The Early Battles
The Government actions taken during
World War II were morally appropriate as well as effective.
World War II were morally appropriate as well as effective.
The Doolittle Raid
On December 7, 1941 America was bombed by the Japanese at the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, igniting the war. A few months later on April 18 the U.S. responding by launching an air raid on the mainland of Japan. The Doolittle Raid, commanded by James Doolittle, was launched off of the USS Hornet in the Western Pacific Ocean. B-25 bombers dropped bombs over Tokyo, destroying many factories that aided the Japanese Military. The raid was responsible for many civilian deaths but it was absolutely necessary to boost the morale of the Americans. It was a well played move by the American Government that got America on the board against the Japanese.
http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2011/08/world-war-ii-daring-raids-and-brutal-reprisals/100127/http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2011/08/
world-war-ii-daring-raids-and-brutal-reprisals/100127/http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2011/08/
world-war-ii-daring-raids-and-brutal-reprisals/100127/http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2011/08/
world-war-ii-daring-raids-and-brutal-reprisals/100127/
http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2011/08/world-war-ii-daring-raids-and-brutal-reprisals/100127/http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2011/08/
world-war-ii-daring-raids-and-brutal-reprisals/100127/http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2011/08/
world-war-ii-daring-raids-and-brutal-reprisals/100127/http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2011/08/
world-war-ii-daring-raids-and-brutal-reprisals/100127/
The Geographic, Economic, and Political state of the countries during WWII lead to the choices that the U.S. government had to make for the early battles.
The U.S. had many elements from pre-World War II that had heavy Influence in the government decisions of the early battles.
U.S. as a World Power
Even though the U.S. was a world power, Roosevelt wanted to stay out of the war and resort to the Isolationism that America had been in for before WWI. Roosevelt didn't want another World War I to happen to his people. Congress passed a series of Neutrality Acts which contain laws such as no exports of arms, ammunition, or implements of war, and no loans to countries at war. Although congress passed these Neutrality Acts, the U.S. was in fact not neutral. America was supporting the Allies with exports needed and was simply not aiding any countries of the Axis Power. This was not enough help for the Allies and the U.S. began to prepare for war. After Pearl Harbor, the U.S. entered the war. It was an intelligent move by Roosevelt by aiding they Allies and still remain neutral, however it simply wasn't enough to stop the Axis.
Progressive Era
During the Progressive Era, Americans became people with a want to learn, improve, innovate, and educate. These people took the skills developed from the Progressive Era and applied them to suit industries better for World War II. Between World War I and World War II, little military advancements were made. Once the second war began, the great minds and industries created during the Progressive Era made the American Military the strongest on earth. With the improved quality of the industries, they were able to produce new high quality firearms, tanks, and bombs (The Atomic Bomb later dropped on Japan to end the war).
In the beginning of the war, the U.S. and the Allies were in need of tanks. During The Battle of Raseiniai the Germans defeated the Soviet Union and it gave them the morale that they have the best tank force in the world. Around that time the design of the tanks were being improved. The American Auto Industry saw the need for tanks, so General Motors and Chrysler began to mass produce, a skill the industry developed in the Progressive Era. Thousands of tanks were now being made and were also being supplied to the Allies. These new and improved tanks that were being used by the Allies were highly effective in Battles throughout the war. The Battle of El Alamein showed this when a thousand Allied tanks pushed the Axis out of Egypt.
In the beginning of the war, the U.S. and the Allies were in need of tanks. During The Battle of Raseiniai the Germans defeated the Soviet Union and it gave them the morale that they have the best tank force in the world. Around that time the design of the tanks were being improved. The American Auto Industry saw the need for tanks, so General Motors and Chrysler began to mass produce, a skill the industry developed in the Progressive Era. Thousands of tanks were now being made and were also being supplied to the Allies. These new and improved tanks that were being used by the Allies were highly effective in Battles throughout the war. The Battle of El Alamein showed this when a thousand Allied tanks pushed the Axis out of Egypt.
