Ideas

APUSH WWII Ideas – Detailed Breakdown

1. Comparison Chart of WWI & WWII Events

• WWI (1914–1918) was a war of trench warfare, chemical weapons, and static front lines, while WWII (1939–1945) was characterized by blitzkrieg (lightning war), large-scale tank battles, and air superiority.

• The Treaty of Versailles (1919) ended WWI but imposed harsh reparations on Germany, leading to economic hardship and resentment, which contributed to the rise of Hitler and the Nazi Party.

• The U.S. initially remained neutral in both wars, but in WWI, the Zimmermann Telegram and unrestricted submarine warfare led to its entry. In WWII, the attack on Pearl Harbor (Dec. 7, 1941) forced U.S. involvement.

• The end of WWI saw the creation of the League of Nations, which failed to prevent WWII. After WWII, the United Nations (UN) was established as a stronger global organization to prevent future conflicts.

2. 1933 – U.S. Recognized the Soviet Union’s Government. Why?

• After the Russian Revolution (1917), the U.S. refused to recognize the new communist government led by Vladimir Lenin and later Joseph Stalin.

• By 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt decided to recognize the Soviet Union to boost trade and strengthen U.S. diplomatic influence in Europe and Asia.

• The Great Depression also played a role, as the U.S. sought new markets for American goods.

• Additionally, with the rise of fascist regimes in Germany and Italy, the U.S. saw an opportunity to establish ties with the USSR as a potential counterbalance.

3. Know Axis Aggressions Before WWII

• Germany (Hitler): Rebuilt the military, remilitarized the Rhineland (1936), annexed Austria (Anschluss, 1938), and took over Czechoslovakia (1938–1939).

• Italy (Mussolini): Invaded Ethiopia (1935–1936) and later joined Germany in the Rome-Berlin Axis.

• Japan (Emperor Hirohito, General Tojo): Invaded Manchuria (1931) and China (Second Sino-Japanese War, 1937). The Rape of Nanking (1937) shocked the world.

• The League of Nations failed to stop these aggressions, leading to unchecked expansion by the Axis Powers.

4. Know Munich Appeasement (1938)

(a) Land Concerns

• Hitler demanded the Sudetenland, a German-speaking region in Czechoslovakia, claiming it rightfully belonged to Germany.

(b) Powers Involved

• Germany (Hitler), Britain (Neville Chamberlain), France (Édouard Daladier), and Italy (Mussolini) met in Munich, Germany.

• Czechoslovakia was not invited to the conference, despite being the country affected.

(c) Decision Made

• Britain and France followed a policy of appeasement, allowing Hitler to take Sudetenland in exchange for a promise of no further aggression.

(d) Results

• Hitler broke his promise by invading the rest of Czechoslovakia (March 1939).

• The policy of appeasement failed, showing Hitler that Britain and France wouldn’t take military action.

(e) U.S. Long-Term Effect

• The failure of appeasement convinced the U.S. that aggression must be confronted, influencing future policies like containment during the Cold War.

5. When Did WWII Begin in Europe?

• WWII officially began on September 1, 1939, when Germany invaded Poland.

• Britain and France declared war on Germany on September 3, 1939.

• The war escalated when the Soviet Union invaded Poland from the east, as part of the Nazi-Soviet Nonaggression Pact (1939).

• Poland fell within weeks, marking the first use of blitzkrieg (lightning war).

6. By 1941, How Was the U.S. Really Involved in WWII?

• While officially neutral, the U.S. helped the Allies through policies like:

  • Lend-Lease Act (1941) – Provided military aid to Britain, USSR, and China.

  • Destroyers-for-Bases Deal (1940) – Sent old U.S. Navy destroyers to Britain.

  • Convoy System – Protected Allied ships from German U-boats.

• FDR called the U.S. the “Arsenal of Democracy”, supplying weapons while avoiding direct involvement.

7. U.S. and Japan Before Entering WWII

(a) U.S. Actions Threatening Japan’s War Effort

• The U.S. imposed economic sanctions against Japan, cutting off oil, steel, and rubber exports due to Japan’s invasion of China and French Indochina (1940).

