chapter 34 lecture - oak park independent• american communists had denounced anglo-french...

10/28/16

1

Chapter 34Americain

WorldWarII,1941–1945

Presented by:

Mr. Anderson, M.Ed., J.D.

I.TheAlliesTradeSpaceforTime

• UnderABC-1agreementwithEngland,U.S.A.wiselypursued “getGermany first”strategy

• Timewasthe mostneededmunition:– Expensenolimitation– America'sproblemwastoretoolitselfforall-outwarproductionbefore:• GermanycouldcrushEnglishandSoviets• Germanscientistsmightdevelopsecretweapons

I.TheAlliesTradeSpaceforTime(cont.)

– America'stask:• Feed,clothe,andarmitself• TransportitsforcestoregionsasfarseparatedasBritainandBurma

• Sendvastamountoffoodandmunitionstohard-pressedallies

– Who stretched all theway fromUSSR toAustralia

10/28/16

2

II.TheShock ofWar• National unitynoworry, afterPearlHarbor:

• AmericanCommunistshaddenouncedAnglo-French“imperialist” warpriortomid-1941

– Nowclamored forassault onAxis powers

• Pro-HitleritesinUnitedStatesmeltedaway• MillionsofItalianAmericansandGermanAmericansloyallysupportednation'swarprograms

• WorldWarIIspeededassimilationofmanyethnicgroupsintoAmericansociety

• Nogovernmentwitch-huntingofminoritygroups

p790

II.TheShock ofWar(cont.)

• Painfulexception—plightof110,000JapaneseAmericans,mainlyonPacificCoast(seeMakersofAmericasection)

– Government forcibly herded them into concentration camps

• ExecutiveOrderNo.9066:– Internment deprived these Americans ofdignity andbasic rights

– Internees lost hundreds ofmillions ofdollars inproperty andforgone earnings

– Supreme Court in1944upheld constitutionality ofJapaneserelocation inKorematsu v.U.S.

– In1988, U.S.government officially apologized andpaidreparations of$20,000 toeachcampsurvivor

10/28/16

3

II.TheShock ofWar(cont.)

• Warprompted changes inAmericanmood:– ManyNewDealprogramsended– EraofNewDealover– WorldWarIInoidealisticcrusadelikeWWI– U.S.governmentputemphasisonaction

p794

p791

10/28/16

4

III.BuildingtheWarMachine

• American economysnapped toattention:• Massivemilitaryorders—over$100billionin1942alone—soakedupidleindustrialcapacity

• WarProductionBoard(WPB):– Halted manufactureofnonessential items—passenger cars– Prioritized transportation andaccess toraw materials– Imposed national speed limit andgasoline rationing toconserve rubber

– Built 51synthetic-rubber plants

» Bywar's end, these plants outproducing prewar supply

p793

p793

10/28/16

5

III.BuildingtheWarMachine(cont.)

• Farmersincreasedoutput• Armedforcesdrainedfarmsofworkers• Heavyinvestmentinmachineryandimprovedfertilizersmorethanmadeupdifference

• In1944and1945,farmershauledinrecord-breakingbillion-bushelwheatharvests

• Economic strains:• Fullemploymentandscarceconsumergoodsfueledsharpinflationarysurgein1942

p792


– OfficeofPriceAdministration(OPA):• Eventuallybroughtpricesundercontrolwithextensiveregulations

• Rationinghelddownconsumptionofcriticalgoods• Though some “blackmarketeers” and“meatleggers”cheatedsystem

– NationalWarLaborBoard(NWLB):• Imposedceilingsonwageincreases

10/28/16

6


• Labor conditions:– Unionmembershipincreasedfrom10milliontomorethan13millionduringwar• Laborresentedgovernment-dictatedwageceilings• Rashoflaborwalkoutsplaguedwareffort• UnitedMineWorkersprominentamongstrikers:

– Called off job byunion chieftain, John L.Lewis


• Smith-Connally Anti-Strike Act:June 1943:– Authorizedfederalgovernmenttoseizeandoperatetied-upindustries

– Strikesagainstanygovernment-operatedindustrymadeacriminaloffense

– Washingtontookovercoalmines,andforbrieftime, railroads

– Stoppagesaccountedforlessthan1%oftotalworkinghoursofU.S.' wartimelaboringforce

– Workersonwholecommittedtowareffort

IV.ManpowerandWomanpower

• Armedservice enlistments:– 15millionmeninWorldWarII– 216,000womenemployedfornoncombatduties– “Womeninarms”:

• WACs(Women'sArmyCorps),• WAVES(WomenAcceptedforVolunteerEmergencyService)(navy),

• SPARs(U.S.CoastGuardWomen'sReserve)

– Millionsofyoungmenclothedin“GI”governmentissue)outfits

10/28/16

7

IV.ManpowerandWomanpower(cont.)

