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US Involvement in WWII NC, GH, JL, KN
Pearl Harbor
The U.S. Naval Fleet stationed 
in the pacific was anchored in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii during WWII. During this time there was an imminent threat of a Japanese attack in the Pacific. America thought if they would attack that it would be on the Philippines, the Dutch East Indies, or Malaya. That's why it was such a surprise when on the morning of December 7 Japanese planes flew over Pearl Harbor and began bombing every ship in the area. They took out eight battle ships rather than their intended target of America's air craft carriers and their oil reserves. Japan was successful in the fact that they managed to effectively surprise America and deal them a significant blow. However, they were unsuccessful in one of their main goals of keeping America out of the war. In fact, America's response to this was to finally throw their hat into war one day after this happened which stands as one of the biggest impacts of this whole situation.
![[Untitled]](http://image.wetpaint.com/image/1/dzavkkEgx6vKL_Fi6INTTg71541/GW338H450 "[Untitled]")
Home front:
in the pacific was anchored in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii during WWII. During this time there was an imminent threat of a Japanese attack in the Pacific. America thought if they would attack that it would be on the Philippines, the Dutch East Indies, or Malaya. That's why it was such a surprise when on the morning of December 7 Japanese planes flew over Pearl Harbor and began bombing every ship in the area. They took out eight battle ships rather than their intended target of America's air craft carriers and their oil reserves. Japan was successful in the fact that they managed to effectively surprise America and deal them a significant blow. However, they were unsuccessful in one of their main goals of keeping America out of the war. In fact, America's response to this was to finally throw their hat into war one day after this happened which stands as one of the biggest impacts of this whole situation.Home front:
Early in 1942 once the US joined the war, the War Production Board (WPB) was created to manage the industries helping with weapons and war materials. The Office of War Mobilization (OWM) helped with the production and collecting of raw materials. The production of war materials caused the industrial business to boom and exceeded the profits of the 1920s. This took the US out of the depression and by 1944 unemployment was practically gone. The federal agency, the Office of Price Administration (OPA), regulated the lives of the civilians by freezing market prices and rationing meat, sugar, and gasoline. During the war big corporations agreed that they would not go on strike and the wages of the workers froze caused an increase in the companies profit. The Smith-ConnallyAnti-Strike Act of 1943 let the government take control over war-related businesses whose operations were threatened by a strike. The country financed the war by increasing income tax and selling more war bonds. This was the first time that Americans were required to pay income tax which in turn began to deduct taxes from paychecks. More people started to move into more industrial places where jobs were bombing. The Midwest and the Pacific Coast started to see more communities with more factories and military bases. African Americans started to migrate to the north for the industries and west for the military forces. They were still segregated from whites and many died from riots in New York and Detroit. Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) was later formed to help create more military interests with African Americans. Mexican Americans started to work more in defensive industries and 300,000 served in the military. They lived in their own neighborhoods called barrios. In 1942 the US allowed Mexican farmers to enter the US to grow crops without going through formal immigration procedures. In Los Angeles in the summer of 1943 riots started to occur between whites and Mexican Americans in the streets. Native Americans served in the war effort by fighting in the military and worked in industries all around the US. Women in the US also served in noncombat related roles and like in WWI women had to help in the labor efforts when the men went away.
Battles:
Weapons involved in WWII-
Battle Weapons
Allies
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR)-32nd president of the US who led the country through most of WWII before his death from a brain hemorrhage.
President Harry Truman- 33d president of the US who succeeded FDR upon his death. He led the country through the last months of the war. He is best known for his controversial decision to use atomic bombs on Japan.
![[Untitled]](http://image.wetpaint.com/image/1/_JG7m1LM7lUgLEUZmsLqVQ12972/GW76H76 "[Untitled]")
Dwight D. Eisenhower-popular Army general who planned "Operation Overlord," the Allied invasion of Europe.
Neville Chamberlain- prime minister of Britain from 1937 to 1940. He practiced an appeasement attitude towards Nazi Germany. For example, he believed that giving Germany the Sudetenland would stop future German aggression but Hitler broke that promise. His appeasement policies strengthened the power of the Fascists.
