Chapter 24 & 25 – World War II What is isolationism?

1. Chapter 24 & 25 – World War II What is isolationism? isolationism : a policy of minding your own business Why would the United States have supported this idea in the 1930s?

2. Dictators rise in Europe Mussolini – Italy (Il Duce) Founded the fascist party – developed fascism fascism: nation more important than the individual; strong government; anti- communist Stalin – Russia (USSR) Lenin dies 1924; Stalin takes over 1926 – new Soviet Dictator Hitler and Nazism in Germany – Nazi Party – nationalist, anti-communist Mein Kampf – Hitler’s plan – includes the idea of the master race (Aryans) -lebenstraum- more living space Appointed Chancellor in 1933

3. WWII Begins Hitler marches into Poland (lebenstraum) (Europe doesn’t really respond) Hitler announces Anschluss (joining of Germany and Austria) Poland tries in vain to resist Germany uses blitzkrieg – lightning war *large numbers of tanks followed by devastating waves of troops France falls -France builds the Maginot Line (of concrete bunkers) and awaits attack *Why not attack Germany? What’s happening in the US in the 1930s? In Europe?

4. Germans went around the Maginot Line into the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg (*as expected) Hitler invades France – British and French troops unprepared – no match French authorities surrender in the same railway car where Germany was forced to sign the Treaty of Versailles Luftwaffe (German air force) begins attacking English ships and all the way into London Battle of Britain

5. Holocaust ideology (the principle) Nazis persecuted anyone who opposed them, plus Gypsies, homosexuals, Slavs, and Jews Nuremberg Laws – took citizenship away from German Jews and banned doctors and lawyers from working Kristallnacht(Nov 9, 1938) eruption of anti-Jewish violence – Nazis wrecked shops, synagogues, and homes Goering (German Interior Minister) declared Jews would have to pay the damages *Why didn’t Jews flee to the USA?

6. Final Solution Concentration Camps (Buchenwald and Dachau and others) - work til you drop death camps Extermination Camps (Treblinka and Auschwitz and others) - For those who could not work – immediate elimination

7. America enters the War The date that will live in infamy! Japan attacks the US at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (Dec 7, 1941) US declares war on Japan FDR Addresses the Nation http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lK8gYGg0dkE Germany declares war on the US – BUT according to the Japan-Germany alliance agreement, Germany was only required to come to Japan’s aid if she were attacked Hmmmm… then WHY??

8. American Industry • converts quickly to wartime production • automobile assembly line easily converts to tanks, weapons, helmets, even bridge pieces and cookware! • Selective Service went into effect during peacetime (had been drafting men since Germany invaded Poland) • *Why are American soldiers called GIs?

9. From Pearl Harbor, the US continued to suffer blow after blow from the Japanese • Pearl Harbor – December 6 • Guam – December 10 • Wake Island – December 23 • many other smaller losses from all Allied forces Iwo Jima Guam

10. Americans were dismayed by these losses in the Pacific – had the been given the choice, they would have voted “Pacific First” instead of “Europe First,” which is what the military decided Winter-Spring 1942 – Americans were most concerned with fighting in Corregidor and Bataan in the Philippines • Pacific Fleet unable to provide backup • Troops fought gallantly without reinforcements • Troops at Bataan are eventually forced to surrender and prisoners of war are forced to march 55 miles to the railroad that would take them to their POW camp • became known as the Bataan death march

11. prisoners received little or no food and water along the way (they were already weakened from lack of supplies) • stragglers were killed • by the time they reached the railroad – 600 American and 5000 Filipinos were killed • Japanese General Homma was tried and executed for his inhumane treatment of prisoners • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQWdETwFACs • Bataan 10:46

12. Island Hopping Battle of Midway – June 3, 1942 • Americans held and had a base at Midway Island • got secret info the Japanese planned to invade • exchanged bombing runs and naval attacks • Japanese grew overconfident and kept all their fighters at low altitude making them easy targets for flak (anti-aircraft fire) The Battle of Midway was a turning point in the war… but Why?

13. *Why was Midway a turning point in the war? • Americans won due to Japanese overconfidence and superior intelligence gathering • without decoded messages, Nimitz would not have known to concentrate his forces at Midway • if Midway had been lost, Japan could’ve threatened Hawaii from land and American forces would have been diverted from Europe

14. The Homefront • As war production soared, so did the need for raw materials • Rationing • goods like rubber (tires), gasoline, foodstuffs, • metal, clothing, and paper were rationed • families were issued ration books, stamps or • coupons • government propaganda promoted the use of rationed goods sparingly

17. Victory Gardens As part of food conservation, since Americans were limited in the amount of produced they could buy – they were encouraged to plant Victory Gardens and to can as many fruits and veggies as they could

18. War Production With men gone to war, women were encouraged to take wartime jobs – either replacing men in the workforce or taking newly created war production jobs Rosie the Riveter Women entered the workforce in droves after the start of the war thanks to government campaigning, patriotism, and the promise of their own paycheck

