America In World War II

America In World War II

World War II: On The Home Front

Allies Britain

Led by Churchill United States

After Pearl Harbor Led by Roosevelt

Soviet Union Germany broke non-aggression pact and invaded Russia Led by Stalin

Industrial Production

Agencies to mobilize US economic and military resources for wartime WPB – War Production Board

Manage war industries OWM – Office of War Mobilization

Set production priorities Controlled raw materials Cost plus system

Cost of production plus a percentage for profit

US out of Depression Business is booming Unemployment disappears Outdid even the 1920s

Efficient production Astonishing production Twice all of Axis powers combined Henry Kaiser

Turned out a new ship every 14 days

Wages, Prices, Rationing OPA – Office of Price Administration

Regulated civilian lives Freezing prices Freezing wages Freezing rents Rationing commodities

Meat Gasoline Tires Other products

Unions Agreed no strikes while war was on Freezing wages not popular with unions Lewis calls for a few strikes

Smith-Connally Anti-Strike Act Over FDRs veto Allowed government to take over war related

businesses whose operations were threatened by strikes FDR did use to run railroads for a while

Financing The War Over $288 billion dollars How

Increased income tax Most Americans pay Deducted from payroll

Selling war bonds $135 billion sold Lack of consumer goods made it easy to save Very patriotic

The War’s Impact On Society

Every group in America adjusted Millions leave rural areas for factory jobs in

Midwest and Pacific New communities arose around military

factories Many located in South because of climate and

low labor costs

African Americans 1.5 million leave South for jobs in North Served in army

Segregation Discrimination

Double V Victory over fascism Victory for equality

Civil Rights Groups NAACP membership rose CORE – Congress of Racial Equality

Militant work for civil rights Smith v. Allwright

Unconstitutional to deny membership in political parties to African Americans as way to keep them from voting

Mexican Americans Worked in defense industries Served in military Braceros

Mexicans allowed to migrate to help with crop harvest

Zoot Suit Riots Mexican immigrants stir white resentment Battle on streets of Los Angeles - 1943

Native Americans Defense industries 25,000 in military Navajo code breakers

Japanese Americans Suffered from association with enemy 20,000 loyally serve in military Suspected of being spies and saboteurs 100,000 into internment camps

All on west coast

Korematsu v. U.S. (1944) Supreme Court upholds government

internment in time of war 1988 government says injustice had been

done and paid them $20,000 each that were still alive

Women Changes women’s lives Took jobs vacated by men

“Rosie the Riveter” Paid less than men Most left after war

200,000 serve in military

Propaganda Government’s war propaganda everywhere

Posters, songs, news bulletins Movies made

Office of War Information Controlled news about troops and battles

Most patriotic war ever

Election of 1944

Again FDR Many felt there should be no change in

leadership during war 4th nomination Changed VP

Henry Wallace to radical Harry Truman – Missouri

Thomas Dewey Republican nominee Governor of New York Could not offer anything different Not very interesting election Republicans did attack FDR’s dog Falla

Results FDR

53% 432

Dewey 47% 99

World War II: Battlefronts

Two “theater” war 1942 Japanese have huge empire

Philippines Dutch East Indies Islands of South Pacific

1942 mostly about war on eastern front Desperate attempt to save Russia from conquest

Fighting Germany Stalingrad

Largest battle in history Millions die Turning point in war in eastern front

Defense at sea, attacks by air Must overcome German subs in Atlantic

Battle of the Atlantic Began using

Radar Sonar Bombing naval bases

Begin bombing of German cities

From North Africa To Italy Had to drive Germans out of North Africa Operation Torch – 1942 Led by Eisenhower, Montgomery, and Patton El Alamien Tunisia

Sicily Patton Occupied in 1943 Mussolini falls from power Germany now controls Italy Soft Underbelly

Anzio Monte Cassino

From D Day To Victory In Europe June 6, 1944 – Normandy Led by Eisenhower Liberate Paris by August September into Germany

Counter Attack Battle of the Bulge winter 1944

German Surrender Bombing raids in Germany since 1942

Destroyed industrial capacity Hitler commits suicide on April 30, 1945 Unconditional surrender on May 7, 1945

The Holocaust Nazi program of genocide against Jews 6 million jews killed, 9 million over all Shocked world

Fighting Japan U.S. against Japan alone Japan controls East Asia and Southeast Asia Occupied

Philippines China British Burma Malaya French Indochina Dutch East Indies Most of Pacific Islands west of Midway

Turning Point 1942 Dominated by naval forces

Coral Sea – May – 1942 First all aircraft naval battle

Midway – June – 1942 Decoded Japanese messages Surprise Japanese and destroy fleet

Island Hopping Get within striking distance of Japan Seize strategic islands on the way Bypass strongly held islands and isolate with

navy Admiral Nimitz Douglas MacArthur

Commanded Southern Pacific fleet Vowed to return to Philippines

Major Battles Leyte Gulf

Largest naval battle in history To pave way for occupation of Philippines Destroyed Japanese navy Use of Kamikaze pilots

Very damaging at Okinawa 50,000 casualties

Atomic Bomb Manhatten Project

Begun in 1942 Led by Robert Oppenheimer $2 billion dollars to develop Tested on July 16, 1945 in New Mexico

Truman and the Bomb Truman did not know about Manhatten

Project as VP Would not hesitate to use it to save American

lives Called on Japan to surrender or face “utter

destruction”

Dropping the bombs Hiroshima

Enola Gay August 6, 1945 100,000 die instantly Does not end war

Nagasaki August 9, 1945 Japanese look for peace

Japan Surrenders Agree to surrender if emperor could remain

on throne but powerless September 2, 1945

USS Missouri Douglas MacArthur Tokyo harbor

Wartime Conferences

Casablanca January 1943 Roosevelt and Churchill Agree to invade Sicily Demand unconditional surrender

Teheran Big Three – Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin November 1943 Agree liberation of France in 1944 (D Day) Soviets would invade Germany Soviets would join in fight against Japan

Yalta Big Three February 1945 Soviet Union Long Term Agreement

Germany to be divided and occupied Free elections in Eastern Europe Soviets enter war on Japan (August 8, 1945) Soviets control Sakhalin island & Kurile Islands Agree to form United Nations

Death of FDR April 12, 1945 Warm Springs, Georgia Shocked world Truman becomes President

Potsdam Stalin, Truman, Attlee August 1945

Issue warning of surrender to Japan unconditionally

Hold wartime trials of Nazi leaders

War’s Legacy

Costs 300,000 die 800,000 wounded $320 billion in costs

10 times that of WWI Debt increase 1,000% $250 billion deficit

United Nations Congress willing to accept peacekeeping

organization after this war Allies draw up plan in Washington DC 50 nations meet in San Francisco April 1945 Senate accepts involvement October 24, 1945 UN comes into existence

Expectations New World order emerging from WWII Hopes that life would be better & prosperous US remained unscarred US the most prosperous and powerful Unfortunately Cold War begins