Axis Powers
![[Untitled]](http://image.wetpaint.com/image/1/7fApq-NMMvRXHq5biZch8Q32412/GW69H93 "[Untitled]")
Adolf Hitler- chancellor and self-proclaimed Fuhrer, "leader" of Germany from 1933 to 1945. After he became leader of the Nazi Party in the 1920s, Hitler achieved full power of the government and maintained it throughout his time as chancellor. He believed that Germans were part of the superior "Aryan" race and that Jews were the worst among the "inferior" races. He wanted to expand living space for the German people so he began a genocide against the Jews in Europe by sending them to concentration camps and gas chambers. He also wanted to conquer Europe.
Hirohito- emperor of Japan from 1926 to 1989. Despite the fact that Japan' military leaders supposedly held more power, historians believe that Hirohito took an active role in leading the country through WWII. After Japan's defeat, he was never tried for war crimes and was allowed to hold his position.
![[Untitled]](http://image.wetpaint.com/image/1/QPt2SV0VJF1goOp8Lna3Ng77773/GW59H84 "[Untitled]")
Benito Mussolini- Fascist prime minister of Italy who acted as an absolute dictator. He was overthrown by subordinates in 1945 and executed prior to the end of the war.
Joseph Stalin-General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union until his death in 1953 He had a non-agression agreement with Hitler and they agreed to split conquered Poland. When Hitler backed out of his promise, Stalin agreed to fight on the sides of the Allies.
Battles in Europe:
Battle of Stalingrad (1942- 1943) 
Battle of Normandy ( 1944)
"D-Day" was the first day of this invasion.
This was the largest seaborne invasion in history. Allied vessels, from Australia, Canada, Belgium, France, Czechoslovakia, Greece, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Poland, United States, United Kingdoms, Poland and Norway crossed the English Channel from England to Normandy, France in order to reclaim the area from the Germans.
Battle of the Bulge ( 1944-1945 )
Americans had reached Germany and Germany was desperate to defend their conquests.
.Battles in Pacific
Battles:
Weapons involved in WWII-
Battle Weapons
- rifles (sniper, semi-automatic, assault, etc)
- machine guns
- pistols
- anti-tank weapons
- flamethrowers
- bazooka
- poisonous gases
- atomic bomb
- aircraft carriers
- "Blitzkrieg tactics"
- radars and sonar devices
- gas chambers
- amphibious vehicles ( moves over land and water)
- Jeep
Allies
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR)-32nd president of the US who led the country through most of WWII before his death from a brain hemorrhage.
President Harry Truman- 33d president of the US who succeeded FDR upon his death. He led the country through the last months of the war. He is best known for his controversial decision to use atomic bombs on Japan.
Dwight D. Eisenhower-popular Army general who planned "Operation Overlord," the Allied invasion of Europe.
Neville Chamberlain- prime minister of Britain from 1937 to 1940. He practiced an appeasement attitude towards Nazi Germany. For example, he believed that giving Germany the Sudetenland would stop future German aggression but Hitler broke that promise. His appeasement policies strengthened the power of the Fascists.
Axis Powers
Adolf Hitler- chancellor and self-proclaimed Fuhrer, "leader" of Germany from 1933 to 1945. After he became leader of the Nazi Party in the 1920s, Hitler achieved full power of the government and maintained it throughout his time as chancellor. He believed that Germans were part of the superior "Aryan" race and that Jews were the worst among the "inferior" races. He wanted to expand living space for the German people so he began a genocide against the Jews in Europe by sending them to concentration camps and gas chambers. He also wanted to conquer Europe.
Hirohito- emperor of Japan from 1926 to 1989. Despite the fact that Japan' military leaders supposedly held more power, historians believe that Hirohito took an active role in leading the country through WWII. After Japan's defeat, he was never tried for war crimes and was allowed to hold his position.
Benito Mussolini- Fascist prime minister of Italy who acted as an absolute dictator. He was overthrown by subordinates in 1945 and executed prior to the end of the war.
Joseph Stalin-General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union until his death in 1953 He had a non-agression agreement with Hitler and they agreed to split conquered Poland. When Hitler backed out of his promise, Stalin agreed to fight on the sides of the Allies.
