Topic 7.

1 Notes
Name : ____ Period ________

Topic 7.1 suggested reading for homework pages 408-415 student textbook.

Guiding Question: What economic conditions led to the rise of totalitarianism in Europe and
Asia?
The Causes of the Second World War: [Link]

1931 Japan invades Manchuria / League of Nations condemns action

1935 Italy invades Ethiopia / League of Nations endorses sanctions against Italy
1936 Germany sends troops into Rhineland/ League of Nations denounces the action
1936-1939 Germany and Italy support fascists in Spanish civil war. / No one gets involved
1937 Japan invades China / Japan is criticized for violating peace treaty
1938 Germany annexes Austria / World powers take no action

Russia’s leader = Joseph Stalin took over as head of the communist party.
Italy’s leader= Benito Mussolini promised to restore efficiency and order. Banned political
parties, took over the press, and suppressed strikes
Germany’s leader = Adolf Hitler was appointed chancellor of Germany. He promoted
German ethnic solidarity over people’s rights.
Japan= the emperor reasserted its military power and began aggressive expansion.

 The Great Depression led to the rise of fascist dictatorships in Nazi Germany and
Fascist Italy
Fascist = is a form of government which is a type of one-party dictatorship. Fascists are against
democracy. They work for a totalitarian one-party state.

Totalitarian = is a form of government that seeks to subordinate all aspects of individual life to the
authority of the state.
- Nazi aggression was the major cause of World War II
 In 1938, Hitler demanded the Sudetenland – a part of Czechoslovakia
 At the Munich Conference, British and French leaders gave in to Hitler’s
demand in order to avoid war
 This policy of giving in to the demands of a potential enemy is
known as appeasement
 Appeasement only encouraged Hitler to make further territorial demands
 When Germany invaded Poland in 1939, Britain and France felt
they had no choice but to declare war
 The League of Nations, the international peace-keeping organization
formed at the end of World War I, proved incapable of preventing
another war
  The idea of collective security – that peaceful nations would band
together to stop aggressors – failed because major powers like the
United States and the Soviet Union had refused to join the League of
Nations

Answer to Guiding Question: (3 sentences)

[Link]

Topic 7.2 Notes

Name : ____ Period ________

Topic 7.2 suggested reading for homework pages 416-424 student textbook.

Guiding Question: Although most of American supported an isolationist policy, why was war
inevitable?
Roosevelt

 December 1937 Japan attacks China without warning, without declaration of war.
 Roosevelt criticizes Japan’s “ reign of terror and lawlessness”
 Roosevelt wanted to remain with his isolationist policy but suggested that no part of the world
was safe. Did mention in a speech how japan pose a threat to the U.S.
 Roosevelt formed an informal alliance with peace loving nations.

The war in Europe

 France and Britain’s effort of appeasement to Hitler failed to limit his conquests. They concluded
that Hitler could only be stopped with an armed defense.
 Japan extended its control over China
 Hitler absorbed the remainder of Czechoslovakia into his German reach.
 Hitler’s view of war. “There is no morality in war, only victory and defeat,” He instructed his
generals to be ruthless and merciless. “Close your hearts to pity act brutally” all that mattered
was victory.
 France and Britain signed an alliance with Poland to defend her from Hitler.
 Worried about an attack from the Soviet Union, Hitler signed a pact with Russia promising not to
attack one another. Secretly they agreed to attack Poland and divide it up.
 Hitler attacked Poland with a massive “Blitzkrieg” Germany broke through its defenses, then
the Soviet Union attacked Poland from the East.
 Britain and France declared war on Germany but could not save Poland.

The Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan

The Allies: Britain, France, U.S, China, eventually Russia.

