Modern America - United States in WW2

Neutrality Act of 1935

“the desire to avoid any action which might involve \[the U.S\] in war”

Isolationism

State of the U.S. before Pearl Harbor

Neutrality Acts

Every time the war got worse in Europe, we passed another one of these

Spark of WW2

Germany invades Poland

September 1, 1939

Date Germany invades Poland

Zero Hour

A warning, deadline, to Germany for invading Poland from England

September 3, 1939

Date of Zero Hour

Appeasement

The policy of making concession to dictatorial power in order to avoid conflict and war

FDR’s Zero Hour Fireside Chat

FDR says that America will remain neutral. Promises that we will stay out of war

September 3, 1939

Date of Zero Hour Fireside Chat

Lindbergh’s “America First” Committee

He doesn’t want war unless it’s affecting American lives

2 weeks into WW2

Isolationism

Charles’s Lindbergh’s stance

June 1940

Date that France falls to Hitler

June 1940

Date of FDR’s “Lone Island” Fireside Chat

FDR’s “Lone Island” Fireside Chat

“It’s a delusion and a dream to stay isolationists”

1940 Selective Service Act

First peacetime draft

* 1 million men in the army
* NO deployment
* Only 1 “no” vote

FDR’s “Four Freedoms” Speech

“Freedom of worship, from fear, from want, of expression. . . everywhere in the world.”

January 6, 1941

Date of FDR’s “Four Freedoms” Speech

Interventionists

Isolationist versus interventionists: Four Freedoms Speech

Chronological order of FDR’s speeches

Zero Hour, Lone Island, Four Freedoms

Lend-Lease Act

Proposes $7 billion in aid to Great Britain

* double the entire federal budget

FDR’s Fire/Garden Hose Speech

“I help you until the problem is solved, and you give me my stuff back later”

Revised Selective Service Act

Increased number of men drafted, men CAN be deployed, passed by one vote

July 1941

Date of Revised Selective Service Act

Pearl Harbor

Unites the country to make everyone want to go to war

Spark of US in WW2

Pearl Harbor attacked on December 7, 1941

December 7, 1941

Date of Pearl Harbor

December 8, 1941

Date of FDR’s “Infamy” Speech

FDR’s “Infamy” Speech

President asking congress for war

December 11, 1941

Date that Germany declares war on the U.S.

Axis Powers Alliance

Italy, Germany, Japan

* formed before Pearl Harbor

The United States

The “*sleeping giant*”

Yamamoto (Japanese fleet commander)

He said, “*I’m afraid all we have done is awoken seeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve”*

Japanese Internment

Executive order 9066 issued by FDR

Japanese Internment

"All persons of Japanese descent living in the military evacuation area”

The west coast

Military evacuation area

120,000

Number of people interned

2/3

Portion of people interned that were American citizens

Rationing

Controlled distribution of scarce resources and goods

* rubber, meat, coffee, sugar, butter, nylon

Mass production

This ends the Great Depression

Rosie Riveter

A symbol for ALL women

Women were working in factories and taking over men’s jobs.

FDR’s Fire/Garden Hose Speech

The most interventionist speech of FDR

Turning Point Battles

Change the momentum of the war, allied victory, important or overall outcome of the war

The Allies

Britain, Russia, U.S.

The Axis Powers

Germany, Italy, Japan

Britain

Western front of the European Theater

Germany

Who we are fighting in the European Theater

Russia

Eastern front of the European Theater

Japan

Fighting in the Pacific Theater

Italy

Fighting in the African Theater

Battle of Britain

Air battle: Lutwaffe vs RAF

From military targets to London (civilian targets)

Hitler’s change in strategy for the Battle of Britain that allowed Britain to win

Impact of Battle of Britain

1. Operation Sealion never happened
2. Prevented total domination of North Europe
3. First time Germany failed to accomplish what it set out to do

Battle of Britain (Churchill)

“Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.”

RAF and firefighters

“. . . to so few” meaning

Stalingrad

Germany vs Russia

Battle of Britain

Germany vs Britain

Battle of Britain

When Hitler changes his military strategy

Russian winter

Gives Russia the upper hand in Stalingrad after months of fighting

Impact of Stalingrad

1. First Soviet major victory over Germany in 1.5 years
2. Proves Russia has offensive capabilities
3. U.S. promises Russia that we’ll open up a second front to help hem fight against Germany

Midway

Japan offensive against the U.S.

Midway

Japan trying to gain the last island before Pearl Harbor

Midway

Japan thinks they’re surprising the U.S., but we find out

Impact of Midway

1. Japan loses naval power
2. First U.S. victory against Japan
3. U.S. doesn’t lose to Japan again

Island Hopping

This military strategy used by the U.S. starts after Midway

* offensive

Island Hopping

Military strategy that the U.S. uses to get closer to mainland Japan

D-Day

Normandy invasion, Operation Overlord

D-Day

Allie invade coast of France from Britain

Erwin Rommel

Hitler assigns this man to be in charge of the Atlantic Wall

Atlantic Wall

German defensive obstacles to make sure that the Allies can’t invade France from the coast

* obstacles, booby trap, bunkers
* 4 years to build; very strong

Operation Fortitude

Tricking the Germans into thinking that we are invading from the smallest part of the English Channel, but we are actually invading Normandy (that’s more south)

Pas de Calais

Where Operation Fortitude was held

General Patton

Leader of Operation Fortitude

Phase 1, 2, and 3

These phases all took one day

Paratroopers

Men jumping out of planes for the military

Phase 1 of the Combination Plan

Paratroopers land behind the Atlantic Wall

* Prevents Germans from getting additional equipment after the invasion starts
* They’ll only have what they have on the beaches

Phase 2 of the Combination Plan

Bomb the coast from the air and sea

Phase 3 of the Combination Plan

Land on the beach and overcome the obstacles of the Atlantic Wall. Then, meet up with the paratroopers

Operation Mulberry

Phase 4 of the Combination Plan name

Operation Mulberry

Built a harbor in Britain and ships it over to France to rebuild there

* Used to constantly bring in supplies to hold our ground while liberating France

Utah and Omaha

Beaches the U.S. invades in phase 3 of the Combination Plan

Omaha

Hardest beach to conquer during phase 3 of the Combination Plan

Plateau/Cliff

Why Omaha beach was so hard to conquer

Impact of D-Day

Determine the war’s outcome

* Beginning of the end for Germany

Battle of the Bulge

Last ditch effort by Hitler. Germany tries to push the U.S. back to the English Channel. Germany loses the battle. German offensive

2 months

How long it took to liberate Paris after D-Day

Yalta Conference (February 1945)

Right after Battle of the Bulge, the Big 3 Leaders discuss post-war plans

* Who gets what land

Russia/Stalin

This country/man agrees to enter the war against Japan and help the U.S. out 3 months after V-E day

V-E Day

Germany surrenders and war in Europe is over

The “Big 3” Leaders

FDR, Stalin, Churchill

V-E Day

May 8, 1945

V-J Day

Victory over Japan

Empire

Japan was this type of government

Samurai Field Code

1. Emperor is divine (God)
2. To die in battle is the highest family honor. It is shameful to be a POW

Emperor Hirohito

Emperor of Japan

Kamikaze

Lone Japanese fighter pilot that purposefully crashes plane into U.S. ship

Germany

This country declares war on the U.S. after we declared war on Japan because of their alliance with Japan

Arsenal of Democracy

American industries helping the war effort during WW2

WASPS

Women who flew all types of military aircraft from military bases to departure points within the U.S.

Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941

The date that will live in infamy