Battles in Europe:
North Africa to Italy (1939-1945)
Details:started with the Italian declaration of war. The Italian and British forces were taking over parts of Syberia and Egypt. This battle was called the African Campaign. The area was vital for Britain so it could keep close contact with the empire.Concerned by Italian leader Benito Mussolini's lack of progress in Africa and the Balkans, Adolf Hitler authorized German troops to enter the region to assist their ally in February 1941
Outcome:After victory by the Allies in the North African Campaign, the stage was set for the Italian Campaign to begin. The invasion of Sicily followed two months later.In North Africa, General Archibald Wavell launched a major attack in December, Operation Compass, which drove the Italians out of Egypt and captured over 100,000 prisoners. When Italy surrenders, the Allies are able to capture Naples
Impact:By making the Axis powers fight on a second front in North Africa, the Western Allies provided some relief to the Soviet Union fighting the Axis on the Eastern Front.
American Role:The United States entered the war in 1941 and began direct military assistance in North Africa, on 11 May 1942.
Battle of Stalingrad (1942- 1943)
During Nazi Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union, the German forces wanted to capture the city of Stalingrad in the southwestern area of the Soviet Union. Hitler wanted to destroy the city because Stalingrad was a major industrial city on the Volga River and a vital transport route between the north of Moscow to the Caspian Sea. Also, the city was named after Hitler's enemy Stalin. The Russian forces in Stalingrad consisted of 40,000 ill-equipped and poorly trained men. Russian government knew they needed strong leadership in Stalingrad so Stalin ordered General Zhukov and on the local level, General Vasily Chuikov to protect the city. The Germans began bombing and shelling the city. Russians began hand to hand combat within the ruins of the city During the cold winter, Russians received supplies over the frozen Volga River. They also used the weather as an advantage and counterattacked. German soldiers found themselves stuck in a barren city without food or supplies because Hitler had forbid retreat.
Outcome- The Germans surrendered in January 1943
Outcome- The Germans surrendered in January 1943
American Involvement-allowed supplies to be shipped to Russia; no other involvement
Impact- The Russian victory boosted Russian and Allied morale. German troops were no longer invincible.
Impact- The Russian victory boosted Russian and Allied morale. German troops were no longer invincible.
The Battle of the Atlantic (1942-1945)
Details:
-the Battle of the Atlantic was a commerce war waged by German U-Boats against Britain’s merchant marine.
- longest continuous military campaign of World War II
-The Battle of the Atlantic was a fight for Britain's very survival.
-Germany had underestimated the impact of U-boats, and was fighting with only 46 operational vessels, using mostly surface vessels - rather than submarines
Outcome:Britain surrvied this period of war because improved tactics such as small warships to help close the Royal Navy's gap
Impact: -the most important battle during the entire Second World War because the success of every other campaign in every other theater of war depended upon its success.
-The numbers of casualties of both sides were greater than the combined deaths in all the naval battle numbers over the previous 500 years.
- U-boats, supplemented by mines, aircraft and surface ships, succeeded in sinking three million tons of Allied shipping between the fall of France in June 1940 and the end of the year
American Role:From May 1941 the US Navy became a British ally in the struggle in the Atlantic. By taking over escort duties in the western Atlantic, it became involved in a shooting war with Germany. Escort duties in the Battle of the Atlantic had so far been the most that the President could do to bring the USA into the war on the British side. However, eventually this undeclared German-American naval war probably played a role in Hitler's decision to declare war on the USA - in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor.
Battle of Normandy ( 1944)
"D-Day" was the first day of this invasion.
This was the largest seaborne invasion in history. Allied vessels, from Australia, Canada, Belgium, France, Czechoslovakia, Greece, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Poland, United States, United Kingdoms, Poland and Norway crossed the English Channel from England to Normandy, France in order to reclaim the area from the Germans.
Outcome-The collective attack of the Battle of Normandy and a French resistance in Paris helped to liberate France from the Germans.
American Involvement-73,000 American troops were involved.
Impact- The Allied victory in retaking Normandy broke the rest of the German Army. Normandy was the last strong hold for them.
American Involvement-73,000 American troops were involved.
Impact- The Allied victory in retaking Normandy broke the rest of the German Army. Normandy was the last strong hold for them.
