The Great Depression and World War II Notes

The Great Depression and the World

  • By 1932, massive unemployment worldwide contributed to the rise of authoritarian movements, particularly in Europe (Soviet Union, Italy, Germany).
  • Totalitarianism/Authoritarianism: Centralized, dictatorial governments requiring total subservience to the state, using government control over the economy to fund military spending.
  • Often, war was a means to increase employment and end economic hardships.

Facts About Fascism

  • Fascism: Far-right authoritarian ultranationalist political ideology characterized by:
    • A dictatorial leader.
    • Centralized autocracy.
    • Militarism.
    • Persecution of racial/ethnic minorities.
    • Xenophobia and extreme nationalism.
  • Historical Context:
    • Benito Mussolini: Became Prime Minister of Italy in 1922, declared himself Il Duce in 1925 after dismantling democracy. Opposed communism, focused on Italian nationalism, and racial superiority.
    • Adolf Hitler: Exploited post-WWI anger in Germany, founded the NSDAP (Nazi Party).
    • Wrote Mein Kampf in prison; promoted racial superiority and expansionism.
    • Used the Nuremberg Laws to discriminate against Jewish Germans; annexed Austria in 1938.
    • Engaged in Appeasement, agreeing to annexation in Czechoslovakia under British PM Chamberlain.

Japanese Expansion

  • Japan, allied during WWI, invaded Manchuria in 1932, establishing Manchukuo, leading to its condemnation by the League of Nations, which Japan eventually withdrew from.

Shift from Neutrality to Engagement

  • FDR's Struggle: Aimed to support anti-fascist forces, but faced Congressional isolationism.
  • Senator Gerald P. Nye: Claimed U.S. participation in WWI was driven by industrialists and bankers.
  • Neutrality Acts: 1935-1937 laws banning sales of weapons and loans to warring nations, escalated into revisions allowing cash purchases of war materials after German aggression began in 1939.
  • Atlantic Charter: 1941 meeting between FDR and Churchill outlining postwar aims, including self-determination and disarmament.
  • Lend-Lease Act: Allowed U.S. to provide military supplies to allies, marking the end of true U.S. neutrality.

Pearl Harbor and War Declaration

  • December 7, 1941: Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, resulting in significant losses (battleships sunk, aircraft destroyed).
  • FDR's famous quote, calling the day "a date which will live in infamy," led to Congressional declaration of war on Japan on December 8.
  • Germany and Italy declared war on the U.S. shortly after due to their alliance with Japan.

Mobilization for WWII

  • U.S. factories began producing war supplies pre-Pearl Harbor, leading to increased profits.
  • Draft: Approximately 50 million registered, 10 million inducted.
  • California became a major training ground for troops, spurring demographic shifts as African Americans and women entered the workforce in unprecedented numbers.
  • Office of Price Administration (OPA): Established to regulate prices and control inflation.

Roles of Minorities and Women

  • About 1 million African Americans served, with many facing segregation.
  • Tuskegee Airmen: Notable African American pilots.
  • Women entered the workforce to fill jobs left vacant by men going to war, often earning lower wages, despite significant contributions.
  • Rosie the Riveter: Propaganda figure encouraging women to work in factories.
  • Zoot Suit Riots: Racial tensions in Los Angeles, highlighting discrimination against Mexican Americans during the war.
  • Japanese internment: Approximately 120,000 Japanese Americans were forcibly relocated.

European Theater of WWII

  • Nazi Germany: Utilized blitzkrieg tactics to conquer countries rapidly.
  • Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union began in 1941, initially successful but ultimately thwarted leading to retreats by 1944.
  • D-Day European Invasion: Allied forces successfully invaded France on June 6, 1944.
  • Germany surrendered in May 1945 due to multi-front losses.

The Holocaust

  • Nazis marked and segregated Jews and other targeted groups (e.g., Communists, homosexuals) beginning in 1939.
  • The Wannsee Conference (1942) coordinated the "Final Solution", leading to mass extermination.
  • Auschwitz was the largest concentration camp where 1.1 million perished.
  • Total Jewish deaths in the Holocaust estimated at 6 million, with up to 10 million others, alongside total WWII deaths estimated between 50-70 million.

Pacific Theater and Japan's Surrender

  • Japan's early victories reversed as U.S. strategized around island hopping, eventually liberating the Philippines.
  • USA developed nuclear weapons (Manhattan Project); bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki led to Japan's surrender in August 1945.