The document provides background information on the events leading up to America's entry into World War II. It discusses the aftermath of WWI and the Treaty of Versailles which led to resentment in Germany. It outlines Italy's invasion of Ethiopia in 1935 and the Spanish Civil War from 1936-1939. It also discusses America's policy of neutrality in the 1930s as well as Japan's expansionism. Key events covered include Germany's rearmament under Hitler, the Munich Agreement of 1938, and Hitler's invasion of Poland in 1939 which marked the start of WWII. The document concludes with an overview of key events in Europe and North Africa from 1939-1945.
3. The “War guilt” clause
• Treaty of Versailles puts blame on
Germany alone
– Resentment and financial strain
– Hyper inflation (1923) in Germany leads
to political instability for Weimar
Republic
• 1913 to 1923 cost of bread rises from 1
mark to 200 billion marks
• Failure of Weimar Republic
– seen as an inept, slow and extremely
liberal form of parliamentary
government
– abandoned by Western powers
– radical Marxian politics increase,
causing a conservative backlash
4. Invasion of Ethiopia, 1935
• Italy invades Ethiopia seeking
revenge from an earlier defeat.
• Emperor Haile Selassie
appeals to L of N
– League proclaimed Italy was the
aggressor
– Italy withdraws from League
Spanish Civil War, 1936-39
• July 17, 1936 Spanish troops
declare a revolution against the
leftist Popular Front.
• Francisco Franco
• Rome-Berlin “Axis” formed
5. American Neutrality
• History of Neutrality - traces all the way back to
Washington (1794)
• 1920s and 30s - Anti-business climate prevails in America
– Nye Committee, 1934: found that US was pulled into
WWI by wealthy financiers and munitions companies
“merchants of death”
• Neutrality Acts
– 1935: Response to Italy invading Ethiopia
– 1936: no loans or credit to any country at war; response to Spanish
Civil War (still sold oil to Franco)
– 1937: No travel on belligerent ships; Civil War bans
– 1939: Cash and carry - now allowed to sell weapons if they pay in cash
and carry themselves
6. Japanese Expansion
• Japanese invasion of Manchuria,
1931
–Stimson Doctrine, 1932: American
policy was to refuse to recognize any
territory acquired by force (Japan/China)
• 1937 Full scale war between Japan
and China (Second Sino-Japanese
War)
• Rape of Nanking (Nanjing) - the
Japanese army is accused of raping
over 80,000 women and killing
250,000
7. “Peace in our time”
• FDR - Quarantine Speech - Oct 5,
1937 - FDR on collective security
"When an epidemic of physical disease starts
to spread, the community approves and joins
in a quarantine of the patients in order to
protect the health of the community against
the spread of the disease .... Most important of
all, the will for peace must express itself to the
end that nations that may be tempted to
violate their agreements and the rights of
others will desist from such a course. ... There
must be positive endeavors to preserve
peace ... Therefore, America actively engages
in the search for peace."
• Policy of Appeasement
• Munich Conference - Czech crisis -
Hitler announces he will take
Sudetenland; FDR calls for a
peaceful solution - Hitler agrees to
concessions
8. 1941 lend-lease program - allowed Britain to
“borrow” military equipment for the war.
Atlantic Charter - August, 1941 - established a
political framework for U.S. involvement in the war.
Germany was first priority; Japan was second.
8
9. Influence of Propaganda
• The rise in extremist governments
led to an increase in the usage of
government sponsored propaganda
• Germany
– Leni Riefenstahl “Triumph of the Will”
– Joseph Goebbels - head of Nazi
propaganda
• US
– Frank Capra “Why We Fight”
– Office of War Information - propaganda
• The “Good War” saw the use of
deceptive propaganda techniques
on a large scale basis
10. Nazi Germany readies for war
• Rebuilding of Germany
–Massive industrial retooling
–Autobahn and the “People’s Car”
• 1933 Hitler appointed Chancellor of
Germany
– The Reichstag burns down; communists are
blamed
– Enabling Act passed giving Hitler near dictatorial
powers
– Nazi party declared the official party of Germany
• 1934 Hindenburg dies; Hitler assumes title
of Fuhrer; Night of Long Knives
• Hitler-Stalin Non-Aggression Pact, 1939:
solidifies the Eastern front and prevents war
against USSR.
