Lecture 2 Pulled Into WWII

1. Lecture 2 Pulled Into WWII

3. Part I. In the ’30s, America clung desperately to Isolationism • Neutrality Acts • We refuse to sell weapons to any country at war • The Saint Louis • When a group of Jewish refugees from Germany came on the ship The Saint Louis, America, complaining that we had no room for needy people on account of the Great Depression, turned them away

5. Part II. Interwar Events in Europe Threatened This Isolationism • Many Americans, including FDR himself, watched the rise of totalitarianism in Europe with growing concern • Why? • A) Totalitarianism ≠ Democracy • The Germans and Italians explicitly rejected founding American ideals • B) Aggression • The Nazis were not content to hold their ideas. They wanted to spread them • Hitler took over Czechoslovakia and Austria, and later Poland, and France • C) America’s economic interests • Since America had traditionally traded a great deal with England, their entry into the war hurt us economically

6. Part III. Events in the Pacific Stressed Isolationism Even Further • Japan was the most advanced non-western (think ‘non-European’ or ‘non-white’) nation in the world • They were growing tired of being mistreated by the west • Example  no racial equality clause in Treaty of Versailles • Japan dreamed of building a Pacific Empire to become a first rate power • Unable to convince the west to welcome them as equals, the Japanese turned towards totalitarianism to win respect by force • The U.S. viewed the Pacific as their ‘Sphere of Influence’ (think  Open Door Policy) • Thus, we were an obstacle to Japanese ambitions • Remember, the U.S. had made the decision to extend Manifest Destiny beyond the borders of the western United States • Japan, inspired by the boldness and successes of the Germans and Italians, eyed juicy Asian territories • Why were these territories ‘ripe for the picking’ starting in 1939?

9. Part IV. Neutrality Collapses Completely • The League of Nations proves to be worthless in preventing war • Why? • The Axis powers (Germany, Japan, and Italy) simply ignore it • Thus, if something is going to be done to stop the aggressiveness of the axis, it is up to individual countries • After Japanese soldiers brutalized Chinese civilians as part of their expansive policies, FDR gave an anti-isolationist Quarantine Speech, calling on peaceful nations to isolate aggressive ones • We then proceeded to embargo the sale of oil to the Japanese to hinder their aggressive policies • As Britain struggled alone against the Nazis (after the fall of Poland, France, and Czechoslovakia), FDR felt he could not wait for public opinion to finally turn against isolationism • Cash and Carry Lend-Lease Act • Basically, we started selling weapons to the British • Interesting side note… when Britain ran out of cash, we started to accept payment in the form of international naval bases • As a result, the British transferred their world empire to the United States • Changing of the guard of world power

10. (cont.) • British complained to America that too many of the ships it brought from America were sunk on the way to Britain by German u-boats • U.S. agreed to escort the ships to England, bringing them into military conflict with German U-boats before Pearl Harbor • In the Atlantic Charter, FDR signed a treaty agreeing that the U.S. and England had ‘common war goals’ • Interesting, since the U.S. had not technically declared war

11. V. Pearl!

12. Pearl Harbor  Courage? Insanity? • U.S. economy is 10x that of Japan • Why attack someone so much more powerful than yourself • Japanese reasoning- ‘The U.S. will not tolerate a two ocean war. Too expensive. After we deal them a death blow (cripple Pacific navy) they will retreat back onto the North American continent and give up on their expansion of Manifest Destiny. Then Asia is ours!’ • Miscalculation!

13. The Attack • Japanese aircraft carriers were sent under radio silence along rarely used shipping lanes • Launched an attack on Pearl on Sunday morning • Catch the U.S. off guard • U.S. thought more likely that attack would come against their Philippines base • Declaration of war arrived after the attack, due to some strange circumstances • Crazy tidbit- U.S. was testing out radar near Pearl Harbor that morning- saw the attacks coming, but no one believed the radar • The Cost • America • 4 Battleships Sunk , 3 battleships damaged, 1 battleship grounde, 2 destroyers sunk, 1 other ship sunk, 3 cruisers damaged, 1 destroyer damaged, 3 other ships damaged, 188 aircraft destroyed, 155 aircraft damaged, 2,402 killed, 1,247 wounded • Japan • 4 midget submarines sunk, 1 midget submarine grounded, 29 aircraft destroyed, 64 killed, 1 captured • Not Sunk??? • U.S. Aircraft Carriers

16. FDR Dec 7th, 1941 “…a day that will live in infamy.”

17. Pearl Harbor from a satellite

20. Part VI. Aftermath of Pearl • War declared all around • ‘Europe First’ Strategy adopted by the U.S. and Britain • A year long series of victories won by the Japanese • Only two ‘capital’ British battleships in the Pacific sunk in the days after Pearl Harbor • The Japanese took over big chunks of China, Indochina, and the East Indies/Pacific Islands

