On this day we continued blog discussion. Here are all the notes throughout the week.
Selective Training and Service Act-Happened in 1940. First peacetime draft in the US. Used until 1973. Afterwards depended on volunteers.
Women in WWII-Women were represented by Rosie the Riveter, mainly workers. Also worked on farms, as typist, bus drivers, taxi drivers, timekeepers, elevator operators, messengers, laundresses, teachers, conductors.
African American's Role-Rights were not equal yet, so black soldiers/African American soldiers, were not as well respected. Secondary roles were common.
Asian American's Role-Volunteers for the most part, not drafted. Wore buttons that told them apart from the enemy.
OPA: Maintained prices of houshold items during WWII to prevent another depression, which we were just getting out of. Limited the number of purchases. Last time United States rationed food.
Hollywood's Role: Films were used as propeganda. Dozens were made about the war during wartime. Were very patriotic. USO recruited entertainers to entertain the troops in WWII.
War Production: The United States was bent on producing for the war. Vehicles, guns, etc.
Home Front Winning War: We produced so many war goods that it was impossible for us not to win the war. Also women working and African-Americans and Asian-Americans. Hollywood gets credit as well.
Convoy System: Great Britain and the US were taking hard hits from German U-Boats and decided they would make it easier so that merchant ships could survive. They did this by surrounding them with allied forces fighting against German ships and other U-Boats.
Codes: Deciphering codes was a key to victory for either side, and a few years into the war Germany had deciphered Britain's code, so GB had to change it.
Magic: The way the United States broke codes. Was used mainly against the Japanese to decipher codes. They would recieve a message/steal a message and put it through a machine, translate the message from Japanese to Latin to English. There it would be sent further to Generals, Preisdents, and Colonels, etc.
Ultra: The way Great Britain broke codes. Was used mainly against the Germans to decipher codes. Used the same process as Magic.
Barbarosa: In summer 1941 Hitler turns on Soviet Union. Lebensraum means living space, where Germans will live in Russia. One of the largest invasions in history. Battle deaths are higher than all American war casualties combined. That is between Germany and USSR.
Battle of Stalingrad: Caucasus mountains were the goal, on the way to Stalingrad. After one year they reached Stalingrad. August 1942. Hitler had control of 90% of the city, but winter set in. Soldiers on Russia's side were faced between two choices: retreat and die or fight and probably die. Germans start to lose and Russia begins to push back. It took six months to hit Stalingrad and four years for Russia to push back the Germans. Stalingrad was reduced to rubble for the most part.
Battle of Moscow: Moscow was never invaded by troops but bombardments did happen. Moscow was nearly surrounded in 1941. But winter helped the Russians held their ground and then pushed the Germans back. Hitler was furious that Moscow wasn't taken. He fired all of his generals and high-up leaders in military and other officers. He replaced them with younger people without experience. He did this so they wouldn't question Hitler.
Seige of Leningrad: Not a battle or invasion, but Hitler decided to surround them and wait them out. Two months after the start of the invasion they seiged Leningrad. Lasted a couple years before it ended. Deaths became a regular basis. Cannibalism became common. Gangs would beat people up and then eat them. Police tried to stop this, but it wasn't quite possible. Eventually the Germans were pulled back and Russians were able to retake the city.
War in Africa: North-African campaign. Eisenhower was the lead general in charge. They hurridly trained several soldiers. They invaded Casablanca and found French and tried to negotiate. Britain invaded other parts of Africa. After dealing with Morocco, they moved to Tunesia, but Germans beat them there. Camps were set up for Allied forces, but they were destroyed by Germans. Reinforcements helped us push back the Germans, who eventually surrendered. Only laster November of 1942 to May of 1943.
George Patton: A famous general in Africa and later in Europe. Rough and tough guy who would rustle up his soldiers if they weren't superior. Both he and Eisenhower wanted the fame and glory. Died in Europe shortly after the war in an automobile accident.
Casablanca Confrence: Roosevelt and Churchill meet in Casablanca to force Germany to surrender conditionally. Didn't really succeed.
War in Italy: Started with the invasion of Sicily where we faced off against Italy. Air and water invasion. British would lead and we would follow. They were held off by defenses. We pushed forward and attacked places north of Sicily. Germans retreated. British invaded other places of Italy. Italian government surrendered in late 1943. Italy became an Allied Power. Mousillini was killed. Germany had control of the country, but eventually they retreated due to their losses.
George Marshall: Chief of Staff of the US military during WWII. Under Roosevelt/Truman.
Dwight Eisenhower: Supreme Allied Commander of all Allied forces in WWII. Under Marshall.
Douglas MacArthur: Head of the army against Japan in WWII.
Chester Nimitz: Head of the navy against Japan in WWII.
Omar Bradley: Involved in war in Africa and in Europe.
The Atlantic Wall: An Axis Powers defense line that went from Spain to Norway designed to slow down Allied Powers.
Hitler's Death: Died shortly after Roosevelt died. March 1945 RDR won the fourth term, and only died a month later. Hitler dies as well one month later. Eva Braun married Hitler the day they both died. Soviets were around so Hitler didn't want them to get his body. They both took poison, then Hitler shot himself. Braun died of the poison. Truman takes over for Roosevelt. Germany surrenders.
VE Day: May 8th 1945. Germany surrendered and officially ended that conflict.
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