Topic 14 - World War II (1935-1945)

Lesson 2 - Entering World War II

14-2.mp3

The totalitarian governments that arose in Japan and Germany had large imperial ambitions. They began advancing into surrounding territories. European leaders hoped to avoid war, and the United States was wary of getting involved. Yet the military aggression from these two nations would soon become impossible to ignore.

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Start up

U.S. battleships West Virginia and Tennessee were hit hard by Japan’s surprise attack in 1941. How would you expect Americans to respond to such an attack?

Guiding Questions

How did aggression lead to war in Asia and Europe?
How did the United States respond to the outbreak of World War II?
Why did the United States enter World War II?

Vocabulary

Academic Vocabulary

How Did War Begin?

Japan is an island nation that has few natural resources to fuel its economy and supply its military. Nearby places in Asia, however, had plentiful resources, and Japan intended to acquire them.

Japan Invades China

In 1937, Japan began an all-out war against China. Japanese planes bombed China’s major cities. Thousands of people were killed. In the city of Nanjing alone, some 300,000 civilians and prisoners of war were murdered in a six-week massacre. Japanese troops defeated Chinese armies and occupied northern and central China.

The Japanese advance into China alarmed American leaders. They felt it undermined, or worked against, the Open Door Policy, which promised equal access to trade in China. It also threatened the Philippines, which the United States controlled. Nevertheless, isolationist feelings remained strong among the American people and kept the United States from taking a firm stand against the Japanese.

Analyze Charts The chart gives an overview of the growth of the Japanese Empire.

Draw Conclusions What does the information about imports and U.S. actions suggest about the reasons Japan used its military?

Americans React

Americans were angered by Japan’s invasion of China. The United States did not want Japan to become an imperial power in Asia. However, the public did not support going to war against Japan. The conflict in Asia was far away. Many Americans felt that it did not have a direct impact on their lives.

President Roosevelt reacted to the invasion with a speech denouncing Japan’s “reign of terror and international lawlessness,” but he maintained his neutral stance. As you will read, Roosevelt would eventually try to apply economic pressure to Japan to halt its military aggression. Ignoring Roosevelt’s harsh words, Japan sped up its attacks. It had its eye on British and Dutch colonies in Southeast Asia that were rich in oil, rubber, and other raw materials that its military could use.

Americans grew more concerned as the conflict in Asia spread. However, the United States would not go to war with Japan unless Japan attacked the United States directly.

Germany Expands

In Europe, Hitler continued his plans for German expansion. In 1938, just two years after occupying the Rhineland, Hitler annexed Austria. This action violated the Treaty of Versailles once more. But again, Britain and France took no action against Germany.

Later that year, Hitler claimed the Sudetenland, the western part of Czechoslovakia. He justified his demand by claiming that the Sudetenland contained many people of German heritage.

Appeasement

The United Kingdom (Britain) and France had signed treaties to protect Czechoslovakia but were reluctant to go to war. The two nations sought a peaceful solution.

In September 1938, the leaders of the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Germany met in Munich, Germany, to discuss a solution. At the Munich Conference, Hitler promised that Germany would seek no further territory once it had acquired the Sudetenland. To preserve peace, the British and French agreed that Germany should have the Sudetenland. This practice of giving in to threats or aggression in order to avoid war is known as appeasement.

The policy of appeasement failed. Nazi Germany seized the rest of Czechoslovakia the very next year. At last, the United Kingdom and France realized that they had to take a firm stand against Nazi aggression.

Germany Invades Poland

In August 1939, Hitler and Stalin signed theNazi-Soviet Pact. The two rival dictators agreed not to attack each other. Secretly, they also agreed to divide Poland and other parts of Eastern Europe.

Confident that Russia would not retaliate, Hitler went after Poland. In September 1939, Hitler launched a blitzkrieg, or lightning war. This new tactic involved rushing concentrated forces with superior firepower into a specific area to scatter the enemy and penetrate deeply into enemy territory. Unable to withstand modern German planes and tanks, the Poles soon surrendered.

Meanwhile, the Soviet Union seized eastern Poland. Stalin’s forces also invaded Finland and later annexed Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia. Stalin claimed that these steps were needed to build Soviet defenses.

GEOGRAPHY SKILLS

The map shows Germany’s steady expansion to the east and to the west.

Interaction Point out to a partner evidence from the map that shows that the German military aggressively expanded in the late 1930s.
Use Visual Information How far did the German empire extend from east to west by September 1939?

READING CHECK

Summarize What is appeasement and why was this policy not successful?

The War Expands

Two days after Hitler’s invasion of Poland, Britain and France declared war on Germany. A new world war had begun.

