World War II

1. World War II -Key Concepts-

2. I. The Pacific Theater • The surrender of the Philippine Islands • Japanese “ran wild” for six months • Dolittle Raid (April, 1942) • Battle of Coral Sea (May, 1942) • Battle of Midway Island (June, 1942) • Battle of Guadalcanal (Fall, 1942)

3. I. The Pacific Theater (cont.) • Reasons for delay in defeating the Japanese --Kamikaze • Efforts to recapture the Philippines --Battle of Leyte Gulf (October, 1944) • “Island hopping” --Battle of the Philippine Sea (June, 1944)

4. I. Pacific Theater (cont.) • Iwo Jima and Okinawa (1945) • Conflict between MacArthur and Nimitz • American bombing strategy -- “fire storm” technique

5. I. Pacific Theater (cont.) • Reasons for decision to use the atomic bomb • Development and production of the A-bomb • “Little Boy” and “Fat Man” (August 6 & 9, 1945) • Soviet declaration of war against the Japanese • Japanese surrender

6. II. The War in Europe

7. A. Background • European war was the focus of American attention • Distribution of German firepower • Effectiveness of German submarines off the east coast in 1942 • 26 belligerents sign a declaration of United nations (January 1, 1942) • No US action in this theater until November of 1942

8. B. Differing Strategies for Fighting the Germans • British Strategy -- “peripheral campaign” • US Strategy --Second front in France as soon as possible • Soviet Strategy --Second front in France as soon as possible

9. C. Land Operations: November, 1942-June, 1944 • Landing in North Africa— “Operation Torch” --British General Bernard Montgomery --German General Irwin Rommel • The Battle of the Atlantic

10. C. Land Operations: November, 1942-June, 1944 (cont.) • Casablanca Conference (January, 1943) • Campaign against Germans in Sicily and then Italy • No end to the war without unconditional surrender of all enemies • The Italian campaign (September, 1943-May, 1945)

11. D. “D-Day”: Allied Landing in Northern France (June, 1944) • American Bombing strategy against Germany • “Operation Overlord” • George Patton used as a decoy • The “Breakout” at St. Lo (late July) • Assassination plot against Hitler by German High Officer Command

12. E. From D-Day to the German Surrender • Eisenhower’s decision-making in the fall of 1944 • Battle of the Bulge (December, 1944) • Hitler’s suicide (April 30, 1945) • Capture of Berlin and German surrender (May 8, 1945) • News of the Holocaust and the Nuremberg Trials

13. III. Mobilization at Home

14. A. Economic Conversion • Mobilization was further along at the time of Pearl Harbor than it had been when war was declared during World War I • Economy partially mobilized as well by lend-lease and defense efforts • Creation of War Production Board (WPB) in January of 1942 • Use of rationing to conserve war resources • “Big Inch” pipeline laid from Texas to New York • Office of Scientific Research and Development • Government spending increased dramatically

15. B. Financing the War • 45% of World War II paid for with taxes • Institution of the automatic payroll deduction • $150 billion worth of bonds sold • Tremendous increase in the national debt—six times the size of the debt at the time of Pearl Harbor • Finding workers is now the problem, not finding jobs for unemployed people

16. C. Economic Controls • Specter of inflation haunted the US economy • The Office of Price Administration (OPA) created by Congress in January of 1942 • Wages and farm prices were not controlled • Farm prices rose 150% over 1914 levels • Conflict between management and workers grew during the War • FDR’s “Hold the Line” Order (April, 1943)

17. D. Social Effects: Women • Women in the armed forces • 6 million women entered the work force • Large numbers even in heavy industry • Larger proportion of older, married women working • Still, some vocal opponents to the trend

18. E. Social Effects: Blacks • The inflammable issue of Black participation in the defense effort • Segregated units • Tuskegee Airmen • Threat of the march on Washington (February, 1941)

19. E. Social Effects: Blacks • The “Double V” campaign (1942) • Membership in the NAACP grows • Smith v. Allwright (1944) • Violence on Belle Isle, near Detroit (June 20-21, 1943)

20. F. Social Effects: Japanese-Americans • Better record overall regarding American civil liberties than during WWI • Japanese “War Relocation Camps” • Racial prejudice stirred up by Pearl Harbor • Contributions to the war effort by Japanese-Americans

21. G. Domestic Politics • Growing political conservatism marked the wartime period • Congress dismantles many of the remaining “New Deal” programs • Congress generally cooperated with the Administration’s war efforts --Senate War Investigating Committee led by Missouri Senator Harry S. Truman • Roosevelt’s Election to a Fourth Term

22. The Yalta Conference(February, 1945)

23. A. Background • The relationship between FDR, Churchill and Stalin • Reasons for tension between the US and the USSR • United in the goal of defeating the Germans, but different war aims beyond that

24. B. War Aims • Russian War Aims --Heavy Reparations and sympathetic governments in Eastern Europe • British War Aims --Balance of Power in Europe • American War Aims --Free trade, Free elections and Free governments

25. C. Resolution of the Issues • Germany divided into “temporary” zones of occupation • Joint occupation of Berlin • Reparation payments • The status of Eastern European countries --Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania • The boundaries and the government of Poland --Lublin government = pro-Soviet

26. C. Resolution of the Issues (cont.) • The “Yalta Formula” • Soviets demanded “friendly” governments in Eastern Europe • FDR needs Soviet assistance with the Japanese • The creation of the United Nations with guarantees of American membership

27. D. Historical Controversy Surrounding Yalta • Was FDR healthy and in his right mind? Did he give away too much? • Soviet pledge to make war on Japan in exchange for certain concessions • Reasons for FDR’s bargain with Stalin to gain Soviet assistance against Japan • A defense of the Yalta decisions

28. V. War-Time Changes for American Society and Politics • Casualties and cost of WWII • Improvement in Medical Technology • Creation of a military bureaucracy --National Security Act (July, 1947) --Defense Department, Joint Chiefs of Staff, CIA

29. V. War-Time Changes (cont.) • Creation of the Atomic Energy Commission (August, 1946) • Creation of a “military-industrial” complex • Power of the American presidency continues to grow • Presidential Succession Act (1947) and the 22nd Amendment (1951)

30. VI. Demobilization • Not too bad after WWII • Rapid demobilization and the problems it creates • The G.I. Bill (1944) -- “52/20 Club” --low interest home loans --stipend plus tuition to return to or go to college • Impact of the G.I. Bill on American society and college campuses

31. VII. Inflation • Inflation was not too big of a problem during WWII • Truman’s unpopular attempt to keep the controls on • Inflation increased dramatically between 1945-1948 • Truman criticized for these woes • Return of inflation later

32. VIII. The Changing Economic Role of the National Government • The “New Deal” and World War II brought greater federal intervention in the national economy than ever before • The Full Employment Act of 1946 --Created an Office of Economic Advisors • Truman’s problems with conservatives in Congress • Federal government would stay committed to national economic health

33. IX. American Farming During and After the War • Farmers did well during WWII • Number of farms and farmers steadily decreased • Burst in mechanized, large-scale farming and agribusiness • Centralization of farming was the clear post-war trend in agriculture

34. X. The Labor Movement During the War and After • During WWII, the American labor movement was strong and getting stronger • Why did union strength begin to fall off after WWII? --traditional union members were already organized --unionization did not do well in the post-war south --post-war prosperity hurt the strength of unions --Taft-Hartley Act (1947)