 Germany sent its blitzkrieg forces to Denmark, Norway, Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.
 Hitler’s forces seemed unstoppable.
 Hitler then sets his sights on France; German tanks rolled though the Ardennes and moved
north towards the English Channel.
 Dunkirk: Britain had 70% of its forces in France, 338,000 French and British soldiers were
evacuated. [Link]
 The Miracle at Dunkirk was a proud moment fir Britain, but British Prime Minister Winston
Churchill warned Parliament “wars were not won by evacuation”.
 The Germans now occupied France and set their sights on Britain.

America’s Reaction:

 The majority of Americans opposed U.S. intervention.

  The great Depression pinned the nation’s attention firmly on domestic affairs.
 Many people believed that our involvement in W.W.1 was pointless. Many people believed that
big business conspired to enter the war to make fortunes selling weapons. “ merchants of
Death”
 To avoid entering the war Congress passed the neutrally acts of 1935, 1936, and 1937. These
acts imposed certain restrictions on Americans. They prohibited Americans from making loans
to nations at war, and prohibited selling and shipping of arms and munitions by a loan
agreement.
 Cash and Carry: There was a provision in the 1939 act that allowed some nations to buy arms
from American if they paid cash and transported them.
 Sending aid to Britain through “cash and carry” was a way for America to stay out of war.

America moves Closer to War:

 1940 Germany, Italy and Japan sign the tripartite pact and become Allies.
 Roosevelt gives Britain 50 W.W.1 destroyers in exchange for 8 British defense bases.
 Britain was running out of money, Roosevelt called upon America to become “ the great
arsenal for Democracy” Through the Lend lease Act, and sent 40 Billion worth of Aid to the
Allies. “Necessary in the interests of the defense of the U.S” It was an economic declaration
of war against the Axis powers.
 The Atlantic Charter: a secret meeting between Roosevelt and Churchill. The discussed
mutual war goals, they also signaled the deepening alliance between the 2 nations and full
moral support of the U.S to Britain.

Hitler’s Next Move:

 Hitler was not blind to the fact the U.S was helping the allies.
 Hitler ordered his U-boats to attack American Ships
 1941 Hitler turned on Russia and attacked its once ally.

Answer to Guiding Question: (3 sentences)

Topic 7.3 Notes

Name : ____ Period ________

Topic 7.3 suggested reading for homework pages pg. 426-435 student textbook.

Guiding Question: How did Americans show their Patriotism after the attack on Pearl
Harbor?
The “Four Freedoms”:
 In 1941, Roosevelt told Americans he hoped in the future to establish a world based
on “Four Freedoms:” freedom of speech and expression, freedom of religion,
freedom from want, and freedom from fear

General Hideki Tojo: Was the Japanese prime minister, he focused on military expansion
and keeping the U.S out of the war. The U.S did try to negotiate with him but he was
committed to Japanese military expansion.

[Link]
The Bombing of Pearl Harbor: [Link]
 On December 7, 1941, Japanese airplanes attacked the U.S. Pacific fleet stationed in
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, destroying many ships and causing a large number of deaths
 - The next day, President Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war on Japan
- Four days later, Germany and Italy, allies of Japan (the Axis Powers), declared
war on the United States
- Americans were now engaged in war on two fronts – in Europe and the Pacific
- Japanese leaders had bombed Pearl Harbor because they realized that Japanese
conquests of Southeast Asia might bring the United States into the war and thus
decided to attack first
- Japanese leaders believed that Americans would quickly tire of the war and
negotiate a compromise peace – leaving Japan in control of East Asia

World War II and the Draft: [Link]

 All men between 18 and 45 were eligible for military service
- For the first time, women could enlist (Army, Navy, Coast Guard Auxiliaries)
- One out of every ten Americans served in the war
- The draft and the expansion of production brought a final end to the Great
Depression
- Women, African Americans, and other minorities filled the gap in available jobs,
as other workers went to war. African Americans served patriotically and with
distinction during the war
-

Tuskegee Airmen: [Link]

African American flying regiment, escorted bombers in enemy territory. Logged over
1500 mission and did not lose a single bomber under their watch.
 -
George Marshall: Army chief of staff, directed the military buildup and delivery of all
supplies.

