Ch 11. WWII Turning the Tide

1. Ch 11. WWIITurning the Tide

2. The War Continues… • The RAF fought off the Nazis in the air war over Britain • US Navy was successful at the Battle of the Coral Sea in stopping JAP plans for domination in the Pacific • Signs of hope existed for the Allies…

3. Axis Strategy… • GER, IT, JAP all shared common enemies but did not have a coordinated plan of attack • Hitler wanted to dominate Europe and eliminate inferior peoples • Mussolini had dreams of an IT empire stretching from the Adriatic to East Africa • Tojo wanted control over the Western Pacific and Asia

4. Allies Strategy… • Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin all considered GER/Hitler the most dangerous enemy • None believed that JAP or IT was a serious long-term threat • GER had the resources to bomb BR, fight US and BR navies on the Atlantic and invade RUS • Although the plan was to win the two-front war – all agreed on a “Europe First” strategy – so defeat Hitler first and the Pacific would be the second theater of war

5. Arsenal of Democracy… • US factories turned out millions of guns, tanks, planes and other supplies – enough to keep the BR and RUS fighting for years • But how to deliver?

6. Battle of the Atlantic • How to keep GR subs from surrounding BR and keeping them from US supplies • US warships formed convoys with merchant ships – the GR subs formed their own convoys called “wolf packs” (30+ subs) and sank nearly 3500 merchant ships • When the US entered the war - the battle spread - GR subs began attacking ships off of the US coast

7. GR v. Russia • As early as 1924 – Hitler wanted control of RUS – claiming that GR needed lebensraum (living space) to the east and wanting control of the Caucasus oil fields • After losing the Battle of BR – Hitler broke his pact with Stalin and attacked RUS – Operation Barbarossa • Blitzkrieg---Wehrmacht – RUS was unprepared for the lightening intensity of the GR attack • GR ground troops executed the majority of RUS they encountered

8. RUS v. GR • Scorched Earth Policy – burning everything while in retreat • Stalin asked FDR for help through the Lend-Lease program – Congress vetoed any aid for RUS until June 1942 • GR troops threatened major cities in RUS – Stalin asked that the Allies launch a major offensive against GR in Europe so that Hitler would have to divide his troops and fight on two fronts • The Allies hesitated and the RUS had to fight GR on their own

9. Battle of Stalingrad • RUS made a stand at Stalingrad – GR began a 2 month bombing and shelling campaign – RUS hid in the rubble and began house to house fighting • Winter hits – RUS surround and attack the GR – The Red Army launch their final assault on the GR – 90,000 freezing, starving GR surrendered on January, 31, 1943 • GR lost over 330,000 soldiers at Stalingrad • This battle was the turning point of the war in the east

12. North African Campaign • BR had been fighting the GR & IT in North Africa since 1940 – the BR won a decisive victory at El Alamein and began forcing the GR Afrika Korp led by the “Desert Fox” – Erwin Rommel - into retreat to the west • BR and US troops led by Gen Dwight Eisenhower landed in Morocco and Algeria and began to push east • They trapped the GR at Tunisia – 240,000 GR & IT supply-less soldiers surrendered against Hitler’s command

13. The Allies realized that they needed strong commanders and troops trained for desert fighting to win to win in North Africa • Tank Commander George S. Patton known as “Blood and Guts” was put in command • Patton pushed his troops east as the BR pressed west from Egypt – trapping the Axis troops in Tunisia

14. Casablanca Conference • Churchill and FDR meet again at Casablanca, Morocco • They made up a war plan – agreeing to concentrate on the European Campaign before trying to win the war in the Pacific – increase the bombing of GER and invade IT • They also agreed that neither would accept anything less than the unconditional surrender of GR, IT, & JAP

16. GI • GI = Government Issue(stamp on clothing) • 16 million American served in WWII • 300,000 Mexican Americans fought to defend the Philippines, served in N. Africa, and took part in the D-Day invasion • 25,000 Native Americans – 300 Navajos served with the Marines as radio operators – “code-talkers” • 20,000 Japanese Americans served – the 442nd combat team became the most decorated military unit in US military history

17. GI….. • 1 million African Americans served • 761st Tank Battalion captured 30 towns from the GR in a 183 day marathon battle • 99th Fighter Squadron “Black Eagles” shot down over 110 planes over IT • The JAP-AM and AA troops were not immediately accepted into the rank and file – it took heavy white casualties for these minority groups to gain acceptance

