12b History of the USA II

History of the USA

1904-1914: Panama Canal

1914-1918: WWI

• 1st world war/World war one

• 11th November (the official end)

• USA entered in 1917

  • Because Germany sank ship with US citizens

  • Before that policy of isolation (no interest)

• Russia (CCCP) withdrew from the war – they stopped fighting

• 116 000 soldiers willed, 53 000 KIA (= killed in action)

After WWI

• USA became the world creditor

  • Became financial superpower and financial centre #1

  • World financial centre moved from London to Wall Street (NY)

1920

League of Nations

• Today's UN (=OSN)

• Policy of isolation (USA)

• Immigration restricted

Prohibition of alcohol

• Gangsters (elite, example: Chicago)

1929: Great crash on Wall Street

• World Crisis

• US Crisis 1932

• 17 mil. people unemployed

• "Great Depression"

1932: New president

President: Franklin Delano Roosevelt

• New Deal = 1st attempt of intervention into US economy

  • Buying surpluses (přebytky) from farmers

  • Trade unions (odbory)

  • Old age + disability pensions

  • Subsides (dotace)

• After 2 years → 3 mil. Unemployed

• Extremely popular president, served 3 terms as president, elected 4 times (but he died)

WWII

• 1st September 1939 – 2nd September 1945

War in Asia

Pearl Harbour on 7th December 1941 (Sunday)

• Before: Japan attack China → US embargo on supplies for Japan

• Japanese airplanes attacked US Harbour without declaring – aircraft carriers (letadlové lodě)

• US army was lucky – aircraft carriers were not in Pearl Harbour

• It could be worse

US army vs. Japan (in Pacific)

• Battles: Midway, Iwojima, Guadalcanal

• Breaking point of the war: Battle of Midway

• US won, Japan lost 3 aircraft carriers

• 1943 – Guadalcanal

• US won the biggest sea battle

War in Europe

In 1943

• Sicily (is free)

• Eisenhower's plan Husky (invasion in Sicily)

• Italy

• There invasions were training or the D-Day

6th June 1944: Invasion in Normandy

• Opened west front in Europe

• The D-Day/Operation Overlord

• Successful

• US army great losses

• 7 000 US kills (8 000 US + GB soldiers), 7 000 Germans kills, 20 000 French civilians

• Germany retreats: last attack in Ardennes

• April 1945: Roosevelt dies

• His vice president Truman (right wing, Democrat) becomes president

8th May 1945

• Since that day war was over (in Europe)

USA vs. Japan

• Japan is still fighting – Kamikadze

• 6th August – Hirosima (nuclear bomb – little boy)

• 9th August – Nagasaki (fat man)

• Reason – to show the power to Soviet Union

• Pres. responsible Harry Truman

2nd September 1945

• The end of war in Asia

• Japan capitulates

• End of the war in world

• Led to the Cold War with Russia

• 400 000 losses, 250 000 KIA (= killed in action) cca: US = GB = ČR (same)

• Russia cca 20 000 000