WWII US History Test Study Guide

Island hopping strategy in Pacific

The American plan to defeat Japan called for a two-pronged attack. The Pacific Fleet, commanded by Admiral Nimitz, would advance through the central Pacific using a strategy called "island hopping." In "island hopping", the fleet would bypass heavily defended or strategically unimportant islands. Instead, they would focus on lightly defended but strategically useful islands, and use them as forward bases to bring them closer and closer to Japan. Meanwhile, General MacArthur's troops would advance through the Solomon Islands, capture the north coast of New Guinea, and then launch an invasion to retake the Philippines.

Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944 (GI Bill)

The Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, popularly called the GI Bill, also boosted the economy. The act provided funds to help veterans establish businesses, buy homes, and attend college. The postwar economy did have problems in the early years after the war. A greater demand for goods led to higher prices. The resulting inflation soon triggered labor unrest. As the cost of living rose, workers in the automobile, steel, electrical, and mining industries went on strike for better pay. Truman was afraid that the miners' strikes would drastically reduce the nation's energy supply. He ordered the government to take control of the mines. He also pressured mine owners to grant the union most of its demands. Truman even stopped a strike that shut down the nation's railroads by threatening to draft the striking workers into the army.

Double V Campaign

The World War II-era effort of black Americans to gain "a Victory over racism at home as well as Victory abroad." One leading African American newspaper, the Pittsburgh Courier, launched the "Double V" campaign to urge readers to support the war to win a double victory over Hitler's racism abroad and racism at home.

D-Day Deception

The reason Germany chose to double-down Nazi defenses along the Calais coast was not only because of its proximity to England, but because Hitler fell hook, line and sinker for one of the most successful military deception schemes since the Trojan horse. Codenamed Operation Fortitude, the Allies used every trick in the book—and invented a few new ones—to convince German intelligence that the D-Day invasion would absolutely occur in Calais. Military historian and author Flint Whitlock says that Operation Fortitude was "the real key to success on D-Day." To pull off the deception, the Allies created a "dummy army" called the First U.S. Army Group (FUSAG) commanded by none other than Lt. General George Patton. When German spy planes made runs over Southeast England, they saw what looked like the buildup of a massive invasion force. But the regiments of tanks and landing craft were mostly inflatable decoys

Manhattan Project

The secret American program to build an atomic bomb was code-named the Manhattan Project and was headed by General Leslie R. Groves. The first breakthrough came in 1942, when Szilard and Enrico Fermi, another physicist, built the world's first nuclear reactor at the University of Chicago. Groves then organized a team of engineers and scientists to build an atomic bomb at a secret laboratory in Los Alamos, New Mexico. Physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer led the team. On July 16, 1945, they detonated the world's first atomic bomb in New Mexico.

Impact of WWII as a "turning point"

The years 1939-1945 were a major turning point in world history. By the end of World War II, large areas of the world's great powers--Britain, France, Germany, Japan and the Soviet Union--lay devastated. Germany and Japan were occupied by foreign armies. Some 25 million people had been killed. Two-thirds of European Jews were murdered in the Holocaust. This increased international support for the establishment of a Jewish state. Japan's empire was gone and the European empires would never fully recover. Over the next three decades, nearly all of the subject peoples of the British, French, and Dutch empires would gain their independence. New countries in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East were born. The Middle Eastern conflict between the new nation of Israel and the Arab nations was itself a direct result of World War II.

Neutrality Act of 1936

This legislation—reflecting a response to the Nye report—made it illegal for Americans to sell arms to any country at war.

Nuremberg Trials

Twenty-two German leaders were prosecuted at the Nuremberg Trials. Three were acquitted, 7 were given prison sentences, and 12 were sentenced to death. Trials of lower-ranking leaders continued until April 1949, leading to 24 more executions and 107 prison sentences.