• This threatened Japan’s ability to fuel its military expansion.

(b) Area of Negotiations at Odds

• Japan wanted the U.S. to lift economic sanctions, but the U.S. demanded Japan withdraw from China first.

• Neither side compromised, increasing tensions.

(c) Crisis of 1941 – Set Two Countries Against Each Other

• Japan saw war as inevitable and began planning an attack on the U.S. Pacific Fleet.

• December 7, 1941: Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, bringing the U.S. into WWII.

8. Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor

(a) When?

• December 7, 1941 (Sunday morning).

(b) Reasons

• Japan needed to neutralize the U.S. Pacific Fleet to conquer Southeast Asia without interference.

• U.S. sanctions and embargoes were seen as an act of war.

(c) Results

• 2,400 Americans killed; several battleships and aircraft destroyed.

• U.S. declared war on Japan (Dec. 8, 1941).

• Germany and Italy declared war on the U.S. (Dec. 11, 1941).

9. Effects of WWII on Americans

(a) The Economy

• Ended the Great Depression as war production boosted jobs and wages.

• Factories shifted to wartime production (planes, tanks, weapons).

(b) Government Efforts to Control Inflation

• The Office of Price Administration (OPA) set price controls and rationed goods like gas, sugar, and meat.

(c) American & British Scientific Superiority Over Germans

• The Manhattan Project created the first atomic bomb.

• Radar & sonar helped the Allies detect German submarines.

• The U.S. cracked the Japanese "Purple" Code, giving intelligence advantages.

(d) German Sub Attacks on the U.S. East Coast

• U-boats (German submarines) sank U.S. supply ships along the Atlantic coast in Operation Drumbeat (1942).

• The convoy system and sonar technology helped turn the tide against the U-boats.

1. Comparisons of Black Experiences During WWI & WWII

• WWI:

  • Over 350,000 African Americans served, mostly in segregated units.

  • The Harlem Hellfighters (369th Infantry Regiment) fought under French command and earned high honors.

  • After the war, returning Black veterans faced race riots (Red Summer, 1919) and increased Jim Crow segregation.

• WWII:

  • About 1.2 million African Americans served, still in segregated units.

  • The Tuskegee Airmen (Black fighter pilots) proved their skill in combat.

  • The war fueled the Double V Campaign – victory against fascism abroad and racism at home.

  • Executive Order 8802 (1941) banned racial discrimination in defense industries, increasing Black employment.

  • After WWII, Black veterans played a major role in sparking the Civil Rights Movement.

2. Japanese-American Internment During WWII

(a) Why?

• After Pearl Harbor (Dec. 7, 1941), many Americans feared Japanese Americans were spies or loyal to Japan.

• Executive Order 9066 (1942) authorized the removal of Japanese Americans from the West Coast into internment camps.

(b) Where?

• Over 120,000 Japanese Americans were forcibly relocated to camps in California, Arizona, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, and Arkansas.

• The largest camps were Manzanar (CA) and Heart Mountain (WY).

(c) Results

• Families lost homes, businesses, and property without compensation.

• Many Japanese Americans volunteered for the U.S. military to prove their loyalty, forming the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, the most decorated unit in U.S. history.

• In Korematsu v. U.S. (1944), the Supreme Court upheld internment as a wartime necessity.

• Civil Liberties Act of 1988 officially apologized and gave $20,000 in reparations to each surviving internee.

3. Official U.S. Policy for WWII

• The U.S. followed a policy of "Europe First", prioritizing defeating Nazi Germany before focusing on Japan.

• The U.S. supplied Britain, the Soviet Union, and China through the Lend-Lease Act (1941).

• The Atlantic Charter (1941) outlined post-war self-determination and democracy.

• After Pearl Harbor, the U.S. shifted to total war production, mobilizing industry and manpower.

4. U.S. and Soviet Union Relations – WWII

(a) When Did Russia Enter the Pacific War Against Japan?

