WWII The Coming of the War Home Front Great Depression the New Deal does not end the depression and most of the world is still in a depression FDR greatly improves our diplomatic relationship with Russia and stops us from intervening in Latin America Hitler quickly pulled Germany out of their depression and Americans were impressed and respected him Because of Hitler and his economic policies there was a rise in socialism in various parts of the US Anti Semitism the US originally had anti Semitism sympathies so they were not initially concerned with Hitler s hate towards the Jews We also were not concerned with Japan killing off the Chinese Europe The Treaty of Versailles only caused more hostility in Europe Germany almost completely ignored the provisions and it also caused friction with the Japanese The League of Nations didn t do anything to prevent conflict Rise of Fascism Fascism grew in Germany under Hitler and in Italy under Mussolini Fascists are extreme conservatives who believe o The state government is exalted over the individual there is no such thing as civil liberties in a fascist state o Dictatorship Democracy o Authoritarianism Freedom of speech o A regulated state oriented economy a free market system Munich Conference in 1936 Hitler withdrew Germany from the League of Nations allies with Italy and stops making reparation payments from WWI all of which violate the Treaty of Versailles In 1938 Germany takes over all of Austria and a part of Czechoslovakia called the Sudetenland This all leads to the Munich Conference in September 1938 At the conference France and Russia pledge to protect the rest of Czechoslovakia from Hitler and Hitler promises to stop expanding However about six months later he invades and takes over the rest of Czechoslovakia In August 1939 Hitler and Stalin sign a non aggression pact agreeing to not fight each other over the rest of Eastern Europe and agreeing to split Poland down the middle Invasion of Poland despite his pact with Stalin on September 1 1939 Hitler invades Poland This marks the beginning of WWII in Europe US Neutrality Neutrality Act of 1937 a cash and carry policy meaning that the US will not lend money to any of the nations at war nor would we ship anything into a war zone If a country needed something from us they would have to pay in cash and retrieve it themselves We would not sell anyone weapons only agricultural products fuel steel and lumber By spring 1940 Germany had taken over all of Western Europe except for the UK The Prime Minister of England Winston Churchill was a good friend of FDR so he amended the Neutrality Act policies Lend Lease Act in March 1941 the US agreed to lend weapons to fighting nations if they promised to return them after the war or if they paid for them after the war First this only applies to Great Britain but is later extended to Russia after Russia is invaded by Germany Immediately following Germany s invasion of Russia FDR increased military spending increased air corps and initiated the first ever peace time draft Pearl Harbor The US had suspicions that Japan would attack us but we thought it would be in the Philippines FDR had moved a lot of the Navy fleet to Pearl Harbor to be closer On December 7 1941 Japan dropped an air attack on Pearl Harbor The second air strike hit about an hour later Because it was so early the US was not ready to respond Within 90 minutes 2 000 Americans died and 1 000 were injured mostly because they were trapped in the ships which caught on fire The next day FDR asks Congress for the declaration of war on Japan On December 11 Germany and Italy respond by declaring war on us War in Europe Russia had spent millions fighting Germany alone Stalin was suspicious of the US and Great Britain but Winston Churchill was able to convince him to open up a front in the Mediterranean Churchill wanted to start a war in the south and march north through Italy towards Germany Russia invaded Italy in the fall of 1942 successfully getting Italy to withdraw from the war After Russia invades Italy Italy signed a peace treaty with the US and Great Britain but leaves Russia out This makes Stalin angry and nervous but he still agrees that once the war ends in Europe he will help both countries fight Japan Teheran Conference in December 1943 the US Great Britain and Russia agree to Operation Overlord D Day on June 6 1944 2 000 allied troops under Dwight Eisenhower march north through Italy into France and successfully liberate France from Germany The troops then continue to march west from France into Germany in an attempt to free Germany from Hitler s rule Battle of the Bulge in December 1944 Hitler again attacked the allied forces in France leading to the biggest battle of the war and the largest battle ever fought by the US Army The allied forces lost 70 000 troops but Hitler was defeated essentially ending the war in Europe VE Day On April 12 1945 FDR has a stroke and dies in office making Harry Truman the new president On April 30 Hitler commits suicide in Germany Finally on May 8 1945 Germany officially surrendered