Chapter 22-WWII
West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette (1943)
(1943), is a decision by the Supreme Court of the United States holding that the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution protected students from being forced to salute the American flag and say the Pledge of Allegiance in school. The Court's 6-3 opinion, delivered by Justice Robert H. Jackson, is remembered for its forceful defense of free speech and constitutional rights generally as being placed "beyond the reach of majorities and officials."
Four Freedoms
- speech, worship, from fear and from want united america during wartime.
1. Servicemen's Readjustment Act (GI Bill), 1944 2. Full Employment Bill (1945)
1. provided money to vets, one of most far-reaching leg. in history. almost 1 mil go to college on provisions, and almost 4 mill long-term mortages 2. to lay the responsibility of economic stability of inflation and unemployment onto the federal government.[1] The act did not favor Keynesian policies;
Bataan 'death march'
78,000 American and Filipino troops surrender (largest surrender in military history. Thousands perish on death march to POW camp, thousands more die of starvation and disease after the fact.
Compare and contrast Henry Luce's American Century to Henry Wallace's "The Price of Free World Victory".
American century-post war would lead to America spread ideas through imperialism The Price-argued post war would mean a century of the common man.
Abraham Lincoln Brigade
Americans who wanted to fight on side of Democracy in Spanish Civil War. Most famous member: Hemingway. about 3,000 members
Winston Churchill
British Prime Minister who had to fight Axis powers for a year by himself.
Explain the difference between the image and treatment of Chinese Americans and Japanese Americans.
Chinese-a small amount now allowed to enter country. Many moved out of ethnic ghettos to places of more opportunity, began to work alongside other Americans. Japanese-dehumanized by wartime propaganda and attack on Pearl Harbor create a hatred for Japanese Americans. Viewed every Japanese-American as potential spy. Exec. order 9066, Korematsu v US
Albert Einstein
E=mc^2, encouraged Manhattan project Manhattan Project FDR begins, dies before atomic bomb is dropped
Election of 1940
FDR breaks 2 term tradition. opponent-Wendell Willikie. Policies are similar and both support a peacetime draft. opponent gets more votes than other opponents against FDR but FDR still wins.
recognition of the Soviet Union
FDR exchanged ambassadors w/ soviet Union, making it the first time it is officially recognized by gov't
'patriotic assimilation'
FDR promotes pluralism as only source of harmony in a diverse society.
Discuss how FDR's Four Freedoms speech and the Atlantic Charter laid the foundations for postwar ideals of human rights.
FDR's four freedoms-vivid rhetoric of what we were fighting war for. Created desire to accomplish them at home in the post war era. Atlantic Charter-addressed freedom from want and from fear, but not freedom of speech and worship, since Britain was reluctant to give that to their colonies. Created a desire to accomplish all freedoms which the allies were fighting for.
The Road to Serfdom (1944)
Frederich A. Hayek. too much gov't control, even well-intentioned, leads to dictatorship. not to the extent of conservatives.
Dresden
From February 13 to February 15, 1945, during the final months of World War II (1939-45), Allied forces bombed the historic city of Dresden, located in eastern Germany. The bombing was controversial because Dresden was neither important to German wartime production nor a major industrial center, and before the massive air raid of February 1945 it had not suffered a major Allied attack. By February 15, the city was a smoldering ruin and an unknown number of civilians—estimated at somewhere between 35,000 and 135,000-were dead.
How did WWII begin in Europe?
Germany invades Poland, Belgium, Netherlands.
Code talkers
Indians who served in the war, communicated w/ their language so Axis powers could not understand them.
Executive Order 9066
Internment camps for Japanese.
Nanjing
Japanese massacre 300,000 Chinese prisoners and civilians. Proved brutality of Japanese in pacific
How was the United Nations different from the League of Nations?
League of Nations was created at end of WWI, had little power. UN was created during WWII and had great power and influence
How did a war fought to bring home "essential human freedoms" to the world fail to protect the home front liberties of blacks, Indians, Japanese Americans, and Mexican Americans?
Lynchings still occurred, segregation was still an issue in the south, plantations did not share the economic upturn due to war, Japanese were forced into prison camps, Mexican workers were treated unfairly under Bracero program, zoot-suit riots.
