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Introduction Throughout the 1930s, as the world around them exploded into one armed conflict after another, Americans fought to isolate themselves from alliances with other nations. President Roosevelt opposed this policy, but his efforts to fight the Depression prevented his confronting the isolationists. However, as war broke out in Europe, Roosevelt gradually involved the U.S. on the side of the Allies, first through the Lend-Lease program and then through the statement of shared principles signed by Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in the Atlantic Charter. When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, however, the U.S. no longer had any choice-the nation had to go to war. Even with American assistance, the Allies faced defeat by 1942, but pivotal battles at Midway in the Pacific and Stalingrad in Europe turned the tide. Although these changes eventually led to an Allied victory, the years of war changed the U.S. irrevocably. No longer did the nation have the option of retreating from international politics; it now stood with the Soviet Union as one of the two preeminent economic and military powers in the world. The horrors of the Holocaust and the participation of blacks and women in the war effort also raised the issues of human and civil rights both abroad and at home. The size of both the government and transnational corporations meant that Americans once again had to adjust to an economy and society of unprecedented scale which intervened in their lives more than ever before. Perhaps most frighteningly, the rise of atomic weapons made Americans wonder if they could ever be really safe again.
The Web activities for this chapter examine the events around the world that led to World War II as well as some of the consequences of the war both domestically and internationally. The additional research links highlight the efforts put forth by soldiers and workers in various contexts during the war years. Web Activities 1. Political developments in Europe during the 1930s caused great concern among Americans, but events in other parts of the world often received scanty coverage. Go to the Nanking 1937 site and click on History. When the Japanese government describes Nanking as a fabrication, of what does it remind you? Proceed to the Gallery section of the site. (Be prepared for some very disturbing photos.) Do you think the worldwide economic depression of the 1930s had any relationship to the number and degree of atrocities committed both in Asia and in Europe during the decade? 2. The attack on Pearl Harbor has become a part of American lore. In order to refocus on the actual events of the day, read these Survivor's Remembrances. What do these survivors remember about that day? What recurring themes and images do you see in these accounts? Now read President Roosevelt's speech from the next day. The Counterpoint on page 863 concludes that Roosevelt did not know the attack was coming, but some Americans believe otherwise. Go to Pearl Harbor--Mother of All Conspiracies. How convincing do you find the evidence on this site? 3. The Holocaust. Read the Introduction to the Holocaust, The "Final Solution," and the sections from the Camp System to Extermination Camps. Read the personal stories and watch the films on these sites. Many people respond to this tragedy by asking how it could have happened. What do you think? Now read the section on the United States and the Holocaust. Why did the United States not make rescue a priority? Why didn't American Jews put more pressure on the Roosevelt administration? 4. War Relocation Authority Camps. This exhibit examines the lives of Japanese Americans relocated to guarded camps because of their perceived threat to American security. Click on the icon "life in Arizona's two camps." How much freedom did these people have within the camps? What did they do there? How long did they stay? Read the Korematsu v. United States opinion), one of the two decisions in which the United States Supreme Court upheld the decision to relocate Japanese Americans into camps. What was the basis of the Court's reasoning? Why did three justices dissent? 5. The Atomic Bomb. Read the minutes of the Target Committee from May 10-11, 1945. What did they think should be done with the bombs? Scroll down and read the Bard Memorandum. Why did Undersecretary of the Navy Bard oppose the use of the bomb without warning? Scroll down again to the Trinity Test- Eyewitness Accounts. How did the witnesses describe the test explosion? Scroll down one more time to Truman telling Stalin about the bomb and Truman's diary entry. What did he tell Stalin? Why didn't the bombing happen as Truman described in his diary? Now go to Remembering Nagasaki. Click forward until you see the Photographs of Yosuke Yamahata. Scroll through these photographs to witness part of the damage in the aftermath of the bombs. Do you believe the bomb saved lives? Additional Research Links The United States in a Troubled World
Those Who Fought
War Production
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