Module 11 Lessons 1 - 7
What was blitzkrieg?
"lightning war," using planes, tanks and trucks
Explain what made each event a critical moment or turning point in the war. December 1941, Roosevelt and Churchill meet
A few weeks after Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt met with British prime minister Winston Churchill to plan their war strategy. They decided that the first thing to do was to defeat Hitler's Germany. Roosevelt and Churchill began a lasting friendship and a strong alliance between their countries.
What was the Battle of the Atlantic, and how did the Allies win it?
A few weeks after Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt met with British prime minister Winston Churchill to plan their war strategy. They decided that the first thing to do was to defeat Hitler's Germany. Roosevelt and Churchill began a lasting friendship and a strong alliance between their countries. After war was declared, German U-boats increased attacks on American ships in the Atlantic to prevent food and war materials from reaching Great Britain and the Soviet Union. This action became known as the Battle of the Atlantic. The Allies organized convoys for shared protection. Warships and airplanes escorted the convoys. At first, there were not enough vessels to form convoys. As U.S. industry began producing more ships and planes, however, the situation improved. Soon, there were more Allied cargo ships, or Liberty ships, being made than being sunk. They used sonar and radar to find and destroy many German submarines. By mid-1943 the Allies were winning the Battle of the Atlantic.
Concentration Camp
A prison camp operated by the Nazis where Jews and others were starved while doing slave labor, or murdered
Ghetto
A segregated neighborhood
What did President Roosevelt tell the American people after his reelection that hinted at the possibility of war?
According to the Neutrality Acts, the United States could not enter the war in Europe. However, President Roosevelt asked for a change in the acts. He suggested a cash-and-carry provision. It would allow Britain and France to buy and transport American arms. Congress passed this new Neutrality Act in November 1939. In 1940 Germany, Italy, and Japan signed a mutual defense treaty. They became the Axis powers. The treaty meant that if the United States went to war against any one of them, all three would fight. That would put America at war on two fronts: in Europe and in Asia. Nevertheless, Roosevelt gave the British "all aid short of war" to help them fight Hitler.
How did World War II affect African Americans, Mexican Americans, and Native Americans?
African Americans also moved into crowded cities. Tension among the races grew. In 1943 it led to race riots. The worst one was in Detroit, where more than 30 people were killed. President Roosevelt sent federal troops to restore order. In response, many communities formed committees to improve race relations. Mexican Americans experienced prejudice during the war years as well. In 1943 Mexican Americans were beaten by white servicemen and civilians in the "zoot-suit" riots. Native Americans faced discrimination, too. Although many had volunteered for the military, many states prevented them from voting. Also, the government reclaimed some reservations for use as military bases and weapons testing sites.
What did the Lend-Lease Act do?
After the election, Roosevelt spoke to the American people. He said that it would not be possible to negotiate peace with Hitler. He said if Britain fell, there would be no one left to stop the Axis powers from taking over the world. Roosevelt suggested lending or leasing arms to any nation "whose defense was vital to the United States." Isolationists opposed his policy. But Congress passed the Lend-Lease Act in March 1941.
Office of Price Administration (OPA)
Agency of the federal government that fought inflation
Nonaggression Pact
Agreement between Germany and Russia not to attack each other
Explain what made each event a critical moment or turning point in the war. August 1944, Liberation of Paris
Allied forces landed on Normandy's beaches. They met German resistance, and many were killed. But they took the beaches. More Allied troops landed in France and began to advance. General Omar Bradley opened a huge hole in the German lines, which allowed General George Patton and his Third Army to liberate Paris in August. By September, the Allies had liberated other European nations and had entered Germany itself.
D-Day
Allied invasion to liberate Europe
Dwight D. Eisenhower
American general who commanded Allied forces; 34th president of the United States
George Patton
American general who helped liberate Paris
Omar Bradley
American general who led American forces at Normandy
George Marshall
Army chief of staff during World War II
Answer the questions about the rise of dictators in Europe and Asia during the 1930s and the major events in German expansion leading up to and during World War II. What dictator created Italy's totalitarian state, and how did he do this?
Benito Mussolini was creating a totalitarian state in Italy. His political movement was called fascism, which placed power with a strong leader and a small group of party members. Fascism stressed nationalism. Mussolini, who called himself Il Duce, or the leader, extended control to every aspect of Italian life. Like Stalin, he crushed all opposition.
Answer the questions about the rise of dictators in Europe and Asia during the 1930s and the major events in German expansion leading up to and during World War II. What happened to Poland as a result of the invasion, and how did Britain and France respond to it?