Blitzkrieg (lightening war)
Nazi invasion of Poland and Scandinavia, Belgium, and Netherlands.
Hitler, Mussolini, Franco Hitler
Nazism, plan to overtake Europe. Overtook Germany and Austria before war. Mussolini: fascism, invaded and conquered Ethiopia. Franco: led an uprising against democratic gov't in Spain, got into war w/ Hitler. Franco won and established another fascist gov't
Was patriotic assimilation a constant During WWII?
No, there were constant tensions among races, although there was a dramatic upturn in the awareness of discrimination.
"strike for peace"
Pacifism on college campus slogan isolationism desire to stay out of foreign entanglements. Dominated Congress.
What factors led Americans to support isolation in the 1930's
Pacifists.recovery from WWII. Senate hearings (Nye Commission 1934) concludes U.S went into WWI for business and money. Pro-Nazi to counteract Communism. differing views on war (Irish are anti-British, Germans support Germany). Profit from Germany.
How did patriotic assimilation differ from the WWI concept of Americanization?
Patriotic Assimilation-promoted Pluralism Americanization-promoted Anglo-Saxon culture as the norm
Man's Most Dangerous Myth: The Fallacy of Race (1942) Ashley Montagu.
Racism is viewed as a physiological disorder.
Describe the early results of the war in Europe and the Pacific. How did government, business and labor work together to promote wartime production and how did the war affect each group?
Rape of Nanjing, Baton Death march
BRETTON WOODS, New Hampshire July 1 - 15, 1944
Representatives of 44 nations Agreement on International Monetary Fund Establishment of World Bank Set the dollar's value at $35 an ounce Framework for the postwar capitalist economic system
SAN FRANCISCO, USA April 25 - June 26, 1945
Representatives of 50 Nations World Security Charter signed.
DUMBARTON OAKS, USA August 21 - September 29, 1944
Representatives of U.S., U.K., and U.S.S.R. Agreement on an International organization (United Nations) Developed the structure for the UN.
ARGENTIA BAY, Canada August 14, 1941
Roosevelt, Churchill Agreement on war aims. Atlantic Charter
CASABLANCA, Morocco January 14 - 23, 1943
Roosevelt, Churchill Plans for invasion of Sicily. Decision for cross-English Channel invasion in 1944 Stepped up Battle of the Atlantic, "Unconditional surrender" declaration by Roosevelt to the Axis powers
CAIRO, Egypt November 22 - 26, 1943
Roosevelt, Churchill, Chiang Kai-shek Agreement on military operations against the Japanese in China Manchuria promised to China. Free Korea
TEHERAN, Iran November 28 - December 1, 1943
Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin Agreement on date of invasion of Western Europe Soviet as would invade Germany and eventually join war against the Japanese Aid for Tito and Yugoslav Partisans
YALTA, Soviet Union February 4 - 12, 1945
Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin Germany divided into military occupation zones Free elections for Eastern Europe Establishment of new Polish Provisional and Yugoslav Governments Decision to call Conference of UN Kurile Islands and South Sakhalin to be handed over to the Soviet Union for aid in war against Japan (secret agreement) Planted the seeds of post-war conflict between the US and the SU
Races and Racism (1942)
Ruth Benedict. describes racism as a travesty of Scientific knowledge.
What factors after 1939 led to US involvement in WWII?
Sneak attack on Pearl Harbor. Destroy ships and 3,000 people.
What were the tensions within the leaders of the US, British and Soviets during the post war conferences?
Soviets-upset at other allies reluctance to invade France. Led to soviets doing most of the fighting against Germany. Therefore wanted control over eastern Europe. Churchill refuses to lead British colonies on road to independence. All want to maximize power and influence for their country.
Explain how WWII promoted an awareness of the links between racism in the US and colonialism around the world?
The war was viewed by Americans as freedom v. fascism and narcissism. This shed light on the contradictory ways back at home. The subject of how ethnic troops were treated was also brought up. Blacks did not receive full coverage under the GI bill, Japanese were put in prison camps when many served in military.
