Chapter 24 Discussion Questions:

I. Charles. A. Lindbergh, “America First” (1941)

A. What strengths does Lindbergh see in the “America First” policy?

Lindbergh argues that American isolationism is what will lead America to success
as it will allow America the freedom to follow its own way of life and develop its
own civilization. He states that American isolationism is what has made America
the greatest nation in the world, as it is based on the belief that “the security of a
nation lies in the strength and character of its own people”. It establishes America
as an independent nation.

B. How does he critique the American Political System?

Lindbergh expresses that the American Political System has weakened itself and
divided its people by getting involved in European wars. He felt that while our
concentration should have been on American defense, we were instead fighting
other countries’ battles.

C. How might the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor (less than one year later)
change Lindbergh’s mind?
The Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor would likely change Lindbergh’s mind as the
war that started in Europe had begun to affect the United States. With the war
spreading to America, he would likely have felt that it was necessary to get
involved.

II. The Atlantic Charter (1941)

**A. How do the goals of the Allies seem to be different from those of the Axis?
(those at war with the US and UK) **how different?
The allies state that they are not going to war to widen their scope of power or to
gain more territory. They are fighting for the restoration of sovereign rights and
self-government to those who have been deprived of them. They are fighting for
free trade among all states. They state that they hope to restore peace after Nazi
tyranny has been destroyed. They are fighting for the abandonment of the use of
force and aggression by other nations.

B. In what ways do you think the experiences of World War I and the Great
Depression affected this document?
The Great Depression to America was an example of the detrimental effects of
war. The destruction that the war caused and the toll that it took on the American
people likely made America more interested in establishing peace than being a
part of another war. It is expressed in this document that America wants to end
aggression between nations as they likely wanted world war two to be the last
major war.

III. FDR, Executive Order No. 9066 (1942)

***A. Why does this document never specifically refer to Japanese Americans,
who were the target of this order?
Specifically stating that this document only applies to one race would violate the
14th amendment. The law cannot specifically target one race in order to take away
its privileges.

B. What justification does this document provide for why the removal of Japanese
Americans from the west coast was necessary?
This document allowed the military to remove and relocate anyone from
wherever they defined as a military area if they felt it was necessary. The military
then defined the entire west coast, home to a large majority of Japanese
Americans, as a military area, therefore justifying the removal of Japanese
Americans.

IV. Harry Truman Announcing the Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima (1945)

A. Why do you think Truman emphasizes Pearl Harbor in his declaration?

Pearl Harbor was an attack on America by the Japan, and Truman likely brought it
up in his declaration in order to remind Americans of pearl harbor and make them
feel that getting Japan back in this way was justified.

**B. Under what conditions was the bomb developed?

Truman refers to time of the creation of the atomic bomb as “a battle of
laboratories” that America had won.

C. What significance does Truman place on the creation of an Atomic Bomb?

He emphasizes the power of the bomb and pridefully states that the bomb adds
to the growing power of the American armed forces. Truman sees the Atomic
Bomb as a huge accomplishment for America as he states that it has never been
done by any other country before. He refers to this as “the greatest scientific
battle in history” that the United States had won.

D. How do you think the average American would respond to this message?
The average American during this time would likely respond with pride in their
country, as Truman emphasizes that no country before has ever accomplished
something so great.
V. Declaration of Independence of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (1945)

A. Why does this document place so much emphasis on the French Declaration of
the Rights of Man and the Citizen, and the US Declaration of Independence?
The US Declaration of Independence is likely brought up to emphasize the point
that if all men are created equal, this means that the Vietnamese are included in
that and therefore have the same right to freedom as anyone else. It also
emphasizes that a declaration of independence has been done before and was a
success. The French Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen is
emphasized to show that the French have acted contrary to their ideals in their
treatment of Vietnam, depriving the Vietnamese people of the liberty they
deserve.

B. How does Ho Chi Minh use Vietnam’s role in WWII to further his argument?
He argues that during the war, in autumn of 1940 and again on March 9th, the
French had proven to be incapable of protecting Vietnam as they sold it to Japan
on both occasions, resulting in a worsening of the suffering of the Vietnamese
people and more than 2 million of its citizens dying of starvation. He also
emphasizes that even after all of this, the Vietnamese helped many Frenchmen to
cross the frontier, rescued some of them from Japanese jails, and protected
French lives and property during the war, arguing that the Vietnamese people
have always been tolerant and humane toward the French people.

C. Why is he confident that the Allies will recognize Vietnamese independence?

He reflects back to the early promises of the Allies in World War II of peace after
the war, and the Allies’ acknowledgement of equality of all nations. He feels that
they will acknowledge the independence of Vietnam just as they acknowledge
their own independence.

VI. Tuskegee Airmen (1941)

A. What do you think motivated these men to serve, despite the discrimination
they faced?
They were likely motivated to serve due to the fact that it was an opportunity to
prove themselves as being just as capable of honorably serving their country as a
white man was. They also may have had the motivation of gaining respect for
having served their country.

VII. WWII Posters (1943,1942)

A. These posters both depict a romantic image. What differences do you see
between the ideal service for men versus women?
The service man is depicted as strong and heroic in an action shot while the
service woman is depicted alone in front of an American flag and is referred to as
having a “star-spangled heart”. The women’s ad appeals to feminine emotion
while the man’s ad appeals to a masculine sense of strength and heroism. This
emphasizes the fact that while women were becoming more involved in the war,
they were not yet seen as capable to actually fight in the war.