Americas Involvement in World War II SS 5

America’s Involvement in World War II SS 5 H 4

• World War II was the central event of the By the time it was over in 1945, Tokyo, Berlin, • Meanwhile, the prisoners and • It brought about the redrawing of Hamburg, Leningrad, Stalingrad, Warsaw, twentieth century. It involved all six major the wounded, making their way national boundaries in Europe and Asia, Hiroshima, Dresden, Dusseldorf, Nagasaki, • It caused 57 million deaths and continents, all three of the great oceans on back to wives, sweethearts, forced the relocation of many ethnic Osaka, Manila, Cologne, and dozens of other unimaginable human suffering. the planet, scores of countries, and billions of great cities had been obliterated. And parents, and children, often after groups, made millions of families people. population centers that had mostly avoided an absence of many years, would homeless, and led to the virtual the worst of the death and destruction carry the cost of the conflict with extinction of the Jewish population of continued to see poverty and hunger linger them for the rest of their lives. Europe. for years after the surrender documents had been signed. Countries involved in World War II. Different colors represent when countries entered the conflict.

SS 5 H 4 a German & Japanese Aggression How did treaties, alliances, and political policies/structures contribute to World War II?

Learning Targets I can: • explain why America became involved in World War II by: Ø describing German and Japanese aggression. Ø discussing the alliances, treaties, and political structure of the countries involved.

Twenty years after the Treaty of Versailles was signed, another war erupted in Europe. Some of the causes of the second world war were similar to those of the first – imperialism, nationalism, and militarism. Other causes included: Ø the rise of fascism Ø the results of the Great War itself Ø the global economic depression not just in US) (Treaty of Versailles) (Great Depression was world wide Ø the ways in which Europe and the League of Nations responded to aggression by militaristic nations (Appeasement policy)

Key Words: • • Nationalism- deep pride in ones culture, belief, and country Militarism- building up ones army for protection Imperialism-when a country seeks to acquire countries outside of its own land Isolationism: a nations' interests are best served by keeping the affairs of other countries at a distance Fascism: the importance of the nation above the rights of the individual Dictatorships: person or small group of people who rule with almost unlimited power Appeasement: the policy of making concessions to the dictatorial powers in order to avoid conflict

Factors Leading to World War II • Dictatorships • Militarism • Nationalism • Imperialism • Failure of Appeasement

Alliances • Mussolini signed an alliance with Germany in 1936. • Japan signed an alliance with Germany and Italy in 1940. • The aggressive countries soon became known as the Axis Powers.

Use the graphic organizer to develop a theory on why these three countries developed alliances which led to World War 2

Germany • Nazi Germany - led by Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party, had a vision of conquering Europe and installing a master race. • After WWI, the difficult economic times helped the Nazi Party come to power – promising to restore Germany’s power in the world. • In Germany’s post WWI economic slump, the working class struggled just to survive; eventually people began latching onto any political leader they felt could restore Germany’s former glory. • Hitler soon became Germany’s dictator, taking complete control of the country. He used secret police to control the people.

Japan • Japan believed in uniting Asia as a “Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere” • Japanese radicals, mostly from military, wanted a militaristic government much like Nazi Germany. • Japan had a long history of invading China and Russia in a longing to increase their territories. • The Chinese took their complaints to the League of Nations but were mostly ignored. • Emperor Hirohito was the ruler of Japan but the military had most of the power in his government.

Italy • Italian Empire - led by Benito Mussolini, had a vision of creating a new Roman Empire. • Mussolini made Italy predominant in the Mediterranean-Red Sea region. But his military adventures in 1935 -1939 left his armed forces exhausted. • Italy condemned the Western powers for enacting sanctions in 1935 for its actions in Ethiopia. • Blamed Treaty of Versailles on the economic downfall of Italy but promised a brighter future

Emperor Hirohito During an Army Inspection in 1938 Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini meet at the airfield in Venice, Italy, on June 14, 1934

Timeline of Axis Aggression 1931 -1932 -Japan invaded and conquered Manchuria (China) 1935 -Italy invaded annexed Ethiopia (Africa) 1935 -1936 -Germany violated Treaty of Versailles with recruitment and remilitarizing the Rhineland (along Rhine River now part of Germany) 1936 -1939 -Germany and Italy aided Francisco Franco in the Spanish Civil War 1937 -Japan conquered Chinese coastal areas

Timeline of Axis Aggression 1938 -Hitler invaded annexed Austria to protect German speaking people 1938 -Munich Pact-France and Britain allowed Hitler to take the Sudetenland if he would demand no more territory. 6 months later, he broke his promise and took all of Czechoslovakia. 1939 -Mussolini invaded annexed Albania. In September, Germany invades Poland WWII begins when Great Britain and France declare war on Germany

The Empire of Japan - Consisted of Korea, Parts of China, The Philippines, Indonesia, and Southeast Asia.

