World War II, including Georgia’s Role, Part I

How did the Second World War affect Georgia?  What role did Georgia have in military training, war production, shipyards, etc? Why did more Americans die from Nazi U Boat attacks off the coast of the U.S. than perished at Pearl Harbor? Who was the James Bond type spy that tried to warn the FBI about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor? How many gallons of gas were you allowed to have each week?  You wouldn’t get far. In this two-part course, we will examine the underlying causes of World War II, including its roots in World War I. We’ll look at the rise of Hitler and the Nazis, the rise of Mussolini, and the rise of the Japanese militarists.  We’ll examine how and why appeasement failed.  We’ll also look at the outbreak of the war, the American attempt at neutrality, the road to Pearl Harbor, the electrifying Doolittle Raid, Allied strategy, the successes and failures of strategic bombing and major campaigns in North Africa, Europe, and the Pacific. We’ll examine the home front, including Georgia’s role. We’ll also look at the Manhattan Project, the decision to use the atomic bomb, and the myriad results of the war, including how it altered life, not just for Americans, but for many of those around the world. Part I will end with the Allied invasion of Sicily in 1943. Most of the European and Pacific theaters of the war will be covered in part II of the course, as well as most of the home front, results of the war, including new inventions.