World War II: The Fight for Freedom and Equality

1. World War II The ‘Good War’ at Home and Abroad

2. Background, Causes • Leftover strains, economic problems from WWI • Failure of democracy in Germany, Italy, USSR • Authoritarian govts in Italy, Japan, Germany, Spain • Rise of Hitler and Nazis, legally gained power, support of German people • Fascism = belief in superior race, party rule, extreme nationalism, dictatorship, world domination, expansionism (Lebensraum)

3. Lead-up to U.S. Involvement • 1930s, Japanese colonialism in Pacific • 1930s, Rise of fascism in Europe • 1936, Axis formed (Germany, Italy, Japan) • 1938, Germany annexed Austria, Czech. • 1939, Hitler-Stalin Pact • 1939, Hitler invaded Poland • June, 1940, France fell • Summer-fall, 1940, Battle of Britain (bombing) • June, 1941, Hitler invaded USSR (mistake) • Dec. 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor, U.S. entered war

4. From Isolationism to War • American criticism of WWI, “merchants of death” – 1935 Neutrality Act; ‘cash-and-carry’ law • America First movement

5. From Isolationism to War • Charles Lindbergh and others sympathetic to Nazis • But FDR and many Americans sympathized with Britain and Allies – pressure to join war • Changed laws to allow trade with allies • Lend-lease, Jan. 1941, allowed arming of Allies, moving U.S. closer to participation • Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941 – united Americans in entering and winning war

6. Fighting the War: Basics • Allies, Big Three (U.S., GB, USSR) + France and China • FDR, Churchill, Stalin – Big Three Leaders • Strained relations over war aims and strategy • Axis (Germany, Italy, Japan) • Hitler, Mussolini, Emperor Hirohito/Military leaders • Two Wars: Europe and Pacific • War in Europe • USSR vs. Germany, 1941, the Eastern Front • Allies entered Europe through Africa/Italy first (1942/43) • Then D-Day invasion at Normandy on French coast (1944), push towards Berlin • V-E Day, May 8, 1945

7. Fighting the War: Basics • War in the Pacific: naval, air, jungle combat • Japanese empire throughout Pacific • Midway naval battles: U.S. victories in 1942 halted Japanese advance on Australia and hurt Japanese navy • Island-hopping towards Japanese islands • Guadalcanal, 1942-1943 • Iwo Jima and Okinawa, 1943 • Fire-bombing of Tokyo, Spring 1945 • Predictions of mass slaughter if U.S. invaded Japanese homeland • August 6 and 9, atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki; Japan surrendered shortly after

8. The Big Three

9. Expanded Govt. Power • Similar to WWI experience • Dollar-a-year men, corp. leaders, guaranteed profits • Bigness a benefit – large bureaucracies and businesses favored for high productivity – top 100 comp. from 30% (1940) to 70% (1945) • WPB – powerful, contracts, conversion, control • OPA – controlled consumer prices • Paying for war: taxes, debt, bonds • Military drafted 31 million men; half failed

10. Idealism of Allies • FDR’s Four Freedoms: • Atlantic Charter – U.S. and GB – war a fight for freedom, free trade, collective security, national self-determination • Music of Popular Front: • Aaron Copland • George Gershwin • Woody Guthrie • Big Band

11. Four Freedoms

12. Four Freedoms

13. Mobilization at Home: Unity and Sacrifice

14. Labor shortage: women, blacks entered workforce, industrial jobs, moved north Workers continued to join unions during war Gained higher wages and income NWLB handled disputes Labor’s no-strike pledge for war Tension and strikes: disputes over wages vs. corp. profits led UMW to strike in 1943 Mobilizing Workers: Creating an ‘Arsenal of Democracy’

22. Problems of WWII: War as Crucible • War challenged nation and people to define themselves: ideals, who belonged, goals • Problems of race and racism • Inclusion or exclusion of immigrants • Economic and social equality: equal sacrifice for war effort? • War goals and methods: do they fit with national ideals? • Long-term effects of war on society

23. Good War, Race War? • Rationale for WWII as ‘Good War’: • As framed by FDR, WWII was a fight for freedom, against tyranny • A war against fascism, racial superiority • Continuation and completion of New Deal • Fight for economic and racial liberalism at home and abroad • Holocaust made war even more just – fascism was evil, based on racial superiority and cleansing

24. A War of Possibilities: Racial and Economic Liberalism • Economic Liberalism: Social and economic equality (The Four Freedoms) • Equality of sacrifice in wartime (fair wages and profits) • Racial Equality: Incorporation of blacks and immigrants into nation – the right to fight, to be patriotic, to join the nation • Racial Equality: Ability of all Americans to serve country and gain benefits of service

25. Racial Liberalism During War

26. WWII Civil Rights: Realities • Fight for equality at home and in war effort: • Black newspapers and organizations: Double V campaign: war against fascism abroad AND racism at home • FEPC created in 1941 after A. Philip Randolph’s threat of March on Washington – equal opportunity • U.S. armed forces segregated throughout war, even in other countries • War as hothouse for civil rights: • Disappointments of wartime experience led to black mobilization of 1950s and 1960s • Women reluctant to return home after war-work, fought 1950s domestic culture • Gays became less isolated, found others, organized

27. WWII Civil Rights: Realities • Tendency towards suspicion and conformity on the home front • Private Snafu films • Problems of racism at home and abroad: • Conflict between war aims and realities of racism in U.S. society and military • Discrimination against black Americans: segregated armed forces, workplaces, lower pay • Japanese internment • Anti-Hispanic attacks in Los Angeles led to “zoot suit riots” • Racial war against Japanese

28. Double Victory over Racism Band, The Ink Spots, supported Double V campaign

29. Legacy of Wartime Racism • Why no black soldiers in Saving Private Ryan? • Structural and legal racism had long-term effects • Segregated armed forces, bases • Unable to prove heroism/loyalty • Discouraged from using G.I. Bill • G.I. housing loan discrimination; redlined black neighborhoods • Desegregated armed forces, in 1948: wars with black soldiers on front lines = losses, dishonorable wars

30. Race War in the Pacific • War against Japanese diff. than war against Germans: racism on both sides • History of white anti-Asian racism in U.S. and abroad (Chinese/Japanese exclusion, Filipino war) • Japanese internment within U.S. • “Japs” portrayed as particularly sneaky (rats) and bloodthirsty • Racial aspect, along w/ nature of jungle combat, led to atrocities on both sides • Take no prisoners • Taking of souvenirs (body parts, skulls) • Would U.S. have used atomic bomb against the Germans?

31. Anti-Japanese Propaganda

32. Anti-Japanese Propaganda

33. Anti-Japanese Propaganda

34. Ethics and Morality of War • ‘The Good War’? • Effects of WWII military tactics and culture on later U.S. and world history? • German and Japanese war machines, atrocities on civilians: • Nazis, Guernica, bombing of London, Holocaust • Japanese, Rape of Nanking, kamikaze, enslavement • Methods of war: • mass mechanized war • targeting of civilians • inciting terror and demoralization • U.S. bombing of non-military civilian German targets: Dresden (Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five) • U.S. intentional firebombing of Tokyo; ¼ of city burned • U.S. use of atomic bombs

35. Summary Questions: • Why did U.S. join WWII? • How did it win the war? • What was life like on the home front? • What ideals did U.S. support and oppose during the war? • Did WWII remake U.S. society? • Did the U.S. live up to its ideals during WWII?