SS 5 H 4 d WWII Leaders How and why does a country decide to go to war? What roles did Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini, Churchill, and Roosevelt play in the outcome of WWII?

Learning Targets I can: • identify the major people involved in World War II. (Roosevelt, Stalin, Churchill, Hirohito, Truman, Mussolini, and Hitler) • explain their impact on World War II.

WWII Leaders Allied Powers Great Britain – Winston Churchill Soviet Union – Joseph Stalin United States – Franklin Roosevelt & Harry Truman Axis Powers Germany – Adolf Hitler Italy – Benito Mussolini Japan – Emperor Hirohito

Roosevelt • President Franklin Roosevelt led the US through most of WWII. • After WWII began in 1939, Roosevelt urged the US to get ready for war. He rebuilt the military and relocated the naval forces in California. • FDR also pushed to change laws so that the US could continue to offer support to their allies in Europe. One such law was the Land Lease Program. FDR described the Lend. Lease Program as “similar to loaning a garden hose to a neighbor whose house was on fire, thereby protecting one's

Roosevelt Signing Declaration of War Against Germany.

Stalin • Joseph Stalin led the Soviet Union during WWII. • Even though the Soviet Union was an Allied Power, Stalin was a dictator like Hitler and Mussolini. Ø Under Stalin, the Soviet Union was transformed from a peasant society into an industrial and military superpower. However, he ruled by terror, and millions of his own citizens died during his brutal reign. • In May 1945, the Soviets under Stalin were able to capture Berlin, Germany’s capital, and defeated the German forces.

Churchill • Winston Churchill served as the prime minister of Great Britain from 1940 to 1945 and again from 1951 to 1955. • He was a writer, politician, and soldier who served in the British Army in Africa and India. • Churchill was a talented speaker, giving many stirring speeches to boost national morale during the war. He became a symbol for the fighting spirit of the British people and led the country through its darkest hours of the war.

Truman • Harry Truman the 33 rd U. S. president, assumed office following the death of President Franklin Roosevelt (1882 -1945). In the White House from 1945 to 1953, Truman made the decision to use the atomic bomb against Japan, helped rebuild postwar Europe, worked to contain communism and led the United States into the Korean War (1950 -1953). • Truman's foreign policy established some of the basic principles and commitments that marked American foreign policy for the remainder of the twentieth century.

Hitler • Nazi leader Adolf Hitler was one of the most powerful and infamous dictators of the 20 th century. After World War I, he rose to power in the National Socialist German Workers Party, taking control of the German government in 1933. • He introduced fascist policies that led to World War II and the deaths of at least 11 million people, including the mass murder of an estimated 6 million Jews.

Mussolini • Italian dictator Benito Mussolini rose to power in the wake of World War I as a leading proponent of Fascism. • Mussolini took control of the press and used his secret police to silence all differences. He used propaganda to get his message across and was even able to get the Roman Catholic Church to recognize his government in return for the recognition that Vatican City was an independent country.

Hirohito • Hirohito was emperor of Japan from 1926 until his death in 1989. He took over at a time of rising democratic sentiment, but his country soon turned toward ultranationalism and militarism. • During World War II, Japan attacked nearly all of its Asian neighbors, allied itself with Nazi Germany and launched a surprise assault on the U. S. naval base at Pearl Harbor. • After Japan’s surrender in 1945, he became a figurehead with no political power.

SS 5 H 4 b Major Events Europe & the Pacific How did key events shape the course and outcome of WWII? Why is WWII considered a turning point in global history?