World War I
World War One was known as The War to End All Wars, it turns out it did quite the opposite. The alliances of the two wars differed greatly. WWI the Central Powers was composed of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey and Bulgaria, and the Allies had France, Britain, Russia, Italy, Japan, and the U.S.. After WWI Germany was left in a horrific economic state, a state in which Hitler could rise to the top and take control. Italy and Japan left the Allies and joined Germany to form the Axis. The triggers of the wars were also different. WWI began with an assassination and WWII began with the Axis invading Poland and bombing the U.S. at pearl Harbor got America into the war siding with the Allies. The actions of the Government to support the Allies was critical because in the early battles of WWII it was shown that the Allies could not defeat the Axis by themselves.
http://www.blmablog.com/2012/01/churchills-war-lab.html#!/2012/01/churchills-war-lab.html
http://www.blmablog.com/2012/01/churchills-war-lab.html#!/2012/01/churchills-war-lab.html
Roaring 20s
During the Roaring 20s, the American Industries brought forth new industries that would later help the U.S. in the second World War. Although after World War I the military production industry stopped producing because of the though that there would be no more war, Americans managed to build industries and factories that would directly produce military items in the unsuspected second world war. With the invention of the Assembly Line, Henry Ford was able to mass produce and sell his automobiles. When the second world war rolled around, the U.S. and the Allies came to Ford for support. Ford started to help by making airplane motors for the British Military. After Pearl Harbor, he started the mass production of B-24 bombers at a rate of about one plane an hour.
The B-24 became a well used aircraft during WWII. They were used a lot in the pacific because of the range they were capable of going. Over in the Atlantic, the B-24s were credited for sinking over 70 Axis submarines. The bombers played a key role in winning The Battle of the Atlantic. It was a very effective step that the military took to come to people like Ford who set there roots in the Roaring Twenties because they were the people that could get the sheer numbers as well as quality to the military.
http://www.vintagewings.ca/VintageNews/Stories/tabid/116/articleType/
The B-24 became a well used aircraft during WWII. They were used a lot in the pacific because of the range they were capable of going. Over in the Atlantic, the B-24s were credited for sinking over 70 Axis submarines. The bombers played a key role in winning The Battle of the Atlantic. It was a very effective step that the military took to come to people like Ford who set there roots in the Roaring Twenties because they were the people that could get the sheer numbers as well as quality to the military.
http://www.vintagewings.ca/VintageNews/Stories/tabid/116/articleType/
The Great Depression
After the Depression hit, the U.S. had to stop making foreign loans and this hurt Germany tremendously because this caused the German industries collapse. Also, unemployment rates shot up. The depression was worldwide and many dictatorships were arousing in many different countries. When Hitler gained power his first act of war was invading Poland. Poland fought back and struggled to keep the Nazis out of Poland, but they were too strong. France and the U.K. declared war on Germany. The U.S. declared war on the Axis later after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and this furthermore lead to recovery from the Depression because many men and women went to work for the armed forces. America had no lack of soldiers because men needed the jobs. For the first time, Germany and the U.S. met on the battlefield at the Battle of Kasserine. The Americans were outfought and they suffered high casualties. This was a big wake up call and the U.S. Military had to make changes if they were ever going to defeat Germany. The U.S. Navy fighting against Japanese was big and strong, the Battle at Midway showed what the U.S. was capable of and it stopped any future Japanese raids or bombing on U.S. soil.
http://teaching.msa.maryland.gov/000001/000000/000055/html/t55.html
http://teaching.msa.maryland.gov/000001/000000/000055/html/t55.html
Significance
Every battle fought had an affect on the war. Some stand out more than others. The Battle at Midway stopped the Japanese from possibly seizing the Hawaiian Islands. The Battle of Kursk weekend Germany on the eastern side of the empire and possibly stopped eastern expansion. World War II brought the U.S. out of the Great Depression because it brought great economic expansion to the American Industries. The U.S. Navy made major improvements on the aircraft carriers as well as aircraft. Weapons were more developed and modernized. In conclusion the military actions that were taken during the early battles of WWII were morally appropriate, effective, and it has made the U.S. military the strongest on earth to present day.