SS- Chapter 21

Chapter 21: World War II

Isolationism after World War I-

In the years between the two World Wars, the US was interested in world peace. They didn’t join the League of Nations but they did join conferences which discussed disarmament and signed pacts. Our general ideology after World War I was one of isolationism. Isolation can sometimes be interchanged with neutrality because they are similar.

In the 1930’s, America was trying to recover from the depression. They decided to research why they went to war, as it may be the cause of the depression. Senator General Nye led a whole investigation. It was decided that it was because of the businessmen that we went to war, because they wanted to get rich. This discovery led to further isolationism.

In 1935, the government passed a series of neutrality acts:
1. Not to lend money to a nation at war.
2. Not to do business with any nation at war- only cash and carry business.

In 1937, FDR gave the Quarantine speech, which said that the US will quarantine the patient, not themselves. They will be punishing the warring nations, and not themselves.

Actual events that led up to World War II-
1. Rise of the totalitarian nations- nations that totally controlled the lives of people. In this category falls fascist regimes- extreme nationalism and militarism, which was practiced by Hitler of Germany and Mussolini of Italy. With the help of Italy and Germany, Spain was becoming fascist under Franco.
2. Hitler decided to make Germany into the power that she once was. He decided to take back all the lands that he felt really belonged to Germany, but had to be given up after World War I. An example of one of these territories was Austria. Hitler said that Austria was his land. The Germans were suffering under Austrian control. Hitler had a program- first he announced that the Germans in Austria were mistreated, then he went and took over the land. He did this in Czechoslovakia too. The world watched Hitler do this, but wasn’t sure how to react. When it came to Czechoslovakia, it was a sticky situation for England and France because they promised to help Czechoslovakia in her hour of need. England and France decided to meet with Hitler, in Munich. At the Munich Agreement, Hitler said that after the Sudetenland, part of Czechoslovakia, he’ll ask for nothing else. Neville Chamberlain (England) agreed. He said that he brought, “peace in our times”. Within six months, Germany invaded Czechoslovakia and took over the whole thing. This policy that England and France tried to use is known as appeasement.

The war began in Europe in September of 1939 with Germany’s invasion of Poland. The US remained neutral, but as the war progressed, Roosevelt looked for a way to get around America’s Neutrality Act. He came up with the Lend Lease Act- allowed for America to send help, ammunition and sell war materials to England. Roosevelt justified this by saying that he has to help any country whose defense is vital to our defense. The US was to be the arsenal of democracy.

On December 7, 1941, the Japanese attacked American naval bases in Pearl Harbor. This heavily crippled America’s navy in the Pacific. Roosevelt called this day, a “day that will live in infamy”. This attack fueled American patriotism and Congress voted to go to war.
World War II was over in Europe in May of 1945, but didn’t end in the Pacific until August of 1945.

This war pitted twenty six Allied nations vs. eight Axis nations:
1. Major Allies-
a. England- Churchill
b. Russia- Stalin
c. USA- Roosevelt
2. Major Axis-
a. Germany- Hitler
b. Italy- Mussolini
c. Japan- Hirohito

Throughout the war, the world leaders met. Meetings:
1. Atlantic Charter meeting- Roosevelt and Churchill met on a battleship in the Atlantic Ocean. There they agreed on certain principles of lasting peace such as self determination- all nations decide on their own form of government.
2. Yalta Conference- at the war’s end. FDR, Churchill and Stalin met to discuss the division of Germany and trial for war criminals.
3. Potsdam- in 1945. The Allies- Truman, Stalin and Churchill- decided to force Japan to surrender or else they would use weapons of mass destruction.

In an effort to end the war quickly, the Allies invented the atom bomb. In 1943, a group of scientist from the allied countries led by Robert Oppenheimer began to work on the Manhattan Project- to build an atom bomb. Many German refugees also helped with this project. By July of 1945, Truman was notified that the atom bomb was ready for use. He tried it out in the deserts of New Mexico and it worked. Truman told the Japanese that he’s going to use it if they don’t surrender. They didn’t, so on August 6 and 8, Truman dropped the atom bomb on Hiroshima and then Nagasaki. The instant death toll was over 100,000 people and many more people died from after effects of the radiation. These effects continued for years- for many years afterwards, children were born with defects. The world now entered an atomic age.

There was a debate as to whether the US did the right thing or not. Truman said that the Japanese wouldn’t have surrendered otherwise and many more people would have been killed on both sides. People opposed this, saying that soldiers know that their lives are at stake, but you killed innocent civilians.

The Japanese surrendered and the war was over. American general, Douglas MacArthur, was in the Pacific during World War II and remained in Japan after the war. For the next seven years, Japan was under American control as they transferred to a democracy.

A major focus of World War II was Hitler’s Final Solution- destruction of the Jews. This is an act of genocide- destruction of one race.

American patriotism-

After the bombing on Pearl Harbor, the Americans were all patriotic- were all behind Truman. They gave up a lot- their food was rationed, but they knew that they were doing it for the Allies. Actors and actresses convinced people to buy war bonds.
Woman now took over men’s places and some served in the military and army. At this time, there was a popular song about Rosie the Riveter- about woman who worked in factories. She became slang for woman working in wartime factories. Women’s efforts during the war brought about change in the woman’s work- it was now slightly more accepted for woman to work out of the house. Issues like childcare now became important issues for woman.

About one million African Americans served during World War II. They were in segregated barracks. After the war, there was a change for the blacks- now began with renewed efforts to work for civil rights. In 1948, Truman issued an executive order, which led to the end of racial segregation in the military.

Japanese in America-

American Japanese were called Nisei. Many of these Nisei fought in the American army during World War II. Many even received medals for their bravery, receiving proportionately more than any other battalion. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Americans were fearful of the Nisei. They felt that they wouldn’t be loyal to America. The government was also afraid of the loyalty of the Nisei. The Wartime Relocation Agency took all the Japanese of the West Coast and moved them into gated in camps because they were afraid to have them mingle during the war.

A Japanese man fought the internment. His case reached the Supreme Court, and in Korematsu vs. USA, the judge stated that this is a fair wartime measure. About fifty years after World War II, they said that this wasn’t nice and they reimbursed approximately 60,000 survivors with $20,000.

Demobilization- getting the country back to civilian life after the war. All the troops had to be brought back home and the army had to be cut down. Truman now passed the GI Bill- gave money to soldiers so that they could get readjusted to life, paid for their schooling, gave them money for homes and business loans.

Another part of demobilization is to allow the economy to run on its own- to get rid of price control. When government control is removed, everything still had to remain under control, so the Taft- Hartley bill was passed to control strikes:
1. If you say that you want to go on strike, you must wait eighty days before doing so.
2. Outlawed closed shop- stated that you must join a union if you want to join a certain company.

After World War II, there was a baby boom. The depression and the war were now over and people were excited to settle down and start families.

The election of 1948 was an interesting one- many of the voters were unhappy with Truman. There was an economic mess because of inflation and strikes. Everyone was sure that Dewey was going to win, but they Truman did.

After World War II, in an effort for world peace, all the nations of the world formed the United Nations.