Test-Topic 15: Postwar America
The drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was guided by
. Eleanor Roosevelt.
What was a major outcome of the Korean War (1950-1953)?
. Korea continued to be a divided nation.
Why would many isolationists have argued that the Neutrality Act of 1939 was not actually "neutral"?
. They thought material support of the Allies was, indirectly, acting against the Axis Powers.
In an effort to both distinguish himself from Truman's policy of containment and eliminate the expense of maintaining a large conventional army, Eisenhower pursued a foreign policy collectively known as
. massive retaliation
In 1957, the Eisenhower Doctrine expanded the principles of the Truman Doctrine by extending Middle East military assistance in order to
. offset communist influence in the region
Why was the end of the Korean War considered a stalemate?
.The north and south were still divided
What two countries did Hitler occupy without opposition from France and Great Britain? *
Austria and Czechoslovakia
During the postwar era, all minorities faced problems stemming from
discrimination in housing and employment.
Which decision did President Truman make that most significantly altered the course of the war? *
dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Which of the following had the largest role in increasing consumer consumption during the 1950s?
ease in obtaining credit
Hitler ended Germany's depression, economic woes, and unemployment by
implementing public works projects and a rearmament program.
"The time is past when a boy's chief possession was his bike and a girl's party wardrobe consisted of a fancy dress worn with a string of dime-store pearls. . . . Today's teenagers surround themselves with a fantastic array of garish and often expensive baubles and amusements. They own 10 million phonographs, over a million TV sets, 13 million cameras." —LIFE, August 31, 1959 This text underlies what growing phenomenon of the 1950s?
increased consumption
In the 1950s, middle class prosperity and the abundance of inexpensive goods had the unexpected effect of
inspiring rock n' roll music.
The change in the nation's attitude toward membership in the League of Nations and membership in the United Nations shows the contrast between
isolationism and involvement
Which group of American citizens were forcibly denied their rights and civil liberties during the War? *
japanese
Mussolini's Fascist government attempted to control its citizens through
mass propaganda.
The turning point in the Pacific Theatre was
midway
The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
ended war in the Pacific.
Why was the German strategy of "blitzkrieg" so successful?
Blitzkrieg relied on small, rapid military forces that assassinated the leaders of the nation under attack.
The Eisenhower Doctrine promised aid to any Middle Eastern nations threatened by communism. Why was this doctrine inspired in part by the Suez Canal Crisis?
Britain and France had tried to regain the canal with Soviet help.
During the 1950s, how did the Republican Party hope to support a balanced federal budget and counter communist countries?
By relying on nuclear weapons
"The undersigned, the Commander-in-Chief, United Nations Command, on the one hand, and the Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army and the Commander of the Chinese People's Volunteers, on the other hand, in the interest of stopping the Korean conflict, with its great toil of suffering and bloodshed on both sides, and with the objective of establishing an armistice which will insure a complete cessation of hostilities and of all acts of armed force in Korea until a final peaceful settlement is achieved, do individually, collectively, and mutually agree to accept and to be bound and governed by the conditions and terms of armistice set forth in the following articles and paragraphs, which said conditions and terms are intended to be purely military in character and to pertain solely to the belligerents in Korea..." The text above is from an agreement that
established a cease-fire in Korea.
What was a significant turning point in the Korean War?
China's entry into the war
Who were the Big Three in this picture?
Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin
What are the "Four Freedoms"? *
Freedom from Want Freedom of Worship Freedom from Fear Freedom of Speech
SEC. 100. The Veterans' Administration is hereby declared to be an essential war agency and entitled, second only to the War and Navy Departments, to priorities in personnel, equipment, supplies, and material under any laws, Executive orders, and regulations pertaining to priorities, and in appointments of personnel from civil-service registers the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs is hereby granted the same authority and discretion as the War and Navy Departments and the United States Public Health Service: Provided, That the provisions of this section as to priorities for materials shall apply to any State institution to be built for the care or hospitalization of veterans This text is from an act otherwise known as the
GI Bill
What two countries faced war crimes, for their war atrocities in WWII? *
Germany and Japan
What two nations held "ethnic" prisoners in camps during WWII?
