Tv Sitcom History

I am doing my topic over Tv sitcom history since 1865. I dropped below a rubric for the paper that my teacher gave me. Go off of that rubric.

ANSWER

America in World War I

Throughout the history of mankind, world war II has been regarded as the most destructive event. An important aspect is that world war I created an opportunity for the rise of dictators. Adolf Hitler gained power following the great depression that resulted from high unemployment rates. By 1940, German-controlled a significant part of Europe after conquering Poland and defeating France in the war. Despite the ongoing war, the United States maintained its neutrality, separating itself from the events. The U.S. joined the war after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

First, Hitler’s goal was to secure a settlement for the “master race” in Eastern parts of Europe. Meanwhile, Japan’s mission to exploit natural resources in China and Southeast Asia was constrained by interference from the United States and European colonies. The League of Nations was unable to prevent the invasion of Japan in Manchuria and the Italian aggression in Ethiopia.[1] The reluctance motivated Italy, Japan, and German to form an alliance to confront the western democratic powers. Notably, the United States failed to intervene in the events, as they had declined the Versailles Treaty and the League of Nations covenant. CENTER OF MILITARY HISTORY UNITED STATES ARMY describes the events like this:

They firmly discounted the likelihood of American involvement in another major war, except perhaps with Japan. Isolationist strength in Congress led to the passage of the Neutrality Act of 1937, making it unlawful for the United States to trade with belligerents.[2]

Although the United States hoped to avoid the war, they began making plans to maintain a defense against potential invaders. As such, in 1941, President Roosevelt pledged to provide war materials to any nation that he deemed capable of defending the United States.[3] Accordingly, America utilized its battleships to protect British ships carrying supplies across the Atlantic. Roosevelt’s agenda to establish a world with freedom of speech, expression, and religion was reinforced through a meeting with Winston Churchill, the British Prime Minister at the time.[4] During the meeting, the two leaders agreed that their nations did not target territorial gains or ending the war. However, in 1941, the United States ships were ordered to transport supplies directly to Britain. Roosevelt’s approach was motivated by his fear that Hitler would attack the United States after defeating Britain.

As Germany continued with its invasion of Russia, Japan dragged the United States into the war by attacking Pearl Harbor, one of its naval bases in Hawaii.[5] The pearl Harbor’ attack destroyed over 260 airplanes, eventually killing more than 2,300 Americans.[6] The president was forced to order for the expansion of the American armed forces following a declaration of war by Hitler four days after Japan’s attack. The Japanese operated under the assumption that America would temporarily pave the way for their mission in the Pacific. In this case, Japan’s objective was to launch a surprise attack, allowing them to pursue their goals before the United States’ recovery. Given the prolonged neglect, the United States armed forces encountered difficulties in responding to the situation. Faced with two giants in the Pacific and the Atlantic, the United States redirected its focus from the impacts of the Great Depression to cater to the rising demand for labor.[7]

Fortunately, America was able to secure enough funds from the war after approximately 85 million citizens bought bonds, generating about $185 billion.[8] The mobilization efforts motivated many American citizens to volunteer in the war, eventually replacing the personnel that served the armed forces overseas. Most importantly, Americans engaged in rationing programs, where essential supplies were preserved in an effort to facilitate the war. Given the high level of commitment by the citizens, the United States managed to recover from the effects of the Great Depression. The Great Depression had led to high rates of unemployment. However, the funds raised from selling bonds helped the nation create employment opportunities for more than 17 million Americans.[9]

The military personnel deficiencies also saw the recruitment of nearly 200,000 black Americans in the defense industries.[10]  The government converted industries such as the automobile industry to produce military equipment. A significant aspect is that citizens in rural and urban areas contributed to the war efforts by growing food in victory gardens. As a result, America acquired sufficient supplies to be shipped to its armed forces overseas. The struggle for the Philippines alone caused around 23,000 deaths for the United States.[11] On the other hand, about 200,000 Filipinos died during the war.

Although the U.S. had failed to overcome its enemy, it used hundreds of planes to strike and kill Japanese pilots. The high death rates from the war compelled the U.S. government to seek alternative solutions that included surrendering or proceeding with bombing Japanese cities.[12] Ultimately, advancement in technology provided America with an opportunity to launch bombs on major cities. Despite suffering significant losses, the Japanese showed no signs to surrender. As a result, America was forced to seek another option that involved dropping an atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The immediate effect of the atomic bomb was the death of more than 70,000 Japanese, with tens of thousands of casualties decades after the event.[13] On May 8, 1945, the Germans were forced to surrender following Japan’s destruction by the atomic bomb. Accordingly, Japan surrendered on September 2, 1945, marking the end of World War II.[14]

Bibliography

Dzwonchyk, Wayne M. A Brief History of the U.S. Army in World War II. Army, 1992.

Kimble, James J. Mobilizing the home front: War bonds and domestic propaganda. Vol. 15. Texas A&M University Press, 2006.

Lutz, Amy. “Who joins the military?: A look at race, class, and immigration status.” (2008).

Moser, JOHN E. “The great depression.” A COMPANION TO WORLD WAR II (2013): 47.

Nish, Ian. Japan’s Struggle with Internationalism: Japan, China, and the League of Nations, 1931-3. Routledge, 1993.

Poolos, Jamie. The Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Infobase Publishing, 2008.

Roosevelt, Franklin Delano. “The Four Freedoms Speech January 6, 1941.” (1941).

Stimson, Henry L., and Harry S. Truman. “The decision to use the atomic bomb.” Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists 3, no. 2 (1947): 37-67.

Veronico, Nicholas, and Nicholas A. Veronico. Pearl Harbor Air Raid: The Japanese Attack on the US Pacific Fleet, December 7, 1941. Rowman & Littlefield, 2016.

WWII MUSEUM. How Long Will the War in the Pacific Last? THE NATIONAL WWII MUSEUM NEW ORLEANS. 2018.

[1] Nish, Ian. Japan’s Struggle with Internationalism, 1931-3.

[2] Dzwonchyk, Wayne M. A Brief History of the U.S. Army in World War II. Army, 1992

[3] Dzwonchyk,  Brief History of the U.S. Army in World War II, 12.

[4] Roosevelt, Franklin Delano. “The Four Freedoms Speech, 1941.

[5] Veronica et al. Pearl Harbor Air Raid, 2016.

[6] Veronica et al., 200.

[7] Moser, “The great depression.” 47.

[8] Kimble, James J. Mobilizing the home front, 2006.

[9] Kimble, 11.

[10] Lutz, Amy. “Who joins the military?: 2008.

[11] WWII MUSEUM. How Long Will the War in the Pacific Last? 2018.

[12] Stimson et al. “The decision to use the atomic bomb.”, 37-67.

[13] Poolos, Jamie. The Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, 2008.

[14] Poolos, 94.