Battle of the Bulge ( 1944-1945 )
Americans had reached Germany and Germany was desperate to defend their conquests.
A German force attacked the US First Army. The small separated troops fought against the Germans until reinforcements were sent.
Outcome- With reinforcements, the Americans were able to push the Germans back and restart the Allied advancement.
American Involvement- US was invading Germany.
This was the largest battle in Western Europe during WWII and the largest battle ever fought by the U.S. Army.
Impact- After this, Nazi leaders began to realize the war was lost.
Outcome- With reinforcements, the Americans were able to push the Germans back and restart the Allied advancement.
American Involvement- US was invading Germany.
This was the largest battle in Western Europe during WWII and the largest battle ever fought by the U.S. Army.
Impact- After this, Nazi leaders began to realize the war was lost.
.
| Battle | Details | American Role | Outcome | Impact |
| Coral Sea | Between the Imperial Japanese Navy and Allied naval and Air Forces from the United States (U.S.) and Australia. First fleet action in which aircraft carriers engaged each other. First naval battle in history in which neither side's ships sighted or fired directly upon the other. Japanese troops trying to strengthen their defensive position so they invaded and occupied Port Moresby in New Guinea and Tulagi in the southeastern Solomon Islands. Japanese forces successfully invaded and occupied Tulagi but not after some ships were attacked and sunk by US fleet carriers. Now aware of the presence of U.S. carriers in the area, the Japanese fleet carriers entered the Coral Sea with the intention of finding and destroying the Allied naval forces. | The U.S. learned of the Japanese plan through signals intelligence and sent two navy forces to help with Australian Navy. | Tactical victory for the Japanese in terms of ships sunk, strategic victory for the Allies. US victory in the battle as a whole. | First time Japanese have been stopped from expanding into the Pacific. US took out Japan ships that were going to be used for other battles like Midway.  |
| Midway | Japan aimed to eliminate the United States as a strategic power in the Pacific and lure the United States' few remaining aircraft carriers into a trap | American code breakers were able to determine the date and location of the attack, enabling the forewarned U.S. Navy | Allies' first major victory against the Japanese | The battle has often been called "the turning point of the Pacific. It paved the way for the following campaigns around the Solomon Islands and Guadalcanal. The battle showed the worth of pre-war naval cryptologic training and efforts. |
| Guadalcanal | The Guadalcanal Campaign (also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal or Operation Watchtower) was one of the first major offenses launched by Allied forces against the Japanese, where nations like the United States (who prodimantely made up the allied forces), Australia, and New Zealand landed on several Islands including Guadalcanal and Tulagi with the goal to deny the Japaneses as bases to damages trade routes and also to use Guadalcanal and Tulagi as bases for another campaign. Contested on land, air, and sea. | America's role in the battle was to damage Japanese force's supply routes and to set up bases in Guadalcanal and Tulagi for the eventual campaign to capture a Japanese base located at Rabaul ( on New Britain). | The Allied forces overwhelmed the Japanese, capturing all of our desired lands from the campaign. In addition we also gained an airfield located in Guadalcanal. | The impact of the battle was that this was significant strategic victory for the Allied forces at a time when Japan was at their peak in their conquest of Pacific lands; Also started the transition for the Allies from defensive operations to strategic offensive operations. |
| Leyte | Second Battle of the Philippine Sea, and the largest naval battle of World War II. Was one of the largest naval battles in history Between Allied navy and Japanese Empire. Japanese had some power in South East Asia with oil. Japs started to mobilize the troops to repulse the US troops but fails. | Invaded the island to isolate the Japanese from the countries it had occupied in South East Asia | Many lives were lost but more were lost by the Japs and US eventually won. Allies eventually won due to the surrender of and that the Japs couldn't defend off the Philipeans anymore | Ships were destroyed and Jap navy forces stayed in their ports for the rest of the Pacific War. |