– Certainindustrialandagriculturalworkersexemptedfromdraft

– Stillshortageoffarmandfactoryworkers– Braceroprogram:

• Mexicanagriculturalworkers,calledbraceros,cametoharvestfruitandgraincropsofWest

– Program outlived warbysome twentyyears, becoming partofagricultural economy inmanywestern states

p795


• morethan sixmillion womentookjobsoutside home:– Overhalfhadneverworkedforwagesbefore– Governmentobligedtosetup3,000day-carecenterstocarefor“RosietheRiveter's” children

– Atendofwar,manywomennoteager togiveupwork

– WarforeshadowedeventualrevolutioninrolesofwomeninAmericansociety

10/28/16

8


• Yetmanywomendidnotworkforwagesinwartimeeconomy,butcontinuedtraditionalroles

• Atwar'send,2/3ofwomenwarworkersleftlaborforce

• Manyforcedoutbyreturningservice-men• Manyquitjobsvoluntarilybecauseoffamilyobligations

• Widespreadrushintosuburbandomesticityandmotheringof“babyboomers”

V.WartimeMigrations

• Demographic changes:– Manymenandwomeninmilitarydecidednottoreturntohometownatwar'send

– Warindustriessuckedpeopleintoboomtowns—LosAngeles,Detroit,Seattle,BatonRouge

– California'spopulationgrewbytwomillion– Southexperienceddramaticchanges:

• Receiveddisproportionateshareofdefensecontracts• Seedsofpostwar“Sunbelt”established(seeMap34.1)

Map 34-1 p796

10/28/16

9

V.WartimeMigrations(cont.)

– Some1.6millionblacksleftSouthforjobsinwarplantsofWestandNorth

– Foreverafter, racerelationsconstitutedanational,notaregional,issue

– Explosivetensionsdevelopedoveremployment,housing,andsegregatedfacilities• PushedbyRandolph,Rooseveltissuedexecutiveorderforbiddingdiscriminationindefenseindustries

• EstablishedFairEmploymentPracticesCommission(FEPC) tomonitorcompliancewithedict


– Blacksdraftedintoarmedforces:• Assignedtoservicebranchesratherthancombatunits• Subjectedtopettydegradations:

– Segregatedblood banks forwounded

• Warhelpedemboldenblacksinlongstruggleforequality• Slogan—“DoubleV”—victoryoverdictatorsabroadandracismathome

• MembershipinNationalAssociationforAdvancementofColoredPeople(NAACP)shotuptohalf-millionmark

• NewmilitantCongressofRacialEquality(CORE)committedtononviolent“directaction” (1942)

p797

10/28/16

10


– NorthwardmigrationofAfricanAmericansacceleratedafterwar:• Thankstoadventofmechanicalcottonpicker

– Introduced in1944, machine did workof50people atabout1/8th thecost

• CottonSouth'shistoricneedforcheaplabordisappeared• Somefivemillionblacktenantfarmersandsharecroppersheadednorthindecadesafterwar

– Oneofgreatmigrations inAmerican history– By1970halfofblacks livedoutside South

– And urban becamealmost asynonym forblack


• Warprompted exodus ofNativeAmericansfromreservations– Thousandsofmenandwomenfoundworkinmajorcities

– Thousandsmorewentintoarmedforces• 90%ofIndiansresidedonreservationsin1940• Sixdecadeslater,morethan½livedincities,manyinsouthernCalif.


