history final semester 1

Battle of Okinawa

(1945) World War II victory for the Allied troops that resulted in the deaths of almost all of the 100,000 Japanese defenders; the battle claimed 12,000 American lives

Belligerent

(adj.) given to fighting, warlike; combative, aggressive; (n.) one at war, one engaged in war

How soon after the Potsdam conference were atomic bombs deployed over Japan?

1 month

Rome-Berlin Axis

1936; close cooperation between Italy and Germany, and soon Japan joined; resulted from Hitler; who had supported Ethiopia and Italy, he overcame Mussolini's lingering doubts about the Nazis.

nonaggression pact

1939-Secret agreement between German leader Hitler and Soviet Leader Stalin not to attack one another and to divide Poland

Atlantic Charter

1941-Pledge signed by US president FDR and British prime minister Winston Churchill not to acquire new territory as a result of WWII amd to work for peace after the war

Executive Order 9066

2/19/42; 112,000 Japanese-Americans forced into camps causing loss of homes & businesses, 600K more renounced citizenship; demonstrated fear of Japanese invasion

Battle of the Bulge

A 1944-1945 battle in which Allied forces turned back the last major German offensive of World War II. a break in of 200,000 German troops that tried to take Belgium in an effort to trap the Allies where a big bulge was created on the battle grounds which ultimately failed

Nisei

A Japanese American whose parents were born in Japan

Wannsee Conference

A meeting in which the "Final solution" and use of concentration camps were decided in 1942, Heydrich was the chief executor of the "Final Solution". Held in Wannsee, Berlin

Brotherhood of sleeping car porters

A prominent black trade union of railroad car porters working for the Pullman Company.

Charles Nimitz

Admiral of the US navy who was the overseer of the island hopping campaign where he fought to maintain communication between the US and Australia, defend North America against the Japanese, prevent the Japanese from venturing outside of the Pacific, and plan counter offensives against them

George S. Patton

Allied Commander of the Third Army. Was instrumental in winning the Battle of the Bulge. Considered one of the best military commanders in American history.

In what ways were the Battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa similar and how did they differ?

Both battles involved the Americans landing on the islands to heavy resistance with the Japanese launching Kamikaze attacks on the US ships. The Japanese inflicted heavy casualties by using machine guns in tunnels that were dug around the island in both battles. In Iwo Jima, the Americans came across no life and were then suddenly surprised by the Japanese machine gun fire that came after. In Okinawa, the battle lasted over two months and there were many more casualties at Okinawa than Iwo Jima.

Allies

Britain, France, and Russia- Later joined by Italy

War bonds

Certificates sold by the United States government to pay for the war.

War Production board

During WWII, FDR established it to allocated scarce materials, limited or stopped the production of civilian goods, and distributed contracts among competing manufacturers

Revenue Act of 1942

Effort to increase tax revenues to cover the cost of WWII by adding additional graduated steps to the income tax and lowering the threshold at which lower income earners began to pay tax.

What order of events took place within days of the attack on Pearl Harbor

First Roosevelt addressed Congress in his infamy speech, asking for a declaration of war on Japan which came on 12/8/1941, and Germany declared war on the United States three days later.

Reinhard Heydrich

German General of the SS Security Force who created the special strike forces to carry out Nazi plans to round up the Jews, steal their valuables, and execute them

Erwin Rommel

German general who was the main commander of the African campaigns in defending North Africa from the Allies

Panzers

German tanks

Why did Randolph call the treatment of African Americans at home hypocritical?

He called the treatment of African-Americans at home hypocritical because treating AA's was undemocratic in their way of government even though the United States was fighting democracy abroad in the war.

In Roosevelt's four freedoms speech, how did he frame American beliefs on both a personal and international level?

He framed the beliefs in the war as a conflict of fundamental values of basic human rights.

Executive Order 8802

In 1941 FDR passed it which prohibited discriminatory employment practices by fed agencies and all unions and companies engaged in war related work. It established the Fair Employment Practices Commission to enforce the new policy.

Why was the island hopping a good strategy for an Allied attack on Japan?

It was a good strategy because the campaign would result in the establishment of naval bases on each island thay could be used in preparation for an invasion of the Japanese mainland.

Bataan Death March

Japanese forced about 60,000 of americans and philippines to march 100 miles with little food and water, most died or were killed on the way

Kamikaze

Japanese suicide pilots who loaded their planes with explosives and crashed them into American ships.

Tehran Conference

Meeting among leaders of the United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union in 1943; agreed to the opening of a new front in France

What events brought on Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor?

Roosevelt froze Japanese business interets with the United States, established an embargo on goods such as oil to Japan, and Japan signed the triparte pact with Germany and Italty as the US only watched as Japan expanded into China.

What Purpose did Rosie serve during World War II?

