THE UNITED STATES IN WORLD WAR II

1. THE UNITED STATES IN WORLD WAR II AMERICA TURNS THE TIDE

2. SECTION 1: MOBILIZING FOR DEFENSE • After Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, they thought America would avoid further conflict with them • The Japan Times newspaper said America was “trembling in their shoes” • But if America was trembling, it was with rage, not fear • “Remember Pearl Harbor” was the rallying cry as America entered WWII

3. AMERICANS RUSH TO ENLIST • After Pearl Harbor five million Americans enlisted to fight in the war • The Selective Service expanded the draft and eventually provided an additional 10 million soldiers

4. Pearl Harbor

6. Selective Service and the G.I. • 5 Million people volunteered. • 10 million were drafted • 8 weeks basic training

7. WOMEN JOIN THE FIGHT • Army Chief of Staff General George Marshall pushed for the formation of the Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps (WAAC) • Under this program women worked in non-combat roles such as nurses, ambulance drivers, radio operators, and pilots

8. Women in the Military • George Marshall pushed for the formation of the Women’ Auxiliary Army Corps • 250,000 women served in auxiliary branches during the war.

9. ALL AMERICANS FOUGHT Despite discrimination at home, minority populations contributed to the war effort • 1,000,000 African Americans served in the military • 300,000 Mexican-Americans • 33,000 Japanese Americans • 25,000 Native Americans • 13,000 Chinese Americans These “Golden 13” Great Lakes officers scored the highest marks ever on the Officers exam in 1944

10. Minorities

11. A PRODUCTION MIRACLE • Americans converted their auto industry into a war industry • The nation’s automobile plants began to produce tanks, planes, boats, and command cars • Many other industries also converted to war-related supplies

12. Manufactures • Converted factories to production of war goods • Built and expanded Shipyards and defense Plants

13. LABOR’S CONTRIBUTION • By 1944, nearly 18 million workers were laboring in war industries (3x the # in 1941) • More than 6 million of these were women and nearly 2 million were minority

14. Labor’s Contribution • Prejudice faced many “non-traditional” workers

15. Philip A. Randolph Organized a march on Washington that forced President Roosevelt to issue an executive order calling on employers and labor unions to end discrimination against workers.

16. MOBILIZATION OF SCIENTISTS • In 1941, FDR created the Office of Scientific Research and Development (OSRD) to bring scientists into the war effort • Focus was on radar and sonar to locate submarines • Also the scientists worked on penicillin and pesticides like DDT

18. MANHATTAN PROJECT • The most important achievement of the OSRD was the secret development of the atomic bomb • Einstein wrote to FDR warning him that the Germans were attempting to develop such a weapon • The code used to describe American efforts to build the bomb was the “Manhattan Project”

19. Entertainment Industry • Churned out war oriented propaganda films • Created opportunities to escape from grim realities of war for a few hours.

20. Patriotic Songs

21. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TAKES CONTROL OF INFLATION • With prices of goods threatening to rise out of control, FDR responded by creating the Office of Price Administration (OPA) • The OPA froze prices on most goods and encouraged the purchase of war bonds to fight inflation

23. Office of Price Administration • Fought Inflation by freezing prices on most goods • Set up rationing system

24. Rationing • Reduced consumption of energy, goods, and supplies deemed necessary for the military.

26. WAR PRODUCTION BOARD • To ensure the troops had ample resources, FDR created the WPB • The WPB decided which companies would convert to wartime production and how to best allocate raw materials to those industries

28. COLLECTION DRIVES • The WPB also organized nationwide drives to collect scrap iron, tin cans, paper, rags and cooking fat for recycling • Additionally, the OPA set up a system of rationing • Households had set allocations of scarce goods – gas, meat, shoes, sugar, coffee

29. WWII Poster encouraging conservation

30. Department of Treasury • Issued War Bonds to raise money for the war effort and fight inflation.

31. George Marshall • Pushed for the WAAC so that women could perform certain duties being done by soldiers.

32. Japanese Americans born in the U.S. before Pearl Harbor • Thousands were drafted before Dec. 7, 1941. • After 12/7/41 they were shipped to internment camps.