Germany and United states
Hitler wanted to dominate other countries because he believed that
Germany's people were superior to everyone else.
The "final solution" was
Germany's plan to exterminate all Jews in Europe
The Axis refers to the alliance of
Germany, Italy, Japan
What does this picture represent? *
Hitler invading Poland
With the battle of Midway *
If the Germans were forces out, it would ease the way to invading Italy.
Operation Barbarossa refers to Hitler's
Invasion of the Soviet Union
How was the economy affected by corporate expansion in the 1950s?
It boomed as the middle class grew.
Iwo Jima was important to the Allies because
Japan used airfields on the island to support its naval forces.
"The truth of the matter is that Europe's requirements for the next 3 or 4 years of foreign food and other essential products—principally from America—are so much greater than her present ability to pay that she must have substantial additional help, or face economic, social, and political deterioration of a very grave character. The remedy lies in breaking the vicious circle and restoring the confidence of the European people in the economic future of their own countries and of Europe as a whole. The manufacturer and the farmer throughout wide areas must be able and willing to exchange their products for currencies the continuing value of which is not open to question." - The text outlines the basis for the
Marshall Plan.
". . . The American people are sick and tired of being afraid to speak their minds lest they be politically smeared as 'Communists' or 'Fascists' by their opponents. Freedom of speech is not what it used to be in America. It has been so abused by some that it is not exercised by others.The American people are sick and tired of seeing innocent people smeared and guilty people whitewashed. But there have been enough proved cases to cause nationwide distrust and strong suspicion that there may be something to the unproved, sensational accusations. . . ." When Senator Smith spoke these words, she was reacting to
McCarthyism
How did World War II change the employment situation for women?
More women were able to find jobs in manufacturing and other fields not traditionally considered to be women's work.
"When an epidemic of physical disease starts to spread, the community approves and joins in a quarantine of the patients in order to protect the health of the community against the spread of the disease. . . . War is a contagion, whether it be declared or undeclared. It can engulf states and peoples remote from the original scene of hostilities. We are determined to keep out of war, yet we cannot insure ourselves against the disastrous effects of war and the dangers of involvement." —President Franklin Roosevelt, Quarantine speech, October 5, 1937 What sentence best expresses President Roosevelt's message?
No nation can be completely isolated from other nations.
D-Day refers to the American invasion of
Normandy
Which of these action is an example of checks and balances?
President Truman vetoed the Taft-Hartley Act
France was defeated by Germany
Quickly (several weeks)
The Rape of Nanking
Refers to the brutal treatment of Chinese civilians by Japanese soldiers
One consequence of World War II was that the United States
Remain deeply involved in world affairs
President Roosevelt created the War Refugee Board in 1944 to aid and rescue Jewish refugees. What other action, if taken, did some feel might have helped save more people?
Safe havens for Jewish refugees in other European countries.
Which of the following is INCORRECT: The Lend-Lease Act allowed the USA to
Secretly help fight the war against Germany without declaring war
During WWII, African Americans soldiers
Served in an all black unit of fighter pilots called the "Red Tails"
Which of the following illustrates the fact that the Allies approached Germany from all sides?
Seventeen million people died in battle, and an estimated 20 million civilians died as well some say even 60 million all together.—
The automobile and the expansion of roadway systems in the 1950s led to the growth of
Suburban areas
What led to the success of Operation Overlord? *
The Allies convinced Hitler that the invasion would happen in Calais, causing him to order important forces away from the invasion site at Normandy.
What was the result of the Battle of Britain?
The British air force rebuilt its strength.
What does the map suggest about the Soviet Union's role in World War II?
The Soviets suffered significant losses fighting Axis forces
Why didn't the West launch a military operation to end the Berlin blockade?
The distance from West Germany to Berlin would make a military operation difficult.
The Bataan Death March was
The march of POWs, who were bayoneted in the back for moving to slow
The rapid growth in personal income in the decade after World War II contributed to
expansion of the middle class
The GI Bill affected American society after World War II by
extending educational and housing opportunities
Why did Germany attack the Soviet Union, its former ally?
fear that the Soviet Union would support Britain
To address labor shortages during the war, Japan *
forced Korean and Chinese into becoming laborers.
The purpose of bombing cities in World War II was to
frighten civilians and weaken morale.
The United States carried on an "island-hopping campaign" in order to
get close enough to mainland Japan to take over.
Harry S. Truman authorized dropping the atomic bomb on Japan because
he thought an invasion would kill too many U.S. troops.
The immediate impact of the 1957 launch of Sputnik I was that it
heightened the space race as a form of Cold War competition
"The launching by the Soviet Union of the first earth satellite is an event of considerable technical and scientific importance. However, that importance should not be exaggerated. What has happened involves no basic discovery and the value of a satellite to mankind will for a long time be highly problematical. That the Soviet Union was first in this project is due to the high priority which the Soviet Union gives to scientific training and to the fact that since 1945 the Soviet Union has particularly emphasized developments in the fields of missiles and of outer space... The Soviets [have concentrated] upon developments in this field with a use of resources and effort not possible in time of peace to societies where the people are free to engage in pursuits of their own choosing and where public monies are limited by representatives of the people. Despotic societies which can command the activities and resources of all their people can often produce spectacular accomplishments. These, however, do not prove that freedom is not the best way." According to Dulles, why did the Soviets launch a satellite before the Americans?
Their government dictated that the necessary resources be utilized.
Hitler's main goal in the Battle of Britain was
To destroy the British air force
Why did the U.S. presence in Guam and the Philippines prior to the war create tension between Japan and America? *
U.S. presence threatened Japan's ability to establish itself as the most powerful nation in the region.
The 38th parallel was the basis of
a cease-fire in the conflict between North and South Korea.
The Neutrality Act of 1939 helped the Allies in World War II by
agreeing to sell arms to the Allies if they paid cash and transported them themselves.
The United States carried out the idea expressed in this late 1940s cartoon by. forming
airlifting supplies to West Berlin
Stalin's Five-Year Plans were intended to transform the Soviet Union into
an industrial society.
How did many citizens of Soviet-dominated countries in Eastern Europe interpret Khrushchev's talk of "peaceful co-existence" in the mid 1950s?
an opportunity to gain a degree of political autonomy
The National Defense Education Act was passed amidst fears that
arts were being funded more than science and math.
The "second front" on the beaches at Normandy in France allowed the Allies to
attack Germany from the west at the same time as from the east.
Which event led the United States to enter World War II?
bombing of Pearl Harbor
Secretary of State Dulles's approach to war can best be described as
brinkmanship
McCarthyism in the early 1950s resulted from
charges that Communists had infiltrated the United States government
The Truman Doctrine was established because of fears that
communism would spread to other countries.
". . . Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty. . . ." This statement by President Kennedy suggests a continued commitment to the foreign policy of
containment
The goal of President Harry Truman's Fair Deal was to
continue reforms begun during Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidency
Hitler was confident that the Western states that had signed the Treaty of Versailles would
not mobilize their militaries to enforce it.
The reasoning behind the U.S. military's island-hopping strategy was to
only engage enemy forces on islands that offered a direct route to Japan.
"You usually will know where the front is by the sound of gunfire, and that's the direction you should proceed. Now, suppose you lose a hand or an ear is shot off, or perhaps a piece of your nose, and you think you should walk back to get first aid. If I see you, it will be the last . . . walk you'll ever take." —General George S. Patton, Jr., addressing his junior officers Based on this quote, which word best describes General Patton?
persistent
The fact that 1950 saw the greatest increase in the production of televisions is an indication of
postwar prosperity.
Presidents Truman and Eisenhower both provided strong leadership in the 1940s and 1950s by
promoting social welfare programs while reducing defense budgets.