Women is Army Corps (WAC): 350,000 women answered the call to duty. Many women
worked for the military as truck drivers, instructors, and technicians. Over 57,000 women
became nurses for the wounded stationed in the pacific and Europe.

The Production Miracle: America’s wartime production was a key factor in winning the
war. The War production Board (WPB) was formed. The W.P.B called for factories to
convert over to airplane, tank or bomb production.
Ford made 8,000 b-24 liberators, Henry Kaiser’s shipyards made “liberty ships” in as little
as 3 ½ days.
American production levels were double those of all the Axis powers combined.

After the Attack on Pearl Harbor, F.D.R wanted the United States to retaliate against
Japan. (we lost 2,500 men that day, 8 battleships, and 160 planes) Japan moved to occupy
more ports in the Pacific. The battle of Coral Sea ended their advance. Although the
battle was a draw, it caused the Japanese to call off their attack on New Guinea.

Answer to Guiding Question: (3 sentences)

 Topic 7.4 Notes
Name : ____ Period ________

Topic 7.4 suggested reading for homework pages pg. 436-442 student textbook.

Guiding Question: Why were the battles of Stalingrad and Midway major turning
points in the war?

War Strategy:
Hitler wanted to dominate Europe and eliminate “inferior peoples”
Mussolini wanted the Italian empire to stretch from the Adriatic Sea to East Africa.
Tojo sought Japanese control of the Western pacific and Asia.

Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin considered Hitler the most dangerous enemy. America
factories supplied the British and Soviets enough guns and supplies to battle the Germans
for years. In response to the allies supply line, Hitler’s U-boats sank 3,500 merchant
ships carrying aid. A new invention called radar helped American vessels locate U-
Boats.

Hitler Sets his sights on invading Russia, house by house street by street he invaded
Stalingrad. Soviet troops counterattacked, starving off the German offense from supplies
and food. German troops surrendered.

The war in North Africa:

General Dwight Eisenhower commanded the allied invasion of North Africa.

Eisenhower put the American forces under the command of George S. Patton Jr.
Patton was known as “Old blood and Guts” he was an innovative tank commander.

The German and Italian forces surrendered to the Allies in North Africa although their
commander Rommel escaped.

The Axis Powers on the Defensive: The Allies had decided that they would only accept
unconditional surrender of Hitler, Mussolini, and ToJo.

First, the allied powers set their sights on Italy; Eisenhower commanded the joint British
and American troops. Patton commanded the rest. Italy surrendered then they declared
war on Germany 5 weeks later and joined the Allies. Their leader Benito Mussoilni
escaped.
 Turning points in the Pacific.

Japanese forces continued to advance with unstoppable momentum. They attacked and
won the Philippines, Malaya, Dutch East Indies, Hong Kong, Wake Island and Burma.
The U.S begins to Strike Back.

Japan decides it going to go after the American Naval Base at Midway Island. If
America lost this Island, we would not have an Island of Defense in the pacific.
Chester Nimitz and his crew broke the Japanese codes and new the attack was coming.
America won the battle of Midway sending the Japanese forces back.
[Link]

Answer to guiding question (3 sentences)

Topic 7.5 Notes

Name : ____ Period ________
Topic 7.5 suggested reading for homework pages pg. 443-450 student textbook.

Guiding Question: How did World War II. Increase opportunities for women and
minorities? Give examples.

War Bonds:
 To pay for the cost of World War II, most of that money had to be borrowed
- To finance the war, the government issued bonds
- A bond is a way for an American citizen to invest money by lending it to the
government and then to be repaid with interest after a given period of time
- The war cost Americans $350 billion – ten times the cost of World War I
- The United States changed from a creditor to a debtor nation

From WWI to WWII

Rationing: Another form of economic control to help the war efforts at home. Americans
were issued ration coupon books. This limited the amount of goods you could buy.
Rationing endured that raw materials such as rubber and gasoline found their way into
war production.