Learning Targets I can: • explain why America became involved in World War II by: Ø describing the major events: Pearl Harbor, Iwo Jima, D-Day, VE and VJ Days

Timeline Graphic Organizer

US Actions From 1939 through 1941, Americans were deeply divided between interventionism and isolationism. The United States passed several Neutrality Acts, trying to avoid U. S. imposed embargo on Japan and froze all Japanese assets in Land-Lease Act- 1941 - President could lend or lease goods foreign entanglements as it reeled from the Depression and the United States to anyone whose defense was vital to the United States Dust Bowl years. Before "Thendid came December the attack 7 th, we onwere Pearla. Harbor, divided and, people. like. Itthat, wasn't it turned a 'They're civil American wargonna goingopinion. on, there You wasmore "We not quit fighting, because the determination [that] pay'but was so had high. Ita great deal enlistments of argument on December about whether 8 country, than we anywhether ought other to day orinought American history, " [enterorthe he war]. said. people, Yamamoto Only 20 years Isoroku, was felt by everyone in this they werenot oldto people young men or earlier, World commander War I the had of the been Japanese proclaimed combined theand "war fleet, towho end planned allsilly war. " And yet, once on. States Pearl again, Harbor, Americans had worked were women, whether they British descent or African descent or Norwegian descent—wherever "So it wasn't 'war towere end of all war, ' it would be forthe theattack United to get involved in in being the United called States. on tothat fight Helike warned on European theso Japanese soil. ” Stephen highornever command Ambrose, ofto Historian the of the. And American spirit. they came from, determination that 'We're going letstrength this happen. we'reongoing another bloodletting that—or 40 percent more of the American people believed Despite the Japanese went ahead to come the back, whatever the price. ' And they did. "with the attack because, said Ambrose, they December 6, warnings, 1941" underestimated American perseverance.

The December 7, 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was one of the most defining moments in American history

Japanese Reaction • Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto said "I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and filled him with a terrible resolve. " • Japanese reaction: "We won a great tactical victory at Pearl Harbor and thereby lost the war. "

US Enters WWII • President Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war on Japan on December 8 th. Montanan Jeanette Rankin, the first woman elected to Congress casts the sole vote against the U. S. declaration of war on Japan. She was the only member of Congress to vote against U. S. involvement in both World Wars. • On December 11, Germany and Italy declared war on the US. • The US fought a two-front war during WWII. In North Africa and Europe, the fight was against Italy and Germany. In the Pacific and Asia, the fight was against Japan.

Axis Success • For four years, (1940 -1944) Nazi Germany occupied most of Europe. • Hitler’s goal was gain territory to create Lebensraum or “living space” for the Third Reich.

European Theater • After US enters World War II, Russia wants Allied forces to provide support on the Eastern front to take pressure off of Russian army. • US and Great Britain decide instead to take on German U-boats in Atlantic and Nazi forces in North Africa. • By 1943, Allied forces were beginning to fight in Italy. • Meanwhile, Soviet troops were fighting a fierce battle in Stalingrad. The fighting included house-to-house fighting. Millions of Soviet soldiers and civilians were killed or captured, but Soviet resistance and the brutal Russian winter of 1942 defeated the Germans, who surrendered (91, 000 troops) on January, 1943. Many historians consider this the turning point of World War II.

After victory in Italy, the Allied forces began their move to France. D-Day is the name given to the landing of 160, 000 Allied troops (using 11, 000 planes and 4, 400 landing craft and ships, and 448, 000 tons of ammunition) in Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944. D-Day, the first day of the Invasion of France (“Operation Overlord, ”), involved five separate landings by American, British, and Canadian troops and was commanded by General Dwight D. Eisenhower. Stiff German resistance resulted in nearly 10, 000 Allied casualties, but the Germans were ultimately unable to repel the Allied forces.

Beach and cliffs Allied forces encountered in Normandy as part of D-Day

Closing In While the Allies advanced on Western Germany and northward, up the Italian Peninsula, the Soviet Army marched on the Eastern German border. On April 28, 1945, Mussolini was captured and executed. Hitler took his own life on April 30. Germany formally surrendered on May 7, 1945 - VE Day – Victory in Europe

Headlines celebrating the surrender of Germany – VE Day

How to End War Two important meetings were held in 1945 - Yalta Conference (February) and Potsdam Conference (July). These conferences were meetings between the “Big Three” – Great Britain, United States, and Soviet Union (Russia) to decide what post-war Germany would look like. Just like with the Treaty of Versailles all groups could not agree. Yalta Conference Purpose: Peace and Security Roosevelt (US) wants the United Nations (new version of League of Nations), Stalin (Russia) wants to protect against future German invasions, and Churchill (Great Britain) wants to not give Stalin too much power (spread of Communism) Agreed Upon Items: • Divide Germany into four sections equally controlled by US, Great Britain, Russia, and France) • Bring Nazi war criminals to trial • Allow free elections in countries freed by Russian army • Set up a commission to look into the amount of reparations Germany will have to pay

Standing up for what you know is right is not always easy. Especially if the one you face is bigger and stronger than you. It is easier to look the other way. But, if you do, terrible things can happen. al·le·go·ry noun a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.