Which foreign policy decision by President Harry Truman is an example of the policy of containment?
providing military aid to Greece and Turkey
Before WWII, how did Joseph Stalin come to power?
purging people he thought were a threat.
Hitler's political theories were based on
racism and nationalism.
The Nazis encouraged radio listening because
radio could be used for political purposes.
The main foreign policy objective of the Marshall Plan (1948-1952) was to
rebuild the economies of European nations
Information provided by the graph indicates that the Marshall Plan tried to prevent the spread of communism in Europe by
restoring economic stability throughout Western Europe
The main goal of the Truman Doctrine was to
restrict the spread of communism.
The Smith Act was passed because of concerns that
some might advocate government overthrow.
The primary goal of the United States foreign policy of containment was to
stop communist influence from spreading
The Eisenhower administration transformed the American landscape forever by
strengthening national defense.
"The West has won! I say this quite deliberately in such a crass way because you wanted to know how I felt emotionally. The West—well, we have succeeded. And the West has won and the others have not!" In this text, Barowsky was discussing how the Berlin Airlift
succeeded in showing that the Soviet Union could be challenged.
This cartoon showing Hitler between two tanks was most likely drawn around the time of
the Allied invasion of Germany.
"The United States troops have done almost all the fighting and have suffered almost all the losses. They have suffered losses almost equal to those of both sides at the Battle of Gettysburg. . . . [it] will, I believe, be regarded as an ever-famous American victory. —Winston Churchill, Address to the House of Commons, January 18, 1945 In this address, Prime Minister Churchill is referencing
the Battle of the Bulge.
Which of the following had the biggest impact on post-war economic prosperity in the United States?
the GI Bill of Rights
"I saw more planes coming in, passing over Battleship Row dropping bombs. I remember very clearly what looked like a dive-bomber coming in over the Arizona and dropping a bomb. I saw that bomb go down through what looked like a stack, and almost instantly it cracked the bottom of the Arizona, blowing the whole bow loose. It rose out of the water and settled. I could see flames, fire, and smoke coming out of that ship, and I saw two men flying through the air and the fire, screaming as they went." —Corpsman James F. Anderson In this text, Corpsman Anderson is describing
the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
Why was the North African campaign so important to the Allies?
the Japanese moved into an offensive position.
Supporters of the Neutrality Act of 1939 believed that *
the United States should send aid the democracies of Europe.
The U.S. experience was quite different from that of the other major powers because
the United States was not fighting on its own territory.
Which event ended the war in the Pacific?
the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
The Battle of Stalingrad was a crushing defeat for Germany because
the entire Sixth Army, considered the best of the German troops, was lost.
"Soviet created Iron Curtain in Eastern Europe" "Mao Zedong Leads Successful Revolution in China" "North Korean Invasion of South Korea Leads to War" Which development is reflected in these headlines?
the post-World War II expansion of communism
During the Korean War, President Harry Truman removed General Douglas MacArthur from command because MacArthur
threatened the constitutional principle of civilian control of the military
"We have reached complete agreement as to the scope and timing of the operations to be undertaken from the east, west and south. The common understanding which we have here reached guarantees that victory will be ours. . . . No power on earth can prevent our destroying the German armies by land, their U Boats by sea, and their war planes from the air." —Declaration of the Three Powers, December 1, 1943 What was the purpose of this declaration, which was issued after a meeting of the leaders of the United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union?
to show that the Allies were unified in their efforts to defeat Germany
What was the primary challenge faced by Hispanic immigrants since the 1940s?
unfair treatment by employers
What was a key reason that the Allies were able to stop the German and the Japanese forces?
unity of purpose among the Allies
The Germans increased their workforce by
using slave labor from conquered countries.
Erwin Rommel, who led the German forces in northern Africa, later *
was charged with trying to assassinate Adolf Hitler.
What was the main factor that allowed military leaders to assume power in Japan in the 1930s?
weak economy
The first serious disagreements between the United States and the Soviet Union after World War II occurred over Soviet activities in
Eastern Europe.
The victims of the Holocaust included large numbers of *
European Jews.