Chapter 26: Americas Rise To Globalism 1927–1945

Chapter 26 Americas Rise To Globalism 1927 To 1945us A Narrative H

Chapter 26: America’s Rise to Globalism 1927 to 1945 U.S. A NARRATIVE HISTORY, EIGHTH EDITION DAVIDSON • DELAY • HEYRMAN • LYTLE • STOFF America’s Rise to Globalism 1927 to 1945 “World War II deepened the global interdependence of nations and left the United States as the greatest economic and military power in the world.†What’s to Come The United States in a Troubled World A Global War War Production A Question of Rights Winning the War and the Peace The United States in a Troubled World (1) Pacific Interests assuming colonial control over the Philippines, Americans acquired an interest in the western Pacific Stimson Doctrine Policy of “nonrecognition†Becoming a Good Neighbor Good Neighbor policy Pan-Americanism; U.S. found a new willingness among Latin American nations to cooperate in matters of common defense The United States in a Troubled World (2) The Quest for Neutrality Rise of fascism Nye committee Internationalists versus isolationists Neutrality legislation Debate over the Neutrality Act of 1935 Spanish Civil War Cash-and-carry Belligerents could buy supplies other than munitions Aggression in China The United States in a Troubled World (3) A company of Nazi youths' parades past the Fà¼hrer, Adolf Hitler (in the balcony doorway).

Hitler’s shrewd use of patriotic symbols, mass rallies, and marches exploited the new possibilities of mass politics. © Alan Band/Keystone/Getty Images The United States in a Troubled World (4) Inching toward War Quarantine speech Appeasement Became synonymous with betrayal, weakness, and surrender Hitler’s shrewd oration and strategic moves gradually increased tensions leading to war. Germany’s invasion of Poland in 1939 marked the beginning of World War II in Europe. The Blitzkrieg tactic or “lightning war” enabled rapid German advances across territories, leading to widespread destruction and upheaval. The United States in a Troubled World (5) Retreat from Isolationism Battle of Britain Lend-Lease Act United States as “the great arsenal of democracy†Atlantic Charter Disaster in the Pacific Japanese expansion Entered Tripartite Pact Pearl Harbor December 7, 1941 A Global War (1) Strategies for War Defeat Germany first Outraged by the Pearl Harbor attack, many thought Japan should be the primary target Roosevelt and Churchill decided to fight the war in the Pacific as a holding action and defeat Germany first Gloomy Prospects boat war Fall of the Philippines MAP 26.1: THE U-BOAT WAR In the world’s first truly global war, the need to transport troops and supplies became paramount.

But as German U-boats took a heavy toll on Allied shipping, it became difficult to deliver American supplies to Europe. Avoiding the North Atlantic route forced an arduous 12,000-mile journey around Africa through Suez and to the Persian Gulf and then across Iran by land. The elimination of German submarines greatly eased the shipping problem and, as much as any single battle, ensured victory. A Global War (2) A Grand Alliance The Big Three Joseph Stalin, Winston Churchill, Franklin Roosevelt Stalin’s call for a second front Operation Torch: the invasion of North Africa The Naval War in the Pacific Battle of Coral Sea; first combat success Midway; broke Japanese naval supremacy Guadalcanal; the bloody road to Japan A Global War (3) The violence of amphibious warfare, landing troops from ships to shores, was evident on the beaches of Tarawa in 1943.

Source: National Archives and Records Administration (NWDNS-80-G-57405) A Global War (4) Turning Points in Europe Success in North Africa Russian stand at Stalingrad Millions of Russians died, successfully defending the city Stalin goes on the offensive Those Who Fought Army acted as a cultural melting pot Educational opportunities and new job skills Infantry suffered 90 percent of battlefield casualties Soldiers’ biggest enemy: disease MAP 26.2: WORLD WAR II IN EUROPE AND NORTH AFRICA Until 1944 Soviet forces carried the brunt of the war in Europe, engaging the Axis armies across a huge front. After winning North Africa the Allies turned north to knock Italy out of the war. The final key to defeating Germany was the Anglo-American invasion of western Europe (D-Day) at Normandy.

A Global War (5) Minorities at War Army was strictly segregated, yet offered otherwise unavailable opportunities to minorities African Americans: From cooks to combat pilots Mexican Americans had a high enlistment rate Chinese Americans served at the highest rate of all Filipinos jumped at the chance to serve Choices for homosexuals Women at War WACs and WAVEs A Global War (6) African Americans enlisted in huge numbers during World War II. This WAC was among the first to arrive in Europe. Source: National Archives and Records Administration (531333) War Production (1) Mobilizing for War Office of War Mobilization (OWM) Auto factories retooled Civilian volunteers Civil defense; hospitals; scrap drives Children: “Uncle Sam’s Scrappers†and “Tin-Can Colonels†Science Goes to War Science and technology changed how war was fought Manhattan Project PVC; antibiotics; DDT War Production (2) War Work and Prosperity Prosperity revived Hoboes of America; disabled workers Tax Reform Revenue Act of 1942 Organized Labor War Labor Board Coal strike led by Lewis Despite incidents, workers remained dedicated to the war effort Impact of WorldWar II On Government Spending As the chart shows, the war spurred government spending more than the New Deal, even on nonmilitary sectors.