World War II was truly a global conflict. Military forces fought all over the world. Italy, Japan, and six other nations joined Germany to form the Axis Powers. Opposing the Axis Powers were the Allies. Before the war was over, the Allies would include the United Kingdom, France, the Soviet Union, the United States, China, and 45 other countries.

Germany Conquers France

In the spring of 1940, Hitler’s armies marched north and west. In April, they smashed through Denmark and Norway. In May, they overran the Netherlands and Belgium and pushed into France. Germany’s ally, Italy, also attacked France.

The British sent troops to help France resist the assault. The British and French, however, were quickly overpowered. By May, the Germans had forced them to retreat to Dunkirk, a French port on the English Channel. In a bold action, the British sent every available ship across the channel to rescue the trapped soldiers.

Unhindered, German armies entered France and marched on to Paris, the French capital. On June 22, 1940, barely six weeks later, France surrendered. The fall of France shocked the world.

Analyze Images In this 1940 photo, German troops parade on the Champs-Élysées, a grand avenue in the heart of Paris.

Understand Effects What effect would this parade have had on the citizens of Paris?

Battle of Britain

Britain now stood alone. Even so, the new prime minister, Winston Churchill, was confident:

Primary Source

“We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets . . . we shall never surrender.”

— Winston Churchill, Speech to House of Commons, June 4, 1940

Hitler’s plan to invade Britain, codenamed Operation Sea Lion, became a massive air battle. German planes rained bombs down on London and other British cities during the Battle of Britain. British fighter pilots fought back, gunning down nearly 2,000 German planes. By late 1940, after months of bombing, Hitler gave up his planned invasion of Britain.

In the United States, Americans listened to radio reports from London. Hearing of Britain’s brave stand against Hitler, Americans wondered how much longer they could stay out of the war.

GEOGRAPHY SKILLS

The map shows areas of the world controlled by the Axis and Allied powers, and countries that were maintaining their neutrality.

Region How would the balance of power between the Axis and Allied powers change after the United States and Soviet Union joined the Allies?
Use Visual Information On which continents do the Axis Powers control territory?

READING CHECK

Identify Cause and Effect Why did Britain and France declare war on Germany?

How Did the United States Aid the Allies?

After the invasion of Poland, President Roosevelt announced that the United States would remain neutral. He knew that most Americans favored the Allies but did not want to go to war.

Arms for the Allies

At the same time, Roosevelt sought ways to help the Allies. He asked Congress to repeal the neutrality law that banned the sale of arms to warring nations. Isolationists blocked the move, but FDR won a compromise. The United States could sell arms to the Allies under a “cash-and-carry” plan. The Allies had to pay cash for the goods and carry them away in their own ships.

By 1940, German submarines had sunk many British ships. Roosevelt agreed to give the United Kingdom 50 old American destroyers. In exchange, the British gave the United States 99-year leases on military bases in Newfoundland and the Caribbean.

New Policies

The United States also took several steps to prepare for war. Congress approved greater spending for the army and navy. Congress also passed the Selective Service Act of 1940, requiring all men between the ages of 21 and 36 to register for the draft. It was the first peacetime draft in the nation’s history.

Isolationists opposed these moves, especially aid for the United Kingdom. “I have been forced to the conclusion that we cannot win this war for England, regardless of how much assistance we extend,” warned Charles Lindbergh, the hero pilot of the 1920s. Many other Americans, however, felt that the United States had no choice. If Britain fell, Hitler might control the Atlantic Ocean.

Roosevelt Wins a Third Term

The threat of war persuaded Roosevelt to run for a third term in 1940. He thought it was a dangerous time for a change in the country’s leadership. His decision broke the precedent, set by George Washington, of seeking only two terms as President. Republicans nominated Wendell Willkie, an Ohio businessman. Willkie was a strong critic of Roosevelt’s New Deal. Still, he agreed with Roosevelt on many issues, such as sending aid to the British. Both candidates also pledged not to send Americans into any foreign wars.

Republicans—and some Democrats—criticized Roosevelt for breaking the two-term tradition. Still, the voters gave Roosevelt a clear victory. After his defeat, Willkie worked to win Republican support for Roosevelt’s war aims.

The Lend-Lease program brought American-made goods to British shops.

The Lend-Lease Act

By late 1940, Britain was running out of cash. Roosevelt boldly suggested lending supplies to Britain. He proclaimed that Britain was defending democracy against totalitarian forces.

Despite continued opposition from isolationists, Congress passed the Lend-Lease Act in March 1941. It allowed sales or loans of war materials to “any country whose defense the President deems vital to the defense of the United States.” Under Lend-Lease, the United States conveyed airplanes, tanks, guns, and ammunition to Britain and other Allied nations. British merchant ships transported the goods, with escorts of American warships providing protection as far as Iceland.

