The document provides background information on the Allied powers and neutrality acts passed by the United States in the lead up to WWII. It discusses key events such as the Pearl Harbor attack, major battles in the Pacific and Europe, and the Manhattan Project that led to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The document outlines America's path from isolationist policies to entering WWII as a result of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.
2. Allied Powers
• Main Powers: Great Britain, Soviet Union,
United States, China, France
• Latin America: Argentina, Bolivia, Mexico,
Paraguay, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica,
Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador,
Ecuador, Guatamala, Haiti, Honduras,
Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Venezuala
3. Allied Powers
• Europe: Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Greece,
Norway, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Poland, San Marino,
Turkey, Yugoslavia
•Africa: Egypt, Ethiopia, Liberia, South Africa
• Asia/Other: China, India, Iran, Iraq, Mongolia, Saudi
Arabia, Syria, New Zealand, Australia, Canada
4. US after WWI
•US never signed the Treaty of Versailles
•Wilson(Democrat) vs Congress(Republican controlled)
•Join the League of Nations or go back to isolationism?
•Republican Warren Harding won the 1920
Presidential election with a promise to “Return to
Normalcy”
•The US went back to focusing on America in the
1920’s and 1930’s
6. 4 Power Pact
•4 Power Pact-US, GB, France and Japan would
respect each other’s possessions in the Pacific
7. 5 Power Pact
•Signed by Great Britain, the United States, Japan,
France, and Italy
•Designed to prevent an arm’s race
•It limited the construction of battleships, battle
cruisers and aircraft carriers
•Did not restrict cruisers, destroyers or
submarines
8. 9 Power Pact
•Guaranteed Chinese independence and upheld
the Open Door Policy
•Signed by the United States, Japan, China,
France, Great Britain, Italy, Belgium,
Netherlands, and Portugal
10. Neutrality in General
• The Neutrality Acts were passed by the US in the 1930s in
response to the issues in Europe and Asia that eventually led
to World War II
• They were caused by the desire to be isolationist in the US
following WWI
• Passed to ensure that the US would not become involved in
world conflicts(war)
• US had very strong history of isolationism
18. US Neutrality Acts during 1930’s
•Neutrality Act of 1935-stop trading with countries at war
•Neutrality Act of 1936-stop loaning money to countries at war
•Neutrality Act of 1937-Cash and Carry System-weapons not
included
•Neutrality Act of 1939-Cash and Carry System-weapons
included
19. Neutrality Act of 1935
•Signed on August 31, 1935
•It was designed to last six months
•Banned US trade of arms and war materials with any country at
war
•It also declared that US citizens traveling on warring ships
traveled at their own risk
20. Neutrality Act of 1936
•Signed in February 1936
•Renewed the provisions of the 1935 act for another 14
months
•It also forbade all loans or credits to belligerents
•The act did not cover "civil wars," such as the Spanish Civil
War
•The act also did not cover materials such as trucks and oil
21. Neutrality Act of 1937
• Passed in May, 1937
• Set to expire after two years
• Included the provisions of the earlier acts this time without expiration
date
• This time it also included civil wars
• U.S. ships were prohibited from transporting any passengers or items
to belligerents
• U.S. citizens were forbidden from traveling on ships of belligerent
nations
• A “cash and carry” system was set up
22. •The President could permit the sale of supplies to belligerents
in Europe as long as they paid immediately in cash and
transported the goods on their own ships
•FDR believed that cash-and-carry would help France and Great
Britain in the event of a war with Germany
•FDR chose not to invoke the Neutrality Acts on Japan and China
since they had not formally declared war
24. Panay Incident-December 1937
• American gunboat attacked on
river in China by Japan
• 3 US troops killed, 45 wounded
• Japan said it was an accident,
apologized and paid US $$
• Worsened US-Japanese relations
25. Neutrality Act of 1939
•Passed in November, 1939
•Allowed for arms trade with belligerent nations on a cash-and-
carry basis
•US citizens and ships were barred from entering war zones
designated by the President
26. Bases for Destroyers
•Passed in September, 1940 between the US and Great Britain
•Fifty US destroyers were given to Great Britain in exchange for
land rights(for 99 years) on British colonies for naval or air base
purposes
•Newfoundland, eastern side of the Bahamas, southern coast of
Jamaica, western coast of St. Lucia, west coast of Trinidad,
Antigua, British Guiana and Bermuda were the areas the US
received
27.
28. End of US Neutrality-Lend Lease Act
•The end of neutrality for the US came with the Lend-Lease Act ,
passed in March, 1941
•This act allowed the U.S. to sell, lend or give war materials to
nations the US wanted to support
•US gave $50 billion($650 billion today) to Allied nations
throughout the war
29.
30.
31. Selective Training and Service Act
•Passed in September, 1940 and ended in 1947
•Required that men between the ages of 21 and 35 register for
the draft.
•Extended to all men aged 18 to 45 once US entered war
•First peacetime draft in US history
32. How Did the Draft Work?
• Local draft boards were set up from coast to coast
• Each male registered was given a number between 1-7,836
• In Washington, papers with the numbers 1 through 7,836 printed on them were
put into capsules, one number to a capsule
• The capsules were dumped into a giant fishbowl and then stirred
• Finally the capsules were drawn from the bowl one by one to establish the draft
order
• If your number was chosen, you were now officially part of the US military!
Congrats!
• 158 was the first number chosen(6175 young men were drafted with that
number)
33. Atlantic Charter
• Signed in August 1941 between
the US(FDR) and Great
Britain(Churchill)
• Defined the Allied goals for the
post-war world
• Many similarities to Wilson’s
14 Points
34. WWII Major Battle Timeline Vs Japan
• Pearl Harbor-December 7, 1941
• Battle of the Philippines(1942 and 1944)
• Doolittle’s Raid-April, 1942
• Battle of Coral Sea-May, 1942
• Battle of Midway-June, 1942
• Battle of Guadalcanal-1942-43
• Battle of Saipan-1944
• Battle of Guam-1944
• Battle of Iwo Jima-1945
• Battle of Okinawa-1945
• Hiroshima/Nagasaki Bombing-August, 1945
47. Why did Japan attack Pearl Harbor?
• After Japan invaded French Indochina in 1940, US stopped trading with
Japan
• Japan signed the Soviet–Japanese Neutrality Pact in April, 1941
guaranteeing that Japan and USSR would not go to war
• Japan realized they needed US trade to be successful in war
• Only way to force US’ hand was to hit them hard in a surprise attack
forcing them out of the war
• Japan knew that this plan was a huge risk, but thought it was the only way
to defeat US
• Plan backfired. Instead, Japan “awoke a sleeping giant”.
49. FDR’s War Message
• Pearl Harbor was not the only area Japan attacked on
December 7
• “Yesterday the Japanese Government also launched an attack
against Malaya.”
• “Last night Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong.”
• “Last night Japanese forces attacked Guam.”
• “Last night Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands.”
• “Last night the Japanese attacked Wake Island.”
• “This morning the Japanese attacked Midway Island.”
100. Summer 1945-Preparing for the Invasion of Japan
• Operation Downfall
• Planned for October 1945
• Estimated to have over 1 million casualties
• Estimated to have 267,000 deaths
• Why did this never take place?
125. VJ Day
• August 14/15, 1945(Official UK)
• September 2, 1945(Official for
US)
• When Japan officially signed
on USS Missouri
126. Potsdam Conference-July, 1945
• On July 26, the United States, Great
Britain, and China issued the Potsdam
Declaration
• Announced the terms for Japan's
surrender
• "We will not deviate from them.
There are no alternatives.”
127. Potsdam Declaration-July, 1945
• Dismantle the current government of Japan(excluding Emperor
Hirohito)
• The Allies(US) will occupy Japan
• Japan will consist only of the major islands(Honshu, Hokkaido,
Kyushu, Shikoku). It will lose all territory gained in WWII and years
leading up to it.
• Japanese military forces will be disarmed and allowed to return
home
• There will be war crimes trials for the atrocities committed by Japan
throughout WWII
128. Potsdam Continued
• Democracy will be promoted as well as Freedom of speech, religion, and of
thought, as well as respect for fundamental human rights(Universal Declaration
of Human Rights-1948)
• Japan will be allowed to have industry so they can make money to pay for
reparations. World trade will also be enabled at some point.
• Allied(US) occupation of Japan(1945-1952) will end once Japan accomplishes
all the above points.
• "We call upon the government of Japan to proclaim now the unconditional
surrender of all Japanese armed forces, and to provide proper and adequate
assurances of their good faith in such action. The alternative for Japan is
prompt and utter destruction.” President Harry Truman
129. WWII Major Battle/Operations Timeline Vs Germany
• Battle of the Atlantic-1941-45
• Operation Torch(Invasion of Morocco)-1942
• Operation Avalanche(Invasion of Italy)-1943
• Battle of Salerno(1943)
• Battle of Anzio(1944)
• Battle of Monte Cassino(1944)
• Operation Overlord(D-Day)-June 6, 1944
• Operation Dragoon(Invasion of southern France)-August, 1944
• Battle of the Bulge(Hitler’s last major offensive)-Winter 1944-45
• Operation Varsity(Invasion of western Germany past the Rhine River)-March 1945
• Fighting in Germany-Issues with the Siegfried Line(WestWall)
132. German U-Boats
• After repeated attacks by German U-boats on U.S. ships in the
Fall of 1941, FDR announced that he had ordered the U.S. Navy
to attack German and Italian war ships in the "waters which we
deem necessary for our defense"
• War was imminent!
• US ships damaged/sunk prior to 12-7-41
135. Allied Intelligence
• Churchill and Roosevelt knew the importance of intelligence in
safeguarding Allied commerce to defeat the Axis powers.
• The Allies shared information from RADAR and High Frequency Radio
Direction Finding (HF/DF or "huff duff").
• RADAR provided a means of detecting vessels and aircraft above the
surface
• HF/DF was used to locate the sources of enemy radio transmissions
such as submarines.
• British and American trackers exploited special intelligence to locate
Axis forces with extreme precision.
• Allied intelligence leaders began sharing code-breaking secrets, known
as "very special intelligence" and classified under cover-names like
"ULTRA" and "MAGIC".
136. Enigma
• System in which Germany transferred their information through codes
• Solving the Enigma system remains one of the great Allied triumphs of
World War II
• During periods when Allied cryptanalysts were unable to solve
Enigma, U-boats caused great damage to Anglo-American commerce
139. Hunter-Killers
Hunter-Killers Chasing down an Axis Submarine—USS Pillsbury (DE 133) and USS Guadalcanal (CVE 60)
U.S. Navy photograph in the collections of The Mariners' Museum
140. Depth Charges
• Bomb Bay Showing Depth Bombs and Sonobuoys inside a TBF "Avenger"
U.S. Navy photograph in the collections of The Mariners' Museum
141. Allied Hunter-Killer Escorts Conducting a Depth Charge Attack on a U-Boat
U.S. Navy photograph in the collections of The Mariners' Museum
142. • Hunter-Killer Grumman TBF "Avenger" Configured for Antisubmarine Warfare
U.S. Navy photograph in the collections of The Mariners' Museum
154. D-Day Facts
•June 6, 1944
•The D in D-Day stands for “day” since the final invasion date
was unknown and weather dependent
•156,000 Allied troops from the United States, the United
Kingdom, Canada, Free France and Norway
•The Allied code names for the beaches along the 50-mile
stretch of Normandy coast targeted for landing were Utah,
Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword.
•Omaha was the costliest beach in terms of Allied casualties.
155. • 5,000 ships and landing craft
50,000 vehicles
11,000 planes
• Major Generals:
• United States – Dwight D. Eisenhower, Omar Bradley
• The United Kingdom – Bernard Law Montgomery
• Germany – Erwin Rommel
• Casualties:
• United States – 6,603 (1,465 killed)
• United Kingdom – 2,700
• Canada – 1,074 (359 fatal)
• Germany – Estimated between 4,000 – 9,000
156. •By June 11, with the beachheads firmly secured
•More than 326,000 troops had crossed with more than 100,000
tons of military equipment
•Paris was liberated on August 25
•Germany surrendered on May 8, 1945.
•But not before……..
158. BATTLE FACTS
The coldest, snowiest weather “in memory” in the Ardennes
Forest on the German/Belgium border.
Over a million men, 500,000 Germans, 600,000 Americans (more
than fought at Gettysburg) and 55,000 British.
100,000 German casualties, killed, wounded or captured.
81,000 American casualties, including 23,554 captured and 19,000
killed.
1,400 British casualties 200 killed.
800 tanks lost on each side, 1,000 German aircraft.
The Malmedy Massacre, where 86 American soldiers were
murdered, was the worst atrocity committed against American
troops during the course of the war in Europe.
The Battle of the Bulge was the worst battle- in terms of losses -
to the American Forces in WWII.
160. Yalta Conference-February, 1945
• Before the end of the World War II, Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt met at
Yalta, USSR to plan what should happen when the war ended.
• They agreed on the following:
1. The establishment of the United Nations.
2. Germany to be divided into four zones.
3. Free elections allowed in the states of eastern Europe.
4. Russia promised to join the war against Japan.
176. “Tokyo Rose” Iva Toguri
• Forced to broadcast
propaganda to the Allied troops
for Japan.
• In these radio programs, she
taunted the troops and played
music from home
• She was a US citizen in Japan
• Convicted of treason
192. OPA and Rationing
• The Office of Price Administration was established in 1941 under to administer price controls
• Food rationing included restrictions on sugar and meat; clothing rationing restricted silk and
nylon.
• Gasoline rationing began in May 1942 limiting use to five gallons per week
• By the end of 1942, half of the nation's automobiles were issued an A sticker, allowing 4
gallons per week.
• The other half of automobiles had either a B sticker (supplementary allowance for war
workers) or a C sticker (vital occupation such as doctor).
• Truckers had a T sticker for unlimited amounts.
• A black market developed in stolen or counterfeit stickers that were used in 5-30% of
gasoline sales.
• By 1945, there were 32,500 motorists arrested for using such false stickers, 1300 convictions,
4000 gas stations closed.
197. • The following is a set of instructions that came with every book:
Your first ration book has been issued to you, originally containing 28 war ration stamps. Other books may be issued at later
dates. The following instructions apply to your first book and will apply to any later books, unless otherwise ordered by the
Office of Price administration. In order to obtain a later book, the first book must be turned in. You should preserve War
Rations Books with the greatest possible care.
1) From the time the Office of Price Administration may issue orders rationing certain products. After the dates indicated by
such orders, these products can be purchased only through the use of War rations Books containing valid War Ration
Stamps.
2) The orders of the Office of Price Administration will designate the stamps to be used for the purchase of a particular
rationed product, the period during which each of these stamps may be used, and the amounts which may be bought with
each stamp.
3) Stamps become valid for use only when and as directed by the Orders of the Office of Price Administration.
4) Unless otherwise announced, the Ration Week is from Saturday midnight to the following Saturday midnight.
5) War Ration stamps may be used in any retail store in the United States.
6) War Ration Stamps may be used only by or for the person named and described in the War Ration Book.
7) Every person must see that this War Ration Book is kept in a safe place and properly used. Parents are responsible for the
safekeeping and use of their children's War Ration Book.
198. • 8) When you buy any rationed product, the proper stamp must be detached in the presence of the storekeeper, his
employee, or the person making the delivery on his behalf. If a stamp is torn out of the War Ration Book in any other way
than above indicated, it becomes void. If a stamp is partly torn or mutilated and more than one half of it remains in the
book, it is valid. Otherwise it becomes void.
9) If your War Ration Book is lost, destroyed, stolen or mutilated, you should report that fact to the local Ration Board.
10) If you enter a hospital, or other institution, and expect to be there for more than 10 days, you must turn your War Ration
Book over to the person in charge. It will be returned to you upon your request when you leave.
11) When a person dies, his War Ration Book must be returned to the local Ration Board, in accordance with the
regulations.
12) If you have any complaints, questions, or difficulties regarding your War Ration Book, consult your local Ration Board.
NOTE
The first stamps in War Ration Book One will be used for the purchase of sugar. When this book was issued, the registrar
asked you, or the person who applied for your book, how much sugar you owned on that date. If you had any sugar, you
were allowed to keep it, but stamps representing this quantity were torn from your group (except for a small amount which
you were allowed to keep without loosing any stamps). If your War Ration Book one was issued to you on application by a
member of your family, the number of stamps torn from the books of the family was based on the amount of sugar owned
by the family, and was divided as equally as possible among all the books.
204. War Finance Committee and War Bonds
• Over the course of the war 85
million Americans purchased
bonds totaling approximately
$185 billion
• Helped pay for the war
• It was an investment for US
citizens
• As low as $18.75 per bond
• Ten years later gov’t paid out
$25
221. WWII Semester Test Questions
•Be able to describe the causes(in Asia, Europe and for
the US), effects and major events of WWII.
•Be able to describe why the US and Allies won WWII.
222. Causes of WWII
•In Europe:
•Treaty of Versailles
•The Great Depression
•Hitler’s actions in the 1930’s
•Mussolini’s actions in the 1930’s
•Failure of the League of Nations
•Policy of Appeasement
•Hitler’s invasion of Poland
•Rise of nationalism
223. •In Asia
•The Great Depression
•Japanese invasion of Manchuria in 1931
•Japanese invasion of China in 1937
224. •For the United States
•Quit trading supplies(oil) with Japan in the
summer of 1941
•Tough policies towards Japan in Fall 1941
•Pearl Harbor attack
225. Effects of WWII on US
• Stimulated economy
• 17 million new jobs created
• average wages increased 30%
• middle class greatly expanded
• Federal power during the war increased
• shifted from state laws to federal laws- important during civil rights
era and Vietnam war
• Women involved in the workforce
• More rights for African Americans- integrated troops
226. •German Nazi party was completely destroyed and Germany
was broken up into 4 zones
•Japanese cities were destroyed from bombing and Japan was
placed under military rule
•Most deaths ever in a war
•United Nations starts
•Major Powers of the world were discovered
•Cold War-US vs USSR
227. WW II
Casualties
Country Men in war Battle deaths Wounded
Australia 1,000,000 26,976 180,864
Austria 800,000 280,000 350,117
Belgium 625,000 8,460 55,5131
Brazil2 40,334 943 4,222
Bulgaria 339,760 6,671 21,878
Canada 1,086,3437 42,0427 53,145
China3 17,250,521 1,324,516 1,762,006
Czechoslovakia — 6,6834 8,017
Denmark — 4,339 —
Finland 500,000 79,047 50,000
France — 201,568 400,000
Germany 20,000,000 3,250,0004 7,250,000
Greece — 17,024 47,290
Hungary — 147,435 89,313
India 2,393,891 32,121 64,354
Italy 3,100,000 149,4964 66,716
Japan 9,700,000 1,270,000 140,000
Netherlands 280,000 6,500 2,860
New Zealand 194,000 11,6254 17,000
Norway 75,000 2,000 —
Poland — 664,000 530,000
Romania 650,0005 350,0006 —
South Africa 410,056 2,473 —
U.S.S.R. — 6,115,0004 14,012,000
United Kingdom 5,896,000 357,1164 369,267
United States 16,112,566 291,557 670,846
Yugoslavia 3,741,000 305,000 425,000
1. Civilians only.
2. Army and navy figures.
3. Figures cover period
July 7, 1937 to Sept.
2, 1945, and concern
only Chinese regular
troops. They do not
include casualties
suffered by guerrillas
and local military corps.
4. Deaths from all causes.
5. Against Soviet Russia;
385,847
against Nazi Germany.
6. Against Soviet Russia;
169,822
against Nazi Germany.
7. National Defense Ctr.,
Canadian
Forces Hq., Director of
History.