– 25,000menservedinarmedforces– Servedas“codetalkers”

• Transmittedradiomessagesinnativelanguages,incomprehensibletoGermansandJapanese

• Rubbing together created someviolentfriction; e.g.in1943:– MexicanAmericansinLosAngelesviciouslyattackedbyAnglosailors

– BrutalraceriotinDetroitkilled25blacksand9whites

10/28/16

11

p798

VI.Holding theHomeFront

• Overall,Americans athomesuffered little:– Warinvigoratedeconomy

• Liftedcountryoutofdecade-longdepression

– Grossnationalproductrosefrom$100billionin1940tomorethan$200billionin1945

– Corporateprofitsrosefrom$6billionin1940toalmosttwicethatamountfouryearslater

– Despitewageceiling,disposablepersonalincomemorethandoubledwithovertimepay

p798

10/28/16

12

VI.Holding theHomeFront(cont.)

– HandofgovernmenttouchedAmericanlivesmorethaneverbefore• Rootsofpost-'45eraofbig-governmentinterventionism• Householdsfeltconstraintsofrationingsystem• Millionsworkedforgovernmentinarmedforces• Millionsworkedindefenseindustries• OfficeofScientificResearchandDevelopment

– Channeled hundreds ofmillions ofdollars into university-basedscientific research

– Established partnerships because government anduniversitiesunderwrote America’s technological andeconomic leadership inthepostwar era.


• Governmentdollarssweptunemploymentfromland• War,notenlightenedsocialpolicy,cureddepression• 1941-1945asoriginsof“warfare-welfarestate”

– WWIIphenomenallyexpensive• Billamountedtomorethan$330billion—

– 10 times directcostofWorld War I– Twiceasmuchasall previous federal spending since 1776

• Rooseveltwouldhavepreferredpay-as-you-go• Costsimplytoogigantic


• Incometaxnetexpandedandsomeratesroseashighas90%

• Onlytwo-fifthsofwarbillpaidfromcurrentrevenues• Remainderborrowed• Nationaldebtskyrocketedfrom$49billionin1941to$259billionin1945(seeFigure34.1)

• Whenproductionslippedintohighgear,warcostabout$10millionanhour

– Priceofvictoryover such implacable enemies

10/28/16

13

Figure 34-1 p799

VII.TheRisingSun inthePacific

• EarlysuccessesofJapan'smilitaristsbreathtaking:– Realizedwouldhavetowinquicklyorloseslowly– ExpandedrapidlyinFarEast:

• TookAmericanoutpostsofGuam,Wake,Philippines• SeizedBritish-ChinesecityportofHongKongandBritishMalaya

• PlungedintojunglesofBurma• Lungedsouthwardtotakeoil-richDutchEastIndies

VII.TheRisingSun inthePacific(cont.)

– BetternewscamefromPhilippines,whichsucceededinslowingdownJapanese

– WhenJapaneselanded,GeneralDouglasMacArthurwithdrewtostrongdefensivepositionatBataan,notfarfromManila:• Here20,000Americantroops,supportedbyforceofill-trainedFilipinos,heldoffJapaneseattacksuntilApril9,1942

• BeforeinevitableAmericansurrender,MacArthurorderedtodepartsecretlyforAustralia

10/28/16

14

VII.TheRisingSun inthePacific(cont.)

• Hisarmyremnantstreatedwithviciouscrueltyininfamouseighty-mileBataanDeathMarchtoprisoner-of-warcamps:

– First in series ofatrocities committed byboth sides

• IslandfortressofCorregidor,inManilaharbor,– Heldout until May6,1942, when it toosurrendered

– Which left Japanese forces incomplete control ofPhilippinearchipelago (seeMap34.2)

Map 34-2 p800

VIII.Japan'sHighTideatMidway

– Japan'scontinualmarch:• InvadedNewGuinea,andlandedonSolomonIslands• FinallycheckedbynavalbattlefoughtinCoralSea,May1942

– America, withAustralian support, inflicted heavy losses onvictory-flushed Japanese

– First time fighting done bycarrier-based aircraft

• JapannextundertooktoseizeMidwayIsland:– Epochal Battle ofMidway, June 3-6,1942—– Admiral Chester W.Nimitz forced Japanese to retreatafterU.S.navalaircraft sank fourvitally important carriers

10/28/16

15

VIII.Japan'sHighTideatMidway(cont.)

• Midwayapivotalbattle:– CombinedwithBattleoftheCoralSea,U.S.successatMidwayhaltedJapan'soffensive

– JapandidgetAmerica'sislandsofKiskaandAttu• CausedfearofinvasionofUnitedStatesthroughAlaska

– Japaneseimperialists,overextendedin1942,sufferedfrom“victorydisease”• Theirappetiteswerebiggerthantheirstomachs.

IX.AmericanLeapfroggingTowardTokyo

• America seizedinitiative inPacific:– In1942AmericangainedtoeholdonGuadalcanalIsland• JapanesetroopsevacuatedislandinFebruary1943

– Japan losses were 20,000, compared to1,700 forAmericans

• AmericanandAustralianforcesunderGeneralMacArthurheldoninNewGuinea,lastbufferprotectingAustralia

• Scalesofwarbegantotip

IX.AmericanLeapfroggingTowardTokyo(cont.)

– U.S.Navy,withmarinesandarmydivisions,began“leapfrogging” Japanese-heldislandsinPacific

– Islandhoppingstrategycalledfor:• BypassingmostheavilyfortifiedJapaneseposts• Capturingnearbyislands• Settingupairfieldsonthem• Thenneutralizingenemybasesusingheavybombing• Deprivedessentialsuppliesfromhome,Japan'soutpostswouldslowlywitheredonvine

10/28/16

16

p800


• Brilliant successes crowned American attacksonJapaneseisland strongholds inPacific:– GilbertIslandsfellinlate1943– MarshallIslandstakeninearly1944– EspeciallyprizedwereMarianas,includingGuam

• AssaultopenedonJune19,1944• 250Japaneseaircraftdestroyed,withlossofonly29Americanplanes


• Followingday,inBattleofPhilippineSea,U.S.navysankseveralJapanesecarriers

– Japanese navynever recovered

• AftermasssuicideofsurvivingJapanesesoldiersandciviliansfrom“SuicideCliff” onSaipan,MarianasfelltoU.S.A.inJuly-August,1944

• BombingofJapanbynewB-29sbeganNovember1944(seeMap34.3)

10/28/16

17

Map 34-3 p801

X.TheAlliedHaltingofHitler

• Hitler increased Battle ofAtlantic in 1942usingsubmarine “wolfpacks”– Tideofsubseabattleturnedslowly

• Oldtechniquesstrengthenedbynewmethods:– Air patrol– Newly invented technology of radar– Bombing ofsubmarine bases

• AlliedtacticsfurtherhelpedbyBritishcodebreakers• Byspring1943,AllieshadupperhandagainstU-boats

– Vital forAllied military operations inEurope

X.TheAlliedHaltingofHitler(cont.)

• Turning point ofland-air waragainstHitlercamein1942:

• Britishlaunchedthousand-planeraidonCologneinMay• InAugust,theyjoinedAmericanairforceinbombingGermancities

• GermansunderMarshalErwinRommel—the“DesertFox”—droveacrossNorthAfricaintoEgypt

• October1942,BritishgeneralBernardMontgomerydeliveredattackatElAlamein,westofCairo

• WithaidofAmericantanks,hedroveRommelbacktoTunisia

10/28/16

18

X.TheAlliedHaltingofHitler(cont.)

• September 1942, Russians stalledGermansteamroller atStalingrad, graveyardofHitler's hopes:– Scoresofinvadingdivisionssurrendered– November1942,Russiansbegancrushingcounteroffensive

– By1943,Stalinhadregainedabout2/3ofblood-soakedSovietmotherlandfromGermaninvader

XI.ASecondFrontfromNorthAfricatoRome

• Losses:• Soviet—millionsofsoldiersandcivilianslaydeadby1942asHitler'sarmiesoverranmostofwesternUSSR

• Anglo-Americanlosses—onlyinthousandsby1942• Bywar'send,some20millionSovietshaddied

– Americans,includingFDR,wantedtoinvadeFrancein1942or1943topreventRussiandefeat

– BritishmilitarynotenthusiasticaboutfrontalattackonGerman-heldFrance• PreferredtoattackHitler'sFortressEuropethrough“softunderbelly” ofMediterranean

XI.ASecond FrontfromNorthAfricatoRome(cont.)

• AmericansreluctantlyagreedtopostponemassiveinvasionofEurope

• AssaultonFrench-heldNorthAfricaacompromisesecondfront

– Attack inNovember 1942 led byAmerican generalDwightD.(“Ike”)Eisenhower

– With joint Allied operations, invasion was mightiestwaterborne effortup to that time inhistory

– After savage fighting, remnants ofGerman-Italian armytrapped inTunisia andsurrendered in May,1943

10/28/16

19

p803


• Casablanca:– RooseveltmetwithChurchillinJanuary1943:– BigTwoagreed to:

• StepupPacificwar• InvadeSicily• IncreasepressureonItaly• Insiston“unconditionalsurrender”ofenemy

– Unconditionalsurrenderoneofmostcontroversialmovesofwar:• Maincriticism—steeledenemytofighttolastman


• DiscouragedantiwargroupsinGermanyfromrevolting• Noonecanprove“unconditionalsurrender”eithershortenedorlengthenedwar

• Whatisknown:– Bycrushing German government, policy forced thoroughpostwar reconstruction

– Alliedforces,victoriousinAfrica,turnedagainstnot-so-softunderbellyinEurope:• SicilyfellinAugust1943• Mussolinideposed

10/28/16

20


• ItalysurrenderedunconditionallyinSeptember1943• Hitler'stroopsinItalyresistedAlliedinvaders• GermansalsounleashedfuryagainstItalianswhodeclaredwaronGermanyinOctober1943

• RomefinallytakenonJune4,1944• AlliescontinuedtofightinnorthernItaly• May2,1945,onlyfivedaysbeforeGermany'sofficialsurrender,severalhundredthousandAxistroopsinItalylaiddownarmsandbecameprisonersofwar

XII.D-Day:June6,1944

• Sovietsneverceasedclamor forall-outsecond front– Tehran,capitalofIran(Persia),chosenasmeetingplace:• Roosevelt,Churchill,Stalin—Nov.28-Dec.1,1943• Meetingprogressedsmoothlywithkeyachievement:

– Agreed onbroad plans, especially forlaunching SovietattacksonGermany fromeast simultaneously with U.S.-British cross-channel invasion ofFrance

p804

10/28/16

21

XII.D-Day:June6,1944(cont.)

– D-Day, June6,1944:• Enormousoperation,involvedsome4,600vessels• Afterdesperatefighting,invadersbrokeoutofironringthatenclosedNormandylandingzone

• SpectacularlungesacrossFrancebyAmericanarmoreddivisionsunderGeneralPatton

• RetreatofGermandefendershastenedwhenAmerican-FrenchforcelandedinAugust1944onsoutherncoastofFranceandsweptnorth

• WithassistanceofFrench“underground,”ParisliberatedinAugust1944

XII.D-Day:June6,1944(cont.)

• AlliesforcesrolledirresistiblytowardGermany• FirstimportantGermancity(Aachen)felltoAmericansinOctober1944

– DaysofHitler's “thousand-year Reich” numbered (seeMap 34.4)

Map 34-4 p805

10/28/16

22

XIII.FDR:TheFourth-Termiteof1944

• Presidential campaign of1944:– Republicans:

• MetinChicagowithhopefulenthusiasm• QuicklynominatedThomasE.Dewey—mildinternationalist

• Nominatedforvicepresident,SenatorJohnW.BrickerofOhio,astrongisolationist

• Platformcalledforunstintedprosecutionofwarandcreationofnewinternationalorganizationtomaintainpeace

XIII.FDR:theFourth-Termiteof1944(cont.)

– Democrats:• FDR“indispensableman”• NominatedatChicagoonfirstballotbyacclamation• Inasense,hewas“forgottenman” ofconvention• Mostattentionfocusedonvicepresidency:

– HenryA.Wallace, having served fouryearsasvicepresident,desired renomination

– Conservative Democrats distrusted himasunpredictable liberal

– A“ditch Wallace” movedeveloped momentum– With Roosevelt's blessing, nomination went toSenatorHarrySTrumanofMissouri (“new Missouri Compromise”)

p806

10/28/16

23

XIV.RooseveltDefeatsDewey

• Deweytookoffensive:• Denouncedtiredandquarrelsome“oldmen” inWashington

• Proclaimedthatafter“twelvelongyears”ofNewDealism,itwas“timeforachange”

• Asforwar:hewouldnotalterbasicstrategybutwouldfightitbetter—atypeof“me-tooism”ridiculedbyDemocrats

• Fourth-termissuedidnotfigureprominently– Republicans claimed to fear fifthand sixth terms by“lifer”inWhite House

XIV.RooseveltDefeatsDewey(cont.)

• Newpolitical action committee ofCIO:– Organizedtogetaroundlawbanningdirectuseofunionfundsforpoliticalpurposes

– FDRopposedbymajorityofnewspapers,whichwereownedchieflybyRepublicans

• Results ofelection:– Rooseveltwonsweepingvictory– 432to99inElectoralCollege– 25,606,585to22,014,745inpopularvote

XIV.RooseveltDefeatsDewey(cont.)

– Rooseveltwonprimarilybecausewargoingwell– Foreignpolicydecisivefactor:

• Strengthandexperienceneededinfashioningfutureorganizationforworldpeace

• Deweyhadspokenofinternationalcooperation• IsolationistBrickerimplantedseriousdoubts• Republicansstillsufferedfromtaintofisolationism

10/28/16

24

XV.TheLastDaysofHitler

• Hitler's lastattempt:– OnDecember16, 1944, Germans attackedAmerican lines inArdennes Forest

– Objective was Belgian port ofAntwerp, keytoAllied supplyoperation

– Ten dayoperation halted after101st Airborne Division stoodfirmatBastogne

» Brigadier General A.C.McAuliffe defiantly answeredGermandemand for surrender with one word:“Nuts”

– Reinforcements rushed up, and last-gasp Hitlerian offensivestemmed inBattle of theBulge (Map34.5)

• InMarch1945,AmericantroopsreachedGermany'sRhineRiver

Map 34-5 p807

XV.TheLastDaysofHitler(cont.)

– Eisenhower's troops reachedElbe River inApril 1945» Americans andSoviets clasped hands» American found concentration campswhere Nazis hadengaged in scientific mass murder of“undesirables”andanestimated 6million Jews

• AmericangovernmenthadlongbeeninformedofHitler'scampaignofgenocideagainstJews:

– U.S.A.hadbeen reprehensibly slow to takesteps against it– Roosevelt's administration hadbolted doors against largenumbers of Jewish refugees

– U.S.military commanders refused tobomb rail lines thatcarried victims tocamps

– Until war's end, full dimensions of“Holocaust” not known

10/28/16

25

p807

p808

p809

10/28/16

26

XV.TheLastDaysofHitler(cont.)

– SovietsreachedBerlininApril1945– HitlercommittedsuicideonApril30,1945– RoosevelthaddiedonApril12,1945– Trumantookhelm– OnMay7,1945,Germangovernmentsurrenderedunconditionally

– May8officiallyproclaimedV-E(VictoryinEurope)Day

XVI.JapanDiesHard

– Americansubmarines—“thesilentservice”—sank1,042Japanesemerchantmarineships:• 50%ofJapan'sentirelife-sustainingmerchantfleet

– Giantbomberattacksmorespectacular:– Reduced Japan's cities tocinders– Massive firebomb raidon Tokyo,March 9-10,1945– Destroyed over250,000 buildings, aquarter of city

– Killed estimated 83,000 people

• GeneralMacArthuronmove:– After conquest ofNewGuinea, hemoved north-west forPhilippines—600 ships and250,000 men

XVI.JapanDiesHard(cont.)

– LandedatLeyte IslandonOctober 20, 1944– Japan's navymadeone last effort todestroy MacArthur– Gigantic clashatLeyteGulf, foughtonseaand inair, actuallythreebattles (October23-26, 1944)

• Americanswonallthree– Japan finished asa seapower

» Lostabout 60ships

– Overrunning Leyte,MacArthur landed onmain island ofLuzon in January1945

– Manila was his majorobjective—city fell inMarch– Philippines not fully conquered until July– American toll was over sixty thousand casualties

10/28/16

27

XVI.JapanDiesHard(cont.)

– IwoJimacapturedinMarch1945• 25dayassaultcostoverfourthousandAmericandead

– Okinawa fromApriltoJune1945– 50,000 American casualties, while Japanese suffered farheavier losses

– U.S.Navy,which covered invasion ofOkinawa, sustainedseveredamage

– Japanese suicide pilots (“kamikazes”) crashedbomb-ladenplanes onto invading fleet

» Sankover thirty ships andbadly damagedscores more

p810

XVII.TheAtomicBombs

• Washington planning all-out invasionofJapan:• TokyosecretlysentoutpeacefeelerstoMoscow• Americans,havingbrokensecretJapaneseradiocodes,knewoffeelers

• Bomb-scorchedJapanshowednooutwardwillingnesstosurrenderunconditionallytoAllies

– Potsdamconference (NearBerlin,July1945):• Trumanmetin17dayparleywithStalinandBritishleaders

10/28/16

28

XVII.TheAtomicBomb(cont.)