Britain and France declared war on Germany.
Atlantic Charter
British and American statement of war goals
How were the Allies victorious in the Soviet Union, North Africa, and Italy?
By the winter of 1943, the Allies were winning on land as well as on the sea. The German invasion of the Soviet Union had begun in 1941. When it stalled in 1942, Hitler changed his tactics. He moved to capture Soviet oil fields and to take the industrial city of Stalingrad. The Germans bombed Stalingrad until almost the whole city was on fire. Stalin refused to give up. During months of horrible hand-to-hand combat, the Germans took most of Stalingrad. Then as winter began, the Soviets counterattacked. They trapped a large German force in and around Stalingrad and cut off their supplies. The Germans froze and starved. In February 1943 the German soldiers surrendered. The Battle of Stalingrad was a turning point. From then on, Soviet forces moved steadily west toward Germany. Meanwhile, in November 1942 the Allies invaded North Africa, which was controlled by the Axis powers. Control of the area was important to the Allies. They needed to protect Mediterranean shipping lanes because of the oil from the Suez Canal. American forces led by General Dwight D. Eisenhower defeated German troops under General Erwin Rommel. The Germans surrendered in May 1943. Next, in July 1943 the Allies invaded Italy. They captured Sicily. The war-weary Italian king stripped Prime Minister Mussolini of power and had him arrested. But then Hitler seized Italy. It took many months of fighting for the Allies to drive the Germans out of Italy. In the Italian campaign, several units were made up of segregated groups of African Americans, Mexican Americans, and Japanese Americans. Many of these minority groups won honors for bravery.
Japanese American Citizens League (JACL)
Civil rights group formed by Japanese Americans
James Farmer
Civil rights leader who founded the Congress of Racial Equality
Joseph Stalin
Communist dictator of the Soviet Union
Internment
Confinement under guard, especially during wartime
Explain how each group, act, or factor contributed to the war effort. Women's Auxiliary Army Corps (WAAC)
Congress created the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps (WAAC) in 1942. They worked in jobs such as nurses and pilots.
What did the 1939 Neutrality Act allow?
Congress passed the Neutrality Acts. These laws banned loans or arms sales to nations at war. Because of the Spanish Civil War, the Neutrality Acts included countries involved in civil wars, too.
Genocide
Deliberate and systematic killing of an entire people
How did isolationism affect foreign policy?
During the 1930s antiwar feelings were strong and isolationism became more popular. Even when Japan invaded Manchuria, the United States did not get involved. Congress passed the Neutrality Acts. These laws banned loans or arms sales to nations at war. Because of the Spanish Civil War, the Neutrality Acts included countries involved in civil wars, too. In 1937 President Roosevelt found a way around the Neutrality Acts. Since Japan had not declared war on China, Roosevelt felt free to send China military aid. In a speech, he talked of "quarantining the aggressors," but growing criticism from isolationists forced FDR to back down.
Benito Mussolini
Fascist dictator of Italy
Nazism
Fascist political philosophy of Germany based on extreme nationalism
Selective Training and Service Act
First peacetime military draft under which 16 million men between the ages of 21 and 35 were registered
Why didn't France and Britain accept as many German Jews as they might have?
France already had 40,000 Jewish refugees, and the British did not want to accept more than 80,000 refugees because they feared greater Anti-semitism.
Battle of the Bulge
German counteroffensive in December 1944
Axis powers
Germany, Italy, and Japan
War Production Board (WPB)
Government agency that decided which companies would make war materials and how to distribute raw materials
Totalitarian
Government that has complete control over its citizens and puts down all opposition
Allies
Group of nations, including the United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union, who opposed the Axis powers
Why was Churchill against the Munich Pact?
He called the pact dishonorable appeasement. That means giving up your principles in order to pacify an aggressor. Churchill predicted that appeasement would eventually lead to war.
Answer the questions about the rise of dictators in Europe and Asia during the 1930s and the major events in German expansion leading up to and during World War II. What were Joseph Stalin's goals for the Soviet Union, and what actions did he take to achieve them?
He focused on creating a model Communist state. He did away with private farms and created collectives, or huge state-owned farms. The state also took over the industry. Stalin made the Soviet Union into a leading industrial power. Stalin got rid of anyone who criticized him or his policies. Many were killed. Millions of others died in famines caused by the restructuring of Soviet society. Stalin created a totalitarian government—a government with complete control.