19. At War in Europe The Allied Players: United States – President Franklin Roosevelt Great Britain – Prime Minister Winston Churchill Soviet Union – Joseph Stalin Discussions between the Allies agreed that an invasion of France would be an ideal strategy, but Britain balked – they eventually agreed that the Allies should attack Hitler in North Africa first to establish a base to enter France and Italy This is successful, but time-consuming. When the time comes to invade France – Germans are expecting the Allies to come from the south, but instead…

20. D-Day: June 6, 1944 • Allied landings on the Normandy coast of German-occupied France was wone of the most climactic days of World War II • Allied forces planned this day since at least 1943 • Codename: Operation Overlord • Allies landed 160,000 US, British, • and Canadian forces to establish • beachheads in Normandy • Invasion was commanded by Gen. Dwight (Ike) Eisenhower • Under his command were three British Service Chiefs including General Bernard Montgomery • Field Marshall Erwin Rommel controlled the German forces that opposed the D-Day landings

21. Naval Armada • The D-Day plan began with the night-time passage across the English Channel of a naval armada laden with Allied troops to anchor opposite the five invasion beaches • Sword, Juno, and Gold – in the east – to be landed by British and Canadian forces • Utah and Omaha – on the western side – to be landed by US troops

22. shortly before , three Allied Airborne divisions would land to secure the flanks • after heavy aerial and naval bombardments, assault forces would land on these beaches

23. Bad Weather • D-Day was originally slated for June 5, 1944 – but bad weather forced Eisenhower to postpone • weather was no better on June 6, but the rough seas enabled Allies to further surprise the Germans who would have never expected an attack in those conditions • In the early hours of June 6, Airborne forces began landing inland from the beaches • local German units predicted they were the lead-in for an invasion, but higher commanders believed they were simply a diversion for a battle at a different location

24. Beach Assaults • between 6:30 and 7:45am, Allied amphibious assaults began on the designated beaches • US Forces began their attack on Omaha beach at 6:30am, but before this time, things had gone awry… • fire support had been less effective than planned • heavily laden infantry waded through neck-deep water under devastating German fire • the landing at Omaha was the most difficult and devastating – American forces held a small 1-mile line just above the cliff-edge after 6 hours of fierce fighting – and more than 2,000 casualties in that time • The beachhead assault was ultimately a success, establishing a second front for the Germans – a crucial step in the Allied march to victory. • Band of Brothers Reading

29. Forward from Normandy July-August 1944 – Allied forces broke a stalemate that had emerged in Normandy just after D-Day which forced the Germans out of the region Paris is liberated in August 1944.

30. Sneaky Germans • In that time, Hitler decided the only way to keep the Allies from pushing into Germany was to attack full force. • Secretly moved all his eastern forces to the border – under complete radio silence – and attacked the Allies on December 16, 1944 • Allies taken completely by surprise • Americans were outnumbered and driven back (15 miles in the first two days), creating a • bulge in the Western • Line – eventually 65 • miles deep and 45 • miles wide • Except for the city of • Bastogne (Belgium), • which the Americans • bravely held • Thus, the Battle of the Bulge

31. Bastogne • As soon as the Germans attacked the line, the 101st Airborne Division rushed to Bastogne as reinforcements – guess who?? Easy Company – led by Major Dick Winters • December 21 – Bastogne is surrounded • supplies and ammunition were scarce, weather prevented airlifts • December 22 – Germans demanded surrender to which American General McAuliffe replied only “Nuts.” • December 23 - supplies are dropped into Bastogne • December 24 – Patton’s 3rd Army broke German lines and reached the town • It took until January to restore the western line to where it was before the Germans attacked

33. Iwo Jima • 8 square miles of volcanic rubble less than 800 miles from Japanese islands – currently being used as a Japanese airbase • Feb 19, 1945 – American Marines landed on Iwo Jima confronting 20,000 Japanese soldiers dug in to an extensive series of tunnels, caves, and pillboxes • hardest fight the Marines had in the Pacific • continuous heavy bombardment Mt. Suribachi, extinct volcano that made up much of the island had to be won Americans take Mt. Suribachi on Feb 23, where a marine patrol raises the flag – in a famous photograph – which is now the Marine Corps memorial at Arlington National Cemetery http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6KDyKPXFGQ 3:42

34. Flags of our Fathers Reading

35. Okinawa – the next island of attack By now, Americans had realized just how fiercely the Japanese intended to fight and were very concerned about a main island invasion • Solution? • Atomic Warfare • the US, having won strategic ground and naval battles all over the Pacific now had the ability to strike Japan with bombing runs • since the Japanese had fought with no regard for civilian life – US forces had little trouble planning bombing raids on Japanese cities

36. Allied forces attack Japanese cities – causing firestorm damage • Demanded “Unconditional Surrender” from the Japanese • this was problematic, because the Japanese were not willing to give up their Emperor – they might have negotiated for peace, but not unconditionally • By spring of 1945, • Americans had succeeded • in developing the atomic • bomb and using it to destroy • Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan