US Mobilizes for WWII

Chapter 35

World War II: 1939-1945

US Mobilizes for WWII

1. mobilization of armed forces Armed forces-total 16 million

Selective Service Act-draft age 21-36

Volunteers

Women volunteered-WAC’s, WAVE’s as clerks, mechanics, drivers, air traffic control etc

Native Americans-Navajo Code Talkers

African Americans-at first, support roles only, kept segregated. Tuskegee Airmen



2. economy/productionEconomy:

War Production Board-converted to war time economy

Office of War Mobilization-organized all products for the war. Ex. Ford Motors made B-24 bombers

Workforce: (no unemployment, wages rose)

Everybody pulled together for the war, no wasting time

Union membership rose and promised not to strike

Women –Rosie the Riveter More than 6 million women took up jobs outside the home (over half had never earned wages)

The draft left the nation’s farms and factories so short of personnel that new workers had to be found; an agreement with Mexico in 1942 brought thousands of Mexican agricultural workers, called braceros, across the border to harvest crops—fixed part of economy in western states

The gov’t was obliged to set up some 3,000 day-care centers

The great majority of American women did not work for wages in the wartime economy but continued in their traditional roles; at war’s end, two-thirds of women war workers left the force

Many were forced out but others voluntarily quit—“baby boomers” in the decade after 1945



Financing the war:

Borrowing, taxes increased, sold war bonds

Rationing: Office of Price Administration-shortages of consumer goods, therefore the gov’t only allowed Americans to buy so much of rationed goods. Ex. Gas, tires, shoes, sugar, coffee, meat, butter

*done so all people could get some of these products, not just the wealthy



Culture: because of shortages of consumer goods, people went to the movies, baseball games etc for entertainment

Wartime Migrations

Many of the 15 million men and women in uniform chose not to go home again at war’s end

War industries sucked people into boomtowns—Los Angeles, Detroit, Seattle, and Baton Rouge

California’s population grew by nearly 2 million; on the other hand, the South experienced dramatic changes—Roosevelt accelerated the region’s economic development ($6 billion)

Some 1.6 million blacks left the South to seek jobs in the factories in the West and North

National issue of race relations—explosive tensions over employment, housing, and segregated facilities (Black leader A. Philip Randolph demanded equality in war jobs and armed forces)

Roosevelt issued an executive order forbidding discrimination in dense industries and established the Fair Employment Practices Commission (FEPC) to monitor compliance with his edict

Blacks were drafted into the armed forces but were assigned to service branches rather than combat units—one exception were the “Tuskegee Airmen” who did not lose a single bomber

In general the war helped to embolden blacks in their long struggle for equality (“Double V”—victory over the dictators abroad and over racism at home; NAACP, CORE)

The northward migration of African-Americans accelerated after the war due to the invention of the mechanical cotton picker that did the work of fifty people at about one-eighth the cost

The Cotton South’s need for cheap labor disappeared; some 5 million black tenant farmers headed north in the three decades after the war (by 1970 more than half lived outside the South)

The war prompted an exodus of Native Americans from the reservations; thousands found war work in the major cities; some 25,000 Native American men served in the armed forces

Comanches in Europe and Navajos in the Pacific made especially valuable contributions as “code talkers”—they transmitted radio messages in their native languages (incomprehensible)

Sudden bringing together of unfamiliar peoples produced some distressingly violent friction

Mexican-Americans attacked in Los Angeles in 1943 and Detroit race riots



Public Support: Office of War Information-posters and ads to gain support ex. Scrap drives, rubber drives, use it up , wear it out, make it do or do without”

Office of War Information: Propaganda agency, encouraged Americans to support the war effort

• National unity was no worry thanks to the blow by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor (Communists supported the war and millions of Italian-Americans and German-Americans were loyal)
• witch-hunting: the plight of some 110,000 Japanese-Americans, concentrated on the Pacific coast; Washington herded them together in concentration (relocation centers) camps (saboteurs for Japan?)
• A wave of post-Pearl Harbor hysteria temporarily robbed many Americans of their good sense and justice; the internees lost basic rights, property and foregone earnings
• The wartime Supreme Court in 1944 upheld the constitutionality of the Japanese relocation in Korematsu v. US; but the US gov’t officially apologized in 1988, paying reparations of $20,000
• The conservative Congress elected in 1942 wiped out many programs of the New Deal (CCC, WPA, and NYA); he announced the end of the New Deal and replacement by win the war

Retaking Europe

Aug 1941 - Atlantic Charter – joint declaration of war principles and aims between FDR and WC (met in secret on a warship.) p. 600

Battle of the Atlantic – Allies needed control of trade routes vital to the survival of Great Britain.

