World War II and the Americas

1. World War II and the Americas Hemispheric Reactions to the Events in Europe and Asia and Involvement of the United States in WWII

2. London Economic Conference • 66 nations meet. Purpose and primary goal – to organize a coordinated international attack on the global depression & stabilize the exchange rates worldwide • Roosevelt pulls out. Why? • Results: • World depression gets worse and everyone pursues their own policies. • Leads to an increase in nationalism. • Reduces chances for international cooperation on other issues

3. FDR’s Foreign Policy • Increased isolationism • Withdrew from Asia • Tydings-McDuffie Act – independence of the Philippines • 1933 – recognized the Soviet Union

4. “Good Neighbor Policy” • Begun by Hoover but associated more with FDR, this policy stressed nonintervention & consultation in Latin America and renounced the Roosevelt Corollary • Encouraged Latin America & the US to work together to defend the Western Hemisphere • Marines left Haiti in 1934; • Cuba, under the Platt Amendment, was released from American control • Mexicangovernment seized American oil properties in 1938 (FDR held to his unarmed intervention policy and a settlement was worked out in 1941) • Policy was very successful for Roosevelt–he was beloved by Latin America due to his efforts for peace

5. Dictators: Joseph Stalin • 1922: Control of Communist USSR

6. Dictators: Benito Mussolini • 1922: Italy

7. Dictators: Adolf Hitler • Nazi Party (Germany) – 1921 • Rome-Berlin Axis (1936)

8. Isolationism: Dr. Seuss

9. Neutrality Acts • 1935, 1936, 1937 • No American could legally sail on a belligerent ship, sell or transport munitions to a belligerent, or make loans to a belligerent. • Provoked aggression

10. Japan

11. Japan invades China • In 1937, the Japanese militarists touched off an explosion that led to the all-out invasionofChina.  • President Roosevelt refused to call the "China incident" an officially declared war.  • The Japanese, as a result, were able to continue to buy war supplies in the United States. • In 1937, Japanese planes sunk an American gunboat, the Panay.  • Tokyo was quick to make apologies and the United States accepted.

14. Germany

15. Hitler’s violation of the Treaty of Versailles • 1935 - mandatory military service in Germany.  I • 1936 - took over the demilitarized German Rhineland. • In March 1938, Hitler invaded Austria.  • (Note:  Austria actually voted for the occupation, fully aware that if it resisted, Germany would forcefully take over Austria.) • At a conference in Munich, Germany in September 1938, the Western European democracies, unprepared for war, gave away Sudetenland to Germany.  • In March 1939, Hitler took control of Czechoslovakia. 

17. WWII in Europe Begins • Hitler-Stalin Pact (1939) • Pact of Steel (1939) • Italy and Germany • Hitler invades Poland on Sept 1, 1939. • Blitzkrieg – “Lightning War” • Britain and France declare war on Germany • Neutrality Act of 1939.  • Europeans could buy American war materials as long as they would transport the munitions on their own ships.

18. Fall of France • May 10th , 1940 • The battle consisted of two main operations. • Fall Gelb (Case Yellow), German armored units pushed through the Ardennes to cut off and surround the Allied units that had advanced into Belgium. • Fall Rot (Case Red), executed from June 5th, German forces attacked the larger territory of France across the Maginot line. • Italy declared war on France on June 10th. • The French government fled to Bordeaux and Paris was occupied on June 14th. • France surrendered on June 25th.

20. German occupation

21. U.S. Reaction • Roosevelt moved with tremendous speed to call upon the nation to build huge air fleets and a two-ocean navy.  • Congress approved spending of $37 billion.  • On September 6, 1940, Congress passed a conscription law • Selective Training and Service Act • First peacetime draft was initiated • provision was made for training 1.2 million troops and 800,000 reserves each year. • At the Havana Conference of 1940, • responsibility of upholding the Monroe Doctrine.

22. Germany v. Britain • August 1940 -  The Battle of Britain • Air battle • radio broadcasts brought the drama from London air raids directly to America homes. • On September 2, 1940, President Roosevelt agreed to transfer to 50 destroyers left over from WWI to Britain.  • Violated neutrality agreements • In return, Britain agreed to hand over to the United States 8 valuable defensive base sites. 

23. Battle of Britain

24. Election of 1940 • Republican – Wendell Willkie • Dictatorship of FDR • Inefficiency of the New Deal • Democrat – FDR • experience • Both • Stay out of war • Strengthen defenses • Voters felt FDR more prepared for war

25. Lend-Lease Bill • Passed fearing the collapse of Britain • American arms could be leased to democracies who needed them. • Abandoned neutrality • Hitler – “unofficial declaration of war” • Robin Moor – merchant ship destroyed by German submarine

27. World War II The United States Involvement

28. World War II (1939-1945) • Mobilization: draft, raised defense spending by $8 billion • Selective Training and Service Act: 1940, first peacetime draft, ages 21-36 • Rationing: Each household received a book of coupons to buy scarce items, could only by a set amount • War-time conservation: carpool, ride bikes, held nationwide drives to recycle items used in war production • Role of women: worked in factories, Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps, which filled noncombat positions that would have otherwise been filled by men

30. Rosie the Riveter Rationing tickets

31. Pearl Harbor • December 7, 1941 – Japanese aircraft attacked the US naval base at Pearl Harbor in the Hawaiian Islands • Hoped to destroy the US fleet in the Pacific & cause the US to accept Japanese control of the Pacific • BUT… it unified American opinion about being involved in the war • US joined European nations and China to defeat Japan • Believing American involvement in the Pacific would make them ineffective in the European theater, Hitler declared war on the United States December 11, 1941

32. “A Day That Will Live in Infamy.” • Japan had been allied with Germany. • Washington imposed the first of its embargoes on Japan-bound supplies in 1940.  • Asked Japan to move out of China • On "Black Sunday" December 7, 1941, Japanese bombers attacked Pearl Harbor, killing 2,348 people.  • On December 11, 1941, Congress declared war.

38. Kamikaze Pilots

39. Declaration of War

41. World War II (1939-1945) • Battle of Midway: (1942) naval battle in which the US won against the Japanese, a turning point in WWII • D-Day: (June 6, 1944) first day of Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France, largest seaborne invasion in history, US and Allied troops surprised Germans at Normandy, beginning of victory for Allies in Europe

42. Storming the beach at Normandy. Map of Europe; Normandy in red

43. World War II (1939-1945) • Battle of Iwo Jima: (November, 1944-February, 1945) US fought Japan and won, bloodiest battle of the war • Battle of Okinawa: (April-June, 1945) Japanese vowed to fight to the death, kamikaze attacks, Japanese eventually surrendered, the Allies had a clear path to Japan

45. Fall of Berlin • March 1945- American troops marched toward Berlin from the west and Soviet forces pushed in from the East • As the Soviet Army surrounded Berlin, Hitler refused to flee the city • April 30, 1945 – Hitler commits suicide in an underground bunker • May 8, 1945 – Germany’s remaining troops surrender • VE Day- Victory in Europe