U.S. & WWII

REVIEW

• How did the Great Depression prompt the surge of radical political & economic developments?

• Discuss the global developments of the 1930s (who is doing what?

• How does WWII officially begin?

AMERICAN ISOLATIONISM

• Neutrality Act (1935)• To keep the U.S. from begin drawn into war like 1917

• Quarantine Speech• FDR compared the spread of war to disease > have to

contain it by working with peace-loving countries

PREPARING FOR WAR

• Cash-&-Carry• Countries could purchase American goods as long as paid

cash & picked up in U.S.

• Election – FDR re-elected although no other President had served

2+ terms

Election of 1940

PREPARATION CONTINUED…

• Lend-Lease Act• Allowed US to send weapons to Britain regardless of ability to

pay• “Neighbors house on fire”• Why Britain??

• Atlantic Charter• Aug 1941 – FDR & Churchill met secretly • Proclaimed shared goals of U.S. & Britain in opposing Hitler &

his allies

PEARL HARBOR

• Dec. 7, 1941• Japanese launch surprise attack at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii• U.S. / Japanese tensions high in China, E. Asia >

• U.S. cut off oil supply

• Americans react with surprise, shock, fury• U.S. at war with Japan >

• 3 days later, Germany & Italy declare war on U.S.

MOBILIZATION

• Mobilization• Act of assembling troops & supplies• Led by Army Chief of Staff: George C. Marshall

• Propaganda• Used to persuade / influence opinions• Examples: Buy war bonds, join the military, work in

factories, ration, plant victory gardens, support the war effort, anti-enemy

WOMEN IN WWII

• Military• No combat > nurses• WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer

Emergency Service)• WASPS (Women Air Service Pilots)• WAC (Women’s Auxiliary Corps)

• Industry• Rosie the Riveter

• Men left for military > • 6.5 million women went to work

INDUSTRY & LABOR

• Industry• Made equipment to supply troops• Federal government spent tens of billions of dollars on

weapons & supplies after Pearl Harbor• Got the U.S. out of the Great Depression. How?

• FDR set up National War Labor Board• Helped settle disputes with labor to continue

war effort

SCIENCE IN WWII

• Manhattan Project• Labs in Los Alamos, New

Mexico

• *Most significant project in WWII

• Top secret American project to build atomic bomb

• Scientist Robbert Oppenheimer led team

AFRICAN AMERICANS

• 1st enlistment in marines & navy commissioned 1st officers

• Faced discrimination in military & factories

• Union leader A. Philip Randolph led protests against discrimination

• *Tuskegee Airmen – First African Americans to receive training as pilots (segregated unit) fought in Italy

HISPANICS & LATINOS

• Farm labor demands during WWII > Bracero Program 1942

• Gave Mexicans a chance to work temporarily in U.S.

• Increased ethnic tension

• Zoot Suit Riots : June 1943 – sailors stationed in LA fought with Mexican American youths (clothing excess)