Raising Morale: The Office of war Information (OWI) worked closely with the media to
encourage support of the war. Tried to spotlight common needs to minimize racial and
economic divisions. Many Americans volunteered for the Red Cross, recycled materials
for the war effort or sent over care packages to the troops.

Executive Order 9066:

 Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, President
Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066
The war dept. then initiated a policy of internment/temporary imprisonment.
[Link]
- The order set into motion the exclusion from certain areas and the evacuation
and mass incarceration of 120,000 persons of Japanese ancestry living on the
West Coast, most of who were U.S. citizens or legal permanent resident aliens
- These Japanese Americans, half of whom were children, were incarcerated for
up to 4 years, without due process of law or any factual basis, in bleak, remote
camps surrounded by barbed wire and armed guards
- Japanese Americans were forced to evacuate their homes and leave their jobs

Korematsu v. United States:

 In Korematsu v. United States (December 18, 1944), the U.S. Supreme Court upheld
the conviction of Fred Korematsu – a son of Japanese immigrants who was born in
Oakland, California – for having violated an exclusion order requiring him to
submit to forced relocation during World War II
- The Court upheld the relocations of Japanese Americans during the Second
World War

Women and African Americans Seek Employment:

A. Phillip Randolph: Asserted the African Americans would no longer accept second-
class citizenship. “We loyal African Americans citizens demand the right to work
and fight for our country”. He organized a massive protest in D.C.

Executive order 8802: This measure assured fair hiring practices in any job funded with
government money. This established Fair employment, nondiscrimination based on race.

The Bracero program: Brought in Mexicans to work on the American farms in the west.
This program initiated decades of migratory labor in the west

Answer to Guiding Question: (3 sentences)

Topic 7.6 Notes

Name : ____ Period ________
Topic 7.6 suggested reading for homework pages pg. 451-459 student textbook.

Guiding Question: Why was the invasion of Normandy necessary?

World War II – Turning Point:

 By the time the U.S. entered the war, Hitler controlled most of Europe and North
Africa
- Hitler made his greatest mistake when he invaded the Soviet Union
- Roosevelt and Churchill promised Stalin they would open a second front against
Germany in the west
- Late in 1942, Allied troops landed in North Africa
- By 1943 – 1944, the Allies advanced to Sicily and Italy
- Meanwhile, Soviet forces defeated the German army at Stalingrad and advanced
westward toward Germany
D-Day: [Link]
 On June 6, 1944, D-Day, United States, British and Canadian forces under the
supreme command of General Dwight David Eisenhower invaded the Normandy
peninsula of France
- The Battle of Normandy, which lasted from June 1944 to August 1944, resulted
in the Allied liberation of Western Europe from Nazi Germany’s control
- Codenamed Operation Overlord, the battle began on June 6, 1944, also known
as D-Day, when some 156,000 American, British and Canadian forces landed on
five beaches along a 50-mile stretch of the heavily fortified coast of France’s
Normandy region
- The invasion was one of the largest amphibious military assaults in history
- By late August 1944, all of northern France had been liberated, and by the
following spring the Allies had defeated the Germans
- The Normandy landings have been called the beginning of the end of war in
Europe
-
Hitler’s counter attack: Known as the battle of the Bulge. The Germans caught the Allies
by surprise and captured several key towns. American forces led by Eisenhower and
Patton held off the German until reinforcement arrived. Germany used up all its reserves
in the last campaign. Winston Churchill gave the U.S forces full credit for the Allied
victory at the bulge. Germany was crushed and demoralized.

