APUSH World War II Screencasts

Prelude to World War II

• 1. The Rise of Fascism, Comparing Fascism to Communism and Democracy, APUSH Episode 98: This episode introduces the competing ideals of fascism, communism and democracy. Also compares Germany with the United States in the 1930s.

  2. U.S. Response to the Rise of Germany and World War Two, APUSH Episode 99: Begins by revisiting fascism - this time in Japan. Discusses the INITIAL U.S. responses to the rise of Hitler, Mussolini and Japanese fascism in the late 1930s.

  3. U.S. Changing Responses to Fascism: Outbreak of World War Two, APUSH Episode 100: Discusses the changing nature of American isolationism after the outbreak of World War Two. Also focuses on the American response to Japanese Militarism. The end of the episode poses the question, "How do war transform societies?"

World War II: The Homefront

• 1. The American Homefront and Minorities, APUSH Episode 101: This episode introduces broad themes of how the war transformed the lives of minority groups through military service and labor. The end of the episode introduces more detail on Japanese-Americans' experiences in WWII.

  2. The American Homefront: The War Transforms Society, APUSH Episode 102: This episode focuses on how the war transformed the American economy using American Spirit documents as a guide.

  3. The American Homefront: Japanese Internment, Episode APUSH 103: This episode goes into detail about the internment program created after FDR issued Executive Order 9066. Uses primary sources to discover the true nature of internment: a U.S. government video called "Japanese Relocation" and an interview with a Manzanar internee named Haruko Niwa. Also discusses the segregation center at Tule Lake, CA.

1. Women and African Americans on the U.S. Homefront, APUSH Episode 104: Discusses the homefront experiences of Native Americans, women and African-Americans. Music, and video clips help illuminate both the positive and negative experiences of the groups.

2. Mexican-Americans and the U.S. Holocaust Response, APUSH Episode 105: This episode focuses on the Zoot Suit Riots in Los Angeles during the middle of 1943, then shifts gears to discuss the U.S. policy and response to the Holocaust in Eastern Europe.

World War II: The War

• 1. World War II: Conferences and Strategies, APUSH Episode 106: Reviews both conferences and strategies in the European and Pacific Theaters during WWII. Also previews the decision to drop two atomic bombs in Japan.

  2. The Pacific War and the Bombing of Japan, APUSH Episode 107: Discusses the War in the Pacific and the bombing campaign of mainland Japan. Also begins discussion of the use of the atomic bomb.

  3. The Decision to Drop the Atomic Bomb, APUSH Episode 108: This episode gives more perspective on the decision to drop the atomic bomb: Paul Fussell, David McCulloch, and the documentary "White Light, Black Rain" all are meant to provide more information and points of view that lead to the decision to drop atomic bombs on both Hiroshima and Nagasaki.