American History II.

American history II.

WWI – WORLD WAR ONE

- the first world war

- 1914 – 1918 (11th November)

- USA at first just financing the war

- 1917 USA entered the war (116 000 killed, 83 000 KIA)

- League of Nations (UN + OSN)

• USA founders

• USA not active

• Policy of Isolation = problems of Europe should be solved by Europe

• immigration was limited for the first time

• prohibition of alcohol => gangster (Chicago)

- after WWI:

• world financing centre moved from London –> NY (Wall Street)

• - 1929 Great Crash on Wall Street = BLACK FRIDAY (many people lost their money and savings, deepest crisis) => Great Depression

• 1932 new president Franklin Delano Roosevelt (democrat)

• his plan:

- New Deal = first intervention into US economy

- subsidies (support)

- farmers could sell their surpluses to the government

- old age + disability pensions

• unemployment 17 mil –> 8 mil

• Roosevelt popular – the only US president elected 4 times, served 3 terms

WW2 – WORLD WAR SECOND

- 1st September 1939 – 1945 (8th May Europe/ 2nd September Japan)

- at first USA financing

- 7th December 1941 Pearl Harbour

- US military port

- attacked by the Japanese

- USA lucky aircraft carriers outside

USA x Japanese

- in the Pacific

- USA at first losing

- 1942 Battle at Midway

• USA won on the sea

• Japan lost 3 aircraft carriers

- 1943 Guadalcanal

• USA won on land

• 1944 Kamikadze pilots

- Japan still refused to give up

- 2 nuclear bomb

1. 6th August – Hirošima

2. 9th August – Nagasaki

- Japan surrendered September 1945

Europe

- Operation Overlord

• 6th June the D – Day: invasion into Normandy –> successful

• allies in France

- war in Europe goes to its end on 8th May 1945 (Berlin)

- USA loses 400 000 people (300 000 KIA)

- Europe divided –> Cold war (USA x Soviet Union)

Marshal Plan

• 1948 – 1952

• to rebuild Europe

• investments + factories

KOREAN WAR

- 1950 – 1953

- Korea divided after WW2 38th parallel

- North Korea attacked

• at first losing

• then UN troop joined

• very close to Chinese borders –> China entered the war –> pushed USA back to 38th paralel

- not peace but ceasefire

VIETNAM WAR

- 1954 – 1975

- North (communists) –> China + USSR

- South –> USA + Australia

- 1965 first active combat troops => not successful

- 1973 withdraw => loses 200 000 – 250 000

US President

• Trueman

• Dwight Eisenhower (53 – 60)

- WW2 general

- 1st contacts USA – USSR

• Kennedy (61 – 63)

- 1962: Cuban crisis

- shot in Dallas (by Henry Lee Oswald)

• Ronald Reagan

- Hollywood Actor

- SDI

- VAT – introduced Value Added Tax