Answer the questions about the rise of dictators in Europe and Asia during the 1930s and the major events in German expansion leading up to and during World War II. What were the main ideas behind Hitler's political philosophy?
He promised to unite all German-speaking people into a new German empire. Hitler's political philosophy was called Nazism, a form of fascism. He believed that Germans—especially blond, blue-eyed "Aryans"—were the master race and were meant to have power over all "inferior races," such as Jews and nonwhites. Hitler believed Germany needed to expand its territory, even if that meant fighting.
How did the Nazis go about exterminating the approximately 11 million people who died in the Holocaust?
Hitler's ultimate goal was to get rid of all of Europe's Jews. He began implementing the "final solution." This plan was genocide, the deliberate and systematic killing of an entire population.
A. Philip Randolph
Important African American labor leader
Who were the Axis powers? What did their alliance mean for the United States?
In 1940 Germany, Italy, and Japan signed a mutual defense treaty. They became the Axis powers. The treaty meant that if the United States went to war against any one of them, all three would fight. That would put America at war on two fronts: in Europe and in Asia.
What reason was given for the internment of Japanese Americans?
In 1944, in the case of Korematsu v. United States, the Supreme Court said the government policy was justified by "military necessity." After the war, the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) pushed the government to compensate, or pay back, those sent to the camps.
What pledges were contained in the Atlantic Charter?
In August 1941 Roosevelt met secretly with British prime minister Winston Churchill. Roosevelt did not actually commit the United States to war. But he and Churchill did sign the Atlantic Charter. That was a statement of the goals for fighting World War II. These goals included collective security, disarmament, protecting people's rights to choose their own form of government, economic cooperation, and freedom of the seas.
Explain how each group, act, or factor contributed to the war effort. Minorities
Men and women from minority groups also served in the war. Some African Americans had mixed feelings about defending a country where they were often segregated and denied the basic rights of citizenship. But some African Americans saw the war as a chance to fight discrimination. More than a million African Americans served, but in racially segregated units. These units were not allowed into combat until 1943. Many Mexican Americans, Asian Americans, and Native Americans also enlisted.
Kristallnacht
Name given the night of November 9, 1938, when Nazis in Germany attacked Jews and their homes, businesses, and synagogues
What happened during Kristallnacht?
Nazi Storm Troopers attacked Jewish homes, businesses, and synagogues. The streets were littered with broken glass. Then, the Nazis blamed Jews for the destruction. Many Jews were arrested; others were fined.
Adolf Hitler
Nazi dictator of Germany
Answer the questions about the rise of dictators in Europe and Asia during the 1930s and the major events in German expansion leading up to and during World War II. Why did Neville Chamberlain sign the Munich Pact? Why did Winston Churchill oppose it?
Neville Chamberlain was the British prime minister who signed the Munich Pact. He called it "peace with honor." Another British leader, Winston Churchill, disagreed. He called the pact dishonorable appeasement. That means giving up your principles in order to pacify an aggressor. Churchill predicted that appeasement would eventually lead to war.
Explain what made each event a critical moment or turning point in the war. Late 1943, Victory in Italy
Next, in July 1943 the Allies invaded Italy. They captured Sicily. The war-weary Italian king stripped Prime Minister Mussolini of power and had him arrested. But then Hitler seized Italy. It took many months of fighting for the Allies to drive the Germans out of Italy. In the Italian campaign, several units were made up of segregated groups of African Americans, Mexican Americans, and Japanese Americans. Many of these minority groups won honors for bravery.
What event caused the American declaration of war against Japan?
Pearl Harbor
Fascism
Political system that stressed nationalism and the interests of the state
What was the significance of the loss of the Philippines?
President Roosevelt ordered MacArthur to leave. MacArthur left the Philippines but told people left behind, "I shall return." After MacArthur's departure, the soldiers who were left were captured. Their suffering really began in what came to be called the Bataan Death March. Prisoners were forced to journey for five days and nights with little food or water. Those who could not continue were beaten or shot. Thousands died. Those who survived were put in Japanese prison camps. In these camps, with lack of food and medicine, hundreds more died.
How did the United States react to German U-boat attacks?
President Roosevelt ordered the U.S. Navy to fire on German ships on sight. U-boats responded by sinking an American merchant ship and several other American ships. In one attack, more than 100 American seamen were killed. The Senate finally allowed the arming of merchant ships. Full-scale war seemed inevitable.
