1. The United States and World War II

2. Rising Tensions Lead to War Military Leaders in Germany, Italy, and Japan made aggressive moves which climaxed in the outbreak of WWII in 1939 Japan invaded Manchuria in 1931 and took it over from China Germany began to rearm itself in 1935 Hitler violated WWI peace treaty provisions by sending troops into Rhineland next to France Italy, ruled by Mussolini, invaded the African nation of Ethiopia in 1935 and made it part of Italy in 1936

3. In 1937, Japan invaded more parts of China German troops marched into Austria and took over in 1938 Hitler’s armies took over most of Czechoslovakia League of Nations did little to try to stop all of these agressions After the German army marched into Poland on September 1, 1939, Britain and France declared war on Germany September 9, 1939

4. United States chose to remain out of the war and be isolationist President Franklin Roosevelt wanted to help the Allies resist Axis aggression After Germany defeated France, Roosevelt persuaded Congress to make some changes to the US neutrality laws: Congress allowed the sale of arms on a cash & carry basis Roosevelt swapped 50 old destroyers for British naval bases Congress approved the lend-lease program in 1941 allowing Roosevelt to supply Britain with military goods on credit US Navy began protecting ships carrying these supplies from attacks by German submarines which unofficially put the US at war with Germany in the Atlantic

5. Meanwhile, Japan was making conquest in the Pacific area. Japan became part of the Axis powers with Germany and Italy in 1940 The US imposed an embargo against Japan in 1941. While officials from Japan and the US met in Washington to discuss changes in Japanese policy, Japanese warplanes bombed the US naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on December 7, 1941 On December 8, 1941, the US and Britain declared war on Japan Germany and Italy then declared war on the United States

6. Immediately after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt spoke to the action in a special radio address. Roosevelt’s speech rallied Americans, shocked and outraged by the attack, to the war effort. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VqQAf74fsE What would your reaction to this speech had been?

7. Wartime in the United States Millions of men and women joined the military Raw materials and food were rationed. Many consumer goods were no longer made The government regulated wages and prices Farms produced 20% more crops Manufacturing doubled War plants and army camps made population centers out of quiet rural areas

8. Women and Minorities Women and minorities flocked to jobs in WWII war industries Women worked the same jobs as men for less money African Americans were treated more fairly in this war although the armed services remained segregated. WWII raised awareness of US racism as the US was fighting against Hitler’s brand of “Aryan” racism causing many Americans to question laws and customs that treated blacks as second-class citizens

9. Japanese Americans After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese Americans who lived along the west coast were rounded up and sent to bleak internment camps. http://www.ushistory.org/us/51e.asp Many Americans worried that citizens of Japanese ancestry would act as spies or saboteurs for the Japanese government. Fear — not evidence — drove the U.S. to place over 127,000 Japanese-Americans in concentration camps for the duration of WWII. Most of these people were native-born American citizens who had to sell almost all of their possessions for a small fraction of its actual worth

10. The War in Europe and the Pacific In 1942, the Axis powers controlled almost all of Europe and North Africa. By the time US forces got to Europe in significant numbers in 1943, the tide was beginning to turn with allied forces driving the Axis out of North Africa. Soviet troops began to drive the German army back as well German submarine threats were being contained The Allies invaded Italy in mid 1943 On D-Day, June 6,1944, the Allies invaded France Allied forces moved into German on the west and Soviet troops from the east. US President Franklin D. Roosevelt dies on April 12, 1945 and vice president Harry Truman becomes the US President. The Germans surrendered on May 8, 1945 or V-E-Day – Victory in Europe Day

11. The Holocaust (Mass Murder) When Allied soldiers invaded Germany and Poland they discovered concentration/death camps where Nazis had shot and gassed to death millions of Jews from Germany and countries that Germany occupied. The planned killing of most of a racial, political, or cultural group is called genocide Nazi leaders were tried for war crimes in a a special court at Nuremberg, Germany during 1945 and 1946. Twelve received death sentences and others got life in prison

12. Japan began to falter in 1942 US and Japanese forces fought a series of fierce battles over small, strategic islands Turning points were two major naval battles: The Battle of the Coral Sea stopped a Japanese naval fleet from attacking Austrailia The Battle of Midway kept Hawaii safe from a Japanese invasions.

13. Soon the US held island bases from which they bombed the home islands of Japan The Japanese were fiercely resisting surrender President Truman thought a land invasion would result in too many American lives lost. He decided to use the newly developed atomic bomb.

14. Atomic Bomb Attacks On August 6, 1945, a US plane dropped a single atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. 80,000 people were killed while destroying most of the city On August 9, 1945, the US dropped a second atomic bomb on the city of Nagasaki Japan surrendered on August 14, 1945 Surrender papers were signed on September 1, 1945 or V-J Day –Victory over Japan Day. World War II was over.

15. Costs of the War 50 million people died during WWII with ½ of that number being civilians; more were injured The war ruined national economies Millions of people found themselves homeless, lacking the basic necessities of life: food, fuel, shelter, and water. Large cities lay in ruins – much of the world’s great art and architecture was lost forever

16. Costs of War in America Due to the fact that the war had not been fought on American soil, the US escaped the physical destruction that Europe and Asia suffered. Therefore, the US economy emerged from the war more powerful than ever. Much of the rebuilding efforts after the war would fall to the US What will come next?