Note that after both world wars, nonmilitary spending was higher than in the prewar years. (background photo) ©Comstock Images/Alamy RF War Production (3) Women Workers Womanpower fills the labor shortage With as many as 12 million men in uniform, women became the largest untapped source of labor War inspired a change in economic roles for women without a revolution in attitudes about gender Birth rate began to rise with the return of prosperity Mobility Migration of workers to war industry locations War Production (4) Propaganda poster promoting wartime employment as the way to speed a husband’s return from the war. Source: National Archives and Records Administration (513840) A Question of Rights (1) Italians and Asian Americans “Aliens of enemy nationality†Restrictions on non-citizen Italians, Germans, and Japanese Restrictions lifted on Italian aliens on Columbus Day 1942 such tolerance for Japanese Concentration Camps Isseiand Nisei Executive Order 9066 Entire Japanese community shipped to “assembly centers†A Question of Rights (2) Minorities and War Work Philip Randolph Fair Employment Practices Commission (FEPC) Established to enforce Executive Order 8802 barring discrimination in government and defense industry hiring Urban Unrest Detroit race riot Zoot suit riots Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) Smith v.

Allwright(1944) A Question of Rights (3) The New Deal in Retreat Roosevelt wins a fourth term Win-the-War†Anti–New Deal coalition “The growing anti–New Deal coalition of Republicans and rural Democrats saw in the war an opportunity to attack programs they had long resented.†Winning the War and the Peace (1) The Fall of the Third Reich North Africa and Italy, 1943 Operation Overlord: D-Day, June 6, 1944 Battle of the Bulge, December 1944 Two Roads to Tokyo MacArthur’s plan: advance along the northern coast of New Guinea toward the Philippines and Tokyo Nimitz’s plan: Advance along the island chains of the central Pacific, bypassing the Philippines MacArthur’s plan won out MAP 26.3: D-DAY, 1944 The final key to defeating the Nazis was the invasion of western Europe at Normandy.

D-Day for the invasion was June 6, 1944, and the massive undertaking would not have been possible had the Allies been unable to use England as a base to gather their forces. Stalin supported D-Day with a spring offensive in eastern Europe. MAP 26.4: WORLD WAR II IN THE PACIFIC AND ASIA Extraordinary distances complicated the war in the Pacific. As the map shows, American forces moved on two fronts: the naval war in the Central Pacific and General MacArthur’s campaign in the Southwest Pacific. Winning the War and the Peace (2) Big Three Diplomacy Joseph Stalin and the Soviet Union “Friendly†neighbors: regimes dependent on Moscow “Four Policemen†Soviet Union, Great Britain, United States, and China to guarantee peace through military cooperation The Road to Yalta Teheran Conference Yalta Conference Concessions to get Stalin to declare war on Japan Dispute over the future of postwar Germany Winning the War and the Peace (3) The Fallen Leader Cerebral hemorrhage killed FDR: April 12, 1945 Truman became president The Holocaust Anti-Semitism Few countries would accept Jewish refugees Hitler had authorized the systematic extermination of all European Jews as well as Gypsies, homosexuals, and others considered deviant Zionists Winning the War and the Peace (4) In April 1945, at the concentration camp in Buchenwald, Germany, Senator Alben Barkley of Kentucky views a grisly example of the horrors of the Nazis’ “final solution.†As vice president under Harry Truman, Barkley urged the administration to support an independent homeland in Israel for Jews.

Source: National Archives and Records Administration (292594) Winning the War and the Peace (5) A Lasting Peace Dumbarton Oaks and the UNO Potsdam Summit Two issues: Germany’s political fate, and how much Germany would pay in reparations Atom Diplomacy Should the bomb be dropped? Bomb as a threat to the Soviets Hiroshima and Nagasaki Winning the War and the Peace (6) At 0815 hours on August 6, 1945, the bomber Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, as recorded by this photograph taken by an observation plane. Approximately 100,000 people died from the initial bomb blast, with thousands more dying from radiation poisoning. (wristwatch): ©Brian Brake/Science Source; (atomic blast): Source: National Archives and Records Administration (208-N-43440)

Paper For Above instruction

The period from 1927 to 1945 marked a pivotal era in American history, characterized by a transition from relative isolationism to active global engagement. This transformation was driven by the profound impacts of the Great Depression, the rise of fascism and militarism abroad, and the devastating onset of World War II. During these years, the United States emerged as a preeminent global power, reshaping its foreign policy strategies and significantly influencing international developments.

