Nature and Practice of WWII ~ the Pacific

1. Nature and Practice of WWII ~ the Pacific

2. FDR’s take on WWII • Delivered his Quarantine Speech in which FDR called war a disease that Americans needed to avoid (quarantine) because it was deadly • Instead of war, sign peace agreements • Quarantine (isolate) aggressive nations • Connected to America’s traditional isolation and neutrality

3. Neutrality Acts • Attempts at avoiding US involvement in WWII but were revised in 1939 to allow FDR to sell goods and weapons to nations that paid cash and transported the goods themselves • This helped the Allies and violated true neutrality • But Germany was winning and we had to do something

4. The Great Arsenal of Democracy On Jan. 6,1941 FDR addressed Congress to propose that the US lend money to Britain: he said we must stand behind those nations (the allies) that were committed to: The 4 freedoms: 1) freedom of speech, 2) freedom of religion, 3) freedom from want, & 4) freedom from fear In March 1941 the Lend-Lease Act was signed into law… the president explained it would be like lending your neighbor a garden hose to put out a fire. In August 1941 FDR and Churchill secretly met off the coast of Newfoundland and signed the Atlantic Charter declaring their peace objectives: 1) no territorial expansion, 2) self-determination, 3) free trade, 4) cooperation among nations, 5) disarming aggressors

6. Lend-Lease Act • Allowed FDR to sell, lease or lend defense materials to Allies • Was an economic declaration of war against Axis Powers • Violated neutrality • In response Germany starts to attack merchant ships delivering these war materials to Britain using U-Boats …America is practically fighting in WWII with dollars not bullets

7. PEARL HARBOR (“A DAY THAT WILL LIVE IN INFAMY”) Pearl Harbor • Japan relied on the US for natural resources (specifically oil) but the US ended trade (embargo) with Japan…negotiations were unsuccessful • In response, General Hideki Tojo sent troops to bomb the US military base of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 • A surprise attack • 2,500 killed • Disabled the base and supplies for six months • FDR asked Congress to declare war and America enters the war with the Allies FDR Speech

9. EFFECTS OF PEARL HARBOR • America starts to restrict the rights of Japanese living in America because they were seen as disloyal • Government starts to detain Japanese-Americans in internment camps (temporary imprisonment) • Korematsu vs. US upheld the governments ability to use internment camps against citizens during wartime

10. AMERICA MOBILIZES (PREPARES FOR WAR) • Huge patriotism following Pearl Harbor Attack • People enlisted, gave blood, volunteered • People bought war bonds to fund the war, connected to victory • Women’s Army Corps (WACs): gave army jobs to women • Nurses, clerical work, typists, truck drivers, etc • Rosie the Riveter became symbolic for women to show their war efforts making war materials • Women had to step aside when men came back from war

12. War Production Board: oversaw the transition of peacetime industries to war time industries in America Ford made planes not cars Other government agencies were created to distribute scarce resources, create patriotism Rationing: Americans were issued coupon books that limited the amount of certain goods they could buy AMERICA MOBILIZES

13. Propaganda or Patriotism?

14. WWII: Battlefronts 1939-1945 Two Theaters: Europe (Germany) and Pacific (Japan) Quick Overview

15. European Theater Pacific Theater

16. Axis: Germany, Italy and Japan had their own goals only shared common enemies Main goal: prevent American war materials from getting into Europe…u-boats patrol seas (“wolf packs”) but sonar use will level the playing field Allies: unified in their goals…get Hitler in Europe and then turn to the Pacific Had General George Patton controlling efforts in Africa Allies attacked Italy, overthrew Mussolini and removed Hitler’s help…new gov’t declared war on Germany Russia wanted Allies to set up western front in France so Germany was fighting a two-front war Strategies

17. Political Cartoon Assignment • Create a Political Cartoon • US Foreign Policy 1930’s, Axis Powers, Allied Powers • Include the following • TITLE • 3 MESSAGES WITHIN CARTOON • 2 SENTENCE DESCRIPTION OF CARTOON @ BOTTOM OF PAGE OR ON BACK OF PAPER

18. RESEARCH What was US foreign policy during the 1930s? What were two examples of US supporting the Allies prior to Pearl Harbor? Define each. Who made up the Axis Powers? Who made up the Allies Powers? What are two examples of the US mobilizing for the war?

19. The Road to War • Japan sought to control of “East Asia” for additional markets and sources of raw materials • Invades China in 1931. • Invades French Indochina in 1940. • “Colonial” governments begin imposing embargoes to put brakes on Japanese expansion. • Japanese armed forces argue that they must strike to relieve pressure of embargoes. • Expect conflict, but buy time and surprise through negotiations. • US and UK focused on war in Europe.

20. Japanese Strategy • Three Phases • Phase I: Surprise attacks, then strategic defense. • Knock out US fleet; seize vital areas; establish defensive perimeter. • Phase II: Strengthen perimeter; make any offensive action by the US prohibitively costly. • Phase III: Defeat and destroy any forces that attempt to penetrate the perimeter. • Long US LOC and natural strength of defense should almost guarantee success.

22. Historical debate of Japan’s responsibility Japan as aggressor Japan as imperial power Japan planned the war from 1930’s Japan’s willingness to negotiate was a plan to keep enemy off guard Aggressor- aim to conquer Asia Japanese declaration of war blamed US European style imperialism Japan didn’t plan for war, just took too many risks Japan was creating a sphere of influence (like US did in Latin America) Japanese Munro vs American Munro Doctrine Japan fought a defensive war- triggered by US embargoes. They had to act

23. Long term causes • WWI- Japan wants to increase its influence • 1915 US and Japan relations sour • Japan insists on political and economic position in China • US sees this as a threat to their interests • 1917 Lansing-Ishii Agreement—Japan could keep the gains they made up to 1917 (recognized by US) but no more allowed • China feels betrayed by US

24. Short term causes • Sino-Japanese conflict • 1937 Marco Polo bridge in Beijing—nationalism high—fighting. Large scale fighting—need for raw materials—war with US War with China leads to a complete takeover of Japanese government by the military

25. Immediate cause of war in Pacific

26. Japan’s relationships Germany USSR USSR as enemy Tripartite Pact (keep US out of war) Hitler declares war on US 11 December 1941 Friendly with Russia After revolution (USSR) Japan feels threatened territorially and ideologically USSR supplied China 1941 Germany and USSR hostile- Japan relaxes- sign Neutrality Pact with USSR Soviets declare war on Japan Aug 1945

27. Is the US responsible for war in the Pacific? To what extent is the US responsible for the war in the Pacific?