By January 1945 the allies were on their way to victory

Hitler had gone insane from health issues and drugs abuse, no one would follow is orders so
he committed suicide.
Benito Mussolini tried to fee but was captured and executed.
On May 7th Germany surrendered

“Island-Hopping”: its purpose was to take back Asia from Japanese occupation.
 In these same years, the United States was also at war with Japan
- At first, the Japanese made significant gains in Asia and the Pacific
- In 1943, the tide began to turn
- The United States regained naval superiority in the Pacific and the American
forces began “island-hopping” – liberating Pacific islands from Japanese control
one at a time
- As America advanced near Japan, many Japanese kamikaze pilots deliberately
crashed their planes into American ships. (3,000 pilots in all)
Hiroshima and Nagasaki: [Link]
 Harry Truman, who had become President when Roosevelt died, feared an invasion
of Japan might lead to a million American casualties
 Early in the war, Albert Einstein alerted Roosevelt the need to develop atomic
weapons. This was the Birth of the Manhattan Project. 1 billion dollars was spent
to develop the atomic bomb under J. Robert Oppenheimer.
“Now I have become death, the destroyer of worlds” was the reaction after the first testing
of the atomic bomb in New Mexico.
- Truman decided to use the atomic bomb rather than risk American Lives. In
further combat.
- On August 6, 1945, an atomic bomb exploded over Hiroshima
- Three days later, Nagasaki was bombed
- Japan surrendered after the second explosion, when U.S. leaders agreed to allow
the Japanese emperor to remain on his throne

The Occupation of Japan:

 After the defeat of Japan in World War II, the United States led the Allies in the
occupation and rehabilitation of the Japanese state
- Between 1945 and 1952, the U.S. occupying forces, led by General Douglas A.
MacArthur, began the task of rebuilding and reforming post-war Japan
 Japan’s overseas empire was taken away, and military leaders were tried
and punished
 Japan renounced nuclear weapons and waging war
 The country was forbidden from having a large army or navy
 A new constitution in 1947 made Japan a democracy

Answer to Guiding Question (3 sentences)

 Topic 7.8 Notes
Name : ____ Period ________

Topic 7.8 suggested reading for homework pages pg. 468-474 student textbook.

Guiding Question: What impact did WWII have on the postwar United States?

The Yalta Conference: The Big 3 (Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin) Agreed that Poland,
Bulgaria and Romania would hold free elections.
The Potsdam Conference: The big three formalized the decision to divide Germany into zones
of occupation. Soviet, American, British and French. Agreed for new borders and elections for
Poland.
Political changes: The Soviet Union and its former allies led to the division of Germany into 2
countries. East Germany/communist and free West Germany. In japan, MacArthur abolished
its armed forces, gave women the right to vote, enacted democratic reforms and set to rebuild it
economy.

Superpowers: Russia and U.S.A as the war drew to a close Americans were ready to embrace
the idea of a world organization similar to the League of Nations. Therefore, the United States
led the charge for the establishment of the United Nations. Its goals were based on cooperation
between the great powers, but not equality. Mary McLeod Bethune was appointed as a
consultant on interracial affairs.
War Crimes Trails: In an effort to create a better world, the allies did not forget to punish the
people who caused so much destruction and death. During the war, the Axis powers had
violated the Geneva Convention. (Humane treatment of human soldiers and P.O.W’s)

The Nuremberg Trials: [Link]

 A series of trials held in Nuremberg, Germany in 1945 – 1946, in which former Nazi
leaders were indicted and tried as war criminals
- Hitler had murdered millions of European Jews and others in the Holocaust
- The liberation of concentration camps revealed the full extent of Nazi brutality
- The Allies put Nazi leaders on trial for “crimes against humanity”
- Those on trial claimed they were only following orders
- Many were found guilty and were hanged or imprisoned
- The Nuremberg Trials established that individuals are responsible if they commit
atrocities, even during war
-

Civil rights: WWII. Gave renewed vigor for the fight for equality. African American leaders
believed they fought a war on two fronts. A war on dictatorships and racism here at home.

Answer to Guiding Question (3 sentences)