11. 1941: The “Four
Freedoms” Speech
• FDR’s State of the Union known
as “Four Freedoms” speech one of
the more important in American
history
• Freedom of speech
• Freedom of worship
• Freedom from want
• Freedom from fear
• Built on Wilson’s justification for
entry into WWI
–“Make the world safe for
democracy”
–FDR: WWII was about
defending freedom and
democracy.
16. WWII Timeline (Pre-American Entry)
• 1923 Hitler’s Beer Hall Putsch fails
• 1925 Mussolini dismisses the Italian
parliament; Hitler publishes Mein Kampf
• 1935 Italy invades Ethiopia; League of Nations
does nothing
• 1936 Spanish Civil War begins; Rome-Berlin
“Axis” formed; Neville Chamberlain becomes
Prime Minister of England
• 1938 Germany invades Austria; Anschluss
proclaimed; Kristallnacht (Night of Broken
Glass)
• March 1939 German troops occupy all of
Czechoslovakia (Munich Agreement)
• August 1939 Nazi-Soviet non-aggression pact
• Sept. 1, 1939 Germany invades Poland - WWII
begins
17. • 1940 Germany
invades France,
Belgium, Luxembourg
and Netherlands
• 1940 Winston
Churchill appointed
Prime Minister
• May of 1940 Miracle
of Dunkirk; Belgium,
Luxembourg and
Netherlands surrender
to Germany
• June of 1940 France
surrenders to
Germany
• July 1940 Battle of
Britain begins
18. • July 1940 Battle of Britain begins
• Sept 1940 Tripartite alliance
formed (Germany, Italy and Japan)
• April 1941 German forces take
Greece and Yugoslavia
• June 1941 Hitler launches
Operation Barbarossa (assault on
USSR)
• Summer 1941 First stages of the
“Final Solution” is planned and
implemented
• October 1941 Hideki Tojo
becomes Prime Minister of Japan
• December 7, 1941 Attack on
Pearl Harbor
• December 11, 1941 Germany
declares war on US
19. America Organizes forWar
✤ War brings major shift in American industry
✤ 1941 military spending was approx. 2
billion per month
✤ The first 6 months of 1942 spending
increased to 100 billion
✤ FDR calls for 60,000 planes; 45,000
tanks; 20,000 flak guns (anti-air) and 8
millions tons of ships
✤ LCVP (Higgins Boat) - one of the
primary reasons that America won the
war.
✤ War Production Board (Don Nelson)
held control over $100 billion in govt’
war contracts
✤ “czars” would push through
production orders
✤ 1942 - 33% of economy dedicated to
war and GDP growth from 1940 to 1945
was $99.7 billion to $211 billion
✤ 1940 to 1945 govt spending is $320
billion
20. “Andrew Higgins is the man who won the war for us.”
-President Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1964 interview
21. America Organizes forWar
✤ During WWII, govt. attempts to
fund war through high taxes.
✤ However, taxes only pay for 41% of
total cost and therefore large deficit
spending occurs.
✤ Deficit spending used as a
justification by Keynesian
economics
✤ More jobs than people to work them.
✤ Public spending dramatically
increases, however, fewer goods are
available for purchase by civilians
✤ People now have more money, but
there is nothing to buy. Leads to
concern over price inflation of goods
✤ Fed. Govt. promotes war bond drive
as a way to fund WWII and give
people a sound financial investment
✤ $100 billion in bonds sold
✤ OPA (Office of Price
Administration) asked to keep
prices “in-check” for duration of
war. Largely seen as successful.
22. TheWar about Race
✤ Pearl Harbor ends the isolationist-
interventionist debate
✤ American’s unified by attacks and
generally there were no attacks on
civil freedoms in the US.
