US ENTERS WWII
Mar 26, 2015
US ENTERS
WWII
EARLY US INVOLVEMENT Neutrality Act of 1939—FDR allowed British &
French to buy US war supplies Used cash & carry principle (pay cash for supplies,
transport them yourself—US doesn’t get involved) Destroyers-for-Bases– trade US destroyers for
naval bases in N & S America US expands all over world
Lend-Lease Act—Congress loaned Britain war supplies US tied to Britain by $
EARLY US INVOLVEMENTEARLY US INVOLVEMENT
Atlantic CharterAtlantic Charter—signed by FDR & —signed by FDR & Churchill in 1941Churchill in 1941 Right of all nations to Right of all nations to self-determinationself-determination
(deciding their future for themselves)(deciding their future for themselves) US & Britain wouldn’t try to gain territories from US & Britain wouldn’t try to gain territories from
warwar DisarmamentDisarmament—removal of weapons from —removal of weapons from
aggressors (Italy, Germany)aggressors (Italy, Germany) ““Permanent system of general security” in futurePermanent system of general security” in future
Beginnings of UNBeginnings of UN
ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR• US opposed Japanese invasion of China
(Manchuria)• Japanese believed that if US entered war, they would
be against Japanese invasion of Indonesia
• December 7, 1941—Japanese kamikaze pilots attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii• Sank 19 ships, destroyed 150 planes, killed 2335
soldiers & sailors
• US declared war on Japan• Germany & Italy declared war on US
TAKING SIDESTAKING SIDES
AlliesAlliesBritain, France, US, Russia Britain, France, US, Russia (eventually)(eventually)
AxisAxisGermany, Italy, JapanGermany, Italy, Japan
US MOBILIZATIONUS MOBILIZATION ““Arsenal of DemocracyArsenal of Democracy”—US was ”—US was
only country that could produce only country that could produce goods for Alliesgoods for Allies Make war goods, not consumer goodsMake war goods, not consumer goods
Military enlistmentMilitary enlistment men 21-35 men 21-35 required to register for selective required to register for selective service in 1940service in 1940 1945—12.5 million men & women 1945—12.5 million men & women
serving in armed forcesserving in armed forces African Americans placed in segregated African Americans placed in segregated
unitsunits
MOBILIZATION AT HOME
Womenreturned to workforce Worked in support services in combat (not in
active military) Gov’t financingUS citizens bought war
bonds to help pay for war Celebrities served in military or organized trips to
entertain troops (USO)
MOBILIZATION AT HOME
Rationingfactories changed production from consumer to military goods Consumer goods limited (clothing,
sugar, meat, rubber, gasoline) Coupon book told people
when they could buy certain things and what they could buy
WWII in North Africa
• WHY?– Suez Canal– Shipping in Mediterranean Sea
• Operation Torch– Nov. 1942– Push Axis off N. Africa
• Erwin Rommel
WWII in Italy
July 1943 George Patton attacks Sicily Mussolini arrested
No surrender from German troops Very bloody fighting 1945 Italy surrenders
The USSRThe USSR
June 1941June 1941—Hitler broke —Hitler broke Nazi-Soviet Non-Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact & Aggression Pact & invaded USSRinvaded USSR USSR entered war on USSR entered war on
side of Alliesside of Allies US provided support to US provided support to
USSR through Lend-USSR through Lend-LeaseLease
Battle of StalingradBattle of Stalingrad Hitler defeated by Hitler defeated by
Russian winterRussian winter
EUROPEAN THEATEREUROPEAN THEATER US helped Allies defeat Germany & Italy before US helped Allies defeat Germany & Italy before
going after Japangoing after Japan StalingradStalingrad—Germans defeated in S. Russia —Germans defeated in S. Russia
(August 1942-January 1943)(August 1942-January 1943) Russian winter caught Germans off guardRussian winter caught Germans off guard Convinced Hitler that Germany could not advance Convinced Hitler that Germany could not advance
EastEast El AlameinEl Alamein—British defeated Germans in N. —British defeated Germans in N.
Africa (Oct. 1942)Africa (Oct. 1942) German general German general Erwin RommelErwin Rommel pushed out of Egypt pushed out of Egypt
into Tunisiainto Tunisia Removed threat of German attack from SouthRemoved threat of German attack from South
D-DayD-Day
Tehran Conference—Dec. 1943Tehran Conference—Dec. 1943 BIG THREEBIG THREE Attack on FranceAttack on France
• ““Operation Overlord”Operation Overlord”• Dwight D. EisenhowerDwight D. Eisenhower
D-DayD-Day June 6, 1944 June 6, 1944 NormandyNormandy Paris freedParis freed August 25, 1944 August 25, 1944
Battle of the BulgeBattle of the Bulge
German German attempt attempt to divide to divide AlliesAllies
Victory in EuropeVictory in Europe
Yalta Conference—Feb. 1945Yalta Conference—Feb. 1945 BIG THREEBIG THREE What happens after the war?What happens after the war?
• Soviet Union:Soviet Union: Declare war on JapanDeclare war on Japan Free elections in E. EuropeFree elections in E. Europe Keeps Poland temporarilyKeeps Poland temporarily ½ of all war reparations from Germany½ of all war reparations from Germany
• GermanyGermany Divided into 4 pieces (US, France, GB, USSR)Divided into 4 pieces (US, France, GB, USSR)
Establish UNEstablish UN
V-E DayV-E Day
FDR dies—Apr. 12, FDR dies—Apr. 12, 19451945
Hitler’s suicide—Apr. Hitler’s suicide—Apr. 30, 194530, 1945 Unconditional Unconditional
surrender of Germanysurrender of Germany V-E DAY—May 8, V-E DAY—May 8,
19451945 Victory in EuropeVictory in Europe
PACIFIC THEATERPACIFIC THEATER
• US forced to fight on 2 frontsUS forced to fight on 2 fronts– Free EuropeFree Europe– Keep Japanese from expandingKeep Japanese from expanding
• Japan controlled most of Asia & S. Pacific Japan controlled most of Asia & S. Pacific islandsislands
MAJOR TURNING POINTS
Battle of Coral Sea—first defeat of Japanese navy (May 1942)
Battle of Midway—US defeated Japan & kept them from moving East (June 1942)
Guadalcanal—first US offensive in Pacific (Aug. 1942-Feb. 1943)
Iwo Jima—used as stopping point for raids on Japan (Feb.-Mar. 1945)
Okinawa—one of worst battles in Pacific (June-July 1945) Used as base for planned invasion
of Japan
ATOMIC BOMB Albert Einstein (German
Jew) fled Holocaust to work for US Manhattan Project—code
name for project that created atomic bomb before Germany
Truman used bomb to achieve final, quick victory over Japan Dropped on Hiroshima &
Nagasaki
Led to surrender of Japan