Rosie served as a model of women's toughness and power in the workforce and their ability to do work as good as many can. She served as a symbol of motivation for workers, man or woman, and was used to boost the morale of the workers to provide for their country to win the war.

Long March

The 6,000-mile (9,600-kilometer) flight of Chinese Communists from southeastern to northwestern China. The Communists, led by Mao Zedong, were pursued by the Chinese army under orders from Chiang Kai-shek.

Why did it make sense geographically for the allies to invade Sicily and Italy's mainland after fighting in North Africa?

The Allies could use North Africa as a base to use for an invasion of Sicily and Italy which meant that they did not have to transport materials as far and they could lay impacting blows to Italy.

What events led to the German surrender at the Battle of Stalingrad?

The German troops ran out of supplies and food which left the German army starving. Hitler ordered his men to stay and fight in Stalingrad and to not retreat from the Volga River. The Germans than suffered a crushing defeat in a tank battle and lost 500,000 men in the battle

What might have happened if the American military had not learned about Japan's plans for the battles of Coral Sea and Midway?

The Japanese may have been able to cripple the US navy's ability to fight in the pacific which could have led to the Japanese trying a invasion of America

Why do you think defeat at the Battle of the Bulge made Hitler realize he might lose the war?

The Soviets and the Allies were pushing in on Germany from two different fronts which made winning the war in favor of Germany much harder.

Based on the Map, what conclusions can you draw about the attack?

The attack came around the backside of the island through the mountains of Oahu so that the Americans wouldn't see where the Japanese were coming from and it gave the Japanese an advantageous place to attack from as it left Pearl Harbor vunerable to the barrage that would come later.

Potsdam Conference

The final wartime meeting of the leaders of the United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union was held at Potsdam, outside Berlin, in July, 1945. Truman, Churchill, and Stalin discussed the future of Europe but their failure to reach meaningful agreements soon led to the onset of the Cold War.

What measures did the U.S. government take to help pay for the war?

The government increased taxes on individuals and corporations, issued war bonds by appealing to the emotions of Americans, and allowed Americans to cash in the bonds later with interest to support the war efforts

What constitutional issues were involved in Korematsu v United States, and how did the case impact events on the US home front?

The internment violated the JA's constitutional and human rights as they were removed from the West Coast by force without anything protected under the constitution.

What was the Allied mission in the Pacific War?

The mission was to maintain communication between the US and Australia, defend North America against the Japanese, prevent the Japanese from venturing outside of the Pacific, and plan counter offensives against them

What new opportunities were available to women during World War II, and how do those opportunities compare to those women have today?

There were more military jobs available to them as they could participate in non combat activities that were essential in making sure the Allies had what they needed to win the war. They were also able to work factory jobs as well.

How were the jobs of WAAC and WAVES alike and different?

They both allowed women to participate in non combat activities while still working for the US military. The WAAC did not give full military benfits to women until later on while WAVES gave full bvenfits immediately. The WAAC allowed its women to serve abroad while the WAVES organizaation did not allow its women to fight abroad. WAAC had many women radio operators and airtraffic controllers while WAVES had many more options in the Navy for women

Why do you think women wanted to keep their jobs in the defense industry after the war ended?

They may have wanted to keep their jobs in the defense industry after the war ended in order to prove they could do the same jobs just as well and maybe even better than them. They wanted to have everyone know they weren't just housewives.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

US army general who led the Allies in an invasion of North Africa and along with the invasion of northern France when the Allies knocked Germany and Italy out of Africa. Dwight led the Allies to capture Morocco and Algeria and defeat German general Rommel.

Enemy Alien

a citizen of a nation with which the United States is at war

Office of war information

agency created to boost American spirit about the war by producing posters, photos, and film that celebrated the troops and encouraged the people's support for the war.

Operation Torch

begun Nov 1942, American forces landed in Morocco and Algeria, and pressing eastward trapped the German and Italian armies being driven westward by the British, forcing German and Italian troops to surrender, despite Hitler's orders to fight to the death.

Internment Camps

camps in military zones that Japanese Americans stayed in until the end of the war

Yalta Accords

conference where Churchill, Stalin, and Roosevelt drew up plans for postwar Europe once the war was won in Europe. They divided Germany into four different occupation zones, took away and destroyed German arms production, try German criminals in a court of law, and establish a commission to decide on the reparations Germany would need to make

Infamy

evil fame or reputation

Battle of Coral Sea

first air and sea battle between the US and Japan in New Guinea where the Americans had codebroken a plan by the Japanese to destroy US naval bases along eastern Australia which resulted in the destruction of one US carrier with great damage to another along with the destruction of many Japanese planes and a carrier

Interned

imprisoned or confined

Battle of Iwo Jima

lasted 6 weeks, several thousand marines, and more than 20,000 Japanese soldiers were killed, this battle is also notable for the capturing of a strategic air base for 2000 B-29

Office of Price Administration

limited inflation and the control of the supply of goods made available to the public

Navajo Code Talkers

men that were enlisted by the Marines to transmit and translate messages using their native language. They transmitted messages that the Japanese could not decipher as it was a very complicated language no one could understand.

