World War II (1941-1945)

At the Potsdam Conference the "Big Three" determined that

Germany and Austria would be divided into four occupied zones.

Three countries that became very aggressive in the 1930s and 1940s were:

Germany, Italy & Japan

Which president decided to use the atomic bomb against Japan in WWII?

Harry S. Truman

How did the Neutrality Act of 1937 limit Franklin D. Roosevelt's capacity to intervene in the affairs of other countries?

He could no longer provide foreign aid to a country at war unless the nations were able to pay cash and carry the products away on non-American vessels.

How did Roosevelt provide aid early on in the war between Japan and China without violating the U.S. Neutrality Act?

He transported fighter planes to China.

What was President Roosevelt prepared to do concerning the United States and Japan?

Impose stringent economic sanctions

The United States began preparation to enter WWII by

Instituting a peacetime draft

What was the impact of President Roosevelt's executive order 8802?

It created the Fair Employment Practices Committee which sought to eliminate discrimination in defense industries.

Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt signed executive order 9066. What did this order do?

It gave the army the ability to remove people from military areas to prevent sabotage or espionage.

Why is the D-Day Battle significant?

It led to the liberation of western Europe

What was the Munich Pact?

It was a meeting that allowed Hitler to take Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia

In the summer of 1943, "zoot suit riots" broke out in Los Angeles. Following a clash between Mexican American youth and White servicemen, Sailors from the US Naval reserve marched through the street with clubs, attacking anyone wearing a zoot suit. Why was this particular article of clothing a flash point for the riots?

It was known as a "badge of delinquency" and was seen as flaunting war-time rationing

What was the result of the U.S. embargo on war materials going to Japan?

Japan launched invasions across the Pacific to secure rubber, oil, and steel.

In September 1931, an explosion tore up a Japanese-owned railway in Manchuria. This became known as the Manchurian Incident. What statement best describes the impact of that incident?

Japan launched the attack on themselves as a ruse that allowed them to justify an invasion of Manchuria.

What best describes island hopping?

Taking the Pacific, island by island, to get closer to Japan.

The cooperation between the United States and the Soviet Union during World War II supports the idea that

alliances are built on mutual self-interest

Based on the U.S. Bill of Rights and the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a political activist who published a critique of their government must be

allowed to do so.

Operation Overlord was significant

because it paved the way for an Allied victory on the Western Front.

Japan, Germany, and Italy shared the same ideological enemy. What was this enemy?

communism

Once American bombers were in range of the mainland, they deployed which strategy to spare bomber crews and achieve maximum effect?

deploying incendiary weapons

Adolf Hitler's policies led Germany toward World War II by advocating for

fascism, military expansion, and racial supremacy.

Between World War I and World War II, most Americans believed that the United States should follow a foreign policy that emphasized:

neutrality and isolation

While the United Nations advocates for human rights and freedoms of all individuals, according to the NSDAP 1920 platform, an individual's rights were determined by his/her

religion, race, and citizenship.

The Atlantic Charter set out America and Great Britain's aims for a postwar world. What goals were explicitly stated in the charter?

self-determination, self-governance, and free trade

The production of armaments in the U.S. had already been on the rise in 1941 as a result of ________ , which allowed the U.S. to supply its allies with weapons and other war materials.

the Cash and Carry policy and Lend-Lease program

The increase in the number of Mexican Americans employed in the U.S. during WWII resulted from

wartime labor shortages

In the Holocaust, the Nazis murdered Roma (gypsies), Blacks, political opponents, Jehovah's Witnesses, prisoners of war, persons from the LGBTQ community, and Jews. Ultimately, ________ of Europe's Jewish population was killed.

⅔

What is the definition of fascism?

A political ideology that focuses on national unity, militarism, loyalty, and Social Darwinism.

How did the employment demands of WWII affect the migration patterns for African-Americans in the United States?

African Americans moved out of the South to cities in the West and North to take jobs in the defense industry.

During WWII, three nations formed an alliance known as "the Big Three." What were those three nations?

America, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union

The United States dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima to force a quick end to the war and prevent more American soldiers from dying. Historians are less clear on why the United States decided to deploy a second atomic bomb. What is one possible reason?

As a show of force to Stalin

The ________ was a technical victory for the Japanese, but a strategic victory for the Allies. It marked the first time in the Pacific campaign that a Japanese naval advance was turned back.

Battle of the Coral Sea

Which Pacific Theater battle was a major naval conflict that debilitated the Imperial Japanese Navy's ability to conduct large-scale operations?

Battle of the Philippine Sea

Why did the United States decide to drop the atomic bomb rather than invade Japan with soldiers?

Because it was estimated that as many as 250,000 soldiers would die in an invasion

Which of the following is an example of a policy of appeasement in the years leading up to World War II?

Britain and France allowing Germany to occupy a portion of Czechoslovakia

The economic and industrial demands of World War II led to dramatic shifts in employment patterns in the United States. Which of the following regions saw a boom in employment and population during World War II?

California and the West Coast

Which famous American General and later President helped plan and execute the battle of D-Day?

Dwight D. Eisenhower

What was the result of the hard conditions placed on Germany by the Treaty of Versailles?

Economic and political instability

How did the Treaty of Versailles contribute to the rise of fascism and totalitarianism leading up to World War II?

Mussolini and Hitler capitalized on deep-seated resentment toward the treaty and the allies.

Which of the following factors contributed to the rise in fascism in Europe in the years preceding World War II?

Post-war recession and economic turmoil

The "Big Three" met following the surrender of Germany to outline how they would rebuild a battered Europe in the ________ conference.

Potsdam

Which one of the following actions taken by Franklin D. Roosevelt bagan moving the United States from isolation to intervention?

The Lend-Lease Act

Which was the hardest fought and bloodiest battle, as well as the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific Theater? American forces finally prevailed during this battle at the cost of 17,000 American lives.

The Battle of Okinawa

The immediate effect of the Lend-Lease program was the

The United States provided critical aid to Great Britain and the Soviet Union

Where were most of the Japanese internment camps?

The West Coast

What did the Big Three agree to at the Yalta Conference?

The communist government in Poland would remain until elections; Russia would enter the war against Japan.

In 1942, Senior German government officials met in Berlin for the Wannsee Conference. There, they came up with what they called "the Final Solution to the Jewish Problem." What was the policy they developed?

The complete extermination of the Jewish population in Europe.

Which of the following is not mentioned in the NSDAP platform but is included in both the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the U.S. Bill of Rights?

The right to a fair and public trial

What primary advantage did the U.S. have at the battle of Midway?

They knew the attack was coming.

Why did the United States Government allow women to participate in WWII?

They needed more labor to contribute to the war effort

What were CORE's goals and contributions to the war effort?

To give the United States the moral high ground by eliminating racism

The Holocaust began as early as 1933 and continued until the allies liberated Europe in 1945. What was the first step of Hitler's extermination program for Europe's Jews?

To isolate Jews from civil society

Why were Japanese internment camps created?

To prevent sabotage and espionage in military areas.

Women served in many roles in the military—for the first time they were enlisted to serve in the Navy, the Army, the Coast Guard, and the Air Force. Although the roles they took were not combat roles, they paved the way for future women to serve more fully in the U.S. armed forces. What were the women pilots called who flew airplanes from factories to military bases (at great personal risk)?

WASPs

How did WWII affect employment opportunities for Black women?

While there were new job opportunities, Black women still faced racism and segregation.