• ConferenceissuedstrongultimatumtoJapan:– Surrender or bedestroyed– U.S.bombers showered warning to Japan in tens ofthousands of leaflets; no encouraging response received

• Americahadfantasticaceupitssleeve– In1940, Albert Einstein persuaded Roosevelt topush forunlocking secret ofanatomic bomb

– Congress, atRoosevelt's request, madeavailable $2billion

• ManhattanProjectpushedfeverishlyforward:– Indesert near Alamogordo, NewMexico, on July16,1945,experts detonated first awesome anddevastating atomicdevice


• With Japanstill refusingtosurrender,Potsdam threat fulfilled– OnAugust6,1945,loneAmericanbomberdroppedoneatomicbombonHiroshima,Japan• About180,000peoplekilled,woundedormissing• Some70,000diedinstantaneously• 60,000moresoonperishedfromburnsandradiation

– Twodayslater,August8,StalinenteredwaragainstJapan

p811

10/28/16

29


• SovietarmiesoverrandepletedJapanesedefensesinManchuriaandKoreainsix-day“victoryparade”

• Japanesestilldidnotsurrender• OnAugust9,U.S.aviatorsdroppedsecondbomboncityofNagasaki:

– About 80,000 killed ormissing

• August10,1945Tokyosuedforpeaceononecondition:– Hirohito beallowed toremain on throne asnominal emperor

– Accepted byAllies onAugust 14, 1945

p812

Table 34-1 p813

10/28/16

30

p813


• Formalendcame, with dramatic force, onSeptember 2,1945:– OfficialsurrenderconductedbyGeneralMacArthuronbattleshipMissouriinTokyoBay

– Atsametime,AmericansathomehystericallycelebratedV-J(VictoryinJapan)Day

p814

10/28/16

31

p814

XVIII.TheAllies Triumphant

• WorldWarIIterribly costly:– American forcessufferedsome1millioncasualties

• Morethanone-thirdofwhichweredeaths• Lossessharplyreducedbecauseofbloodplasmaand“miracle” drugs,notablypenicillin

– Sovietsufferedcasualtiesmanytimesgreater;morethan25millionpeoplekilled

– Firstwarthatkilledmoreciviliansthanarmedcombatants(seeTable34.1)

XVIII.TheAllies Triumphant(cont.)

• Other results:– Americaemergedwithmainlandvirtuallyunscathed

– A fewJapanese fire-bombs drifted across Pacific;killed 6

– Muchof restofworld utterlydestroyed anddestitute

• BestfoughtwarinAmericanhistory:– Unprepared atfirst, nation betterprepared than inearlier wars– Fighting German submarines before PearlHarbor– United Statesproved tobe resourceful, tough, adaptable, abletoaccommodate itself totactics ofrelentless and ruthlessenemy

10/28/16

32

XVIII.TheAllies Triumphant(cont.)

• U.S.leadership proved tobeofhighest order:• Brilliantgenerals—Eisenhower,MacArthur,andGeorgeMarshall(chiefofstaff);admiralsNimitzandSpruance

• CollaborationbecauseRooseveltandChurchillinplanningstrategy

• Industrialleadersskilled,marvelsofproductionperformeddaily

• Assemblylinesprovedasimportantasbattlelines• Victorywenttosidewithmostsmokestacks

– Axis smothered bybayonets, bullets, bazookas, andbombs

XVIII.TheAllied Triumphant(cont.)

• Americanwayofwarwassimplymore:– More men,more weapons, moremachines, more technology,andmoremoney thananyenemycouldhope tomatch

– 1940-1945, output ofAmerican factories simply phenomenal

• Americanshadgivenanswer:– Democracyhadoverthrown anddiscredited dictators– While Washington exercised largeamongofcontrol overindividuals during war emergency

– American people preserved precious liberties without seriousimpairment

p817

chapter 34 lecture - oak park independent• american communists had denounced anglo-french...

Documents