OPEN NC BOOK TO WORLD MAP ON PAGE
A21. How far is Japan from California?
2. How far is Germany from NC?3. According to these numbers, why might the
U.S. stay neutral?
U.S. Isolationism in 1930s
Devastation of WWI convinced many Americans to stay out of international issues
Congress passed laws prohibiting selling weapons to countries at war
Some people like Dr. Seuss did not agree and knew the U.S. would have no choice but to get involved
Lend-Lease Act
FDR changed policy in 1939 to help Allies without fighting
Lent or leased $50B of weapons
Many people considered this fighting for the Allies
Japanese Attack Pearl Harbor
Due to Japan’s war actions U.S. cut off all oil shipments; Japan attacks in response
8 battleships destroyed; aircraft carriers were out to sea and unharmed
Germany declares war on U.S. because of its alliance with Japan
Invading through Africa & Italy
Germany too strong to attack directly
Allies find weak point in N. Africa in 1942; go to Italy in 1943
Nazis go too far in Russia
German-Soviet Russian alliance fell apart
Nazis cannot capture Stalingrad in 1942
Extremely hard-fought and bloody battle
D-Day Invasion
Jun 6, 1944 Allies finally invade France
176,000 troops come ashore; 10,000 die
Sets up Allied supplies to reach Germany
Victory in Europe (V-E)
U.S. & Allies move from west; Soviet Russians from east
Meet in Germany in May 1945 Hitler commits suicide hidden in
bunker
Japan’s growing empire
U.S. had to rebuild destroyed fleet Japan conquered 1/7th of entire
planet by spring 1942 U.S. policy of island hopping to cross
ocean and defeat Japan
Battle of Midway
May 1942 Japanese move towards Midway Islands near Hawaii
Largest sea/air battle in world history
U.S. pushes back Japan
Island Hopping
U.S. Navy & Army went from island to island as bases to attack Japanese forces
Japanese fought very hard; no surrender
Iwo Jima and Okinawa very bloody sites
The Manhattan Project
Top secret program to build atomic bomb before Nazis did
FDR died in April 1945; Truman now #1
Dilemma: using it kills civilians, not using kills Americans
Victory in Japan Aug. 1945
Truman orders atomic bombs dropped on cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
170,000 mostly civilians killed Japan surrenders