4/8/2011

Today, in class, we got on the computers and talked about what we went over last week.

1. 1940 Selective Training and Service Act:

First peacetime draft in U.S. History
Passed by FDR who really wanted the U.S. to get into the war
Even though we were officially a neutral country, FDR knew that we would eventually get into the war
Congress passed this act so that we would fill our military needs
When a draft comes around and your name is called, you would have to go and serve in the war
This was used until 1973
After 1973, the U.S. military used volunteers instead

2. Women's Role in WWII

Rosie the Riveter represented women workers in WWII
She was the poster child for women--"We Can Do It!"
This encouraged them to keep working in the factories because they were afraid that they would lose their feminine side
Women were very much needed so working in the factories helped them to get more rights
Another popular job for women was being a nurse
This was also a very important role for them and many of them met their future husbands in this way
Women were also needed as waitresses, elevator operators, messengers, teachers, conductors and many other jobs that men would typically do
Propaganda posters told the women that we would win sooner if they got involved
WAC: the Women's Army Corps worked with testing things, typing, and desk jobs such as making maps and producing photography
WAVES was the women's navy, they would become secretaries and answer phones
WASP was the women's equivelant of the airforce
They would test out new airplanes and transport them from place to place
Every branch of the military had their own form for women

3. African-American's role in WWII:

African Americans were segregated from Whites in WWII
All other races were seen as inferior to the whites
Many African Americans joined the war and became pilots and fought on the front lines against the enemy
The Tuskegee Airmen were black pilots

4. Asian's role in WWII:

5. Hollywood's role in WWII:

Hollywood made propaganda films and entertained troops
This encouraged people to buy war bonds and go overseas to entertain troops
Bob Hope and other comedians went over and did just that. Called the USO tour.
J.J. Killroy would write "Killroy was here," with an accompanying cartoon figure. People would start doing this EVERYWHERE.

6. Office of Price Administration:

Established in 1941 to administer price controls
8000 rationing boards were created 200,000 volunteersto assist the 60,000 employees of the angency.
Food Rationing included restrictions on sugar and meat as well as silk and cotton
People were limited to 5 gallons of gas/week (eventually only 4)
Doctors or war workers were allowed unlimited gas. Also, truckers. They would have stickers displayed on their cars
Black market for these stickers would arise.
32,500 motorists were arrested for this.

7. War Production Board:

Made sure that factories produced war goods fast and efficiently

8. National War Labor Board:

Organization that tried to bring owners and workers together to prevent strikes.

9. Why the Homefront helped win the war

Again, just entertain and keep the troops positive
Also, rationing to conserve food for the soldiers

10. How US/Allies fought back against U-boats

Just do what they can to outrun them
First they must have detected them
Above water, U-boats were sitting ducks, but below the water they were surprise attacks.
When they intercepted radio transmissions, the lingo would always be in code
To prevent merchant ships from being destroyed, they would surround them with battleships, called the wolf pack or "convoy" system.

11. Intelligence gathering--Ultra/Magic

This was our code name for incepting and deciphering codes and we would share the information amongst our allied friends. ULTRA MAGIC.
we would know where U-boats would be coming due to this, and we would alter our routes to prevent attacks
Enigma machine was Germany's system in which German transferre their information through codes
Solving the Enigma system remains one of the great Allied triumphs of WWII.
Hunter-killers were ships and airplanes were made to find and destroy U-boats.
A depth charge attack is where you can decide how far under the water when it explodes, just another attempt at fighting back against U-boats.

12. Operation Barborossa(USSR vs Germany)

Hitler invaded the Soviet Union because he despised the ethic Slavsruled b their "Jewish Bolshevik" masters.

Wanted Ukraine for the farmland
They could use the people in Russia that weren't killed as slave laborers
The defeat of the USSR would further isolate the Allied Powers. He also wanted the oil fields in the Caucasus mountains
He did not trust Stalin at all. He also invaded because there was no Western front fighting except GB, so they had a lot more of forces to focus on the USSR.
Operation Barborossa was the greatest land war in recorded history in terms of man power and casualties.
The main front would eventually expand to 1490 miles.
German Army in USSR was split.
The three groups were out to take out Stalingrad, Moscow and Leningrad.
The Battle of Moscow 280,000-400,000 German casualties. 650,000-1,280-000 Soviet casualties
Hitler believed that Moscow was a major military and political target in the USSR as it would lead to the collapse of the country.
Germany got within 12 miles of Moscow when the Soviet Union stopped the advancing troops.
Angry that his army had been unable to take Moscow, Hitler dismissed his commander-in-chief, and took personal charge of the army.
Many experienced German generals quit as they questioned Hitler's decisions. He then surrounded himself with young inexperienced people, as they are easily manipulated.
The Siege of Leningrad- Started on Sept. 8th, 1941. They lifted the siege 872 days later. It was one of the most destructive and costly sieges (in terms of casualties).
Hungry gangs would resort

James Doolittle said that we should attack Japan, as it would confuse them and cause them to doubt their leaders. Prior, the Japanese were told that they were invulnerable. We also attacked because the US desperately needed a morale boost.

After the attack, Japan thought that they need to extend the land that they reigned so they can prevent invasions much easier.

22. Manhattan Project

This was the code name of the atomic bombs

The scientist in charge of the two bombs was J. Robert Oppenheimer

Trinity was the test bombing of the atom bomb.

23. Hiroshima bombing

The B29-Bomber was made specifically to drop the atomic bomb
Paul Tibbits was the pilot that took part in Hiroshima
The atomic shadow is when the outline of something is like burnt into the wood
Radiation would set it, killing even more along with the initial bombing.
Little boy was the plutonium bomb, as it was smaller.

24. Nagasaki bombing

Bockscar the the plane that dropped the bomb on Nagasaki. Fat man was the name of the bomb, which was made of uranium.
Better pictures were taken of the Nagasaki bombing

25. VJ Day

This means "Victory in Japan" Day, and it was when the leaders of Japan surrended. The celebration was much larger than VE day, as it was the end of the war, not just with Germany.

26. Yalta Conference

This is the last time FDR, Churchill and Stalin would meet. It set the stage for what was gonna happen in Germany after WWII.
This all set up for the Cold War to come into play.
Germany would become four zones (Us, GB, USSR, and France)
Stalin promised free elections in Eastern Europe
Stalin promised to join the war against Japan after the war with Germany was over.
Have a conference at San Francisco to get to set up the United Nations.

27. Nuremburg Trials

Were a series of military tribunals, held by the Victorious Allied Powers for WWII, most notable for the prosecution of the prominent members of the political, military and economic leaders of Nazi Germany.
The GI Bill of Rights was to get Germany back on it's feet, and try to give them a stable government I believe.

28. Japanese Internment Camps in US

We forced them to sell everthing they owned and moved to these camps
It certainly wasn't anything like the concentration camps in Nazi Europe, but it still was racially motivated and was not morally right.
However, they did have entertainment. Kids would go to school and people could have jobs and play football and stuff. They were merely forced to move.

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4/8/2011

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