✤
Exception is Japanese
relocation
✤ 100,000 Japanese are relocated
due to Ex. Order 9066
✤
American govt. made no
efforts to assist Jews trying to
escape Europe until 1944
25. The People behind
the lines
✤ Women are brought into “blue
collar” industrial jobs in large
numbers, for the first time.
✤ By 1945, 20 million women
were working, which made up
35% of the total labor force in
America.
✤ 6.5 million women in
factories alone.
✤ New found income leads
to increased middle-class
wealth
27. Blacks fight for
equality at home
✤ Black Americans receive few if
any rights at home
✤ “Jim Crow” army that fought for
freedom?
✤ A. Phillip Randolph - major civil
rights leader that pushed for
March on Washington. Efforts
resulted in FEPC
✤ FEPC (Fair Emp. Practices
Committee) - forbade
discrimination based on race
with employment on defense
contracts
28. ✤ CORE (congress on racial
equality) pushed for sit-ins and
freedom rides during the war to
encourage unity
✤ Result was backlash from white
community at blacks and
latinos
✤ Zoot Suit Riots in LA - 1943
- American Sailors
✤ A. American riots in NY
and Detroit (30 killed in
riots in Detroit)
Blacks fight for
equality at home
29. TheWar in Europe
✤
Beat Hitler First - reasons for focusing on Europe
were:
✤ 1. German domination of Europe and
Atlantic
✤ 2. Concern over Axis influence in Latin
America (Argentina)
✤ 3. Germany seemed most likely to create
“super weapon”
✤
4. Great Britain totally engaged in war and
needed help
✤ 5. Nazi advance into USSR made victory
more likely
✤ “Beating Germany would expose Japan, but
beating Japan would not end the war”
30. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the American government had a strong suspicion that Japan would use chemical
weapons on American soil. In order to make the threat of these types of attacks less scary to children, they designed a
gas mask to look like Mickey Mouse. This enabled parents to turn drills into a game.
At the end of the war, investigations were conducted into Japan’s infamous Unit 731. During one of these investigations
they discovered that Japan did in fact have plans to conduct an chemical attack on American soil.
31. Mad Jack was a British Army officer who went into battle
during WWII with bagpipes, a longbow, and his Scottish
broadsword.
“Any officer who goes into action without his sword is
improperly dressed.” – Captain Mad Jack Churchill
32. TheWar in Europe
✤ US and British commanders disagreed on proper
strategy for attacking Germany
✤ UK (Churchill) - attack where weakest (if at all)
✤ US - attack where strongest
✤ FDR and American generals favored establishing a
2nd front in France.
✤ Churchill preferred Soviet Union and Germany to
wear each other down first.
✤ German invasion of USSR, June 22, 1941
✤ “Sheer suicidal folly” for allies to attack
Germany in France.
✤ Focus is on North Africa and Middle East.
33. TheWar in Europe
• 1939 - Germany invades Poland, Sept. 1
• 1939 - GB and France declare war on
Germany, Sept 3
• 1940 - Italy declare war on GB and
France, June 10
• 1940 - France surrenders to Germany,
June 22
• 1940 - Battle of Britain, July-Oct
• 1941 - Operation Barbarossa
34. British Intelligence saves the day
• ‘Ultra’ - name used by British
intelligence for all decryption
practices and of German
communications.
• German communications done
with Enigma machine, which in
theory was unbreakable. However,
captured Enigma machines,
deciphering tablets and laziness on
the part of Germany led to the code
being cracked.
• Capture of U-559
• The United States used the code name
‘Magic’ for the decrypting process of
Japanese intelligence in the Pacific.
35. ✤ North Africa - Operation Torch -
October 1942
✤ Soviet’s insist on a 2nd war front
✤ Erwin Rommel is engaged in battle
by Bernard Montgomery at El
Alamein
✤ Nov. 8th to Dec. 1 - 400,000 Allied
troops land in N. Africa led by Gen.
Eisenhower.