German wolfpacks (U-boats) attacked merchant ships in sight of the US coast.

Battle of the Atlantic

Battle of Technology – Allies captured German codes, Germans change codes.

1942 – Allies lost over 600 ships. What can they do to prevent sinking?

1943 Sinking declines – Allies use convoys, long-range sub bombers, rerouting, new codes.

U-Boat Mortality Rate – 63%- worst of all military.

Leadership in WWII:

General George Marshall-Army Chief of Staff

General Dwight D. Eisenhower Commander of U.S. troops in Europe

General Erwin Rommel “The Desert Fox”German General known for his shrewd tactics

General Montgomery British General – took over British effort in N. Africa

Battle in North Africa

Germany and Italy pushes deep into Egypt. British take port of Tobruk in counter strike

Rommel attacks and 35,000 British surrender at Tobruk. British General Montgomery makes stand at El Alamein (*Turning point)

Rommel Retreats to Tunis

Nov. 1942 - Operation Torch – Three prong Allied landing in N. Africa. (US and GB)

Kasserine Pass – 1st U.S. combat – not impressive, but Axis trapped.

May 1943 – 240,000 Axis surrender @ Tunis.

Casablanca Conference – FDR and WC decide on unconditional surrender for the Axis.

Operation Husky – Invasion of Italy

July 1943 - Gen. Patton invades Sicily with British forces. Ital. gov’t surrenders in Sept. but the Ger. take troops from SU continue to fight. Ger broke non-aggression pact in 1941)

Jan 1944 – Allies land in Anzio behind German lines.

May 1944 – Allies take the town of Cassino, which was the key to take Rome.

April 1945 – Axis surrender in Italy.

Mussolini tries to flee, but is shot, and strung up in town square.

Operation Barbarossa: Eastern Front

Hitler’s Ultimate goal was to conquer the Soviet Union for food and natural resources.

June of 1941 – Germany attacks and conquers much of the Soviet Union (threatened Moscow)

Stalin orders everything to be destroyed during retreat. Why?

Siege of Leningrad - 3.3 million POWS die in 1st year.

Battle of Stalingrad – House to house combat – turning point of war in the east, deadliest battle in human history (Germ. 330,000 dead and S.U. over 1 million.)

German Mistakes: Why did Germany lose?

Mistreatment of Soviet citizens – Germany should have posed as liberators. (murder, forced labor of citizens)

Not prepared for Russian Winter (no winter uniforms or anti-freeze).

Logistics – Germany lacked the supplies for a quick strike against the SU (low ammo, horse drawn vehicles, roads destroyed).

America and the Soviets

America aided the Soviets with food (spam), military supplies, and money (Lend-Lease Act).

Stalin was angry with the Allies, however, because he wanted a cross channel invasion of France. Why?

To take pressure off of the Soviet front with the Germans; millions were dying. We invade Italy instead.( Quiz here)

Allied Air War

Carpet Bombing-planes scattered large numbers of bombs over a wide area.

-Allies bomb factories, rail lines, plants, bridges.

-Firestorms in Hamburg and Dresden – 110,000 civilian deaths. Controversy – legit target?

-Air War crucial part of Allied offensive.

D-Day (Operation Overlord)

D-Day was the name given to the Allied invasion of Normandy, France.

Hitler thought the invasion would be at Calais. -It was the narrowest part of the channel.

-Eisenhower became Supreme Commander in Europe .Patton commanded a dummy army in Dover. There were fake tanks, planes, ships, and Germany did not investigate.

June 6th, 1944 – D-Day – 1000’s of bombers pound German beaches, & 23,000 paratroopers land behind German lines at night. 150,000 troops come ashore by boat. (Largest invasion by sea in history).

5 landings: 1. Utah Beach (U.S.) 2.Omaha Beach (U.S.) 3. Gold (GB) 4.Juno (Can) 5.Sword (GB) – successful landings

Fierce German resistance – 2,000 allied deaths @ Omaha.

Breakout after D-Day

Aug. 1944 - Liberation of Paris. Patton sweeping through N. France.

Battle of the Bulge (Dec.16th-26th)

Surprise German counter-attack in area called the Ardennes Forest. German forces smashed into the U.S. 1st army, causing a bulge in the Allied lines.

