World War II and the Cold War
Dictators and WarMobilizing for War
Roots of the Cold WarThe Cold War Expands
20th Century Dictators
Dictators and WarDictators and Wars Treaty of Versailles from WWI caused anger/resentment
among nations Three dictators use totalitarian gov’ts to rise to power
Joseph Stalin: Russia Communist State 5 year plan-collectives Est. complete control of citizens lives- totalitarian gov’t
Benito Mussolini: Italy Created Fascist Party- Extreme Nationalism
Dictators and WarAdolf Hitler: Germany
Joined NAZI party when young
Mein Kampf- Nazism Purity Race- Aryans
anti-semitic Unite German speaking
people Third Reich- political
regime Japanese militarists
control gov’t
Dictators and WarWar in Europe Hitler acquires Austria and Czech into the Reich
Anschluss GB uses appeasement with Hitler- let him get his way to
avoid war Stalin signs non-agression pact with Hitler as Germany
launches blitzkrieg in Poland ridding Poland of Jews France falls to Axis Powers when the Maginot Line is broken Allies finally join Battle of Britain: G. bombs GB day/night
for 2 mo.
Dictators and WarAmerica and War At first US adopts and isolationist policy FDR
signs the Neutrality Act- allowing trade between US and Europe
Quarantine Speech: Peaceful states urge aggressive states to isolate themselves
FDR uses “cash and carry”- allowed warring nations to buy US materials if they used cash and carried them on their own ships
Dictators and WarAmerica in the War Continued… Congress passes “peacetime draft”, boosts
defense spending “Great Arsenal of Democracy”- FDR convinces
nations that we must help Allied powers against the Axis powers
Lend Lease Act- GB, SU give any kind of aid to Allies
Churchill (GB) and FDR secretly meet to plan war- Atlantic Charter
Dictators and WarJapan Attacks Japan invades China
and wants to acquire as much land as possible
December 7, 1941- Pearl Harbor
FDR knew Japan was planning an attack- two front war
Mobilizing for WarMobilizing Women serve in non-
combat roles WAC (Women Army Corps)
Lend-Lease Act begins, War Production Board manages peacetime to wartime industry start rationing
Office of Price Administrations: freeze prices on goods to fight inflation
Mobilizing for WarWar in the Pacific Japanese on defense after Pearl Harbor Gen. Douglas
McArthur in command of Pacific theater At first, J. forces advance against US in Philippines and
Southeast Asia 1941- US turns the tide Doolittle’s Raid, Battle of Coral Sea Battle of Midway- turning point in Pacific War- Island
Hopping Japanese launch first kamikaze strikes to break Allied lines Iwo Jima: Crucial Island for US base- heavy losses
Mobilizing for WarThe War for Europe and North Africa FDR, Churchill, Stalin agree Pacific war is second to
European fight against Hitler Germany uses U-Boats to sink all ships in Atlantic
Convoy system 1943- Germany slowly presses in on Stalingrad (SU) SU army wins- major turning point in fighting on land Allies invade Italy and N. Africa in an attempt to spread
Hitler’s army thin
Mobilizing for WarD-Day D-Day: Allies land in
France, a month later, they control Paris
Battle of the Bulge: German make last attempt to cross Allied lines liberate death camps
Hitler commits suicide and G surrenders VE Day: May 8, 1945
FDR died of a stroke a month before- Harry S. Truman (VP) takes over
Mobilizing for WarThe Atomic Bomb- Manhattan Project US considered invading Japan, like on D-Day- too risky US warns Japan prior to dropping bomb Hiroshima/Nagasaki: August 6 & 9, 1945- Japan
surrenders
Mobilizing for WarEffects of the War The Holocaust Yalta Conference: Feb.
1945: FDR, Churchill, Stalin meet
Discuss post war plans- Stalin favors harshness towards G; FDR, C. disagree Poland, Bulgaria, Romania
would have free elections (Stalin reneged)
Mobilizing for War Potsdam Conference:
July 1945: Truman, Atlee, Stalin Divide G. into 4 zones Free elections in Poland Stalin joins war against
Japan United Nations is formed,
Nuremberg Trials try war criminals
Roots of the Cold WarRoots of the Cold War Soviet Union vs. US (Communism vs. Democracy) Stalin had made promises at Yalta and Potsdam to allow
democratic, free elections in Poland, Bulgaria, etc Stalin backed out of promises-created satellite states of
these nations Stalin disagrees w/ dem., while Truman does not believe in
commie Democratic Western Europe vs. Communist East Europe Churchill calls the division the “iron curtain” Stand-off lasts 46 years, but never became a “hot” war
militarily
Roots of the Cold WarThe Cold War Begins US starts aiding Greece
and Turkey (SU influence there)
Truman Doctrine: stop aid nations struggling against communist movement
US policy is to “contain” Soviet communist expansion
Roots of the Cold WarThe Cold War Continues… US provides support to any Western European nation that
needed it- Marshall Plan GB, Fr. US unify their zones in G.; but Berlin is surrounded by
SU zone SU cuts off rail/road travel to West Berlin (Berlin Blockade)-
US starts Berlin Airlift W. Europe and US join together against Communism- NATO
(North Atlantic Treaty Organization NATO members pledge military support to each other
Warsaw Pact is SU rival organization
Roots of the Cold WarThe Cold War heats Up Civil war in China
Chiang Kai-Shek (nationalist leader) vs. Mao Zedong (communist)
Chiang gov’t corrupt and ineffective, Mao takes over China commie
Roots of the Cold WarThe Korean War Korea divided NK- Commie vs. SK- Dem (38th parallel) 1950- NK attacks SK- Soviet Union backs NK NK troops seem unstoppable, Gen. MacArthur launches
counterattack China feels threatened by US- China attacks US/UN forces MacArthur suggests attacking China- Truman says no Truman fires MacArthur for insubordination Stalemate1951-1953 1953- ceasefire at 38th parallel; demilitarized zones b/t sides
The Cold War ExpandsThe Cold War Expands 1949: SU detonates atomic
bomb, China falls to commie shocks US
1952: US tests first H-Bomb US/SU race to out build arms
Dwight D. Eisenhower elected in 1952- favors strengthening nuke arms
John Foster Dulles- Sec. of State believes in brinkmanship: go to edge of war
The Cold War Expands
Stalin dies 1953- Nikita Khrushchev takes over- believes Commie can work and happen peacefully
Anti- commie rebellions in Czech. and Hungary rock surrounding nations
US starts covert actions (CIA) to stop spread of Communism
The Cold War Expands Suez Canal trouble-
Egyptian leaders playing US and SU against each other for more money to build a dam along Nile River
Canal used by many nations for travel GB/France use force to gain canal- US outraged
Eisenhower Doctrine: US would defend the ME from communist attacks
Space Race: SU launches Sputnik in 1957; Congress creates NASA
The Cold War ExpandsThe Cold War At Home Cold War creates “us vs. them” attitude Red
Scare re-emerges Red Scare deeper than in 20s gov’t creates
Loyalty Review Bd: kick out gov’t workers who were “soft” on commies
House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC): investigated communist activities in and out of white house
Attack movie industry- Hollywood Ten: ten witnesses called to trial who plead the fifth
The Cold War ExpandsSpys in the US Alger Hiss: spying for
SU- never prosecuted, later found to be true
The Rosenbergs: helped leak A-Bomb secrets to SU sentenced to death
The Cold War ExpandsMcCarthyism Sen. Joe McCarthy
(Wisconsin) accused US state dept. of being infested with commies
Made constant threats to suspected communists- never produced a single name
Made slanderous comments about US army downfall
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