World War Two

1. World War Two

2. “Our Last Hope: HITLER”

3. Roosevelt & the Shadow Of War • Americans tried to ignore international issues in the 1930s • Concerned only with domestic Depression • FDR seemed to agree at first • Eventually events in Europe made it impossible to ignore • 1933 – the London Conference • Attempt to stabilize the international economic depression • America’s withdrawal doomed its success

5. Asia Policy Changes • Philippine Independence • In 1934, Congress passed an act freeing the Philippines from American control by 1946 • This would free us from responsibility & competition, and make good on our promise • Diplomacy with the Soviet Union • 1933, FDR formally recognized the USSR in hopes of making trade relationship & making a strong military ally

7. Being a “Good Neighbor” • Latin America – “Good Neighbor Policy” • FDR desired friendly diplomatic and trade relationships with Western Hemisphere countries • Reverse imperialistic efforts of the past • Reciprocal Trade Agreements • New Dealers: low tariffs create good trade relations, which guards against military conflict • RTA Act of 1934 – effort to improve economy through lowering tariffs & providing incentives for int’l trade partners

8. Totalitarianism • WWI & the Depression spawned instability & fear • Dictators emerged that urged their citizens to value the state over individuals

9. Fascism • A political format that employs: • Totalitarianism • Extreme nationalism & racist superiority • Militarism • Hostile to democracy, liberalism, & communism • Mussolini (Italy): 1922-1943 • Franco (Spain): 1936-1975 • Hitler (Germany): 1933-1945

10. Totalitarian Leaders • Joseph Stalin, USSR: Execution and forced labor for suspected dissidents • Benito Mussolini, Italy: Fascist leader & German ally • Adolf Hitler, Germany: Nazi Party leader known for rousing speeches • Used Germans’ frustration with the Treaty of Versailles to gain power • Ruthless genocide • Hideki Tojo, Japan: fueled by Treaty of Versailles resentment & territorial aspirations

12. American Isolationism“head in the sand” • Felt US involvement was a mistake • Lives lost & bitter toward debtors • Underestimated the power Fascists harnessed • and the extent of their aspirations • Push to forbid declaration of war unless invaded • Congress passes Acts of Neutrality in 1935, 36, 37 • Short sighted: • provided aggressors with opportunity to flourish w/out resistance from the US • & we failed to support our allies

14. Spanish Civil War 1936-9 • “dress rehearsal” for WWII • “Nationalist” Gen Francisco Franco led rebel troops to overthrow the “Loyalist” republican government • Some Americans wanted to aid a fellow democracy • The official government stance was neutral

16. The (2nd) Sino-Japanese War • 1932-7: Japan invaded Manchuria, then China • Nanking Massacre: 6 weeks of mass murder & war rape that led to Japanese capture of Chinese capital • FDR maintained China’s access to weapons • Also allows Japan to buy American arms • FDR called for “quarantine” of Japan by economic embargo • Isolationist firestorm of opposition • Japan sank the USS Panay… apologized • Japanese sought to humiliate “superior” white civilians living in China

18. German Invasions • 1935-8: Hitler openly violated the T. of Versailles • Compulsory military service • Invasion of the demilitarized Rhineland • Persecution and execution of Jews • Bloodless invasion of Austria • Demanded the Sudetenland (of Czechoslovakia) • 1938 Munich Conference – European leaders • Appeasement: give in & Hitler would agree to stop • March 1939 – Nazi troops invaded Czechoslovakia

21. Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact • USSR made surprising secret deal with Germany • August 1939 - agreed not to attack one another • Germany could invade Poland & the Western Democracies • Secret Protocol – USSR would get the Baltic States + half of Poland • Germany violated the pact in 1941 by invading USSR by surprise attack • France & GB declared war to support Poland

22. “When you start a war, what matters is not who is right, but who wins. Close your hearts to pity. Act with brutality. Eighty million Germans must get what is their due. Their existence must be made secure. The stronger man is in the right.”

