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The story of world war ii
Chapter 16 world war 2 world history
Cause, course and Consequences of World War II
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During the 1930s, a world war had been brewing and countries eventually joined in the war picking sides. In other words, the Axis Powers were against the Allied Powers. The Axis Powers consisted of Germany, Italy, Japan, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria versus Britain, France, Russia, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Greece, Poland, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, Yugoslavia, Netherlands and the United States. The attack on Pearl Harbor occurred on December 7, 1941. Furthermore, it was an initiated attack by the Japanese without warning. Plans of the surprise attack were brewing in early January that year. This attack eventually brought America into the world war. However, was it worth it?
Although, war brings either triumph or loss, it did have a great prize in store for America. World War II pulled America out of the Great Depression which America had been suffering for approximately twelve years. Even though the economy has improving before that, however that wasn’t enough for all of the Americans. After all that Franklin Delano Roosevelt did, there were still m...
Michael C. C. Adams' book, The Best War Ever: America and World War II, attempts to dispel the numerous misconceptions of the Second World War. As the title suggests, Americans came out of the war with a positive view of the preceding five turbulent years. This myth was born from several factors. Due to the overseas setting of both theaters of the war, intense government propaganda, Hollywood's glamorization, and widespread economic prosperity, Americans were largely sheltered form the brutal truth of World War II. Even to this day, the generation of World War II is viewed as being superior in morality and unity. The popular illusion held that 'there were no ethnic or gender problems, families were happy and united, and children worked hard in school and read a great number of books.' (115)
Prior to this event, America was still divided over whether or not to participate. Even as the Rape of Nanking, one of the most infamous war crimes committed by the Japanese, became known to the public, Americans were reluctant to intervene in foreign affairs (Document D). After the United States placed an oil embargo on Japan for invading Manchuria, the desperate Japanese shocked the nation by bombing Pearl Harbor on the “day that will live in infamy” on December 7, 1941. This was the final act that instigated the American entrance into the war on December 8, 1941. Although previous incidents could be considered negligible, the bombing of Pearl Harbor directly affected the Americans and created a full consensus to intervene in the war. However, this decision was seemed inevitable; America was already so economically and politically influential in the world stage that America would have to get involved in this global crisis sooner or later (Document C). The great economic and political influence America had, accompanied by the growing financial support to Allies hinted towards support for the more democratic countries, but after the aggressive Japanese attack, America was finally unified and internationally proclaimed its decision to abandon isolationism for full
The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was one of the most atrocious attacks to have ever happened on American soil, starting with disagreement on the Potsdam declaration. Japan’s greed for more land and industrial materials led the Japanese to make a plan to keep the United States out of the war, which consisted the use of kamikaze pilots and bombs to destroy our aircraft carriers and boats in an attempt to control the Pacific. While leaving the drowning, and dead bodies of thousands of American seamen and battleships at the bottom of the sea, seemed to be a good idea to the Japanese; America joined World War II and introduced the first nuclear weapons as reprisal for the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. Had the Japanese agreed to an unconditional surrender and end to militarism during the agreement on the Potsdam declaration, the introduction to nuclear weapons and the death count wouldn’t have been so high and devastating on both the American and Japanese sides.
During the early days of World War II, the United States remained officially neutral. It was not until the attack on Pearl Harbor, by the Japanese, that the United States had no choice, but to declare war. At the beginning of the war Japan won most of the battles (Gailey). These defeats resulted in the morale being low among the American troops. President Theodore Roosevelt wanted to boost morale and push forward the Pacific front with a strike on the Japanese homeland to serve as a testament to American military prowess and retribution for the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor (Shepherd).
