Chapter 16World War II

Parent Signature Due: Thursday, 5/28Test: Wednesday, 6/3

Vocabulary

1. Axis - the nations that fought against the Allies during World War II, led by Germany, Italy, and Japan

2. Allies - the nations that fought against the Axis powers during World War II, led by Great Britain, the Soviet Union, and the United States

3. civilian - a person not on active military duty during a war

4. home front - the area of civilian (nonmilitary) activity during a war

5. rationing - limiting the amount of certain foods or materials that one is allowed to purchase

6. victory garden - a private or community garden that people planted to help relieve food shortages during wartime

7. draft - to select and require people to serve in the military

ObjectivesAfter completing this chapter, students will be able to:

1. explain in general terms why the United States entered World War II,

2 describe how the war economy affected Minnesota’s manufacturing, agricultural, iron mining, and timber industries,

3. name ways Americans supported the war from the home front,

4. give examples of the personal impact of World War II on Minnesotans,

5. tell who won the war.

War in Europe

Germany’s dictator - Adolf Hitler promised to restore the strength and pride his nation had enjoyed before being defeated in WWI.

1939 - German troops invaded Poland

Great Britain, France and several other countries declared war on Germany

1940 - Germany had defeated Poland and occupied much of Eastern Europe. German troops swept through Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and France.

1941- Germany invaded the Soviet Union. Great Britain suffered nightly bombing and feared invasion.

In the 1930s, Japan invaded northern China, Korea, and parts of Southeast Asia to expand its empire and get the valuable natural resources these countries had.

The United States wanted to stay out of the war in Europe. But Great Britain was our friend and we started sending them supplies and the countries taken over by Japan were our trading partners, so we considered Japan to be a military threat.

We tried negotiating with Japan, but it didn’t seem to take.

WWII was the deadliest and most widespread conflict in history - nations from every continent except for Antarctica became involved.

Axis powers had control of areas in the Pacific, Europe, and North Africa.

War Hits the United States

December 7, 1941 - Japan attacked the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor Hawaii and this is what brought the U.S. into the war. The U.S. joined Great Britain and the Soviet Union and we became known as the Allies. Germany, Italy, and Japan became known as the Axis powers.

WWII brought new jobs and pumped money into the economy.

WWII also forced almost everyone to make sacrifices.

Going to WarSeparation of Powers

When it comes to war, our Constitution divides responsibility between two different branches of government -

The executive branch (the president) is the commander of the armed forces.

The legislative branch (the congress) has the power to declare war.

A formal “declaration of war” requires the president to ask Congress to pass legislation declaring war and then the president signs it.

In U.S. history, only five wars have begun because of formal declarations of war.

Declaration of War

1. War of 1812

2. Mexican-American War

3. Spanish-American War

4. World War I

5. World War II

The Home Front

Civilians (those not in active military service) spent the war at home in MN - on the home front.

William Cummings was in his 20s when WWII started. He and his wife Betty followed the war news and were constantly worried that William would be drafted. He kept a diary. On December 7, 1941 wrote that he was surprised that the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor and declared war on the U.S. He found it hard to believe that the U.S. was now in the war and he thought about his friend who was a gunner’s mate in the Navy - somewhere in the Pacific.

War Work - How were Mn manufacturing, Agriculture, Iron Ore, and

Timber industires affected by the war?

In November of 1941 (before Pearl Harbor), William heard about the good paying jobs at the new ammunition plant that was opening in New Brighton. Ever since 1939, when the war had begun in Europe, the U.S. had been sending food and weapons to the Soviet Union and Great Britain to help them. This and the knowledge that the U.S. would need supplies if it entered the war made production increase for war-related suppplies. William got a job at the plant inspecting bullets.

William wrote in his diary about seeing long freight trains carrying army trucks on the flat cars - a sign of ramped up war supply production.

Manufacturing

When the U.S. entered the war, some manufacturers started making different products. For example, Munsingwear (underwear company) started making military clothing. Crown Iron Works started making portable bridges and pontoons. Anderson Corporation (window manufacturer) started making huts that could be easily set up and taken down for the military. Hormel (meat processing plant in Austin) started making millions of cans of Spam luncheon meat to feed soldiers and civilians.

Agriculture

MN farmers increased their production during the war, but a shortage of farm workers made it difficult - many men had gone off to war and others had taken high-paying defense jobs in the cities.

The U.S. government tried to help this labor shortage by excusing farmers from military service, urging women, children and the elderly to pitch in, and by arranging for German and Italian POWs to work alongside immigrants from Mexico, Jamaica and Barbados on the farms.

