The United States at War, 1941 - 1945

This 3rd edition presents a concise overview of how the war was fought as well as a consideration of the ways in which Americans regarded allies and enemies, embraced heroes, and viewed the war's purpose. Making the important distinction between popular notions and military and political realities, Gary Hess helps today's readers to better understand the complexity of the conflict. Updated to incorporate the latest scholarship, this latest edition also includes new material to underscore more fully the moral dimensions of the war, including the American decision to use the atomic bomb, the ruthless campaigns of both the Germans and Russians in Eastern Europe, American reaction to the Holocaust as well as the government's post-war tolerance and protection of Nazis deemed valuable to Cold War research and intelligence. Enhanced coverage of specific topics including the Bataan Death March, the Battle of the Bulge, and the Allied uncovering of concentration camps rounds out the narrative.

Preface to the Third Edition ix Chapter One. To Pearl Harbor: The United States and World Crisis 1 The Arsenal of Democracy: The War in Europe 3 “Not Enough Ships": The Effort to Restrain Japan 8 Chapter Two. Allied Defeats and the Axis Ascendancy, 1941-1942 20 The Nazi Empire at Its Peak 20 Japan’s Imperial Conquests 24 Defeat and Surrender in the Philippines 25 Popular Perceptions and Expectations 34 Chapter Three. The War in Europe: The Turn of the Tide 38 The Debate over Strategy 38 The North African Invasion 41 The Eastern Front: The Russian Victory at Stalingrad 45 The Battle of the Atlantic 49 The Air War: The Bombing of Germany 51 The Cross-Channel Invasion: D-Day 53 Chapter Four. The Pacific Theater: The War against Japan, 1942-1945 59 “Our War”: Characteristics and Popular Perceptions 61 Midway: The End of Japan’s Naval Invincibility 65 Guadalcanal: The First Offensive 69 The Island Campaign, 1943-1944 72 Iwo Jima and Okinawa 79 Japan 1945: The Refusal to Surrender 84 Chapter Five. The Diplomatic Front: Roosevelt and the American Vision of the Postwar World 87 The United Nations 90 Soviet-American Cooperation 92 China’s International Status 98 The End of Colonialism 102 Chapter Six. The Dilemmas of Victory 109 Victory in Europe and the Extent of Nazi Tyranny 110 “The Greatest Thing in History”: The Atomic Bomb and Japan’s Surrender 114 Hiroshima and Magasaki: The Lingering Questions 117 A People Victorious: America at the End of the War 125 Conclusion: Why the Allies Won 127 Bibliographical Essay 146 Index 167 Photographs follow page 86 Maps: Europe under the Axis 21 Japan’s Empire, 1942 26 Allied Offensives, 1942-1945 39 U.S. Offensive against Japan 60