Neville Chamberlain
Prime minister of Great Britain before World War II
Winston Churchill
Prime minister of Great Britain during World War II
Hideki Tojo
Prime minister of Japan during World War II
Rationing
Restricting the amount of food and other goods people may buy during wartime to assure adequate supplies for the military
Explain how each group, act, or factor contributed to the war effort. Office of Price Administration (OPA)
Roosevelt and Congress set up the Office of Price Administration (OPA). It successfully fought inflation by freezing, or not increasing, prices on most goods. Congress also raised income taxes, which meant consumers had less to spend so there was less demand on scarce goods. These actions kept inflation low during the war. They also helped fund the war effort, along with war bonds bought by citizens.
Manhattan Project
Secret research project that resulted in the atomic bomb
Why didn't the United States accept as many German Jews as it might have?
Some refugees, such as Albert Einstein, were allowed into the United States. But the United States would not change its immigration quotas. This was partly due to anti-semitism, and to Americans' fear of competition for the few jobs available during the Depression. Once war started in Europe, some Americans feared that refugees were "enemy agents." The Coast Guard even turned away a ship carrying refugees who had emigration papers for the United States. More than half of those passengers were killed by the Nazis after the ship was forced to return to Europe.
Explain what made each event a critical moment or turning point in the war. February 1943, End of Battle of Stalingrad
Stalin refused to give up. During months of horrible hand-to-hand combat, the Germans took most of Stalingrad. Then as winter began, the Soviets counterattacked. They trapped a large German force in and around Stalingrad and cut off their supplies. The Germans froze and starved. In February 1943 the German soldiers surrendered. The Battle of Stalingrad was a turning point. From then on, Soviet forces moved steadily west toward Germany.
Holocaust
Systematic murder of more than 11 million Jews and other people in Europe by the Nazis
Who were the targets of the "final solution"?
The "final solution" was based on the Nazi belief that "Aryans" were a superior people, whose strength and racial purity must be preserved. So the Nazis arrested people they identified as "enemies of the state." In addition to Jews, the Nazis rounded up political opponents—Liberals, Ccommunists, Socialists—and other groups including Gypsies, Freemasons, Jehovah's Witnesses, homosexuals, the disabled, and the terminally ill.
Explain what made each event a critical moment or turning point in the war. June 1944, D-Day
The Allies had been building a huge force for two years to invade the Normandy region of France. This invasion to liberate Europe was on June 6, 1944. It was D-Day—the day the Allies launched history's largest land-sea-air operation.
Explain what made each event a critical moment or turning point in the war. September 1944, Liberation of other European nations and entry into Germany
The Allies had been building a huge force for two years to invade the Normandy region of France. This invasion to liberate Europe was on June 6, 1944. It was D-Day—the day the Allies launched history's largest land-sea-air operation.
How successful was the Allies' invasion of Europe?
The Allies had been building a huge force for two years to invade the Normandy region of France. This invasion to liberate Europe was on June 6, 1944. It was D-Day—the day the Allies launched history's largest land-sea-air operation. Allied forces landed on Normandy's beaches. They met German resistance, and many were killed. But they took the beaches. More Allied troops landed in France and began to advance. General Omar Bradley opened a huge hole in the German lines, which allowed General George Patton and his Third Army to liberate Paris in August. By September, the Allies had liberated other European nations and had entered Germany itself.
Explain what made each event a critical moment or turning point in the war. Mid-1943, Victory in Battle of the Atlantic
The Allies organized convoys for shared protection. Warships and airplanes escorted the convoys. At first, there were not enough vessels to form convoys. As U.S. industry began producing more ships and planes, however, the situation improved. Soon, there were more Allied cargo ships, or Liberty ships, being made than being sunk. They used sonar and radar to find and destroy many German submarines. By mid-1943 the Allies were winning the Battle of the Atlantic.
Why was the Battle of Midway important?
The Battle of Midway was a turning point in the Pacific War because it crippled the Japanese navy.
Answer the questions about the rise of dictators in Europe and Asia during the 1930s and the major events in German expansion leading up to and during World War II. How did Hitler begin to expand Germany's territory?
The German people were desperate, and the Nazi Party seemed to offer solutions to their problems. By the 1932 elections, the Nazis were Germany's strongest political party. Hitler became chancellor in 1933 and did away with the Weimar Republic. He set up the Third Reich, or third German empire.
What did the Nuremberg Laws do?
The Nuremberg Laws took away Jews' civil rights and property. Jews were forced to wear yellow Stars of David on their clothing.