✤ May 2-10, 1943 - Allied troops take
Tunisia and force the surrender of
250,000 troops
✤ Casablanca Conference - Jan 1943 -
Decision made to invade Italy
instead of France. Enrages Stalin as
his forces were greatly suffering.
✤ Italy - Operation Husky - begins
July 1943
✤ Gen. George Patton invades Sicily
summer of 1943
✤ Mussolini abdicates power to King
Victor Emanuel
✤ German/Italian losses number
160,000+ to American losses at 7,000
✤ Sept, 1943 - Mainland Italy is
invaded
✤ June 4, 1944 Rome is liberated after
German forces surrender
36. Operation Fortitude,
1944
• The British and American
forces used deception
routinely during WWII.
• None bigger than
Operation Fortitude in
1944
• Used rubber and
cardboard tanks.
• Later accidents (Operation
Market Garden)
37. Operation Overlord (D-Day)
–June 6, 1944
–Largest invasion armada in history (Amphibious)
–Relied heavily on the Higgins’ boat. Designed by a New
Orleans industrialist upon being challenged by US govt’
–Deception
•Fake radio traffic
•Dummy tanks, troop and camp facades
–Transported
•3 million troops
•12,000 aircraft
•7,000 seagoing vessels
•10,000 tons of ammunition
43. TheWar in Europe
✤ Battle of Stalingrad, Aug 23, 1942
- Feb 2, 1943 (the turning point in
the Eastern Front)
✤ Battle of El Alamein, Oct 23, 1942
✤
Allies land at Sicily, July 10, 1943
✤
Normandy Invasion, June 6, 1944
✤ Paris Liberated Aug 25, 1944
✤
Battle of the Bulge Dec. 16, 1944 -
Feb 7, 1945 (last desperate push by
Germans in the Western Front)
✤
Germany Surrenders, May 7, 1945
44. Final Allied Push into Germany
✤ July 20, 1944 - attempt to assassinate Hitler
(Operation Valkyrie)
✤ Aug 25, 1944 - Paris is liberated by Allied
forces
✤ Sept 12, 1944 American forces entered
Germany
✤ Dec 16, 1944 - to Feb 7, 1945 Final German
Offensive
✤ Germans attack American 101st
Airborne - Battle of the Bulge
✤ American lines bend, but do not break.
German losses total over 120,000
✤ March, 25 1945 - American forces reach the
east bank of the Rhine
45. Yalta: February, 1945
•FDR wants quick
Soviet entry into
Pacific war.
•FDR & Churchill
concede Stalin needs
buffer, FDR & Stalin
want spheres of
influence and a weak
Germany.
•Churchill wants a
strong Germany as a
buffer against Stalin
•FDR argues
for a ‘United
Nations’.
46. Fall of the Third Reich
• Soviet’s Push into Berlin
by April of 1945
• Hitler retreats to his
bunker where he marries
Eva Braun and then they
take their own lives
(April 30)
• Germany is forced to
surrender.
• V-E Day - Victory in
Europe day May 8, 1945
47. April 30, 1945 ! Hitler commits suicide
May 9, 1945 ! unconditional surrender
48. American Homefront During WWII
…The war created a glittering consumer paradise [in the
United States]… civilian purchases of goods and services
managed to grow by 12%. Most Americans had never had
it so good. They started half a million new businesses.
They went to movies and restaurants with habitual
frequency. They bought books, recordings, cosmetics,
pharmaceuticals, jewelry, and liquor in record volumes.
Racing fans wagered two and a half times more on horses
in 1944 than they had in 1940. Housewives shopped at
well stocked supermarkets, 11,000 of them built during the
war.
49. USSR Homefront During WWII
In the Soviet Union… the home-front experience was
nearly the opposite that in the United States—massive
invasion, followed by a crash mobilization program
characterized by harshly regulated scarcity. While the
Americans fought a war from an ever-expanding economic
base, the Russians were the only people forced to fight the
war on a steadily diminishing one… As German armies
advanced over the soviet heartland, Russian food output
fell by two-thirds… Russians by the millions slid into
agonies of squalor and deprivation; many starved.