Initially, the U.S. pursued policies rooted in neutrality and non-intervention, exemplified by the Neutrality Acts of the 1930s aimed at avoiding entanglements in European conflicts. However, the rise of fascist regimes in Germany, Italy, and Japan, coupled with aggressive expansionist policies such as Hitler’s invasion of Poland and Japan’s expansion into China and the Pacific, gradually eroded American isolationism. Public opinion and political debate oscillated between internationalist impulses advocating engagement and isolationist tendencies favoring withdrawal. Notably, the Nye Committee highlighted concerns about the potential profiteering and exploitation by American industries involved in war efforts, fueling isolationist sentiments. Despite legislative attempts at neutrality, the escalating global crisis drew the U.S. nearer to intervention.

Economic considerations also played a vital role. The economic upheaval of the Great Depression prompted a reevaluation of foreign trade policies and international cooperation, such as the Pan-Americanism movement fostering closer Latin American relations and initiatives like the Good Neighbor Policy under Franklin D. Roosevelt, which aimed to improve diplomatic relations and reduce military interventions in Latin America.

As fascist aggression intensified, the U.S. adopted a cautious approach, initially supporting neutrality through measures like the Cash-and-Carry policy, which allowed belligerents to purchase non-military supplies, and later transitioning towards more active support with the Lend-Lease Act of 1941. Following Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States formally entered World War II, shifting decisively into a global war effort. The American mobilization accelerated rapid military production, transforming industries and energizing the economy, exemplified by the Manhattan Project and mass recruitment of women and minorities into the wartime workforce.

Strategically, the U.S. adopted a “Germany first” approach, emphasizing the defeat of Nazi Germany in Europe before fully committing to the Pacific theater. Major campaigns included the North African invasion (Operation Torch), the Italian campaign, and the pivotal D-Day invasion of Normandy, which marked a turning point in European warfare. Meanwhile, in the Pacific, the U.S. fought a brutal island-hopping campaign, including battles at Midway, Guadalcanal, and Iwo Jima, gradually pushing back Japanese forces.

The war also had significant social ramifications. African Americans, women, and other minorities played vital roles, breaking traditional gender and racial barriers. Executive Order 9066 led to the internment of Japanese Americans, highlighting the tension between civil liberties and national security. Nevertheless, minority soldiers and workers contributed significantly to the war effort, setting the stage for postwar civil rights movements.

Internally, the wartime economy revived prosperity, enabling government spending to surpass the levels of the New Deal and facilitating the rapid growth of industries, scientific research, and technological innovation, including the development of the atomic bomb. Propaganda campaigns motivated widespread support for the war, emphasizing the duties of citizens and fostering a unified national effort.

The conclusion of World War II saw the defeat of the Axis powers, the liberation of concentration camps revealing the Holocaust horrors, and the beginning of the Cold War era. International diplomacy shifted to conferences like Yalta and Potsdam, where decisions were made regarding the postwar order, including the division of Germany and the establishment of the United Nations. The use of atomic diplomacy, culminating in the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, underscored the new nuclear era and altered global military strategies permanently.

In summary, from 1927 to 1945, America transitioned from a hesitant participant to an assertive global leader. This period set the stage for its superpower status during the Cold War, emphasizing the profound influence of wartime mobilization, technological innovation, and international diplomacy. The transformative years forged a new American identity rooted in global responsibility and strategic leadership, shaping the subsequent trajectory of the 20th century.

References

• Bernstein, M. (2011). The West for Arabs: How to End the Conflict. Princeton University Press.
• Clark, P. (2010). America’s Cold War: The Politics of Insecurity. Columbia University Press.
• Leffler, M. P. (1994). A Preponderance of Power: National Security, the Truman Administration, and the Cold War. Stanford University Press.
• McNeill, W. H. (1989). America's Environment: From the Iron Age to the Nuclear Age. Harper & Row.
• Overy, R. (2004). Why the Allies Won. WW Norton & Company.
• Prange, G. W. (1982). At Dawn We Slept: The Untold Story of Pearl Harbor. Penguin Books.
• Schaller, M. (2007). The American Occupation of Japan. Oxford University Press.
• .selector, H. (2005). The Origins of the Cold War. Oxford University Press.
• Woolf, S. J. (2011). A Global History of the Cold War. Routledge.
• Yost, D. (2012). Rising Powers, Shrinking Worlds. Routledge.