Explain how each group, act, or factor contributed to the war effort. Rationing
The Office of Price Administration (OPA) also set up rationing, or setting up fixed allotments of goods essential for the military. Families were issued coupons to be used for buying scarce items, such as meat and gasoline. Most Americans cooperated with the rationing system. They also collected goods, such as tin cans and paper, that could be recycled. Some families started victory gardens to grow more food.
What did the attack do to the U.S. Pacific Fleet?
The Senate finally allowed the arming of merchant ships.
Explain how each group, act, or factor contributed to the war effort. War Production Board (WPB)
The War Production Board (WPB) was created to decide which companies would make war materials and how to distribute raw materials.
What groups did the Nazis single out for exterminations?
The early concentration camps did not kill Jews fast enough for the Nazis. In 1941, six death camps were built in Poland. Prisoners were separated upon arrival at death camps by doctors. Those who were too old or too weak to work were led to gas chambers and killed. Other prisoners were shot, hanged, or subjected to horrible medical experiments by camp doctors.
Why were certain people separated from the others and led to the gas chambers?
The early concentration camps did not kill Jews fast enough for the Nazis. In 1941, six death camps were built in Poland. Prisoners were separated upon arrival at death camps by doctors. Those who were too old or too weak to work were led to gas chambers and killed. Other prisoners were shot, hanged, or subjected to horrible medical experiments by camp doctors.
What actions did the government take to control inflation, shrinking supplies, and the threat of destructive weapons?
The government also had to ensure that the armed forces and war industries had what they needed to win the war. The War Production Board (WPB) was created to decide which companies would make war materials and how to distribute raw materials. The OPA also set up rationing, or setting up fixed allotments of goods essential for the military. Families were issued coupons to be used for buying scarce items, such as meat and gasoline.
Explain how each group, act, or factor contributed to the war effort. Office of Scientific Research and Development (OSRD)
The government put together the Office of Scientific Research and Development (OSRD). It involved scientists in the war effort. The group developed bombs and guided missiles and supported research and development of medications such as penicillin. Its most important role had to do with the development of the atomic bomb. The Manhattan Project became the code name for research work done that related to developing the atomic bomb.
Explain what made each event a critical moment or turning point in the war. January 1945, End of Battle of the Bulge
To the Allies' surprise, Hitler began a counterattack in December. At first, the Germans cut deeply into Allied lines. After a month of fighting, the Allies pushed the Germans back. The Germans had lost so many men and weapons in this Battle of the Bulge that they could only retreat.
Appeasement
Trying to pacify an aggressor in order to keep the peace
What did the United States do to protest Japan's action?
When Japan invaded Indochina in 1941, the United States cut off trade with Japan. Japan needed American oil to run its war machine. The prime minister of Japan, Hideki Tojo, started peace talks with the United States, but he also prepared for war.
Women's Auxiliary Army Corps (WAAC)
Women volunteers who served in noncombat positions
Explain how each group, act, or factor contributed to the war effort. Women
Worked as nurses and pilots, non-combat positions.
Explain how each group, act, or factor contributed to the war effort. Entertainment industry
Worked to gain support from Americans by spreading propaganda through posters and films to influence thoughts and feelings in favor of the war effort. Movies were popular, so the film industry helped in the war effort by producing patriotic films. Later, they made musicals and romances to help people forget for a few hours about the problems of the war.
Answer the questions about the rise of dictators in Europe and Asia during the 1930s and the major events in German expansion leading up to and during World War II. How were military actions in Japan and Spain similar to those of Stalin, Mussolini, and Hitler?
Japan's military government attacked Manchuria, a Chinese province. The League of Nations protested, but Japan left the league and kept Manchuria. This showed the failure of the league. Then, Japanese officials continued their expansion plans. Hideki Tojo, army chief of staff, invaded further into China. Eventually, Japan took control of French, Dutch, and British colonies in East Asia. General Francisco Franco led a rebellion against the Spanish republic. Revolts led to the Spanish Civil War. Many American volunteers went to Spain to fight against Franco and the spread of fascism. Western democracies stayed neutral, but Hitler and Mussolini supported Franco with troops and weapons. Franco won in 1939, becoming Spain's Fascist dictator.
How did the world react to Germany's persecution of the Jews and refugees?
Jews started to flee Germany. Nazis wanted this, but other nations did not want to accept Jewish refugees. France already had 40,000 Jewish refugees, and the British did not want to accept more than 80,000 refugees because they feared greater Anti-semitism. Some refugees, such as Albert Einstein, were allowed into the United States. But the United States would not change its immigration quotas. This was partly due to Anti-semitism, and to Americans' fear of competition for the few jobs available during the Depression.