33. Legislative Acts during WWII REVENUE ACT OF1942 SMITH-CONNALLY ANTI-STRIKE ACT Limited the right in industries crucial to the war effort Gave president power to take over striking plants • Raised top personal-income tax rate to 88% • Added lower and middle class Americans to the tax roles.

34. National War Labor Board • Limited Wage increases • Allowed negotiated benefits, such as paid vacation, pensions, and medical insurance • Kept unions stable by forbidding workers to change unions.

35. SECTION 2: THE WAR FOR EUROPE AND NORTH AFRICA • Days after Pearl Harbor, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill arrived at the White House and spent three weeks working out war plans with FDR • They decided to focus on defeating Hitler first and then turn their attention to Japan

36. Prime Minister Churchill and President Roosevelt worked together to develop a plan to defeat Germany. Roosevelt had always considered Hitler the number one enemy of the United States Stalin was desperate for help against the Germans The United States needed the help of the Allies to defeat Japan. War Plans

37. THE BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC • After America’s entry into the war, Hitler was determined to prevent foods and war supplies from reaching Britain and the USSR from America’s east coast • He ordered submarine raids on U.S. ships on the Atlantic • During the first four months of 1942 Germany sank 87 U.S. ships The power of the German submarines was great, and in two months' time almost two million tons of Allied ships were resting on the ocean floor. Efforts were soon made to restrict German subs' activities.

39. ALLIES CONTROL U-BOATS • In the first seven months of 1942, German U-boats sank 681 Allied ships in the Atlantic • Something had to be done or the war at sea would be lost • First, Allies used convoys of ships & airplanes to transport supplies • Destroyers used sonar to track U-boats • Airplanes were used to track the U-boats ocean surfaces • With this improved tracking, Allies inflicted huge losses on German U-boats U-426 sinks after attack from the air, January 1944. Almost two-thirds of all U-boat sailors died during the Battle of the Atlantic.

41. The Eastern Front and Mediterranean

42. THE EASTERN FRONT & MEDITERRANEAN • Hitler wanted to wipe out Stalingrad – a major industrial center • In the summer of 1942, the Germans took the offensive in the southern Soviet Union • By the winter of 1943, the Allies began to see victories on land as well as sea • The first great turning point was the Battle of Stalingrad Battle of Stalingrad was a huge Allied victory

43. BATTLE OF STALINGRAD • For weeks the Germans pressed in on Stalingrad • Then winter set in and the Germans were wearing summer uniforms • The Germans surrendered in January of 1943 • The Soviets lost more than 1 million men in the battle (more than twice the number of deaths the U.S. suffered in all the war) Wounded in the Battle of Stalingrad

44. End of Battle of Stalingrad • Prevented Germany from taking over the Soviet Union • Marked the point from which the Soviet Army began to move westward toward Germany.

45. THE NORTH AFRICAN FRONT • “Operation Torch” – an invasion of Axis -controlled North Africa --was launched by American General Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1942 • Allied troops landed in Casablanca, Oran and the Algiers in Algeria • They sped eastward chasing the Afrika Korps led by German General Edwin Rommel American tanks roll in the deserts of Africa and defeat German and Axis forces

46. Allied troops landed in Casa-blanca, Oran and the Algiers

47. End Of Operation Torch • Placed the Allies in control of North Africa • Gave the Allies a place to launch an attack against

48. CASABLANCA MEETING • FDR and Churchill met in Casablanca and decided their next moves • 1) Plan amphibious invasions of France and Italy • 2) Only unconditional surrender would be accepted FDR and Churchill in Casablanca

49. ITALIAN CAMPAIGN – ANOTHER ALLIED VICTORY • The Italian Campaign got off to a good start as the Allies easily took Sicily • At that point King Emmanuel III stripped Mussolini of his power and had him arrested • However, Hitler’s forces continued to resist the Allies in Italy • Heated battles ensued and it wasn’t until 1945 that Italy was secured by the Allies

50. TUSKEGEE AIRMEN • Among the brave men who fought in Italy were pilots of the all-black 99th squadron – the Tuskegee Airmen • The pilots made numerous effective strikes against Germany and won two distinguished Unit Citations