IB History of the Americas Paper 3 Notes

Second World War: Reactions to Events in Europe and Asia

U.S. and Canadian Involvement and Participation

United States:

• Mobilized over 16 million military personnel during WWII.

• By 1944, U.S. war production accounted for approximately 40% of the world's munitions output.

• The Lend-Lease Act (1941) provided over $50$ billion in aid to Allied nations.

Canada:

• Contributed over 1 million military personnel from a population of about 11 million.

• Played significant roles in the Battle of the Atlantic and the Italian Campaign.

• Established the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, training over 130,000 aircrew.

Social Impact of the Second World War

United States:

• Women's participation in the workforce increased from 27% to nearly 37% between 1940 and 1945.

• African American migration to urban centers surged, with over 1.5 million moving during the war years.

• The G.I. Bill (1944) facilitated higher education for over 7.8 million veterans.

Canada:

• Women filled roles traditionally held by men, leading to increased calls for gender equality post-war.

• The war effort led to the establishment of social welfare programs, including unemployment insurance in 1940.

Use of Atomic Weapons Against Japan

Hiroshima:

• Population before bombing: approximately 350,000.

• Estimated deaths by end of 1945: 140,000.

• Approximately 90% of the city was destroyed.

Nagasaki:

• Population before bombing: approximately 263,000.

• Estimated deaths by end of 1945: 70,000.

• Destruction covered about 44% of the city.

Economic and Diplomatic Effects of WWII

United States:

• National debt increased from $43$ billion in 1940 to $258$ billion in 1945.

• Unemployment dropped from $14.6$% in 1940 to $1.9$% in 1945.

• Established the Bretton Woods system and became a founding member of the United Nations.

Canada:

• War expenditures totaled over $21.8$ billion.

• Post-war, Canada emerged as a middle power with increased influence in international affairs.

Treatment of Japanese Citizens

United States:

• Approximately 120,000 Japanese Americans were interned; two-thirds were U.S. citizens.

• Executive Order 9066 authorized the internment in 1942.

• Civil Liberties Act of 1988 provided $20,000$ in reparations to surviving internees.

Canada:

• Over 22,000 Japanese Canadians were interned and had their properties confiscated.

• In 1988, the Canadian government offered an official apology and $21,000$ in compensation to each surviving internee.

Political Developments in Latin America

Cuban Revolution and Rule of Fidel Castro

Cuban Revolution (1953–1959):

• Led by Fidel Castro, the revolution resulted in the overthrow of Fulgencio Batista.

• Key events include the attack on the Moncada Barracks (1953) and the Battle of Santa Clara (1958).

Rule of Fidel Castro:

• Implemented agrarian reform, nationalizing over 1 million hectares of land.

• Established a one-party socialist state; aligned with the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

• Faced the Bay of Pigs Invasion (1961) and the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962).

Leader: Getúlio Vargas (Brazil)

Estado Novo (1937–1945):

• Established a corporatist authoritarian regime, dissolving political parties and censoring the press.

• Implemented labor laws, including the Consolidation of Labor Laws (CLT) in 1943.

Economic Policies:

• Destroyed 78.2 million sacks of coffee between 1931 and 1944 to stabilize prices.

• Established the National Steel Company (Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional) in 1941 with U.S. support.

The Cold War and the Americas

Containment Under Truman and Eisenhower

Truman Doctrine (1947):

• Pledged $400$ million in aid to Greece and Turkey to prevent the spread of communism.

• Signaled the beginning of U.S. commitment to global containment.

Eisenhower Doctrine (1957):

• Promised U.S. economic and military assistance to Middle Eastern countries resisting communism.

• Authorized the use of U.S. forces in the region; applied during the Lebanon Crisis (1958).

American Policy in Vietnam

Military Involvement:

• U.S. troop levels peaked at over 500,000 in 1969.

• Total U.S. military deaths: approximately 58,220.

• Dropped over 7.5 million tons of bombs on Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia between 1965 and 1975.

Domestic Impact:

• Approximately 125,000 Americans fled to Canada to avoid the draft.

• In 1977, President Jimmy Carter granted amnesty to draft evaders.

U.S. Foreign Policy: Kennedy to Carter

John F. Kennedy (1961–1963):

• Initiated the Alliance for Progress, providing $20$ billion in aid to Latin America.

• Oversaw the Bay of Pigs Invasion (1961) and the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962).

Lyndon B. Johnson (1963–1969):

• Escalated U.S. involvement in Vietnam; authorized Operation Rolling Thunder.

• Invaded the Dominican Republic in 1965 to prevent a perceived communist takeover.

Richard Nixon (1969–1974):

• Implemented "Vietnamization," reducing U.S. troop presence while increasing South Vietnamese responsibility.

• Supported Operation Condor, aiding right-wing regimes in Latin America.

Jimmy Carter (1977–1981):

• Emphasized human rights in foreign policy; criticized authoritarian regimes.

• Faced challenges with the Iran hostage crisis and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

Cold War in Canada

Domestic Measures:

• Established the Royal Commission on Espionage (1946) following the Gouzenko Affair.

• Participated in NORAD (1957) and was a founding member of NATO (1949).

Nuclear Policy:

• Debates over nuclear weapons led to the cancellation of the Avro Arrow project in 1959.

• In 1963, Canada accepted U.S. nuclear warheads under the Bomarc missile program.