Lend-Lease Extends to the Soviet Union

In June 1941, Hitler launched a surprise invasion of the Soviet Union. The invasion force was the largest in history. The invasion proved to be a vital turning point in the war, as it brought the Soviets over to the Allied side. Now the Germans would have to fight on two fronts instead of one.

American support for the Soviets was weak. Much of the American public remained anticommunist. President Roosevelt had condemned Stalin’s totalitarian rule, but he decided to extend Lend-Lease aid to the Soviet Union. After much debate, Congress approved extending the aid to the Soviets.

Creating Postwar Goals

In August 1941, Roosevelt and Churchill issued the Atlantic Charter, which set goals for the postwar world. The two leaders agreed to seek no territory from the war. They pledged to support “the right of all peoples to choose the form of government under which they will live.” The charter also called for a “permanent system of general security” similar to the League of Nations.

Analyze Images This photograph shows Roosevelt (left) and Churchill at the Atlantic Charter Conference.

Summarize What was the significance of the Atlantic Charter conference?

READING CHECK

Identify Supporting Details Although the United States didn’t formally join the war, what details indicate its support for the Allies?

The United States Enters the War

To Roosevelt, Japanese aggressions in Asia were as alarming as Germany’s advance through Europe. By the late 1930s, the Japanese had seized much of China. After Germany defeated France in 1940, Japan took control of French colonies in Southeast Asia. In September 1940, the Japanese signed an alliance with Germany and Italy.

Analyze Timelines The timeline shows the series of events that eventually led to America’s entry into World War II.

Classify and Categorize Which events in the timeline would isolationists in Congress have supported?

Limiting Trade With Japan

The United States tried to stop Japanese aggression by refusing to sell oil and scrap metal to Japan. This embargo angered the Japanese because they badly needed these resources. “Sparks will fly before long,” predicted an American diplomat.

Japanese and American officials met in November 1941. Japan asked the United States to lift its trade embargo. The United States called on Japan to withdraw its armies from China and Southeast Asia. Neither side would compromise. As the talks limped along, Japan completed plans for a secret attack on the United States.

“A Date Which Will Live in Infamy”

On Sunday morning, December 7, 1941, much of the American Pacific Fleet was peacefully anchored at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Suddenly, Japanese planes swept through the sky. In less than two hours, they sank or seriously damaged 19 American ships, destroyed almost 200 planes, and killed about 2,400 people.

The attack was a desperate gamble by Japanese leaders. They knew they lacked the resources to defeat the United States in a long war. However, they believed Americans were weak and had no stomach for fighting. They thought the strike would force the United States to beg for peace immediately. Instead, Pearl Harbor united Americans in their resolve.

The Japanese made two other mistakes. First, they failed to sink any aircraft carriers, which were at sea at the time of the attack. Second, they did not destroy any fuel oil tanks. Oil and aircraft carriers would become two keys to American victory in the war that followed.

Analyze Images “Battleship Row” (right of the island) and aircraft were the prime targets of the 183 planes in the first wave of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

Synthesize Visual Information What made the United States’ ships so vulnerable?

Declaring War

The next day, a grave President Roosevelt addressed Congress. “Yesterday, December 7, 1941—a date which will live in infamy—the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan,” he began.

Primary Source

“No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people, in their righteous might, will win through to absolute victory.”

— Franklin D. Roosevelt, War Message to Congress, December 8, 1941

Congress declared war on Japan. In response, Germany and Italy declared war on the United States. Americans were now united in the cause of freedom. Even isolationists backed the war effort.

The attack on Pearl Harbor had an immediate effect on Americans’ lives. Young men left schools and jobs to enter the war. The economy sped up to provide the necessary supplies. A new wartime society developed with a surge in patriotic feeling. For Americans of Japanese, Italian, and German heritage, the war also brought difficulties. Many in the country viewed them with suspicion.

Analyze Images The attack on Pearl Harbor sunk the USS Arizona, killing 1,177 of its crew. This photo shows surviving crew members honored at Remembrance Day ceremonies on the 50th anniversary of the attack.

Explain an Argument Why do you think it is important to honor war veterans?

READING CHECK

Identify Cause and Effect Why did Japan attack the United States?

Lesson Check

Why wasn’t appeasement effective at the Munich Conference?
How did Hitler use the blitzkrieg?
Which were the chief nations that made up the Allied and Axis powers?
Identify Main Ideas How did the attack on Pearl Harbor immediately affect the lives of Americans?
Summarize How did President Roosevelt work with isolationists in Congress to support the British while still keeping the United States officially neutral?
Writing Workshop: Establish Setting Think about the setting for your narrative from the perspective of the American soldier or the American on the home front. Write a few sentences describing your setting.

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