18. Invasion of Italy • US troops led by Gen Patton attacked Sicily and in 38 days Mussolini was overthrown • As Allied troops threatened in the rest of IT – the new government surrendered • GR troops in IT continued to fight – they blocked roads, destroyed bridges • They surrounded the GR in Anzio – south of Rome and fought a long agonizing battle to gain just a few miles of beach • When the fighting ended after one year and the allies had won – over 72,000 GIs had been killed or wounded at Anzio – over 190,000 GI casualties in the freeing of IT • Rome was quickly captured and IT surrendered in April of 1945

19. Air War • RAF began bombing runs on GR in 1940 • The Luftwaffe forced the RAF to run night missions only – after the Battle of BR – the RAF began a technique called saturation bombing – large # of bombs dropped on GR cities –cities suffered heavy damage • 1943 the US joined in the bombing raids – concentrated on political and industrial areas – strategic bombing – destroy GR capacity to make war

20. Tuskegee Airmen… • AA Fighter Squadron - Began as escort and protection planes rather than carrying out bombing raids • 332nd Fighter Group reportedly flew 1,500 successful support missions – never losing a single bomber

21. Home Front… • War promoted and prompted patriotism and production • New economic reality helped women and minorities

22. Women and the War • Rosie the Riveter – popular song in 1942 – that told the story of Rosie who worked in a defense plant while her boyfriend Charlie served in the Marines • Her image was used in posters and recruitment ads to get women to work • The image was of a woman who was young, white and middle class • Patriotism was her motivation – she would do her part while her boyfriend was off fighting • Women of all ages and ethnicities wanted to work for various reasons as well as doing their part in the war effort

23. Recruiting Women • Office of War Information launched recruitment campaigns – aimed at women who might not have normally sought out a job – older married women • 14.6 million women in 1941 to 19.4 million in 1944 • At one point women made up 35% of the total civilian workforce • Married women soon accounted for than ¾ of the increase – by the end of the war ½ of all women workers were over the age of 35

24. Benefits… • Money earned paid off Depression debts and helped to buy new homes • Other women found their new jobs more interesting and challenging • Still others found that their new jobs made them feel patriotic • Women felt more self-confident and important

25. Problems Women Faced… • Experienced hostility from other workers in jobs that were mostly male jobs • Fraternizing rules were established • Childcare was very limited – most mothers arranged for other family members to care for their children • Women also earned less than men • National War Labor Board said that women who did the exact same job as men should earn the same pay – this was widely ignored • Women began at the bottom – Seniority rules ensured that women advanced slower than men

26. African American Women • Many AA women faced prejudice and discrimination when they applied for these new jobs • Lawsuits and other forms of protest improved their lots in life • AA women employed in non-domestic jobs rose from 6.8% to 18% from 1940-1944 • The number working as domestics dropped from 59.9% to 44.6%

27. Discrimination… • During the war – FDR pushed for an end to bigotry • Even though many experienced a new found freedom – the war made it more difficult for some groups in the US • African Americans and Japanese Americans still had many difficulties

28. African Americans • Jim Crow was alive and well in the South • But many still faced hardship in the North with discrimination in employment, education and housing • 1 out of 5 AA were jobless in 1941 • Gov’t agencies pushed for equality – they still honored requests for “white only” employees

29. Double V Campaign… • The first V was for victory against the Axis powers - The second V was for victory in winning equality at home • A. Philip Randolph – Labor leader – said AA would not longer accept 2nd class citizenship – gave FDR a list of demands that AA needed in the workplace • To counter a protest march during wartime – Executive Order 8802 was issued by FDR – fair hiring practices for any job that was gov’t funded

31. Economic Discrimination • 2 million AA migrated to the North looking for jobs but finding other problems • Segregation in housing and apartments was common • Housing was found only in ghettos • 1941 – survey taken – 50% of all AA housing was substandard versus only 14 % of white housing • White workers and homeowners did not want AA in their workplaces or neighborhoods – riots broke out in Detroit and NYC

32. CORE… • CORE – Congress for Racial Equality – believed in using non-violent means to end racism – organized its first sit-in at the Jack Spratt Coffee House in Chicago in 1943 – AA sat in every seat and refused to leave until every one was served • CORE groups quickly spread to other major cities

33. Mexican Americans • Both MA citizens and Mexicans working in the US experienced discrimination before, during and after the war • But jobs were found by MA in the shipyards in in Los Angeles – about 17,000 there – as well as in aircraft factories in California, Texas, New Mexico • Many moved to major cities to work in other defense jobs – Chicago, Detroit and NYC

34. Bracero Program • 1942 – agreement between the US and Mexico for workers (Braceros) in food production – the US would provide transportation, food, shelter, medical care • 1942-1947 – 200,000 Braceros worked on Farms and occasionally other industries to aid the war effort • Large Barrios (Spanish speaking neighborhoods) grew up in Southern California • Crowded conditions and discrimination caused tension