VE Day

Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945, marking the end of World War II in Europe. (Allied Victory)

Navajo Code Talkers

When American marines stormed an enemy beach, they used radios to communicate. Using radios, however, meant that the Japanese could intercept and translate the messages. In the midst of the battle, there was no time to use a code-machine. Acting upon the suggestion of Philip Johnston, an engineer who had lived on a Navajo reservation as a child, the marines recruited Navajos to serve as "code talkers."

War Labor Board

While OPACS and OES worked to control inflation, the War Labor Board (WLB) tried to prevent strikes. Most American unions issued a "no strike pledge," instead asking the WLB to mediate wage disputes. By the end of the war, the WLB had helped settle more than 17,000 disputes.

Timeline of WWII battles

[Sept 39] Battle of the Atlantic [May 41] Battle of Stalingrad/Battle of the Coral Sea [June 42] Battle of Midway [Nov 42] Battle of El Alamein [June 44] D-day [Oct 44] Battle of Leyte Gulf & kamikaze attacks [Dec 44] Battle of the bulge [Feb 45] Battle of Iwo Jima [May 45] V-E day [Aug 45] Hiroshima and Nagasaki [Aug 45] VJ Day

Battle of the Bulge

( December 16 1944-January 25th 1945) Hitler attempted to cut off ally supplies but got cut off by Eisenhower's soldiers hitting German fuel depots, resulting in an allied victory.

Battle of the Atlantic

(September 29th 1939 - May 8 1945) German submarines began to target American cargo ships in order to cause disruption, which led the Americans to lead cargo in convoys where navy warships defended the ships against the submarines. By the Spring of 1942, over 1.2 million tons of shipping had been destroyed by the Germans. Eventually, the allies won the battle.

Nye Committee

1934. The Nye Committee report documented the huge profits that arms factories had made during the war and created the impression that these businesses influenced the decision to go to war, causing even more Americans to turn toward isolationism.

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

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.

Internationalism

A national policy of actively trading with foreign countries to foster peace and prosperity

Rosie the Riveter

A propaganda character designed to increase production of female workers in the factories. It became a rallying symbol for women to do their part.

WASPs

About 300 women serving as Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) made more than 12,000 flights to deliver planes to the war effort.

WWII/segregated army

African Americans and the Japanese weren't originally allowed to serve in the military, however, after pressure was put on Roosevelt, he allowed for African Americans to join the military.

US sanctions of strategic materials on Japan

As German submarines sank British ships in the Atlantic, the British began moving warships from Southeast Asia, leaving India and other colonial possessions vulnerable to Japanese attack. To hinder Japanese aggression, Roosevelt began applying economic pressure. Japan depended on the United States for many key materials, including scrap iron, steel, and especially oil. In July 1940, Congress gave the president the power to restrict the sale of strategic materials—items important for fighting a war. Roosevelt then blocked the sale of airplane fuel and scrap iron to Japan. Furious, the Japanese signed an alliance with Germany and Italy, becoming a member of the Axis.

D-Day

As early as 1942, Adolf Hitler knew that a large-scale Allied invasion of France could turn the tide of the war in Europe. But thanks in large part to a brilliant Allied deception campaign and Hitler's fanatical grip on Nazi military decisions, the D-Day invasion of June 6, 1944 became precisely the turning point that the Germans most feared. (FDR) , June 6, 1944, 160,000 Allied troops landed along a 50-mile stretch of heavily-fortified French coastline to fight Nazi Germany on the beaches of Normandy, France. General Dwight D. Eisenhower called the operation a crusade in which "we will accept nothing less than full victory." More than 5,000 Ships and 13,000 aircraft supported the D-Day invasion, and by day's end on June 6, the Allies gained a foot- hold in Normandy.

VJ Day

August 14th and 15th, 1945, "Victory over Japan Day" (see poster in the back of the classroom) Japanese forces surrendered to allied forces effectively ending World War II.