| Iwo Jima | The Battle of Iwo Jima (or Operation Detachment) was a battle between American Forces and Japanese forces for two air fields located in Iwo Jima and for the strategic placement of the island.. This was one of the first attacks on Japanese home islands and also some of the most ferocious fighting during America's Pacific campaign. It all started on Feburary 19, 1945 when America soldiers (also supported by air and naval forces) stormed the island and were met by Japanese forces. The battle raged for over a month with several thousands causalties on both sides but the causualties on Japan's side were to much and they were soundly defeated. | America's role in this battle was to capture the island of Iwo Jima because of it's strategic placement and also in order to secure two air fields located their. | America was successful in it's attempt to take Iwo Jima raising the America flag symbolizing our victory and also one of the most famous moments in America's history. | Was one of the final battles in America's Pacific campaign, and signaled the inevitable Allied victory in WWII. Although the battle's strategic necessity is still highly debated, it's historical significance still goes unquestioned as one of the most famous and important battles in WWII. |
| Okinawa | The Battle of Okinawa (also known as Operation Iceberg or the "Typhoon of Steel" was the largest "amphibious assault" in the Pacific campaign of WWII. The goal to capture Okinawa was apart of America's three point plan for winning the battle in the Pacific. The Battle raged two months between Allied forces (America and Britain) and Japan that spread across land, air, and sea. In the end the Allied forces succeeded in defeating the Japanese and also succeeded in it's overall goal of securing a large island close to Japanese mainland. | America's role was to take a large island close to Japanese mainland and to also use Okinawa as a base of operations for their invasion of the Japanese mainland | Allied forces were successful in their conquest of Okinawa, finally securing the island on June 22, 1945 | One of the final nails in the coffin for Japan's time in the war (before bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima) also served as their final defeat. |
Atomic Bombs
(1945): both dropped on Japan (in cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki)
Reasons for: - Japanese government ignored an ultimatum given by the Potsdam Declaration, the new president, Harry Truman, told Japan to surrender unconditionally or face "utter destruction." Also, in America's warning to Japan, they did not specifically mention the atomic bomb. America knew the atomic bomb would leave results that the world had never seen. America found this to be the only way they could get Japan to surrender
Reasons for: - Japanese government ignored an ultimatum given by the Potsdam Declaration, the new president, Harry Truman, told Japan to surrender unconditionally or face "utter destruction." Also, in America's warning to Japan, they did not specifically mention the atomic bomb. America knew the atomic bomb would leave results that the world had never seen. America found this to be the only way they could get Japan to surrender
- reasons why the two cities were chosen: the criteria for the bombing-
- The target was larger than three miles in diameter and was an important target in a large urban area.
- The blast would create effective damage.
- The target was unlikely to be attacked by August 1945. "Any small and strictly military objective should be located in a much larger area subject to blast damage in order to avoid undue risks of the weapon being lost due to bad placing of the bomb.
Reasons against:Japan did not want the bomb to destroy their cities. Also, some Americans protested if the bomb was moral, for its impact would kill innocent people. In addition, after witnessing the test explosion, some scientists who worked on the project such as Isidor Rabifelt that the bomb made humankind a threat to the world they lived in because of the bombs dangerous power. More scientists like him felt that they had created a monster that was capable of destroying the world. A petition was even signed by many workers and scientists who protested the bomb, but the petetion never made it very far.
Impact:250,000 Japanese died, either immediately or after a period of suffering
Outcome:within a week after the second bomb fell, Japan agreed to surrender if the Allies would agree to allow the emperor to remain on the throne as a powerless head of state.
Outcome:within a week after the second bomb fell, Japan agreed to surrender if the Allies would agree to allow the emperor to remain on the throne as a powerless head of state.
- Formal surrender was received by General MacArthur on Sept. 2, 1945 in Tokyo harbor abroad the battleship Missouri (signed the Intrument of Surrender)
- Germany later signed the surrender as well, therefore ending the war in Europe
Details: -first time in history the atomic bomb was used
- killed many innocent civilians (majority of the death toll)
- The U.S., in collaboration with the United Kingdom and Canada, with their respective secret projects Tube Alloys and Chalk River Laboratories, designed and built the first atomic bombs under what was called the Manhattan Project.
How it was made-The most complicated issue to be addressed in making of an atomic bomb was the production of ample amounts of "enriched" uranium to sustain a chain reaction.
Over the course of six years, from 1939 to 1945, more than $2 billion was spent during the history of the Manhattan Project (making of the atomic bomb).
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GoffH |
Latest page update: made by GoffH
, Apr 21 2010, 10:32 AM EDT
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