442 Infantry regimental combat team

military unit that consisted entirely of Japanese-Americans that fought successfully in Europe in 1944, and rescued a regiment of Texas soldiers surrouded by German forces.

Amphibious Landing Craft

naval vessels that were used to make the landings on D-Day at Normandy

Hiroshima and Nagasaki

nuclear attacks during World War II against the Empire of Japan by the United States of America at the order of U.S. President Harry S. Truman

Concentration camps

prison camps used under the rule of Hitler in Nazi Germany. Conditions were inhuman, and prisoners, mostly Jewish people, were generally starved or worked to death, or killed immediately.

Harry S. Truman

senator of Missouri who became Roosevelt's successor and facilitated conferences after the surrender of Germany and the atomic bomb droppings

Demobilization

sending home members of the army

Island hopping

strategy designed to capture and control islands in the pacific one by one which was meant to establish bases on each of the islands in preparation for an invasion of the Japanese mainland

Pacifism

the belief that any violence, including war, is unjustifiable under any circumstances, and that all disputes should be settled by peaceful means.

Operation Overlord

the code name for the Allied invasion of Europe at Normandy on June 6, 1944; also known as D-Day which involved a 150,000 troops invasion of northern France

Battle of Midway

three day long battle in an attempt by the Japanese to capture the island of Midway which resulted in a great reduction of the Japanese naval forces including 4 sunk carriers and hundreds of planes down. The Japanese cancelled further plans for subsequent invasions.

Depth Charges

underwater bombs that are programmed to explode at certain depths which helped the Allies fight the u-boats

active defense

when Roosevelt authorized US warships to hunt down German submarines

What did Wiesel mean when he said, "Their (the victims) freedom depends on ours, the quality of our freedom depends on theirs?"

Wiesel meant that the freedoms of those who experienced the tragic events of the Holocaust depend of what we do to help them and that our freedoms and how true they are depend on the freedoms the survivors have.

George Marshall

chief of staff of the US Army in 1939 who was responsible for training the US troops and selecting commanders for the war

Why do you think it was important to bring Nazi war criminals to trial instead of just executing them?

It was important to try them through trials in order to demonstrate that America was a democracy who always upheld their constitution no matter what.

Korematsu v United States

1944 Supreme Court case where the Supreme Court upheld the order providing for the relocation of Japanese Americans. It was not until 1988 that Congress formally apologized and agreed to pay $20,000 to each survivor.

A Phillip Randolph

He was the black leader of The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. He demanded equal opportunities in war jobs and armed forces during WWII. He helped encourage the end of segregation in the military, although that happened after the war.

Napalm

Highly flammable chemical dropped from US planes in firebombing attacks on Japan

Gestapo

Hitler's secret police that went after any political opponents that were considered enemies of the third reich

Atrocities

Horrible acts committed against innocent people

Holocaust

A methodical plan orchestrated by Hitler to ensure German supremacy. It called for the elimination of Jews, non-conformists, homosexuals, non-Aryans, and mentally and physically disabled.

Appeasement

A policy of making concessions to an aggressor in the hopes of avoiding war. Associated with Neville Chamberlain's policy of making concessions to Adolf Hitler.

Zoot Suit Riots

A series of riots in L.A. California during WW2, soldiers stationed in the city and Mexican youths because of the zoot suits they wore.

Munich Agreement

Agreement between Germany and Great Britain in which Hitler is given the Sudetenland in return for agreeing not to take any more territory.

Axis Powers

Alliance of Germany, Italy, and Japan during World War II.

Given the Circumstances of the war, do you think the US government was justified in interning Japanese Americans?

I do not think the US government was justified in interning JA's because the government violated the constitution which holds up all of the rights that the JA's and all other Americans have. The government should have followed the constitution because that is what America is built upon and fear of a West Coast invasion should not mean violating the rights of the citizens.

Auschwitz

Nazi extermination camp in Poland, the largest center of mass murder during the Holocaust. Close to a million Jews, Gypsies, Communists, and others were killed there. (p. 800)

Third Reich

The Third Republic of Germany which began Hitler's rule in 1933 and ended with his defeat in 1945

Why were Japanese Americans relocated to internment camps?

The US feared that the Japanese were going to invade the West Coast due to its little fortification and they feared the close proximity of Japanese American communities to the American military bases and aircraft plants on the West Coas. The public associated JA's with the action's of Japan's armed forces.