Hiroshima and Nagasaki

August 6-9 1945 United States dropped two nuclear bombs over the two Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki Killed many civilians The only use of nuclear bombs in a war Considered an ally victory

Pearl Harbor

Base in hawaii that was bombed by japan on December 7, 1941, which eagered America to enter the war.

WWII War Bonds

Buying bonds is a way to loan money to the government. In exchange for the money, the government promised to repay the bonds' purchase price plus interest at some future date. Individual Americans demonstrated their patriotism and commitment to winning the war by buying nearly $50 billion worth of war bonds. Banks, insurance companies, and other financial institutions bought the rest—more than $100 billion worth of bonds.

WAAC

Congress first allowed women in the military in May 1942 by creating the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC). It appointed War Department official Oveta Culp Hobby as WAAC's first director. Many women were unhappy that WAAC was not part of the regular army, however. About a year later, the army replaced the WAAC with the Women's Army Corps (WAC), and Hobby became a colonel.

Cost-plus contracts

Cost-plus contracts, agreeing to pay a company the cost to make a product plus a guaranteed percentage as profit. Under the cost-plus system, the more—and faster—a company produced, the more money it made.

Isolation versus intervention

Debate whether we, as a nation, should

Lend-Lease Act

December 1940, Great Britain had run out of funds to fight the war. Roosevelt proposed the Lend-Lease Act, which allowed the United States to lend or lease arms to any country considered "vital to the defense of the United States." Britain could receive weapons, then return them or pay rent for them after the war. Congress passed the Lend-Lease Act by a wide margin. Lend-lease aid eventually went to the Soviet Union as well, when in June 1941, Hitler invaded the Soviet Union. Roosevelt followed Britain's lead in supporting any state fighting the Nazis.

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

Battle of Iwo Jima

Feb. 19 - Mar. 26 1945 Navajo code talkers transmitted over 800 messages in two days proving their importance in battle. Battle between United States and Japan Ended in an American victory

WWII rationing

High demand for raw materials and supplies created shortages. OPACS began rationing, or limiting the purchase of, many products to make sure enough were available for military use. Households picked up a book of rationing coupons every month for different kinds of food. When people bought food, they had to have enough coupon points to cover their purchases. Meat, sugar, fats, oils, processed foods, coffee, shoes, and gasoline were all rationed. Driving distances were restricted, and the speed limit was set at 35 miles per hour to save gas and rubber. Americans also planted gardens in backyards, schoolyards, city parks, and empty lots to produce more food for the war effort. The government encouraged victory gardens by praising them in film reels, pamphlets, and official statements. The government organized scrap drives to collect rubber, tin, aluminum, and steel.

The Atlantic Charter

In August 1941, Roosevelt and Churchill met and developed the Atlantic Charter, which committed both nations to a postwar world of democracy, nonaggression, free trade, economic advancement, and freedom of the seas. Churchill later said that FDR "made it clear that he would look for an 'incident' which would justify him in opening hostilities" with Germany.

Battle of Stalingrad

In May 1942, Hitler sent troops to capture The City of Stalingrad to cut off soviet resources. Battle ended in February 1943, some 91,000 Germans had surrendered. Only 5,000 of them survived the Soviet prison camps. Put Germany on defensive.

Allied bombing of Italy and Germany

In World War II approximately 410,000 German civilians were killed by Allied air raids. From July 1944 to January 1945, an average of 13,536 people were killed every month. In Hamburg alone about 49,000 civilians were killed by Allied bombing, and in Berlin about 35,000.(1943-1945) Allied Victory

Tuskegee Airmen

In early 1941, the air force created its first African American unit, the 99th Pursuit Squadron. Trained in Tuskegee, Alabama, the pilots became known as the Tuskegee Airmen. Commanded by Lt. Colonel Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., the squadron helped win the Battle of Anzio in Italy. Three other Tuskegee squadrons protected American bombers as they flew to their targets. Known as the 332nd Fighter Group, these squadrons flew 200 such missions without losing a single member to enemy aircraft. Also, the African American 761st Tank Battalion was commended for service during the Battle of the Bulge.