POTSDAM, Germany July 17 - August 2, 1945
Truman, Churchill, Attlee, Stalin Unconditional Japanese surrender Hold war crimes for Nazi leaders
Good Neighbor Policy
U.S will intervene w/ military internal affairs of Latin America. Recognition of Latin neighbors when FDR agrees to repeal Platt Amendment and remove troops.
Lend Lease Act, 1941
U.S would give military aid as long as it was returned after war. led country into war b/c it was direct assistance. Billions of dollars in arms and froze oil sale to Japan.
Why was the dropping of the atomic bomb the "logical culmination of the way WWII had been fought?"
WWII resulted in more civilian casualties than in any war previous.
How did Norman Rockwell's Four Freedoms link America's wartime goals and civil liberties at home? Were the images accurate descriptions of freedom for all Americans?
War time goals were to spread American ideas of freedom to Europe and the Pacific. People began to realize that those goals were not being reached at home.
Describe the controversy of the decision to drop the atomic bombs in August, 1945.
Why the bomb was needed or justified: The Japanese had demonstrated near-fanatical resistance, fighting to almost the last man on Pacific islands, committing mass suicide on Saipan and unleashing kamikaze attacks at Okinawa. Firebombing had killed 100,000 in Tokyo with no discernible political effect. Only the atomic bomb could jolt Japan's leadership to surrender. With only two bombs ready (and a third on the way by late August 1945) it was too risky to "waste" one in a demonstration over an unpopulated area. An invasion of Japan would have caused casualties on both sides that could easily have exceeded the toll at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The two targeted cities would have been firebombed anyway. Immediate use of the bomb convinced the world of its horror and prevented future use when nuclear stockpiles were far larger. The bomb's use impressed the Soviet Union and halted the war quickly enough that the USSR did not demand joint occupation of Japan. Why the bomb was not needed, or unjustified: Japan was ready to call it quits anyway. More than 60 of its cities had been destroyed by conventional bombing, the home islands were being blockaded by the American Navy, and the Soviet Union entered the war by attacking Japanese troops in Manchuria. American refusal to modify its "unconditional surrender" demand to allow the Japanese to keep their emperor needlessly prolonged Japan's resistance. A demonstration explosion over Tokyo harbor would have convinced Japan's leaders to quit without killing many people. Even if Hiroshima was necessary, the U.S. did not give enough time for word to filter out of its devastation before bombing Nagasaki. The bomb was used partly to justify the $2 billion spent on its development. The two cities were of limited military value. Civilians outnumbered troops in Hiroshima five or six to one. Japanese lives were sacrificed simply for power politics between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. Conventional firebombing would have caused as much significant damage without making the U.S. the first nation to use nuclear weapons.
How did the war alter the lives of women on the home front?
Women began to take jobs of men who went to war. A desire grew for equal rights since they knew the jobs would go away when the war ended.
Bracero program
agreed by Mexican and American gov'ts, 10,000 Mexican contract laborers cross border to take up jobs. Found it almost impossible to create unions/secure better income. Opened opportunities for second generation Mexicans, who left ethnic neighborhoods to serve in army.
Americanism
an articulation of the nation's rightful place in the world, a set of traditions, a political language, and a cultural style imbued with political meaning."[1] An interpretation from the right, according to the veterans' organization the American Legion, is that Americanism is an ideology or belief in devotion, loyalty, or allegiance to the United States of America or to its flag, traditions, customs, culture, symbols, institutions, or form of government.[2]
The American Century (1941)
celebrated blueprints for post war, Henry Luce. America should spread ideology throughout world in imperialistic manner
Describe how the decisions made at the Bretton Woods conference in 1944 created the framework for postwar US economic and foreign policy.
created postwar capitalist economic system based on freer trade and recognition of US as dominant financial leader. Reestablished link between dollar and gold and gave other currencies fixed relations to dollar. established World bank and Monetary Fund.
War Advertising Council
created propaganda that promoted service, sacrifice and conservation of materials. Portrayed Japanese and Germans as inhuman, and portrayed women as strong and independent.
A. Philip Randolph, March on Washington (1941)
demands included access to defense employment, end to segregation, national anti-lynching law.