SS 5 H 4 b The Holocaust What are the costs of injustice, hatred, and racism?

Learning Targets I can: • explain why America became involved in World War II by: Ø describing the Holocaust.

Holocaust • Germans felt humiliated angry after World War I, and many blamed the Jews for what had happened. • Hatred or dislike of Jews is known as anti-Semitism, and it was a large part of the Nazi party. Hitler and the Nazis blamed the Jews for Germany’s problems, and said that if they could get rid of the Jews, Germany would be a better place. • So Jews were discriminated against; they were denied freedoms and rights given to non-Jewish Germans, their shops were boycotted, and they were forced to wear the Star of David to identify themselves. German soldiers blocking entrance into a Jewish store

Holocaust • Jews were forced out of their homes, and moved into ghettos. • Ghettos were usually established in the poor sections of a city, where most of the Jews from the city and surrounding area were forced to live. Often surrounded by barbed wire or walls, the ghettos were sealed. The ghettos were characterized by overcrowding, malnutrition, and hard labor. All were eventually closed, and the Jews killed. Chopping up furniture to use as fuel in the Krakow Ghetto.

As more and more of eastern Europe was taken over by Germany, it became a sort of backyard for the Nazis, where the ugliest parts of their plan could be carried out. By late 1941, the first Jews from Germany and western Europe were gathered and moved, along with many other minorities, to concentration camps in Poland, Czechoslovakia, Lithuania, Latvia, Ukraine, and western Russia, where they were first used as slaves and then murdered.

U. S. & the Holocaust After the Great Depression began, President Hoover began to decrease the number of immigrants who could enter the United States. In spite of fewer immigrants entering the U. S. , by 1940 82% of immigrants to America came Nazi occupied countries, most of them refugees seeking asylum. In August 1942, the U. S. State Department received a report revealing that the Germans had adopted a policy (Final Solution) planning to physically annihilate, or execute, the Jews of Europe. State Department officials could not confirm the report and felt it was a rumor. On November 24, 1942, Rabbi Stephen Wise held a press conference to announce that Nazi Germany was implementing the Final Solution policy to annihilate the European Jews. A few weeks later, on December 17, the United States, Great Britain, and ten other Allied governments issued a declaration denouncing Nazi Germany's atrocities and warning that perpetrators of such crimes would be held responsible for their actions. It wasn’t until Allied forces invaded Germany that the full extent of the Holocaust was realized.

The Butterfly The last, the very last, So richly, brightly, dazzlingly yellow. Perhaps if the sun’s tears would sing against a white stone. . Such, such a yellow Is carried lightly ’way up high. It went away I’m sure because it wished to kiss the world good-bye. For seven weeks I’ve lived in here, Penned up inside this ghetto. But I have found what I love here. The dandelions call to me And the white chestnut branches in the court. Only I never saw another butterfly. That butterfly was the last one. Butterflies don’t live in here, in the ghetto. Pavel Friedman, June 4, 1942

Pacific Theater By 1941, Japan is in control of the Pacific. They occupy Hong Kong, Thailand, Guam, Wake, Burma, and Malaya. They move next to the Philippines where they push Allied forces led by General Douglas Mac. Arthur to the Bataan Peninsula. President Roosevelt orders General Mac. Arthur to Australia. The Philippines fall- leaving American and Filipino Prisoners of War (POWs) to march 60 miles without food or water – thousands die.

Strategic Battles In June 1942, Japan’s next thrust was toward Midway Island – a strategic Island northwest of Hawaii Admiral Chester Nimitz, the Commander of American Naval forces in the Pacific, moved to defend the Island The Americans won a decisive victory as their planes destroyed 4 Japanese aircraft carriers and 250 planes. It was the first defeat for the Japanese naval forces in 300 years. Many historians consider this the turning point in the Pacific Theater.

Pacific Theater • In 1944, the US followed an “island-hopping” campaign in the Pacific. US forces attacked island after island held by the Japanese. • This campaign brought American troops closer and closer to Japan.

