The US Gets Involved in WWII Was US involvement in World War II inevitable?

The US Gets Involved in

WWII

Was US involvement in World War II inevitable?

• US wants to remain neutral (isolationist)

• Problem: Great Britain is alone in fighting Hitler

Neutrality Acts

• Congress passed a series of laws known as the Neutrality Acts– Purpose was to keep US

out of WWII– Forbid US to trade with

warring nations

• 1939 Cash and Carry– Great Britain could have

what they wanted if they paid cash and came and got the stuff

• Spring 1940– Destroyers for Bases Deal

• US gave Great Britain war ships

• Great Britain gave US naval bases around the world

• December 1940– Lend Lease Aid

• Gave Great Britain whatever they needed

• Great Britain paid rent on stuff or promised to give it back after the war

Problems with Japan

• By 1940 Japan had taken control of most of the Pacific region

• Japan was threatening Great Britain’s colonies in the Pacific

• US did not want Great Britain to fight a two front war

US Takes Action Against Japan

• US passes the Export control Act– Embargo against

Japan– Would not trade steel

or oil with Japan

• Japan’s Reaction– December 7, 1941 –

Bombed Pearl Harbor

Impact of “The Day That Will Live in Infamy”• 2,403 Americans killed in

surprise attack• Almost all of Pacific Fleet

was destroyed• December 8, US declares

war on Japan• December 11th, Germany

and Italy declare war on the US

The US Mobilizes for War

How did the War bring about change and

innovation on the home front?

Converting the Economy• US Workers were twice as

productive as German workers and five times as productive as Japanese workers

• US used cost – plus contracts to guarantee profits for industry

• Auto industry produced 1/3 of all military goods

• War Production Board allocated materials to industry

Building an Army• Selective Service Act

– June 1940– 1st peacetime draft in

American history

• Military faced equipment shortages at home

• Not very well trained• American Soldiers

earn the name “G.I.s”

African American Soldiers

• Pushed for the “Double V”– Victory over Hitler’s

racism and Racism at home

• Tuskegee Airmen– Broke Many

Stereotypes

Women in the Military

• Barred from Combat

• Enlistment Slogan– “Release a man for

Combat”

Women on the Homefront

• Filled factory jobs

• Did “Men’s Work”

• Permanently changed their role in the workforce

Other Americans

• Bracero Program– Over 200,000 Mexican farm workers came to

America to help supply troops with food

• Native Americans– Marines used Navajo Indians as “Code

Talkers”

Japanese American Internment Camps

• Removed all Japanese from their homes on the west coast

• Placed in internment camps for the duration of WWII

• Fear of spies• Korematsu vs US –

Internment was legal based on military urgency

• 1988 - $20,000 give to each survivor from the Governemnt

Daily Life during the War

• Federal Government enforced rationing– Used blue and red points– Coupons for goods

• People planted Victory Gardens

• Government organized scrap drives

• Sold bonds to help pay for the war

• People did what they could to win the war!!!