22. ۝Part I. In the ’30s, America clung desperately to Isolationism Neutrality Acts We refused ____________________________________ The Saint Louis When a group of Jewish refugees from Germany came on the ship The Saint Louis, America, ______________________ _________________________________, turned them away ۝Part II. Interwar Events in Europe Threatened This Isolationism Many Americans, including ______________, watched the _______ _____________________________________with growing concern Why? A) Totalitarianism ≠ ____________________ The Germans and Italians explicitly rejected ____________________________________ B) Aggression The Nazis were not content to hold their ideas. They wanted ___________________________ Hitler took over Czechoslovakia and Austria, and later __________________________________________ C) America’s economic interests Since America had traditionally _______________ _____________________________, their entry into the war hurt us economically ۝Part III. Events in the Pacific Stressed Isolationism Even Further Japan was the most ___________________________ (think ‘non-European’ or ‘non-white’) _____________________________ They were growing tired of being ___________________ Example  no __________________ in Treaty of Versailles Japan dreamed of building a Pacific Empire to become __________ __________________________ Unable to convince the west to welcome them as equals, the Japanese ________________________________________ _________________________________________________ The U.S. viewed the Pacific as their ‘Sphere of Influence’ (think  _____________________________) Thus, we were an obstacle ___________________________ Remember, the U.S. had made the decision to ___________ __________________ beyond the borders of the western United States Japan, ________________________________________ of the Germans and Italians, __________________________ Why were these territories ‘ripe for the picking’ starting in 1939? ____________________________________ ____________________________________________ ۝ Part IV. Neutrality Collapses Completely The League of Nations proves to be worthless in preventing war Why? - ______________________________________ The Axis powers (Germany, Japan, and Italy) _______ ____________________________________________ Thus, if something is going to be done to stop the aggressiveness of the axis, it is up to ______________ After Japanese soldiers ___________________________ as part of their expansive policies, FDR gave an anti-isolationist Quarantine Speech, calling on peaceful nations to _________ _______________________________________________ We then proceeded ___________________________ to the Japanese to hinder their aggressive policies As Britain ________________________________________ (after the fall of Poland, France, and Czechoslovakia), FDR felt he could not wait for public opinion _________________ ________________________________________________ Cash and Carry Lend-Lease Act Basically,_______________________________ __________________________ Interesting side note… when Britain ran out of cash, we started to accept payment in the form of ____________________________________ As a result, the British transferred their ________________________________ ________________________________ British complained to America that too many of the ships it brought from America were sunk on the way to Britain by German u-boats U.S. agreed to _________________________ __________, bringing them into military conflict ______________________ before Pearl Harbor In the ____________________, FDR signed a treaty agreeing that the U.S. and England had _________________________ Interesting, since the U.S. had _________________ ___________ Hansen Name ___________________U.S. History Period __________________ Lecture #2- Pulled into WWII

23. ۝ V. Pearl! Pearl Harbor  Courage? Insanity? U.S. economy was _______________________________ Why attack someone so much more powerful than yourself? Japanese reasoning- ‘The U.S. ______________________ _______________________. Too ____________. After we deal them a death blow (cripple ________________) they will retreat back onto the North American continent and give up on _______________________________ . Then ___________!’ ___________________________ The Attack Japanese __________________ were sent under ___________________ along rarely used shipping lanes Launched an attack on Pearl on __________________ Catch the U.S. off guard U.S. thought more likely that attack would come against ______________________ Declaration of war arrived _________________, due to some strange circumstances Crazy tidbit- U.S. was _____________________________ __________________________ that morning- saw the attacks coming, but no one __________________________ The Cost America 4 Battleships Sunk , 3 battleships damaged, 1 battleship grounde, 2 destroyers sunk, 1 other ship sunk, 3 cruisers damaged, 1 destroyer damaged, 3 other ships damaged, 188 aircraft destroyed, 155 aircraft damaged, 2,402 killed, 1,247 wounded Japan 4 midget submarines sunk, 1 midget submarine grounded, 29 aircraft destroyed, 64 killed, 1 captured Not Sunk??? ______________________________ FDR Dec 7th, 1941 , “…_______________________.” ۝ VI. Aftermath • _________________________________________ • __________________ Strategy adopted by the U.S. and Britain • A year long series of victories ___________________________ • Only two _____________________________ in the Pacific sunk in the days after Pearl Harbor • The Japanese took over big chunks of __________, ____________, and the ________________________________________