- "United in this determination and with unshakable faith in the cause for which we fight, we will, with God's help, go forward to our greatest victory. "
- General Dwight D. Eisenhower (1944)
World War II
One quiet Sunday morning in 1941 shattered the United States security. War arrived on her shores with a bang initiated by the Japanese Imperial Navy forces. While the U.S. industrial machine was well on its way to transforming in order to provide an arsenal for democracy, the surprise attack on the US Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii truly wakes the sleeping tiger. To counter the rise of dictators across the world, the U.S. joins the Allied forces and fights for democracy in Europe, North Africa and the Pacific. President Roosevelt calls on America's able from the young to the elderly to mobilize and make sacrifices in the name of victory. Patriotic men line up to volunteer at recruiting stations, women step into military factories, and children lead recycling drives. U.S. innovation in response to military needs bring about pressurized cabins, radar, and nuclear power.
From the Tuskegee Airmen to the Navajo Code Talkers; WWII heroes reflect the diversity in the US society. The war offered economic opportunities unheard of during the depression era. Women joined the conflict as nurses, waves, and Rosie the Riveter. African-Americans and other minority groups found new employment and military leadership opportunities which helped to improve the standard of living for many. But war is never without its costs. West coast Japanese-Americans are forced into detention camps, many losing all but a suitcase full of their most precious goods in the name of national security and their own protection, but their young men still fight with distinction in the European theater. The double V campaign emphasis that even while African-Americans serve in combat with great distinction; they returned home to a segregated South and widespread discrimination. The US victory in both Europe and the Pacific ends one of the deadliest genocides in history but is achieved at great human costs. America's greatest generation shows what it is made of from the beaches of Normandy, marching across Bataan Island, hopping in the Pacific, and across the home front.
From the Tuskegee Airmen to the Navajo Code Talkers; WWII heroes reflect the diversity in the US society. The war offered economic opportunities unheard of during the depression era. Women joined the conflict as nurses, waves, and Rosie the Riveter. African-Americans and other minority groups found new employment and military leadership opportunities which helped to improve the standard of living for many. But war is never without its costs. West coast Japanese-Americans are forced into detention camps, many losing all but a suitcase full of their most precious goods in the name of national security and their own protection, but their young men still fight with distinction in the European theater. The double V campaign emphasis that even while African-Americans serve in combat with great distinction; they returned home to a segregated South and widespread discrimination. The US victory in both Europe and the Pacific ends one of the deadliest genocides in history but is achieved at great human costs. America's greatest generation shows what it is made of from the beaches of Normandy, marching across Bataan Island, hopping in the Pacific, and across the home front.
What to know for the EOC
- Explain the significance of the following years as turning points: 1939-1945 (World War II)
- Identify reasons for U.S. involvement in World War II, including Italian, German, and Japanese dictatorships and their aggression, especially the attack on Pearl Harbor
- Evaluate the domestic and International leadership of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry Truman during World War II, including the U.S. relationship with its allies and domestic industry's rapid mobilization for the war effort
- Analyze the function of the U.S. Office of War Information
- Analyze major issues of World War II, including the Holocaust; the internment of German, Italian, and Japanese Americans, and Executive Order 9066; and the development of conventional and atomic weapons
- Analyze major military events of World War II, including the Battle of Midway, the U.S. military advancement through the Pacific Islands, the Bataan Death March, the invasion of Normandy, fighting the war on multiple fronts, and the liberation of concentration camps
- Evaluate the military contributions of leaders during World War II, including Omar Bradley, Dwight Eisenhower, Douglas MacArthur, Chester A. Nimitz, George Marshall, and George Patton
- Explain the home front and how American patriotism inspired exceptional actions by citizens and military personnel, including high levels of military enlistment; volunteerism; the purchase of war bonds; Victory Gardens; the bravery and contributions of the Tuskegee Airmen, the Flying Tigers, and the Navajo Code Talkers; and opportunities and obstacles for women and ethnic minorities
- Identify and explain reasons for changes in political boundaries such as those resulting from statehood and international conflicts
- Describe the economic effects of World War II on the home front such as the end of the Great Depression, rationing, and increased opportunity for women and minority employment
- Explain constitutional issues raised by federal government policy changes during times of significant events, including World War II
- Explain actions taken by people to expand economic opportunities and political rights, including those for racial, ethnic, and religious minorities as well as women, in American society
- Discuss the importance of Congressional Medal of Honor recipients, including individuals of all races and genders such as Vernon Baker
- Explain how specific needs result in scientific discoveries and technological innovations in agriculture, the military, and medicine, including vaccines