1933-1945

Chapter 29

World Affairs1933-1939 Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “Good Neighbor”

policy attempted to make peace with the United States southern neighbor’s.

At the Pan-American Conference, the U.S. agreed to a resolution that “no state has the right to intervene in the internal affairs of another”.

Aggression and Appeasement Reciprocal Trade Agreement- allowed the

State Department to make treaties with other countries to mutually lower import duties.

Japanese expansion caused Roosevelt to strengthen the Soviet Union (USSR).

Japanese troops invaded and occupied Manchuria for its mineral-rich soil. The League of Nations demanded that Manchuria be returned to China, but Japan refused the order.

Fascism Fascism is a form of government in which a

dictator and supporters cooperate to seek more power for their nation, usually at the expense of rights for individuals.

Benito Mussolini from Italy, and Adolf Hitler from Germany both followed the new political doctrine Fascism.

Totalitarian State

Both the Fascists in Italy, and the Nazis in Germany totally controlled the life of its people, even so by using force.

Both gained support by using patriotic allies, parades, music, and racial hatred.

Treaty of Versailles The Nazis blamed Germany’s economic

chaos on its Jewish population. This led to restricting Jews from their nation.

Mussolini and the fascists accused Italy’s Communists of causing strikes and social unrest.

The glorification of war by Italy, Germany, and Japan was not idle talk.

Bargaining for Peace The multiple attacks

taken place by Italy, Germany, and Japan resulted in Great Britain and France to follow the policy of appeasement. Which gave aggressor nations what they wanted in order to avoid war.

The American people were also determined to avoid war. In order to do this, Congress passed the Neutrality Acts in 1935, 1936, and 1937.

Roosevelt called for the abandonment of isolation.

Moving Closer to War In March 1939, Hitler

took control of the rest of Czechoslovakia and demanded territory in Poland.

Britain and France pledged to defend Poland, but the Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin signed a non-aggression pact with Germany.

Outbreak of War On September 1, 1939 Germany crossed into

Poland and attacked so fast, which later became known as blitzkrieg or “lightning war”.

September 3, 1939 Britain and France were fed up with Germany’s various attacks on Poland, so they declared war on Germany.

The United States remained neutral.

Battle of Britain In June 1940, Italy

invaded France and declared war on Great Britain.

France surrendered and Britain faced the German and Italian threats alone.

In order to cross the English Channel, the German air force bombed British airfields, factories, and cities.

British prime minister, Winston Churchill became the leader of Great Britain.

America realizes its Peril

Selective Service Act- the first peacetime draft in American History, added 800,000 men to the armed forces.

In November 1940, Roosevelt won reelection. With the world in crisis, American voters didn’t want to risk change in leadership.

America aids Britain

Roosevelt decided to get rid of the “cash and carry “ policy and suggested a lend lease policy.

60 % of Americans believed it was more important to help Britain rather than stay out of war.

Attack on Pearl Harbor Japanese bombers

attacked the American fleet based at Pearl Harbor.

America was Determined to defeat the Axis Powers- Germany, Italy, and Japan

Turning Point of the War

German troops launched a second attack on the Soviets.

With Churchill and Roosevelt unwilling to help Stalin, the Soviets were left to face Germany alone.

“D-day”June 6, 1944

Invasion at Normandy Americans broke through the German

line. In August American and British troops

broke out of Normandy and struck rapidly , entering Paris .

In September they crossed the western border.

Crimes Against Humanity The Nazi Holocaust- deliberate

extermination of millions of European Jews and other civilians.

Hitler used abuse such as Nazi death camps and gas chambers to torture the Jews.

Hiroshima and Nagasaki After the Japanese government rejected Truman’s

final warning to surrender or risk “utter destruction”, on August 6 an atomic bomb destroyed 60 percent of Hiroshima.

When Japanese still refused to surrender, a second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki

The final surrender of Japan took place on September 2, 1945.

The Yalta Conference

Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin met for the first time in the Soviet Union.

They agreed publicly that the United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union, along with France should occupy Germany after the war.

Roosevelt passed away on April 12. 1945.

The United Nations

Two weeks after Roosevelt's death, sentatives of 50 nations met at San Francisco to make plans for a new world organization.

The United Nations was formed.

The United States became the first nation the join the UN.

Raising Funds for the War

To raise funds for war effort, the federal government increased taxes and sold war bonds in amounts ranging from $25 to $10,000.

Government extended income tax for the first time to include middle-class and lower-income people.

The war increased employment and workers earnings rose.

Women Enter the Workforce

Women began to fill jobs that were not traditional for women.

They worked on production lines, in steel mills, on the docks, and in other jobs that required heavy manual labor.

Women also took over jobs such as barbers, driving buses and trucks, and working as train conductors.

Opportunities for African Americans

The need for workers also speeded the shift of African Americans from farming to manufacturing

Some companies hired few African Americans before the war, but by 1945, thousands of African Americans had jobs in defense plants.

Results of the War The movement of so many Americans to fill

jobs in war industries created housing shortages, crowded schools, and heightened social tensions.

Philip Randolph threatened to lead 10,000 protesters into Washington, D.C. to put an end to discrimination in defense of jobs and armed forces.