Iwo Jima General Mac. Arthur and the Allies next turned to the Island of Iwo Jima. The island was critical to the Allies as a base for an attack on Japan. It was called the most heavily defended spot on earth. Allied and Japanese forces suffered heavy casualties

Iwo Jima’s beaches were not made of sand, but made of very soft ash. This made walking difficult and running impossible. It also made it very difficult for landing craft to beach and tanks to roll out of them. The Japanese fortified the island with anti-aircraft guns, big naval guns, machine guns, mortars, and rockets. When the Americans landed, they had much more difficulty from the ash and steep terraces than they did from the Japanese, but as soon as the majority of American Marines were on the beach, the Japanese open fired on them. Americans suffered heavy losses as they made their way up, but by nightfall, they isolated Mount Suribachi. It took them three days to take the mountain over, because they were fighting uphill, and the Japanese’ caves were heavily fortified.

US Marines finally reached the highest point on Iwo Jima and raised the American flag in victory. “In honor and in memory of the men of the United States Marine Corps who have given their lives to their country since November 10, 1775. “ The United States Marine Corps War Memorial represents this nation's gratitude to Marines and those who have fought beside them. While the statue depicts one of the most famous incidents of World War II, the memorial is dedicated to all Marines who have given their lives in defense of the United States since 1775.

How to end war Late in 1944, American forces went back and liberated the Philippines and began massive air attacks on Japan. British forces recaptured Burma. In early 1945, American forces suffered heavy losses during the invasions of Iwo Jima (February) and Okinawa (April). Despite these casualties and suicidal Japanese air attacks, known as Kamikaze attacks, American forces conquered Okinawa in mid-June 1945. General Mac. Arthur predicted that a Normandy type amphibious invasion of Japan would result in 1, 500, 000 Allied casualties. President Truman saw only one way to avoid these casualties and still end the war. On August 6, 1945, the United States Air Force dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Tens of thousands of people died in the initial explosion, and many more died later from radiation exposure. Three days later, the United States dropped a bomb on the Japanese city of Nagasaki. Approximately 120, 000 civilians died as a result of the two blasts. On August 8, the Soviet Union declared war on Japan and invaded Japanese-occupied Manchuria. Japan formally surrendered to the United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union on September 2, 1945.

The Enola Gay dropped the “Little Boy” Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima.

VJ Day • Japan surrendered days after the second atomic bomb was dropped. The two sides signed formal surrender papers on the US battleship Missouri on September 2, 1945. • This day is officially known as VJ Day – Victory in Japan Day. Americans celebrated once again. General Mac. Arthur said, “Today the guns are silent. The skies no longer rain death. . . the entire world is quietly at peace. ”

A New Treaty On April 12, 1945 President Franklin Roosevelt passes away. Harry Truman becomes President of the United States. President Truman wants to take a tougher stance on Russia and Joseph Stalin. Prime Minister Winston Churchill has been replaced in Great Britain. The Potsdam Conference becomes known as “The Treaty of Versailles of World War II”. Potsdam Conference Purpose: Negotiate Peace in Pacific & Post War Borders in Europe Agreements: • Four ‘zones of occupation’ in Germany • The Nazi Party, government and laws were to be destroyed, and 'German education shall be controlled to develop democratic ideas • Bring Nazi war-criminals to trial. • Hold free elections in Poland • Russia was allowed to take reparations from the Soviet Zone, and also 10% of the industrial equipment of the western zones as reparations. America and Britain could take reparations from their zones if they wished.

SS 5 H 4 c Atomic Bombs Why did President Truman choose to use atomic bombs against Hiroshima and Nagasaki? What other options could America have chosen in ending the war with Japan?

Learning Targets I can: • explain why President Truman decided to drop the atomic bomb. • discuss the pros and cons of President Truman’s decision to drop the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

On August 6, 1945, the world changed forever. A single American B-29 bomber, the Enola Gay, dropped one atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. About 70, 000 persons, some military but mostly civilian, perished in the blast and the firestorm that resulted from it. Another 50, 000 died later from injuries and radiation sickness. Three days after Hiroshima, some 60, 000 Japanese died when a plane dropped a second bomb on Nagasaki. The intentional bombing of civilians had been going on for quite some time--first by the Germans and Japanese and then by the British and Americans. About 100, 000 Japanese died during American fire bombing raids on Tokyo five months before Hiroshima and Nagasaki. But what made atomic bombs even more frightful were the largely unknown short - and long-term effects of radiation and their capacity for worldwide destruction.

