7.2

World War II: Examine the causes and course of World War II, and the effects of the war on United States society and culture, including the consequences for United States involvement in world affairs.

=Abstract= In the 1930s, dictators in Germany, Italy, and Japan tried to conquer neighboring nations, sparking a new world war. The United States entered the war after Japanese airplanes bombed the American fleet at Pearl Harbor. As the United States organized for war, those on the home front supported the troops. Women took jobs in factories and offices and some joined special branches of the armed forces. Food was rationed to conserve resources and people grew victory gardens and purchased war bonds. However, Japanese Americans faced harsh restrictions as most were sent to internment camps. African Americans and Mexican Americans faced discrimination in the armed forces and at home.

On the war front, the Allied forces fought the Axis forces in the Pacific, Africa, and in Europe. In 1942, the Allies began to turn the tide. The D-Day invasion of France in 1944 was the first step to final victory in Europe. On August 1945, the United States dropped two atomic bombs on Japan, bringing the war in the Pacific to an end.

=7.2.1 Causes of WWII= Analyze the factors contributing to World War II in Europe and in the Paciﬁc region, and America’s entry into war including
 * the political and economic disputes over territory (e.g., failure of Versailles Treaty, League of Nations, Munich Agreement)
 * the differences in the civic and political values of the United States and those of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan
 * United States neutrality
 * the bombing of Pearl Harbor

=7.2.2 U.S. and the Course of WWII= Evaluate the role of the U.S. in ﬁghting the war militarily, diplomatically and technologically across the world (e.g., Germany First strategy, Big Three Alliance and the development of atomic weapons).

=7.2.3 Impact of WWII on American Life= Analyze the changes in American life brought about by U.S. participation in World War II including
 * mobilization of economic, military, and social resources
 * role of women and minorities in the war effort
 * role of the home front in supporting the war effort (e.g., rationing, work hours, taxes)
 * internment of Japanese-Americans

=7.2.4 Responses to Genocide= Investigate development and enactment of Hitler’s “ﬁnal solution” policy, and the responses to genocide by the Allies, the U.S. government, international organizations, and individuals (e.g., liberation of concentration camps, Nuremberg war crimes tribunals, establishment of state of Israel).

=Resources= World War II Primary Documents from The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History