Bracero Program

program designed to import Mexican laborers top replace the industry workers who were mobilizing for war. It imported 40,000 workers in 1942 to care for the agricultural crops and to produce food for the war

Rearmament of Germany

rebuilding of Germany's stockpile of weapons

Tuskegee Airmen

squadron of African-American pilots who trained in Tuskgee, Alabama and shot down many Nazi planers during the invasion of Italy in 1943. They were the best known pilots in the US and were often called upon to carry out convoys and attacks on German cities

Nuremberg Trials

trials that determined that defendants could be charged with any of the following: crimes against peace, for having waged a war of aggression; crimes against humanity, for having exterminated groups of people; and war crimes, for having violated common and agreed-upon laws of war

Battle of Leyte Gulf

1944 World War II naval battle between the United States and Japan. Largest naval engagement in history. Japanese navy was defeated leading to the liberation of the Philippines

Why might it have made sense to the Germans that the Allied forces would stage their invasion at Calais rather than Normandy?

Calais was much closer to the British coast and the Germans thought the Allies would rather make a shorter trip

Women Accepted for Voulnteer Emergency Service (Waves)

the navy equivilant of the WAC, but it did not allow the women to serve the country abroad. Members worked in fields such as naval aviation, technology, medicine, intelligence, science and technology. They also performed duties such as bomb trajectory calculations, and working as meteoroligists

What strategy did Stalin want the Allies to follow against Germany?

Stalin wanted the Allies to open a second front against Germany in the West by invading France and advancing on the heartland of Germany.

Raoul Wallenberg

Swedish diplomat who rescued Hungarian Jews by giving them Swedish passports, set up hospitals, and created soup kitchens to help the Jews

Why did the Italian government switch to the Allied side during the Italian Campaign?

The Italian government switched to the Allied side during the Italian campaign because they had just executed Mussolini and formed a new government. Italy also suffered great losses of life during the campaign so they did not want to resist the Allies anymore as they had many more casualties than the Allies.

What Strategies did the Americans and Japanese use in the battles of Leyte Gulf?

The Japanese used kamikaze attacks where they volunteered to crash their plans in order to sink US ships and then used a decoy ship to draw some of the US navy away from the island. The Americans used submarines to sink Japanese battleships in anticipation of the Japanese strategy

What was the Final Solution?

Extermination of Jews

War Refugee Board

Federal agency created in 1944 to try to help people threatened with murder by the Nazis

Elie Wiesel

Romanian-born writer who brought about the horrors of the Holocaust to the eyes of the world and wrote Night to account for all of the violence and abuse he experienced and witnessed in the camps. He won the nobel peace prize

In what ways did the initial restrictions placed on civil and political rights of the Jews impact the events of the holocaust?

These initial restrictions led to the Jews fleeing the country to other parts of Europe and the Nazis sending troops into these parts of Europe to conduct searches for any Jews that were supposed to be sent to concentration camps

Why do you think the women's rights movement adopted the Rosie poster as a symbol?

They adopted the Rosie poster in order to be used as a symbol to show that women are more than housewives and can do jobs just as good as men can.

What were some of the different ways in which civilians helped contribute to the war effort?

They bought war bonds, volunteered to serve their country, prodcued food for the war efforts in gardens they planted, and women took many of the factory jobs that men held prior to the war which helped in the manufacturing of wartime goods to keep the US in the war.

What did Stalin's actions after the Yalta Conference reveal about the Soviet Leader?

They revealed that the Soviet leader was much more interested in occupying its captured territory than liberating any of the countries that they advanced through to get to Germany.

Why do you think African Americans, Japanese Americans, and Native Americans wanted to fight in the war?

They wanted to fight in the war in order to gain more quality in society in order to prove that they are equal to white men and even better in some instances than them. They also wanted to end segreagtion in many fields.

crematoria

a place where a dead person's body is cremated

Tribunal

a seat or court of justice

Amphibious Assault

an amphibious operation attacking a land base that is carried out by troops that are landed by naval ships,

Embargo

an official ban on trade or other commercial activity with a particular country.

Penicillin

antibiotic made from mold that was used and developed during WW2 to treat infections and diseases which saved thousands of lives

Battle of Stalingrad

battle between Germany and the Soviet Union that lasted months in the freezing months of 1943 which resulted in 4 million Soviet casualties and over a million German casualties. The battle resulted in a heavy defeat for the Germans and left them war-torn and unable to advance any more into the Soviet Union

Manhattan Project

code name for the secret United States project set up in 1942 to develop atomic bombs for use in World War II

Women's Auxiliary Army Corps (WAAC)

offered women a chance to participate in non combat roles as radio operators and air-traffic controllers which allowed them to be part of the military and eventually reap the beneifts of being in the US army.

Flying tigers

only American volunteer group that took part in combat in China. It defended Burma and China against the Japanese after the attack on Pearl Harbor