35. Zoot Suit Riots • MA young men wore a style of suit called a Zoot Suit – long jackets, baggy pants with tight cuffs – hair slicked back (ducktail) • The look offended many people – US sailors on leave in LA would go looking for fights with Zoot-Suiters because they looked “un-American” • June 1943 – Full scale fighting began – most blamed the MA men rather than the soldiers who had started the fight – soldiers were banned from leave in LA

37. Japanese Americans • 1941 - .01% of the total US population – 127,000 JA lived in the US • Most lived on the west coast where prejudice had always been strong • About 2/3 were Nisei or people who were born in the US of parents who had immigrated from Japan • Although they were native born – they were heavily discriminated against

38. Hostility and Hatred • After Pearl Harbor, many Americans felt that the JA were spies – newspaper headlines strengthened their ideas • Gov’t decided to remove all “aliens” from the west coast • Feb. 19, 1942 FDR signed Executive Order 9066 – authorized the Sec. of War to created military zones and remove “any and all persons” from such zones • Germans, Italians and Japanese were all at first affected – told to move away from the west coast

39. War Relocation Authority was set up to remove all Japanese American citizens and non-citizens – about 110,000 to Internment Camps • Relocation happened so fast that most JA had no time to secure their property • Many lost businesses, homes, farms and other property • Camps were in desolate areas – wooden barracks covered with tar paper – families were given a room with cots, blankets and one light bulb • Toilet, bathing and dinning facilities were shared • Barbed wire and armed guards surrounded the camps

41. Legal Challenges • Four lawsuits reached the Supreme Court challenging relocation – However the Court ruled that wartime relocation was constitutional • Korematsu v. United States – Ted Korematsu refused to go to a relocation camp – said that it violated his civil rights • The Majority Opinion said that it was a wartime decision and it was upheld • Early 1945 – JA were allowed to leave the camps – many returned home to pick up their lives – many found that nothing of their former lives was left – 1988 US Gov’t gave each internee $20,000 and an official apology

42. “The worst thing about the camp was we felt we didn’t have a country. We didn’t know what we were, American or Japanese. We could have been very helpful in the defense work. Sitting in camps like that didn’t do us any good.” – 1942 Internment camp resident • Can a government ever justify locking up some of its citizens even if they have committed no crime? Explain your answer completely in one clear paragraph.

43. Nisei Soldiers • 17,000 JA served with the armed forces in WWII – about 1,200 volunteered from relocation centers - the rest came from Hawaii where there were no relocation centers • 442nd Regimental Combat Team – all Japanese Americans – won more medals than any other unit in WWII while fighting in Germany and France

44. Great Arsenal of Democracy… • US production increased each year of the war • By mid 1945 – 300,000 airplanes, 80,000 landing craft, 100,000 tanks and armored cars, 5,600 merchant ships(2,600 Liberty Ships), 6 million rifles, carbines and machine guns, 41 billion rounds of ammo

45. 1940 – 14.5% unemployed • 1945 – 2 % unemployed • Union membership rose • Labor and management agreed after Pearl Harbor to no more lock-outs or strikes • No Strikes became difficult as the cost of living increased • Gov’t often intervened in labor issues to keep strikes from shutting down production during war time

46. Cost of War • Gov’t spending increased from $8.9 billion in 1939 to $95.2 billion in 1945 • GNP doubled in that same time • 1941-1945 – Cost to the Gov’t was $321 billion – 10 X the cost of WWI • Higher income tax helped – 41% of the cost of the war

47. Revenue Act of 1942 – increase the # of people who paid taxes, set up withholding taxes or “pay-as-you-go” • 94% was paid by the richest Americans – higher rates were charged to corporations and placed on consumer goods • The rest of the money was borrowed from banks, private investors and the public • War Bonds – Defense Stamps were sold to Adults and children across the US

49. The Government steps in… • To organize the war effort at home… • Office of Price Administration – 1941 – keep shortages from sending prices up – avoiding inflation – later it would oversee rationing • War Production Board – 1942 – conversion of industry from consumer goods to war goods • No more cars/mowers/vacuums – Military gave out contracts – the WPB set priorities and allocated materials

50. Rationing was another form of economic control • Each citizen was issued coupon books that limited the amount of certain goods such as passenger automobiles, typewriters, sugar, gasoline, bicycles, footwear, fuel oil, coffee, stoves, shoes, meat, lard, shortening and oils, cheese, butter, margarine, processed foods (canned, bottled and frozen), dried fruits, canned milk, firewood and coal, jams, jellies and fruit butter and tires