23. Continued German Invasions • 1939-40: Germany moved West & North • Finland, Denmark, Norway, Netherlands, Belgium • Battle of France (1940) – Blitzkrieg • Italy + Germany: France surrendered June 1940 • British troops evacuated from Dunkirk • American preparedness efforts finally began • $37 billion for air & naval fleets • Draft: 1.2 mill troops + 800,000 res. • Anticipated a two-front war

24. Cash & Carry • US Policy in late 1930s = political neutrality • However, we sold munitions to many • “Cash & Carry” = self-transport & no credit • Policy hurt the Chinese & helped Japan • Helped European democracies, who blocked the European dictators’ access • Helped the US – production  & employment 

26. The Holocaust • A genocidal attack by Nazis • Jews, Roma gypsies, Polish & Soviet prisoners, disabled, homosexuals, resisters • European anti-Semitism had a long history • Since Medieval times: pogroms, suspicion, inequality • Six million Jews killed; Eleven million total • Eugenics: “scientific” movement to remove “genetically inferior” groups from society • Based on American racism • Few refugees gained asylum – 150,000 in the US

28. The Holocaust • Staged approach: highly organized & documented • Propaganda: scapegoating • Jews were blamed for German problems • Laws to segregate & remove • Nuremberg Laws, Kristallnacht • Concentration camps; Mass shootings; Ghettoization • Extermination camps • ghastly medical experiments, gas chamber deaths, mass cremation

30. Defending Britain • August 1940: The Royal Air Force v. German Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain • Hitler indefinitely postponed planned invasion • US debate over neutrality raged • Sympathy for Britain grew • Defend or attack? • FDR made a deal with Britain – used naval destroyers for defensive bases • Neutral move? Hardly.

32. The Third Term • FDR reluctantly ran for & won a third term as president against popular upstart W. Willkie • Lend-Lease Act: US would be the “arsenal of democracy” • Passed against strong isolationist opposition • Any pretense of neutrality was ended • When Germany violated their 1939 pact with USSR, it seemed a good turn of fate for the Allies • FDR quickly provided aid to USSR • Secretly met with Churchill to draft the Atlantic Charter

34. Pearl Harbor – Dec 7 1941 • “a date which will live in infamy…” • Though Japan had been Germany’s ally, the US supplied it with oil & other essential materials • 1940/1941 – embargoes cut off supplies • Japanese bombers attacked w/out warning • 3000 casualties +destruction of air- & sea-craft • Americans: “Get Japan First!” • Washington (w/ British): “Get Germany First!”

36. Mobilizing on the Homefront • War Production Board – supply US troops & allies • War supplies & food • Women, Braceros, & Blacks found work • Recruitment – 15 million men & 216,000 women • Black men went to war in segregated troops • Helped encourage push for racial equality • Native American Code Talkers • The National Debt ballooned from wartime spending

38. Executive Order No. 9066 • February 1942: 110,000 Japanese Americans were forced into concentration camps • Robbed of dignity & a sense of justice • Hundreds of millions of dollars in property and earnings lost • 1944 – Korematsu v. US – the Supreme Court upheld the law

40. The Pacific Theatre • Japan quickly overtook most of the Pacific • Including Hong Kong, American Pacific Islands, Malaysia , Burma • After losing the Battle of Bataan (Philippines), General MacArthur April 1942: “I shall return” • Bataan Death March (American POWs) • Battle of Midway June 1942: 1st major Allied victory • Leapfrogging 42-44: strategic approach of Tokyo • By Fall 1944, nonstop bombing of Japan mainland

42. The European Theatre • Allies faced early setbacks in Europe • Formidable German equipment & strategy • Eventually code-breakers broke “Enigma” • Soviet front – Axis made early gains, eventually lost ground • North Africa – Rommel, the “Desert Fox” v. “Ike” Eisenhower • From Africa, the Allies moved north into Italy

44. D-Day & V-E Day • Tehran Conference – Winter 1943 • D-Day : June 6 1944 – attack at Normandy Beach in northern France • Patton lunged across France & toward Germany • (Meanwhile, FDR won 4th term) • Battle of the Bulge: Dec 1944–Jan 1945 • (FDR suddenly died, VP Truman took over) • May 7 , 1945: German government surrendered • May 8: Victory in Europe Day

46. The Atomic Bombs & V-J Day • American sea & air attacks crippled Japan • Leyte Gulf: 3 epic battles, Allies victorious • Iwo Jima & Okinawa captured • Kamikazes & hara-kiri • Firebombing of Tokyo: 83,000 killed • Potsdam Conference: Berlin, July 1845 • To Japan: surrender or be destroyed • Hiroshima & Nagasaki (The Manhattan Project) • September 2, 1945: Victory in Japan Day

48. After the war • Nuremberg Trials – Nazi War Criminals • American occupation of Japan • Tensions mount between the two major victors: USSR and USA • Beginning of the “Cold War”