Iron Ore and Timber• World War II put new demands on MN’s iron ore

and timber industries. Mines on the Iron Range had been shut down during the Great Depression but in order to make things needed for the war, these mines went back to full-time production because iron ore was needed to make guns, tanks, bombs and ships.

• The timber industry couldn’t keep up with the demand for paper products so it hired 4,000 more loggers and eventually began using POWs.

Making Sacrifices• By the spring of 1942, the U.S. started a

system of rationing to limit the amount of certain items that people could buy so that the soldiers would have enough – things like sugar. By 1943, the Allies needed 25% of all the food the U.S. could produce and other items began to be rationed – meat, milk, eggs, soups, juices, canned, dried, frozen fruits and vegetables.

• Each item was worth a certain number of points and each person was allowed a certain number of points. Ration books with point value stamps were used.

• Hildred Long struggled with rationing – “it will amount to about one can per week per person.”

• William Cummings stocked up on sugar before rationing took effect.

More ways to pitch in

• To make up for the small amount of food that people got through rationing, many people started to grow their own fruits and vegetables in Victory Gardens.

• Consumer goods (safety pins, refrigerators, cars, tires) became very hard to find.

• Raw materials (copper, brass, steel, rubber) and gasoline were being used for military so it was rationed too. More people walked or took the bus and people were encouraged to carpool.

• By late 1943, even nylon stockings (hose) was in short supply.

• Americans also bought war bonds – loans of money to the government that it promised to pay back, with interest, after the war. William Cummings considered buying war bonds to be his patriotic duty.

• Boy Scouts helped by gathering scrap metal.

Government regulation during the war – policy designed to control an aspect of the economy to promote the public well-being

• The government regulated the economy during the war by:

• 1) controlling the distribution of the food supply by rationing

• 2) making large purchases with certain industries – like the iron ore industry; iron ore was needed to make ships and planes

• The Iron Range in MN thrived because of the need for iron ore.

Joining the Fight

• More than 300,000 MN men and women enlisted or were drafted into military service. They served in Europe, Africa, the Pacific, and throughout the U.S.

• Dakota and Ojibwe also served in the military – some as Code Talkers who created codes in their native language so the enemy would not understand messages containing battle plans.

• In 1942, the military offered new service opportunities for women. They still couldn’t fight in battles but they could be in a military division like the WACs, WASPs, WAVEs.

• African Americans continued to face discrimination in both military and civilian life. They were in segregated units and almost always did the lower-skilled jobs.

• William Cummings decided to enlist but did not pass the medical exam so he was turned down by the military.

• Hildred Long’s husband Frank did go to fight in the Pacific in 1945, but he never saw battle. Germany surrendered in May and in August, the U.S. dropped two atomic bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima and Japan surrendered a few weeks later on September 2nd.

• D Day - June 6, 1944 – the invasion of Europe – Allies land in France

• VE Day – (Victory in Europe) – May 8, 1945 – still fighting Japan

• Atomic Bomb dropped – August 7, 1945 (Hiroshima)

• Atomic Bomb dropped – August 9, 1945 (Nagasaki)

• The two bombings killed 120,000 and many thousands more died later from radiation poisoning.

Japanese Americans in MN• After Pearl Harbor, the U.S. government agents in MN

ordered Japanese citizens in MN to stay inside their homes. They were afraid of spies. People protested the unfairness of this and in the end, no enemies were found in MN.

• MN’s tolerant attitude toward the Japanese Minnesotans led army captain Kai Rasmussen to locate the Military Intelligence Service Language School here. It had been in CA. It was first at Savage, MN and then moved to Ft. Snelling. Here students were trained to translate Japanese codes into English and research the Japanese armed forces.

After the War

• About 8,000 Minnesotans were killed in WWII. Some went missing and were never found and countless others were wounded – emotionally and physically. They were greeted as heroes.

• Higher production rates had strengthened the economy and ended the Great Depression.

• Leland Rowberg of Northfield was a 21 year old soldier when he arrived in France in August, 1944. He was in the army infantry, fighting under General George Patton to drive the Germans out of France. He wrote home often, but was limited in what he could say in his letters because of security concerns. He spoke of the fanatical Germans he had seen. His parents felt helpless and were always worried. Leland never read any of these letters – he was killed October 9, 1944. They received a telegram saying he was first missing, then dead.

Chapter 15 - Boom and Bust Test

11. List at least 3 pieces of evidence to support the following statement.

By 1933, most Americans considered Prohibition to be a mistake.