Mushroom Cloud Over Hiroshima Aftermath Mushroom Cloud Over Nagasaki

The war was over, but the debate over how it ended had just begun. In the years that followed, President Truman steadfastly defended his decision to use the atomic bombs. He argued that the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki forced the Japanese to surrender quickly, thus avoiding an invasion that would have cost the lives of thousands of Americans. "I'd do it again, " Truman often said. Truman's advisers had focused mainly on the choice between an invasion and dropping the bomb. From hindsight, scholars researching wartime documents have determined that there were several other options for ending the war:

1. Continue the conventional bombings and blockade. Truman could have relied on the relentless and devastating B-29 firebombing raids on Japan's cities combined with the naval blockade to wear down Japanese resistance and force their surrender. 2. Demonstrate the atomic bomb. By demonstrating the atomic bomb, Truman could have shown the Japanese leaders, including Hirohito, that their nation faced total destruction if they did not surrender immediately. 3. Wait for the Russians. Truman could have waited a few more weeks for the Russians to declare war on Japan. The threat of invasion and occupation by both the Americans and Russians may have had an even more shocking effect on the Japanese leadership than the atomic bombings. 4. Negotiate peace. Truman knew that Suzuki and Hirohito were trying to find a way to negotiate an end to the war. He could have discussed peace terms with them, but instead refused to consider anything but "unconditional surrender. " 5. Keep the emperor. The Japanese leaders might have decided to surrender earlier if Truman and the Allies had assured them that they would neither abolish the position of the emperor nor try Hirohito as a war criminal.

SS 5 H 4 e Changing Roles How did the war change the American home front, both culturally and socially?

Learning Targets I can: • explain the changing roles of women and African Americans as a result of World War II. • describe opportunity costs and the relationship to rationing during World War II.

On the Home Front While the US soldiers were away fighting in Europe and the Pacific, citizens at home did their part. The military needed weapons and supplies. Production increased which made the economy boom!!!! Citizens started looking for ways to conserve goods so that more could go to the soldiers. People planted victory gardens, where they raised their own vegetables.

On the Home Front Some voluntarily decided not to eat meat on certain days of the week. Citizens collected rubber, copper, steel, and other goods to be recycled. The government did their part as well; it used rationing to limit how much citizens could buy. This forced people to conserve certain goods.

Throughout World War II, the War Finance Committee in the Department of the Treasury oversaw the sale of war bonds. Through a series of specific Bond Drives throughout the war, over 85 million Americans purchased over $185. 7 billion worth of securities. These bonds were purchased to lend the Federal government money to finance the war effort.

Changing Roles Women’s role in society changed during World War II: • Over 275, 000 women served in the US Military • The largest military division was the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) • Military women served in every role except combat The highest-ranking African-American women in the Army, the commander of 6888 th Central Postal Directory Battalion. The battalion was the only black Women’s Army Corps unit deployed to Europe in World War II. They became pilots and flew bombers from the US to bases in Europe. Others became mechanics, truck drivers, and office workers.

Changing Roles • Civilian women played an important part in the war effort at home. Many of the nation’s men left their jobs to join the fight; however the country still needed workers to produce goods. • Thousands of women filled the gap by working in the nation’s factories and industries. • “Rosie the Riveter” became the symbol for working women. She was a fictional character on government posters that encouraged women to go to work and help production. A rivet is a permanent mechanical fastener. Before being installed, a rivet consists of a smooth cylindrical shaft with a head on one end. The end opposite to the head is called the tail. Working in a shipyard in Brunswick, Georgia

Changing Roles The roles for African Americans changed as well: During WWII, the military services were strictly segregated. 2. 5 million African Americans registered for the draft and one million served • The need for workers broke down some racial barriers. Many African American, Hispanic Americans, American Indians and other minorities worked on farms and in factories to help with wartime production. • On navy ships and army posts, African Americans were usually assigned small tasks like cooking. • Many African Americans were upset that the government expected them to fight for a country that did not give them equal rights. These soldiers returned home no longer willing to accept inequality.

Tuskegee Airmen The Tuskegee Airmen were African American fighter pilots who trained at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, a black vocational college founded by Booker T. Washington. These men became a well-respected, elite unit. They protected US bombers as they traveled to Europe. The Tuskegee Airmen were the only squadron not to lose a single bomber during World War II. Tuskegee Airmen were fighting for two victories: victory in World War II and victory against racism at home.

