World War II. The Basics The 2 Sides ◦The Allies made up 26 nations with Great Britain, Soviet Union (eventually), and the US ◦The Axis made up of 8 nations.

World War IIWorld War II

The BasicsThe Basics

The 2 Sides◦The Allies made up 26 nations with Great

Britain, Soviet Union (eventually), and the US◦The Axis made up of 8 nations with Germany,

Italy, and Japan (Soviet Union at the start)The two theaters of war

◦Europe and North Africa◦The Pacific

Diplomacy During the WarDiplomacy During the War

Atlantic Charter◦ Roosevelt and Churchill

met in 1941 to agree on terms for a lasting peace and establishing free government after the war

Yalta◦ Roosevelt, Churchill,

and Stalin met in 1945 to outline the division of Germany after the war into spheres of influence

◦ Planned trials for war criminals

◦ Soviet Union promised to enter war against Japan

Atomic BombAtomic Bomb

Allies researched atomic power to bring a quicker end to the war and reduce destruction and death

Manhattan Project◦ In 1943 scientists from

US, Canada, Britain, and other European countries began research in Los Alamos, NM

◦ Many scientists were refugees from Germany

◦ First atomic bomb tested in NM in July 1945

Hiroshima and NagasakiHiroshima and Nagasaki

Allied leaders warned Japan to surrender or face “prompt and utter destruction”

When there was no surrender President Truman decided to drop an atomic bomb on Hiroshima and then another one on Nagasaki when still no surrender

100,000 died instantly and thousands more later from radiation sickness

Beginning of the atomic age and the nuclear arms race

Japan SurrendersJapan Surrenders

After the atomic bombs were dropped Japan surrendered ending the war

The US occupied Japan with General Douglas MacArthur leading it

Japan had a new constitutional monarchy bringing democracy

Emperor Hirohito stayed as Emperor but only as figurehead

American PatriotismAmerican Patriotism

During the war the US was in full wartime production and mobilization of the military

Americans constantly prepared for attack and aided the war effort◦ Blackout drills◦ Rationing of food,

gasoline, and other necessities as wells as luxuries

“meatless Tuesdays” and “victory gardens”

War Bond Drives

Postwar MattersPostwar Matters

Country had to go from wartime to peacetime – demobilization◦ Military went from 12 million to 1.5 million◦ Factories had to resume making consumer goods

Servicemen’s Readjustment Act◦ Became known as GI Bill, authorized billions of dollars to pay for

veterans’ benefits, college, medical, unemployment, and home/business loans

Taft-Hartley Act◦ Wages couldn’t keep up with inflation after the war so a lot of strikes

occurred◦ Series of provisions to help both workers and dealing with strikes by

the gov’t Baby Boom

◦ Largest population boom in US history◦ Families had grown smaller during the Great Depression◦ The boom brought expansion of public services

1948 Election◦ People had been very unhappy with Truman and polls showed he

would lose◦ Pulled off upset and proposed the “Fair Deal” to extend the new deal

reforms