Shoot on sight policy

In early September, a German submarine, or U-boat, fired on an American destroyer that had been radioing the U-boat's position to the British. Roosevelt promptly responded by ordering American ships to follow a "shoot-on-sight" policy toward German submarines. The Germans escalated hostilities the following month, targeting two American destroyers. One of them, the Reuben James, sank after being torpedoed, killing over 100 sailors. As the end of 1941 drew near, Germany and the United States continued a tense standoff.

Battle of Midway

June 4, 1942 Americans already cracked Japanese code, which back at Pearl Harbor they found out about the attack Americans were ready during attacks so - "The Japanese ran into a blizzard of anti aircraft fire, and 38 planes were shot down." Turning point for war, Japanese lost heart of its fleet

Neutrality Act of 1937

Knowing that the American people and Congress would not support action to stop Italy, Roosevelt supported the passage of a new law, the Neutrality Act of 1936, which extended the ban on arms sales imposed by the Neutrality Act of 1935, and also banned loans to nations at war. The 1936 act was far more likely to hurt Italy than Abyssinia, which would not have been able to borrow much money anyway.

Battle of the Coral Sea

May 4-8 1942 Naval battle between the United States and Australia v.s the Japanese Navy Turning point in the war because it was the first time the Allied powers stopped the Japanese from advancing any further Allies won the battle

Bracero Program

Nearly 5 million Mexicans had come to the United States through the Bracero Program to work on farms and ranches in the Southwest. Braceros were temporary contract workers. Many later returned home, but some 350,000 settled permanently in the United States. They worked long hours, for little pay, in conditions that were often unbearable

"Cash and Carry"

Neutrality Act of 1939 permitting the sale of weapons, but only on a "cash-and-carry" basis. Cash and carry is a form of trade in which goods are sold from a wholesale warehouse operated either on a self-service basis or on the basis of samples.

Battle of El Alamein

November 1942. 12 day battle by the Suez Canal w/ German forces defending their military post, Allied Victory

Battle of Leyte Gulf & kamikaze attacks

Oct. 23-26 1944, Oct 25 were the first kamikaze attacks during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, where the Japanese deployed kamikaze bombs against American warships, that proved to be costly for both sides, considered one of the largest naval battles in the war, allied forces won.

Executive Order 8802

On June 25, 1941, Roosevelt issued Executive Order 8802, which stated, "there shall be no discrimination in the employment of workers in defense industries or government because of race, creed, color, or national origin." To enforce the order, he created the Fair Employment Practices Commission, the first federal civil rights agency since Reconstruction.

Zoot Suit Riots

Popular with Mexican American teenagers, zoot suits had very baggy, pleated pants and an overstuffed, knee-length jacket with wide lapels. Most men, to conserve fabric for the war, wore a "victory suit" with no vest, no cuffs, a short jacket, and narrow lapels. In June 1943, after hearing rumors that zoot-suiters had attacked several sailors, some 2,500 soldiers and sailors attacked Mexican American neighborhoods in Los Angeles

Allied strategy at Tehran Conference

Roosevelt wanted to meet with Stalin before the Allies invaded France. In late 1943, Stalin agreed, proposing that Roosevelt and Churchill meet him in Tehran, Iran. The leaders reached several agreements. Stalin promised to launch a full-scale offensive against the Germans when the Allies invaded France in 1944. Roosevelt and Stalin then agreed to divide Germany after the war so that it would never again threaten world peace. Stalin promised that once Germany was defeated, the Soviet Union would help the United States against Japan. He also accepted Roosevelt's proposal of an international peacekeeping organization after the war.

Destroyers-for-Bases

Roosevelt's compromise for helping Britain as he could not sell Britain US destroyers without defying the Neutrality Act; Britain received 50 old but still serviceable US destroyers in exchange for giving the US the right to build military bases on British Islands in the Caribbean.