Europe, the drive to get Hitler began with an invasion of the "soft underbelly" of Italy.  But sooner or later, getting Hitler meant breaking through Fortress Europe, the defensive wall Hitler had constructed on the French Atlantic coast.  On June 6, 1944, under the supreme command of Gen. Dwight Eisenhower, the Allies disembarked at Normandy, beginning the most important invasion in history. Read Page 400

Concentration Camps Anti-Semitism has deep roots in Europe.  With passionate speeches aimed at a willing audience, Hitler blamed Jews for Germany's economic hardships, making them easy scapegoats.  Beginning in early '35, Jews were required to wear yellow stars identifying themselves. The first concentration camps were built in 1935 after passage of the Nuremberg Laws, a series of legislation aimed at defining Jews by distinct As allied soldiers marched across the Rhine, the atrocities of the Nazi regime became evident.    At first believed to be Allied propaganda, the discovery of the death camps brought to light the degree of tyranny and repression Hitler held over Europe. physical characteristics.  By 1943, Hitler's Final Solution was underway and most concentration camps became death camps. 6 million Jews, Buchenwald, Dachau, and Auschwitz Page 401

V – E Day Victory in Europe Day, May 8, 1945 Led to a gruesome discovery.

The Pacific Theater Iwo Jima Midway As the Army secured the beaches of France, the Marines continued their island-hopping campaign in the Pacific.   Preferring death over surrender, the Japanese struck heavy blows at American fighting men as they pushed toward Japan.  The photograph above of Marines raising the flag on Iwo Jima became the one that symbolized American strength and victory. One of the military turning points of the war was the Battle of Midway, an all-air, all-carrier battle in the middle of the Pacific.  The photograph above is of a Japanese plane shot down by an American battleship.  Following the battle, the Japanese cancelled their planned invasion of the Midway Islands, thus halting the Japanese advance.  For the remainder of the war, the Allies, led by Gen. Douglas MacArthur, would pursue the Japanese. The plan was to ‘island-hop’ and retake the islands back as they pressed forward towards Japan. In June 1945, the allied military troops were in position to invade the mainland of Japan. Many hundreds of thousands of troops were needed. The consideration was how many men would be lost? Instead, President Truman decided the quickest way to end the war was to drop a new type of bomb, the atomic bomb. Iwo Jima Midway

Atomic Bomb As plans were being made to invade Japan, an operation that was estimated to have 1 million American casualties, tests in New Mexico signaled the beginning of the atomic and nuclear age.  The scorched watch above is stopped at 7:15, the time of the second atomic bomb drop at Nagasaki. Truman insisted civilians be warned about his bomb drop on August 6, 1945. He demanded Japan’s surrender. A 2nd bomb was dropped in Nagasaki. Over 110,000 were killed immediately. Page 402

V – J Day Victory in Japan August 14, 194520 million killed worldwide 400,000 Americans 21 million victims Orphans Prisoners Survivors of Nazi concentration camps Refugees from war-torn areas War is over on 08/14/45, a few days after the 2nd bomb was dropped. The official surrender of Japan was 09/02/45. Although no battles were fought on continental American soil, WWII took a tremendous toll on Americans at home.

Georgia’s Contribution to the War 300,000 Georgia men and women 7,000 died Women served as nurses, clerks, and pilots

B-29s Bell Aircraft Marietta, GA 28,000 jobs 6,000 women

Liberty Ships 447-foot long Brunswick 16,000 jobs Savannah 200 ships built

Military Training Camp Stewart (Fort Stewart) Camp Gordon (Fort Gordon) Fort Benning Warner Robins Air Force Base

The Impact of the War at Home German attacks at St. Simons Island Victory Gardens

The Impact of the War at Home Ration cards Racial tension