Drinking had not decreased. Crime had increased because of Prohibition. People were making and selling illegal alcohol. Bootleggers bribed government officials to protect their businesses. Gangsters controlled the illegal liquor supply.

12. What efforts did private organizations make to help relieve the Great Depression?

The Salvation Army provided welfare - money or necessities - to people without jobs or homes. Others provided vouchers for meals and lodging to homeless people.

13. How was life changing for people during the Jazz Age?

Women cut their hair, shortened their skirts, and were doing things like attending college, taking clerical office jobs, driving cars, and voting. Jazz music and new dancing styles were becoming popular. People drank illegal alcohol at speakeasies.

14. How did the New Deal change the role of the federal government?

The New Deal enlarged the federal government. The government started to regulate banks and the stock market, and began programs that assisted farmers and unemployed workers.

15. What was one impact the Indian New Deal had on American Indians?

The Indian Reorganization Act gave American Indian nations more control over their own affairs. It ended the policy of allotment and enabled tribes to create independent tribal governments. The Johnson O’Malley Act gave public schools money to covert the costs of educating American Indian children rather than providing separate schools for them.

Choose ONE of the following questions and answer in a short paragraph.

What factors combined to lead to the Great Depression?

In the 1920s, investors bought stock shares at low prices, and the stock prices quickly increased. Investors kept buying despite the risk, often spending all of their money. In 1929, stock prices fell quickly, and investors scrambed to sell their stocks before they lost all of their value. Investors couldn’t find anyone to buy, and with no buyers, the value of stocks sank lower. Businesses laid off workers, and as more people lost their jobs, they were unable to purchase goods, which led to even more businesses closing.

Choose ONE of the following questions and answer in a short paragraph.

16. How did farmers try to improve their economic situation during the 1920s and ‘30s?

Some farmers banded together to create the Farmer’s Holiday Association, and one of the group’s main goals was keeping food from getting to the market until prices rose. They held back farm products until the smaller supply led to greater demand, which drove up prices. The Association also tried to help protect farmers from foreclosure. They bought farms for pennies from banks and sold them back to their original owners. Farmers also tried to feed their families with the resources available, and they took advantage of government help when it arrived as part of the New Deal. Some farmers adapted their farming operations and turned to mild cows rather than crop farming.

GangstersClue #1 - A Drive-By - Chevrolet Coupe; three suspects; license plate registered to E. V. Davis; machine gun

Clue #2 - A Banker is Kidnapped! - had guns; at least three men; Bremer blindfolded; long drive; ransom note

Clue #3 - A Suspicious Couple - apartment near where ransom call was made; couple left night of kidnapping; short, sandy-complexioned man not flashily dressed; Dar, Irish-brougued woman who identified herself as Mrs. B.; small, black wire-wheeled coupe

Clue #4 - FBI Memo - Barker-Karpis gang seen in St. Paul; Volney Davis; Harry Campbell; Arthur “Doc” Barker; Fred Barker; Alvin Karpis

Clue #5 - A Strange Purchase - dark jacket; boots, cap; bought 3 flashlights, bulbs, batteries; asked for red lenses; medium height, kind of thin man

Clue #6 - The Barker-Karpis Gang - Alvin Karpis: medium brown hair, fair complexion, medium height, slim build; Fred Barker: sandy hair, medium complexion, short, slim build; Arthur “Doc” Barker: dark (chestnut) hair, medium complexion, short, medium build; Ma Barker: short and older

Clue #7 - The Ransom is Paid - black Chevrolet Coupe; three flashes of red; blue cap

Clue #8 - Bremer is Returned - long drive; gas cans; machine gun?

Clue #9 - Gas Cans Discovered - gas cans and a funnel found in WI; fingerprints of Arthur Barker on one gas can

Build your case1. I think the kidnappers were....

The following were actually convicted - Arthur “Doc” Barker, Fred Barker, Alvin Karpis, Volney Davis, Harry Campbell

2. I think their reasons for committing the crime were...

Gangsters could no longer make money through alcohol sales, so they thought ransom money would replace previous income; greed.

The Evidence3. The evidence I have against each criminal is ...

Evidence against specific people:

Arthur “Doc” Barker - fingerprints on gas can

Fred Barker - matches description of man in apartment

Alvin Karpis - bought flashlights, asked for red lenses

Volney Davis - owned car in McCord shooting

The Evidence

General evidence against Barker-Karpis gang -

seen in St. Paul during kidnapping

three or more men did the kidnapping

connected to black Chevrolet Coupe used in crimes

group disappeared from apartment the night of the kidnapping