7.11-7.12

Dictators and Wars

  • uneasy peace followed with the ending of WWI in 1918

    • germany resented terms of ToV

    • italy and japan growing in size with new land

    • worldwide depression brought despairs

  • Totalitarianism began to rise, as totalitarian governments developed in several countries

    • Soviet Union - led by Joseph Stalin

      • following the death of Vladimir Lenin, Stalin attempted to turn the Soviet Union into an industrial power by forcing people to work in factories and state-run farms. Ruling through fear and propaganda, Stalin killed and imprisoned traitors through the Great Terror

    • Italy - Benito Mussolini

      • forming the Fascist Party, Mussolini and his followers fought to gain power within Italy

    • Germany - Adolf Hitler

      • Hitler rebuilt the nations army, using his economic policies to put people back to work. Ruling with unlimited power, Hitler controlled the press and education system, used propaganda, and used his secret police to silence opposition. Violently anti-semitic

    • Japan - Numerous military leaders

      • They attempted to solve the country’s economic problems through aggressive military conquests, eventually invading Manchuria and parts of China

  • Because of how weak the LoV was, they did little to stop the aggression of this totalitarian states, fearing involvement in another war

Isolation to Involvement

  • efforts to appease Hitler failed, and soon he launched a series of attacks on Poland, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, and soon, France

    • blitzkrieg

  • Soon, hitler turns his fury on GB, waging the Battle of Britain in the air.

  • War begins, again

    • Axis Powers

      • Germany

      • Italy

      • Japan

    • Allies

      • GB

      • France

      • Soviet Union

      • US

      • China

  • In the early days, Congress declared neutrality, but soon moved to support Europe’s democracies

    • Neutrality Act of 1939 - this cash-and-carry policy was designed to aid Britain and France by letting them buy supplies and munitions in the United States, avoiding loans or U.S. shipping in order to prevent WWI-style entanglement.

  • two debating views with government

    • isolationists - U.S should stay out of the war and avoid making alliances with other nations

      • focus on domestic issues such as the depression, and intervening would be a mistake and breach of safety

    • Interventionist - U.S should work with other nations for collective security

      • axis powers are threatening American interests, so we should aid the allies to fight for democracy and freedom

  • As conditions worsened, FDR outlined four freedoms that are precious to americans

    • freedom of speech, worship, from want, and from fear

    • he argued that all of these freedoms are threatened by German and Japanese militarism

  • Congress took another step to aid the British, passing the Lend-Lease Act which amounted as a economic declaration of war

  • Atlantic Charter - A policy statement signed by FDR and Winston Churchill, issued during World War II outlining the shared goals and principles of the US and the UK for the post-war world. It emphasized mutual cooperation, self-determination of nations, and economic security, setting the stage for future international agreements like the United Nations.

America Enters the War

  • tensions b/w the US mounted as Japan continued to gain territory and natural resources

    • roosevelt condemned Japanese aggression, working to slow it’s expansion with an embargo on oil, steel, and rubber

    • Hideki Tojo, Japan’s prime minister, decided to remove the US from the pacific completely

  • December 7th, 1941 - Japanese fighter pilots attacked Pearl Harbor, devastating the Pacific Fleet and killing thousands

    • US declares war on Japan, with Germany and Itality declaring war on the US in retaliation

  • Wave of patriotism sweeps the US

    • americans joined the military, the red cross, and other organizations

    • women joined female army corps, army nurse corps, and other auxiliaries

    • americans bought war bonds, rationed, and helped makes weapons for the war effort

    • the money poured into defense ended the Great Depression

      • production levels double of all axis powers combined, giving allies a crucial advantage

  • early years of war

    • japan took the philippines, causing general douglas macarthur and soldier to retreat —> Bataan Death March

The Allies Turn the Tide

  • with germany seen as the most dangerous axis power, allies agreed to a europe first strategy to defeat hitler

  • Germany invades the soviet union in june 1941

    • the soviets defeated the Germans at Stalingrad

    • Battle of Stalingrad was major turning point in the war

  • meanwhile, allied forces pressured the axis powers in the deserts of north africa, taking victory and paving the way for an invasion of italy

    • forces capture sicily

    • ends rule of benito mussolini, with italy surrendering to the allies

  • Battle of Midway - major turning point of the war in the pacific

The Home Front

  • women

    • began entering the workforce in large numbers to take up jobs left behind by soldiers

    • earned paychecks and gained knowledge and experience

    • day care options expanded

  • African americans

    • still experienced racism and discrimination in the workforce

    • called for a Double V campaign:

      • victory against fascism abroad

      • victory against discrimination at home

    • jobs still segregated

    • A Philip Randolph

      • executive order 8802

  • Migration

    • people moved into cities to seek jobs in wartime industries

    • population changes and racial tensions at time triggered violence

      • urban riots

      • zoot suit attacks

  • Discrimination against immigrants

    • germans, italians, and japanese citizens living in the US faced heavy discrimination

      • Japanese americans suffered the most - internment camps

Victory in Europe