• The Soviet Union declared war on Japan on August 8, 1945, two days after the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima.

• Soviet forces invaded Manchuria, rapidly defeating the Japanese army.

• This was part of a secret agreement made at the Yalta Conference (1945).

(b) Four Sources of Soviet Bitterness Toward the U.S. Before WWII

1. U.S. Intervention in the Russian Civil War (1918–1920): The U.S. sent troops to fight the Bolsheviks (communists).

2. U.S. Refusal to Recognize the USSR Until 1933: The U.S. did not recognize the Soviet Union for over a decade.

3. Capitalist vs. Communist Ideology: Deep ideological differences between the two nations.

4. Exclusion from Global Affairs: The Soviet Union was left out of major international treaties like the Versailles Treaty and early League of Nations.

(c) Important Sources of Soviet Resentment Over Allied Conduct in the War – Which Is More Important?

1. Delayed Second Front: Stalin wanted the U.S. and Britain to open a Western Front in France much earlier, but D-Day (1944) happened years later.

2. Lend-Lease Disparities: The U.S. provided more aid to Britain than the USSR, making Stalin suspicious.

3. Exclusion from Atomic Bomb Development: The Manhattan Project was kept secret from the Soviets.

4. Postwar Power Struggle: The U.S. and USSR disagreed on the future of Eastern Europe.

• The delayed Second Front was likely the biggest cause of resentment, as Stalin believed the West let millions of Soviet soldiers die while fighting Germany alone.

5. Yalta Agreements (Feb. 1945)

(a) Territorial Plans of Liberation

• Germany would be divided into four occupation zones (U.S., Britain, USSR, France).

• Poland’s borders were redrawn, and the Soviets kept control of Eastern Europe.

(b) U.S. and British Plans vs. Soviet Plans

• U.S. & Britain: Wanted free elections in Eastern Europe.

• Soviet Union: Wanted a buffer zone of communist-controlled states for security.

(c) Soviet Decisions & Final Repercussions

• Stalin refused free elections in Eastern Europe, leading to the Cold War.

• The division of Germany set the stage for the Berlin Blockade (1948) and Berlin Wall (1961).

6. U.S. and the Atomic Bomb

(a) Why Was It Dropped?

• To end the war quickly and avoid a costly land invasion of Japan.

• To demonstrate U.S. military power, especially to the Soviet Union.

(b) Who & Why Was It Created?

• The Manhattan Project (1942–1945) was led by J. Robert Oppenheimer, with scientists like Enrico Fermi and Albert Einstein contributing.

• It was developed due to fears that Germany was working on nuclear weapons.

(c) Arguments For & Against Dropping It

• For:

  • Saved lives (an invasion could have killed 500,000+ soldiers).

  • Forced Japan to surrender without Soviet help.

  • Showed U.S. military superiority in the postwar world.

• Against:

  • Killed 200,000+ civilians in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

  • Japan was already close to surrender.

  • Started the nuclear arms race with the Soviet Union.

(d) Results

• Hiroshima bombed (Aug. 6, 1945), Nagasaki bombed (Aug. 9, 1945).

• Japan surrendered on August 15, 1945 (V-J Day).

• U.S. became the world’s first nuclear superpower.

• Sparked the Cold War arms race.

7. Internment of Japanese Americans

(a) Why?

• Fear that Japanese Americans were spies or saboteurs.

• Widespread racism, especially on the West Coast.

• Wartime hysteria following Pearl Harbor.

(b) Where?

• Over 120,000 Japanese Americans were forced into 10 internment camps in remote locations like Manzanar (CA), Tule Lake (CA), and Minidoka (ID).

(c) How Many?

• Over 120,000 interned, about 2/3 were U.S. citizens.

(d) Results

• Loss of homes, jobs, businesses.

• No proven cases of Japanese American espionage.

• The 442nd Regimental Combat Team (all Japanese American unit) became the most decorated in U.S. history.

• The U.S. government apologized in 1988, paying $20,000 in reparations to each surviving victim.