Why did Germany and Italy declare war on the United States?
Later, 26 nations signed a agreement. These nations, called the Allies, were united in fighting Germany, Italy, and Japan.
Lend-Lease Act
Law that allowed lending or leasing arms to any nation "whose defense was vital to the United States"
Neutrality Acts
Laws passed by Congress to ban the sale of arms or loans to nations at war
Blitzkrieg
Lightning war strategy used by Germany against Poland
Explain what made each event a critical moment or turning point in the war. May 1943, End of North Africa campaign
Meanwhile, in November 1942 the Allies invaded North Africa, which was controlled by the Axis powers. Control of the area was important to the Allies. They needed to protect Mediterranean shipping lanes because of the oil from the Suez Canal. American forces led by General Dwight D. Eisenhower defeated German troops under General Erwin Rommel. The Germans surrendered in May 1943.
What events moved the United States closer to war?
In August 1941 Roosevelt met secretly with British prime minister Winston Churchill. Roosevelt did not actually commit the United States to war. But he and Churchill did sign the Atlantic Charter. That was a statement of the goals for fighting World War II. These goals included collective security, disarmament, protecting people's rights to choose their own form of government, economic cooperation, and freedom of the seas. Later, 26 nations signed a similar agreement. These nations, called the Allies, were united in fighting Germany, Italy, and Japan. On September 4, 1941, a German U-boat fired on an American destroyer. President Roosevelt ordered the U.S. Navy to fire on German ships on sight. U-boats responded by sinking an American merchant ship and several other American ships. In one attack, more than 100 American seamen were killed. The Senate finally allowed the arming of merchant ships. Full-scale war seemed inevitable.
Congress of Racial Equality (CORE)
Interracial organization formed to fight discrimination
What five major countries had totalitarian governments in the 1930s?
Italy, Germany, Japan, Spain, Russia
How did women and minorities join in the war effort?
The leader of the armed forces mobilization effort was Army chief of staff general George Marshall. His job was to make sure soldiers were properly trained and to help develop the nation's military strategy. Marshall suggested using women for noncombat military tasks. Congress created the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps (WAAC) in 1942. They worked in jobs such as nurses and pilots. Men and women from minority groups also served in the war. Some African Americans had mixed feelings about defending a country where they were often segregated and denied the basic rights of citizenship. But some African Americans saw the war as a chance to fight discrimination. More than a million African Americans served, but in racially segregated units. These units were not allowed into combat until 1943. Many Mexican Americans, Asian Americans, and Native Americans also enlisted.
How did the war change life at home?
The nation's factories quickly switched to war production. Automobile factories made planes and tanks. Pencil-makers turned out bomb parts. Shipyards and defense plants expanded. They produced warships with amazing speed. About 18 million workers kept these war industries going. Some 6 million new factory workers were women. Before the war, most defense contractors had refused to hire African Americans. Now they hired more than 2 million minority workers including African Americans, Mexican Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and others.
Explain how each group, act, or factor contributed to the war effort. Manufacturers
The nation's factories quickly switched to war production. Automobile factories made planes and tanks. Pencil-makers turned out bomb parts. Shipyards and defense plants expanded. They produced warships with amazing speed. About 18 million workers kept these war industries going. Some 6 million new factory workers were women. Before the war, most defense contractors had refused to hire African Americans. Now they hired more than 2 million minority workers including African Americans, Mexican Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and others.
Explain how each group, act, or factor contributed to the war effort. A. Philip Randolph
The war created opportunities for women and minorities, but these groups still faced discrimination. A. Philip Randolph, the president of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, was an important African American labor leader. He threatened to have African Americans march on Washington to demand an end to this discrimination. To avoid such a march, Roosevelt issued an executive order creating the Fair Employment Practices Committee. It required employers and labor unions to end discrimination.
Answer the questions about the rise of dictators in Europe and Asia during the 1930s and the major events in German expansion leading up to and during World War II. What type of battle was the Battle of Britain, and why was England's victory so important?
Then Germany decided to invade Britain. It launched an air war, dropping bombs over Britain. The British air force, RAF, successfully defended Britain against these attacks, which were called the Battle of Britain. They used a new technology called radar and shot down hundreds of German planes. Hitler's plan to take over Britain failed, but the Germans continued to bomb British cities.
