Causes and Consequences of WWII & Japanese-American Internment

Causes of World War II

  • Long term contributing factors to WWII:

    • Failures of the Treaty of Versailles
    • Global economic depression
    • Rise of Radicalism
    • Policy of appeasement
    • Failures of the League of Nations

  • Munich Conference (September 1938):

    • Hitler demands the Sudetenland, claiming the German-speaking people there belong to Germany.
    • Neville Chamberlain, British Prime Minister, pursues a policy of appeasement.

  • Appeasement:

    • The disastrous policy of appeasement involved giving in to Hitler's demands.

  • September 1939:

    • Germany invades Poland, triggering WWII.

Allied and Axis Powers

  • Allied Powers:

    • France
    • Great Britain
    • China
    • USSR

  • Axis Powers:

    • Japan
    • Italy
    • Germany

Japanese-American Internment

  • Executive Order 9066 (February 1942):

    • Issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR).
    • Mandated Japanese Americans to report to relocation (internment) camps under military supervision for the remainder of the war.

  • Exclusion Zones:

    • Areas where Japanese Americans were not allowed to live.

  • Fred Korematsu Case:

    • Fred Korematsu, an American-born citizen of Japanese ancestry, refused to comply with the evacuation order.
    • He was arrested by the FBI in May 1942.
    • He was sent to the Topaz Internment camp in Utah.
    • The ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) represented Korematsu in a case brought before the Supreme Court.

  • Korematsu v. United States (1944):

    • The Supreme Court upheld the relocation of Japanese-Americans, arguing it was necessary for national security during WWII.
    • The Court stated it was not based on race but rather on the need for protection and prevention of sabotage.
    • The Court argued that during emergencies like war, the government could limit individual rights to keep the country safe.

  • Overturning of Korematsu's Conviction:

    • In 1983, a Federal judge overturned Korematsu's conviction.

  • 1988 Civil Rights Act:

    • Congress addressed the wrongs of the internment policy by passing the 1988 Civil Rights Act signed by President Ronald Reagan.
    • The act provided an official apology to Japanese-Americans who were forced into internment camps during WWII to "keep the country safe."
    • It gave each of the surviving victims 20,00020,000 as compensation for their injustice and suffering.

  • Influence on President Bush's response to Muslim Americans after 9/11:

    • The internment of Japanese-Americans showed how dangerous it is to target, stereotype, and judge an entire group of people based on fear and disliking.
    • After 9/11, President Bush made it clear that Muslim-Americans were not to blame for the attacks, emphasizing individual accountability.
    • He spoke out against discrimination and stood up for this group to prevent a similar disaster.

Key Concepts

  • The policy of appeasement ultimately failed to prevent WWII and allowed Hitler to grow stronger.
  • The Korematsu case illustrates the conflict between national security and individual rights during times of war.
  • The internment of Japanese-Americans is a stark reminder of the dangers of prejudice and discrimination.

Timeline

  • 9/1938: Munich Conference
  • September 1939: Germany invades Poland
  • Feb. 1942: FDR issued Executive Order 9066