World War II

1
World War II

• Chapter 18, pages 379-386
• Texas History
• November 11, 2004

2
I. Introduction

• Dec. 7, 1941-Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
  vaults U.S. into the war.
  
• Texas people and govt. support war
• Industrial production soars
• New military bases dot the landscape
• Farmers still not sharing in the profits

3
II. The Politics of Wartime

• War called for rationing program
• Stevenson (governor) rigid economy, no striking
  by unions
  
• State agencies regulated rationing and
  productions
  
• Texans grew victory gardens bought savings
  bonds, practiced blackouts, air raids
  
• State set up spending could not exceed income

4
III. Texas and Texans in the War

• 15 training posts, 21 prisoner of war camps
• San Antonio- Ft. Sam Houston, Randolph, Kelly and
  Brooks Field
  
• 750,000 Texans served during the war, 23, 000
  die
  
• Chester Nimitz- head of war in Pacific, Dwight
  Eisenhower- Supreme Commander in Europe
  
• Audie Murphy- most decorated soldier
• Minorities serve- blacks in segregated units

5

• Blacks faced many forms of discrimination
• Some bases didnt want blacks assigned
• Race riots occurred in different places
• Growing demands for equality- white primaries
  declared unconstitutional
  
• Better funding for black schools and teachers
• Mexican Americans- also faced problems
• Limited workers from Mexico
• Some communities restricted ability to move in
• LULAC helped motivate political participation
• Voter registration

6
IV. Causes of the War

• Extreme nationalism of Germany, Italy, and Japan
• The rise of Adolph Hitler and the failure of
  other nations to stop his territorial designs
  
• Failure of the Treaty of Versailles- (WWI) harsh
  treatment of Germany- 1920s
  
• Rearmament of Germany while others fell behind-
  1930s
  
• American neutrality left allies to handle
  situation

7
(No Transcript)
8
V. European Theater

• War begins Sept. 1, 1939- Germany invades Poland
• 1940- Germany sweeps across France and other
  countries- looks unbeatable
  
• June 22, 1941- Invasion of Soviet Union- Hitlers
  biggest mistake
  
• Dec. 1941- U. S. enters war-
• Nov. 1941- invasion of N. Africa
• June 6, 1944- invasion of France
• May 1945- Germany surrenders

9
VI. Pacific Theater

• Japan invades Manchuria, 1931
• U. S. attempts to control Japan with economic
  sanctions
  
• Dec. 7, 1941- Pearl Harbor Attacked
• June 1942- Midway
• Nov. 1942- Guadalcanal
• June 1944- Philippines
• 1945- attacks on Japanese islands of Okinawa and
  Iwo Jima
  
• August 6 and 9, 1945- Hiroshima and Nagasaki-
  ends war

10
VII. Results

• Maybe as many as 80 million dead
• Germany and Japan are destroyed, many parts of
  Europe and China are in ruins
  
• Soviet Union rises to power to rival U.S.
• Cold War begins- threat of nuclear war
• Soviet takeover of Eastern Europe and parts of
  Asia
  
• 6 million Jews exterminated in death camps
• Use of atomic bomb ushers in the nuclear age

11
And After, 1945-1962

• Chapter 18 Notes, pages 386-399
• Texas History

12
Postwar YearsThe Jester Years, 1947-1949

• A. opposed to new taxes, economy was strong
  enough to pay for higher expenditures
  
• B. right to work law- worker who works in a
  union shop does not have to join
  
• C. election for U.S. Senate catches attention-
  LBJ wins by only 87 votes- probable fraud in
  election
  
• D. state schools reorganized in 1949- 12th year
  added, more vocational classes, funding still
  problem

13
II. Shivers, Politics and Tidelands

• A. Shivers becomes governor after Jesters death
• B. helped funding for state hospitals
• C. Taxes increased during 1950s, redrew
  congressional voting lines, car safety
  
• D. national issues becoming important
• E. election of 1952- Texans vote for Eisenhower,
  Rep. party reborn

14
III. Scandals and Reform, Politics in the 1950s

• A. decade of scares and struggles- Red scare,
  minorities fighting for equality
  
• B. Cold War made many people suspicious of the
  actions of others, books banned, loyalty oaths,
  dismissal of people who were thought to be
  Communist
• C. Black began to get rights- Brown v. School
  Board of Topeka, Kansas- outlawed separate but
  equal
  
• D. Fight for equality has victories and defeats

15

• E. Mexican Americans- progress made, still some
  barriers
  
• F. Henry B. Gonzales- elected to state senate-
  1956
  
• G. Democratic Party splits between conservatives
  and liberals
  
• H. Legislative scandal- state legislators linked
  to industry and big business

16
IV. The election of 1960 and the emerging
Republican Party

• A. Johnson ran for Senate and VP, Kennedy wins
  election
  
• B. John Tower, R. wins race for Johnsons seat
• C. Republican party will gather strength in the
  60s