WORLD WAR II

1) AMERICAN ISOLATIONISM AND NEUTRALITY of the 1930s Origins? George Washington Monroe Doctrine Failure to join the League of Nations

2) NEUTRALITY ACTS No arms sales or loans to nations at war including civil war (Spain)

3) Three Ways we were moving away from neutrality “cash and carry” – nations can buy American arms as long as they pay cash and carry them on their own ships Neutrality Acts- 1939-Congress agrees to Cash-Carry US builds up their military

4) LEND-LEASE ACT * US becomes the Arsenal of Democracy FDR found a way around the Neutrality Acts to provide aid, including warships to Great Britain and other allies. He convinced Congress to sign the Lend- Lease which allowed the US to sell or lend war materials: “to any country whose defense the President deems vital to the defense of the United States!” FDR said the US would become the * US becomes the Arsenal of Democracy

5) Roosevelt prepares for war Atlantic Charter and the Declaration of United Nations- 26 nations fighting Axis powers= 4/5 of humanity. Draft is instituted at home. US navy ordered to “shoot on sight” any Axis ship.

US response to Japanese aggression US bans sale items to Japan that include war materials: iron, steel and oil Extreme militarists gaining power in Japan Japan wanted lands in Asia and Pacific US interfering in plans (add this under #5)

6) NEUTRALITY SHATTERED 1941 12/6/1941 message decoded saying that Japan’s peace envoy rejects all American peace proposals December 7, 1941 Japanese War planes attacked the US fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii FDR called it a date that would “live in infamy”! Attack fueled nationalism and patriotism 12/8/1941 Congress declared war on Japan the day after the attack

USS Arizona

Pearl Harbor Photos

Major Events of World War II Europe: 1939 Germany Invades Poland – Blitzkrieg 1940 Most of Europe falls to the Nazis - France & Battle of Britain June 6, 1944 D-Day Allied invasion of Normandy, France across English Channel December 1944 – Battle of Bulge – last Nazi offensive April 1945 US and USSR forces meet at Elbe River and Hitler kills himself May 8th 1945 V-E Day

Major Events of World War II Asia 1941-1942 Japan seizes most of SE Asia and is on move towards Australia US begins Island hopping campaign 1942 Battle of Midway – US gains supremacy in Pacific 1944-1945 bitter battles on Iwo Jima and Okinawa August 6, 1945 Truman agrees to use of Atomic bomb on Hiroshima August 9, 1945 US drops atomic bomb on Nagasaki August 14, 1945 Hirohito announces Japanese defeat to people

Wartime Diplomacy Atlantic Charter Meeting 1941 – FDR & Churchill meet over ensuring lasting peace, forming the United Nations Yalta 1945 Roosevelt. Churchill and Stalin outlined division of postwar Germany and planned for trials of war criminals

Nuremberg Trials First major war crimes trials, 22 defendants, 1st time a nation is held responsible for actions during war

Occupation of Japan War crimes trials Transform gov’t into a democracy Constitution

Wartime Diplomacy Potsdam 1945 – Truman and other Allied leaders warned Japan to surrender to prevent utter destruction…..