1. World War 2

2. A Global Depression • The Great Depression was felt all over the world, not just in the U.S. • After the First Great War, many Americans favored a policy of “ISOLATIONISM” • ISOLATIONISM = Non-involvement in World Affairs

3. Not Our Problem • Americans felt WW2 to be Europe’s problem • President Franklin Deleanor Roosevelt (FDR) disagreed, but was unable to convince his citizens • Congress even passed a law against trade from warring nations to prevent our involvement

4. The Basics of WW2 • Started when Germany invaded Austria in February, 1938 • Hitler then invaded Poland on September 1, 1939 • Great Britain & France had enough and declared war on Germany & its ally, Italy

5. How did WW2 Start? • Adolf Hitler promoted his ideas that Germans were the “master race” • He blamed Jews and other minorities for the world’s problems, and labeled them “sub-human” • Poles, Slavs, the Romany, people of color, gays & the disabled were also targets

6. Why did Hitler target the Jews?

7. Who’s Fighting this time? • The Allies aka The Central Powers • Great Britain, • led by Prime Minister Winston Churchill • France • Deladier, Reynaud, Charles De Gaulle • U.S.A. • President Franklin Deleanor Roosevelt

8. Who’s fighting this time (Cont’d) • The Axis Powers • Germany • Led by Adolf Hitler, “Fuehrer” or “Leader” • Italy • Benito Mussolini, “Il Duce” or “Leader” • Japan • General HideyoTojo, Prime Minister

9. What about Russia? • Russia • Led by Joseph Stalin, General Secretary • Signed a “non-aggression act” with Germany & Italy • Hitler betrayed this agreement and invaded Russia in June, 1941 • When U.S. entered, Russia allied with Allies

10. European Theater

11. WW2 in Africa • Russia wanted Britain & U.S. to start a 2nd front against Germany on the West • Britain said we don’t have the strength to fight Germany’s full force • Instead they wanted to attack the Germans on the edges of Africa

12. Allied invasion of N. Africa

13. Pacific Theater

14. Island Hopping 1942-1945

15. Doolittle’s Raid • FDR wanted to bomb Tokyo to win morale for U.S. troops • Couldn’t get aircraft carriers close enough without Japanese bombing them • U.S. replaced short range bombers with B-25’s

16. Doolittle’s Raid (Cont’d) • B-25’s could take off, but couldn’t land on the carrier • Japanese discovered the carrier, Hornet, before they were ready • Didn’t have enough fuel to reach China • Forced to bail out or crash in Japan after bombing

17. Tuskegee Airmen • African-American Pilots • Division of the Army Air Corps (Not the Airforce) • Received support from NAACP & black newspapers • Got their name from Tuskegee Inst. In AL

18. Tuskegee Airmen (Cont’d) • Roughly 1000 fighter pilots • Led by Lt. Col. Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. • Later became 1st black Airforce General • Father was famous general

19. Tuskegee Airmen (Part 3) • Flew nearly 16,000 missions & destroyed hundreds of enemy aircraft • Members won >900 medals & honors • In 2006 Congress awarded them Congressional Gold Medal, highest honor Congress can give

20. The Manhattan Project • 1939 – Leo Szilard, suggested splitting uranium atom would release enormous energy • Szilard convinced Einstein to write FDR stating Germans had developed methods to do it • Roosevelt set up science committee to study the issue

21. The Manhattan Project (Cont’d) • 1941 – American committee was skeptic until speaking with British who’d already started work • U.S. Committee convinced FDR to begin to build one • “Manhattan Project”, headed by Gen. Groves

22. The Manhattan Project (Part 3) • 1942 – U.S. built first nuclear reactor at University of Chicago • Built atomic bomb at secret lab in Los Alamos, NM • July 16, 1945 – detonated 1st A-Bomb in Alamogordo, NM