Cold War
divide created by Soviet occupation of eastern Europe
D-Day
first day of major American Involvement in Europe. Land on beach in Normandy-largest sea-land operation in history.
interventionists
for intervention, popularized wartime slogans
United Nations
formed at US conference, takes place in NY today. would include a general assembly, in which each representative would get an equal opportunity to speak, and a security council to maintain world peace. Along w/ six rotating members, includes 5 permanent ones: Britain, France, China, Soviet Union and United States.
Free World Association
fought to bring U.S to war w/ Hitler.
fifth freedom
free enterprise, desire of businesses
Chicano
fusion of Mexican heritage and American experience
Hiroshima by John Hersey
graphic account of horrors suffered by civilian population. Showed that WWII resulted in more civilian deaths than ever before. Also one of first to oppose use of atomic weapon.
America First Committee
included Father Coughlin, Lindbergh, and Henry Ford. Group that opposed U.S involvement in Europe.
Economic Bill of Rights (1944)
instead of bill of rights, which limited gov't power in name of liberty, EBoR would expand gov't power to protect rights.
Attack at Pearl Harbor
killed 2,000 servicemen and destroyed 18 naval vessels. Was reason U.S went to war against Japan. Reason: U.S stopped sending oil to Japan. gross national product war outcome turned on which side could outproduce the other.
Describe the impact of federal defense spending on the West Coast and the South.
lead to a boom of manufacturing in south
National Resources Planning Board (1942/1943)
leftists idea that post war should be full employment, better standard of living and a welfare state.
Somoza, Trujillo, Batista
lent support to them despite they are dictators
"final solution"/Holocaust
massive extermination of undesirable peoples; Slavs, gypsies, homosexuals, and Jews.
Jeannette Rakin
only person who voted against war in Congress.
Neutrality Acts
passed by Congress to avoid war. Placed embargo on both sides to insure they don't give weapons.
Spanish Civil War
pitted democratic gov't against fascist dictator, members of popular front joined Abraham Lincoln Brigade.
American Dilemma, Gunnar Myrdal
points out paradoxical view of war, wanted fed gov't to take lead in outlawing discrimination, combined an account of America's racial past with hope that "American Creed" (equality and freedom) would help to draw awareness to issue.
Freedom House / Fight for Freedom rally
prestigious members, described conflict as dictatorship v. free world.
What impact did the Servicemen's Readjustment Act (GI Bill) have on American society?
provided opportunities for veterans to get education and needed funds.
War Regulation Board, War Manpower Commission, Office of Price Administration
regulated production and pricing
"The Price of Free World Victory (1942)
response from leftists to Henry Luce, by Henry Wallace. said war would usher century of "the common man."
Nye Committee 1934-1935
revealed that big business had pressed Wilson to go to war and profited from it.
One World, Wendell Wilkie
said immigrants would play major role in shaping postwar America.
Zoot suit riots
sailors and policemen attack Mexican-American youths wearing zoot suits.
Office of War Information
spread idea that WWII was about ridding world of fascism.
Executive Order 8802
spurred by March on Washington, banned discrimination in workplace + established Employment Practices Commission.
Korematsu v. US (1944)
supreme court denies appeal of Fred Korematsu, who refused to show up for Internment. (Jusitice Hugh Black)
Smith v. Allwright (1944)
supreme court outlaws all-white primaries.
International Monetary Fund
to prevent governments from devaluing currencies. To gain advantage in international trade.
Big Three Meetings
took place in Potsdam (near Berlin). Churchill, Stalin, Roosevelt agree to military establishment for Germany and to place Nazi leaders on trial for war crimes. Soviets become sphere of influence in eastern Europe.
V-E Day
victory in Europe may 8th
Double V
victory over Germany and Japan must be accompanied by victory over racial segregation at home.
"cash and carry"
weapons from U.S to Britain had to be paid for in cash and transported in British ships. Came before Lend Lease Act.
womanpower Rosie the Riveter
women flood industry during war. Norman Rockwell's magazine depicts her as big and strong.
World Bank
would provide money to developing countries and help rebuild Europe