Largest battle of W. Europe and largest battle by U.S. Army. Gen. Patton succeeds in cutting off the bulge. Results : 80, 000 Allied troops dead or wounded and 100,000 Germans.

*After this battle most Nazi leaders realize the war is lost.

End of the War in Europe

U.S. pushes from the West and the Soviets push from the East & meet at the Elbe River.

4/30/1945 – Hitler’s suicide.

May 8th, 1945 – VE Day – After Berlin is captured, Germany surrenders.

Yalta Conference – FDR, WC, and Stalin meet to decide fate of post war Europe. 1.) Germany and Berlin to be split into four zones (U.S., G.B, S.U, France) 2.) Stalin promises free Elections in E. Europe. 3.) The S.U. would declare war on Japan.

Holocaust

Nazi Germany’s systematic murder of Eur. Jews.

Battle in the Pacific Begins

Japanese Advances (1941-42) – bombing of U.S. @ Pearl Harbor, Wake Island, Guam.

Jap. Takes the Philippines – General Douglas MacArthur (US) “I shall return.”

Wanted control of Western Pacific – economic independence.

The Philippines fall – U.S. troops fall back to the Bataan Peninsula.

Bataan Death March Japanese forced U.S. POWs to walk 55 miles for 6-12 days. Brutal treatment – beatings, tortures and executions – 10,000 died.

U.S. fights back

U.S. aids China with supplies and soldiers, but China fails and loses the Burma Road.

April 1942 – Doolittle Raid – Lt. James Doolittle – secret mission launched from Aircraft carrier to bomb Tokyo. There was little damage but it was a morale boost.

May 1942 – Battle of the Coral Sea – 1st naval battle fought entirely by aircraft. Ends in a draw but the U.S. did prevent the invasion of Australia.

The Battle of Midway (June 42)Admiral Yamamoto wanted Admiral Chester Nimitz to use all of his resources to defend Midway.

American warplanes bomb Japanese carriers while they were refueling.

Japanese Loses 4 aircraft carriers and 250 planes.

U.S. knew attack was coming – Joseph Rochefort broke Jap. Codes.

**Turning point in Pacific – Allied victory and Japan unable to launch any more offensives.

Battle of Guadalcanal1st allied offensive in the Pacific

Fighting in the jungle (swamps, vines).

Allied Victory – conquered 1st piece of Japanese held territory.

Island Hopping – military strategy to attack specific islands and bypass others. Why?

Used island hopping to gain bases for bombing Japan. Preserved supplies and troops.

Battle of the Philippines “I have returned” U.S. decides to bypass, but MacArthur opposes and convinces FDR to invade. Dramatic walk ashore for MacArthur – cameras and media film him.

Battle of Leyte Gulf – naval battle off the coast of the Philippines – greatest naval battle in world history. -1st time kamikazes used. Japanese suicide planes

Allied Victory – June 1945 they control the Phil.

Battle of Iwo Jima- battle just south of Japan. Island only 8 sq. mi. but 23k of 70k Marines were killed. Over 20K Japanese dead. (raising flag)

Allies attack Okinawa-(April 1945) 149,000 casualties. Japan begins using kamikaze pilots to attack Allied ships.

The Manhattan Project Secret atomic bomb project in Alamagordo NM

At Potsdam conference, Truman, Stalin and Churchill agree to use bomb.

Truman’s choice: 1. invade Japan (est. 1 million US dead/4 more years of war)

2. use bomb (est. 50,000-100,000 Japanese dead or wounded)

July 26-US asks for Japanese unconditional surrender. No response.

Aug 6, 1945-Enola Gay drops atomic bomb in Hiroshima.

Aug 9- drops 2nd bomb on Nagasaki

Total dead: 240,000, mostly civilians

September 2, 1945-VJ Day. WWII is over!

The Allies Triumphant

• Americans suffered some 1 million casualties (1/3 deaths) but the proportion killed by wounds and disease was sharply reduced; America had emerged with its mainland unscathed
• This complex conflict was the best-fought war in America’s history—better prepared
• American military leadership proved to be of highest order—Eisenhower, MacArthur, Marshall
• Assembly lines proved as important as battle lines—more men, more weapons, more machines, more technology, and more money than any enemy could hope to match
• An unusual amount of direct control was exercised over the individual by Washington during war but the American people preserved their precious liberties without serious impairment