During the Great Depression, America’s economy was merely destroyed. Because less money was available, industrialization dropped, factories were losing, and the number of unemployment increased. Later, during World War II most of the countries were destroyed, however, America’s economy was able to grow. Due to the mobilization of America, The victory gardens, the rationing, and the urge to produce more to fight better, America’s production increased in order to support its military. Also, different types of industry that wasn’t available before the war started to develop during the war. So, employment started to increase, thereby increasing the economy. Moreover, it was able to fund other countries with weapons and products necessary for the war, and in alliances America was mainly the provider. After the war, when the Americans’ soldiers came back, with a huge number of factories and high number of people ready to work, production flourished. Thus, America started to recover economically and become more powerful. World War II transformed America’s economy from a depressed
During the 1920’s, America was a prosperous nation going through the “Big Boom” and loving every second of it. However, this fortune didn’t last long, because with the 1930’s came a period of serious economic recession, a period called the Great Depression. By 1933, a quarter of the nation’s workers (about 40 million) were without jobs. The weekly income rate dropped from $24.76 per week in 1929 to $16.65 per week in 1933 (McElvaine, 8). After President Hoover failed to rectify the recession situation, Franklin D. Roosevelt began his term with the hopeful New Deal. In two installments, Roosevelt hoped to relieve short term suffering with the first, and redistribution of money amongst the poor with the second. Throughout these years of the depression, many Americans spoke their minds through pen and paper. Many criticized Hoover’s policies of the early Depression and praised the Roosevelts’ efforts. Each opinion about the causes and solutions of the Great Depression are based upon economic, racial and social standing in America.
World War II opened a new chapter in the lives of Depression-weary Americans. The United States of America had an unusual importance in the war, it had been spared the physical destruction that had taken place throughout the world. Americans on the home front did not see the fighting and brutality as other countries experienced it. However, the events and changes on the home front due to the World War transformed America. One of the greatest conversions was that of the American woman. Women around the country were transformed from the average house wife into a person with a voice and most importantly a purpose.
The American home front during World War II is recalled warmly in popular memory and cultural myth as a time of unprecedented national unity, years in which Americans stuck together in common cause. World War II brought many new ideas and changes to American life. Even though World War II brought no physical destruction to the United States mainland, it did affect American society. Every aspect of American life was altered by U.S. involvement in the war including demographics, the labor force, economics and cultural trends. During the Great Depression, the American birth rate had fallen to an all-time low due to delayed marriages and parenthood.
World War II as a Good War The vast majority of Americans supported World War II (WWII) after Pearl Harbor was bombed, recognizing a fascist threat to Western democracy. WWII was a good war. It had the ability to unite America. They united against Nazism and fascism. But even a good War has its bad times.
"The Depression, The New Deal, and World War II." African American Odyssey: (Part 1). N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Mar. 2014.
America’s entry into World War II had an importance to America after the war. The United States involvement in the war was long and took a toll on everyone in the war. The military of the U.S. was the deciding factor in World War II. The United States grew militarily and economically because of the war. Finally stopping the Great Depression and bringing on jobs for everyone including women, colored people and the fighters of the war.
During the aftermath of World War I great change was happening to America’s society. Of the nations that were involved in the worldwide conflict from 1914 to 1918 no other nation experienced prosperity socially, politically, and economically as quickly as did the United States of America. The middle-class American suddenly became the most important component to the growth of the American economy. As the purchase of luxuries, the automobile in particular, became more available to middle-class, opportunity in the housing and labor industries expanded.
Franklin Roosevelt’s “optimism and activism that helped restore the badly shaken confidence of the nation” (pg. 467 Out of Many), was addressed in the New Deal, developed to bring about reform to the American standard of living and its low economy. It did not only make an impact during the Great Depression. Although, many of the problems addressed in the New Deal might have been solved, those with the long lasting effect provide enough evidence to illustrate how great a success the role of the New Deal played out in America’s history to make it what it is today.
World War II caused the most casualties, involved more nations, and cost more money than any other war in history. World War II remains one of the enigmatic events in United States history. The undeniable consequences of war results in countries roles to change, caused unnecessary racism throughout the country, and caused global fear.
World War II changed the world as a whole, but in this essay I am going to talk about how it changed America. After the war, many groups and organizations were created. The United Nations was born on October 24, 1945. This was a group meant to keep peace between nations. Tensions were still high between the United States and the Soviet Union after the war. Nevertheless, things were booming like never before here in our home country. With equal rights for women and African Americans, economic growth, and anti- war organizations became pro- war after Pearl Harbor. These are the ways I am going to discuss to you how World War Two changed our great country.