“We were fighting for the 14 million black Americans back home. We were there to break down barriers, open a few doors, and do a job. ” – Maj. Joseph P. Gomer, USAF (ret) and member of the Tuskegee Airmen

In 2012, a film about the Tuskegee Airmen was released. The subtitle of the film is “Courage Has No Color” Why is this an important subtitle for this movie? This movie starred Elijah Kelley, a Troup County High School graduate!

SS 5 H 4 f United Nations The United Nations was established to promote global peace and security after WWII. How was this organization going to make sure that happened?

Learning Targets I can: • explain the impact of Eleanor Roosevelt and the formation of the United Nations

United Nations World War II had raged from 1939 to 1945, and as the end drew near, cities throughout Europe and Asia lay in smoldering ruins. Millions of people were dead, millions more were homeless or starving. Russian forces were closing in on the remnants of German resistance in Germany’s bombed-out capital of Berlin. In the Pacific, US Marines were still battling entrenched Japanese forces on such islands as Okinawa. In April 1945, delegates from fifty countries met in San Francisco full of optimism and hope. The goal of the United Nations Conference on International Organization was to fashion an international body to promote peace and prevent future wars. The ideals of the organization were stated in the preamble to its proposed charter: “We the peoples of the United Nations are determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind. ” The Charter of the new United Nations organization went into effect on October 24, 1945, a date that is celebrated each year as United Nations Day.

Why Create the UN The UN has 4 main purposes: • To keep peace throughout the world; • To develop friendly relations among nations; • To help nations work together to improve the lives of poor people, to conquer hunger, disease and illiteracy, and to encourage respect for each other’s rights and freedoms; • To be a center for harmonizing the actions of nations to achieve these goals

What Does the UN Do? The UN is comprised of a General Assembly of all member states and a Security Council of 5 permanent and 6 non-permanent members, an 18 -member Economic and Social Council, an International Court of Justice, a Trusteeship Council to oversee certain colonial territories, and a Secretariat under a Secretary General. The Organization works on a broad range of fundamental issues in order to achieve its goals and coordinate efforts for a safer world for this and future generations. These issues include: environment and refugees protection disaster relief counter terrorism promoting democracy, human rights, gender equality and the advancement of women clearing landmines expanding food production

The United Nations: How it Works and What it Seeks The UN is organized into different committees, which discuss different problems/issues affe ue / Iss ople c Pe ting All represented countries discuss the problem/issue from their perspective United Nations blem Pro A resolution is a written document, which has received majority support, which attempts to resolve the problem/issue Compromise through Negotiation Resolution A Better World Ideas are discussed during a formal session. The best ideas/proposals are selected in order to get widespread support

UN Headquarters in New York, City United Nations flag The decision to locate the United Nations near New York City was made in London by the General Assembly at its first session on 14 February 1946, after offers and suggestions for permanent sites had been received from many parts of the world. On 10 December 1945, the Congress of the United States had unanimously resolved to invite the United Nations to establish its permanent home in that country. Though it is in New York City, and part of the United States, the land used by the United Nations Headquarters is considered international territory.

President Harry Truman appointed Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of President Franklin Roosevelt, to the United States delegation to the United Nations. She quickly became an advocate for human rights. She was the driving force behind the development and passage of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. “Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility. For the person who is unwilling to grow up, the person who does not want to carry his own weight, this is a frightening prospect. ” —Eleanor Roosevelt, American Delegate to the United Nations

Taking Informed Action KIDS ON THE HOME FRONT During World War II, students planted and took care of Victory Gardens and saved money to purchase War Bonds. They also helped their families save ration stamps by not wasting food and collected materials used for production in defense plants. Back then, they called collecting and reusing those needed materials scrapping; today we call it recycling. During World War II, it was done to help win the war. Today we do it to conserve natural resources and protect the environment. No matter the name, students today can use the example of World War II kids for inspiration to have a positive effect on their world today.

“Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere” the intention to create a self-sufficient "bloc of Asian nations led by the Japanese and free of Western powers".

Rationing is the controlled distribution of scarce resources, goods, or services, or an artificial restriction of demand. Rationing controls the size of the ration, which is one's allotted portion of the resources being distributed on a particular day or at a particular time. Rationing in the US was introduced in stages during World War II.