History Possible Short Answer Questions

Describe the sequence of events that led to the US development of the atomic bomb.

1) 1920s scientist began researching the idea of an atomic bomb 2) Einstein sends letter to FDR urging him to proceed with development of atomic bomb 3) Manhattan Project established 4) scientists and engineers worked on project without being aware of what they all were doing 5) first test of atomic bomb July 1945

How did the Cuban missile crisis lead to increased communication between the US and the SU?

A "hot line" was establish so both leaders could directly communicate about the mussels in Cuba

Explain how the Allies adapted to different fighting situations in World WWII.

Allies first focused on the war in Europe. Stalin wanted 2nd front in France but U-boats in Atlantic prevented this. Allies invaded North Africa to set up beating Mussolini, to help Stalin the Allies used saturation and strategic bombing on Germany's war production sites. In the Pacific they used island hopping to move toward Japan, used atomic bomb when troops encountered fierce fighting

How did the attack on Pearl Harbor cause the US to abandon its neutral position on the war between the Allies and Axis Powers?

Before the attack, the US was neutral and wanted to avoid war. On December 7, 1941, Japanese fighter pilots attacked a Us naval base at Pearl Harbor without declaring war. This made Americans furious. The lend-lease act, passed in 1941 allowed the US to help Allies against axis powers. The US declared war.

Why was the US considered a stronger superpower than the SU following WWII?

No major battle except Pearl Harbor fought on US soil, US industries grew considerably during the war, US wealthy and had a powerful military. The Soviet Union people, cities, and industries suffered greatly during the war. Soviet Union did have largest army but the US had the atomic bomb

Why did opposition to the Vietnam War increase over time? Explain why you think the criticism of the war was or was not justified.

Opposition increased over time because American citizens kept seeing the results of the war like increased funding, many deaths, and lost battles. As the war continued and the US was not progressing any in defeating North Vietnamese forces, Americans began to view the fighting as pointless and unnecessarily due to all the consequences. I think it was justified, because the outcomes could have been avoided if peace with Vietnam was settled earlier or if the US didn't even get involved.

What role did television play in the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s? Do you think television contributed to the success of the movement? Explain.

Television was able to capture the violence in discrimination and the dignity of African Americans. I think it had a great impact as it allowed citizens to see the hardships and violence. They wanted a change where violence was stopped and peace was brought.

Why did the US get involved in the Korean War? In what ways was the war a success, and in what ways was it a failure?

The US got involved because they wanted to stop the spread of communism. This was called containment. The war was a success in that they held off the North Korean invasion, and it showed that the US would help any country with the risk of becoming communist. It was a failure because many people died for almost no cause. Also, the Americans kept pushing too far, which led to China invading.