WWII Test

Which American group(s) supported the Japanese? a. The American Civil Liberties Union b. The American Federation of Labor c. The American Rights Union d. None of the above

A

Name some key points about Adolf Hitler.

Adolf Hitler was a German dictator from 1933-1945. He formed the Nazi party, and while he was in rule, the government controlled the Press, Religion, and Schools. He was an expansionist and believed that the only way to become more powerful in Germany was to expand and take over other countries. He wanted to create a master race. and in doing so, created the Jewish Holocaust, killing 11,000,000 people systematically with concentration camps. He built up his army and invaded other nations during this time.

What were the Dutch East Indies?

All you really need to know what that they were islands originally settled by the Dutch. It entered the war as a minor Allied power. This area is where the U.S. thought that Japan was going to attack instead of Pearl Harbor.

Who were the Allied Powers in WWII? Who were the Axis Powers?

Allied Powers: -United States -Britain -Soviet Union Axis Powers: -Germany -Japan -Italy

The three states where Japanese-Americans were excluded ("exclusion area") were a. Washington, Nevada, Oregon b. California, Oregon, Washington c. California, Texas, Florida d. Washington, Montana, Colorado

B

What was the Japanese reason for declaring war on China in 1937?

Basically, Japan had a lot of internal problems. The country was densely populated (demographic issue) and wanted a Pacific Empire (imperialism). It also needed resources and living space. Japanese invaded Manchuria also for its natural resources such as iron and coal. The League of Nations and the United States condemned these attacks on neighboring nations to Japan.

By as early as December 11, 1941 (four days after Pearl Harbor), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had a. Detained over 10,000 Japanese-Americans, German-Americans and Italian-Americans on the basis of them posing a threat b. Detained only those Japanese who were not citizens and had not been convicted of a crime c. Detained 1,370 Japanese-Americans classified as "dangerous enemy aliens" d. Detained only the Japanese on the West Coast that were not U.S. citizens

C

According to the article we read on Japanese internment, supporters of internment justified it for all of the following reasons except: a. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, which destroyed many of the battleships that would have protected the West Coast, the entire coast was vulnerable to invasion by Japan b. There was a strong risk that Japanese Americans would place their allegiance with Japan, aiding Japan in an invasion of the United States c. Military necessity d. The Japanese were an inferior race

D

Many Japanese took the federal government to the Supreme Court during the 1940s because of internment issues. Which of the following decisions did the Supreme Court issue at the time? a. The court freed all Japanese prisoners as a result of the court cases b. The courts ruled that the U.S. government violated the Bill of Rights and they formally apologized for interning them c. Curfews targeting racial groups was not justified in a time of war d. Internment was Constitutional

D

Which of the following statements about Japanese living conditions is false? a. Internees were housed in hastily-constructed, barracks-style buildings b. Families lived in one-room apartments, with the only furnishings being cots, blankets, and a light bulb c. The Internees shared communal toilet, nothing, laundry and dining facilities d. Japanese children did not have access to school e. None of the above

D

Opponents of internment made all of the following arguments except: a. Incarcerating the West Coast Japanese population took a huge amount of resources and manpower, which could have been better utilized in other areas of the war effort b. The government showered no great haste to get the Japanese relocated c. The Japanese-Americans did not pose a threat because there were not examples of disloyalty and sabotage d. The United States was violating the very liberties it was fighting in World War II to protect e. None of the above

E

Who was Franklin D. Roosevelt?

Franklin D. Roosevelt in World War II. Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945) was the 32nd President of the United States and the only chief executive to be elected to more than two terms in office. Roosevelt held the presidency from 1934-1945, leading the United States through the Great Depression and World War II.

Harry S. Truman was who?

He was the man who took over the White House and finished up WWII after Roosevelt died in 1945 from a cerebral hemorrhage

What was Iwo Jima?

Iwo Jima was the first U.S. attack on Japanese homeland. The U.S. hoped to use the land as a base for Operation Downfall (November of 1945). The American losses at the uninhabited island of Iwo Jima exceeded the Japanese, though both sides fought fiercely. Iwo Jima became a fuel station for B-39 Bombers. This was known as the bloodiest battle in U.S. marine history.

Who was Benito Mussolini?

Mussolini was the Fascist Leader of Italy from 1922-1943. He believed in censorship and made Italy a one-party state. He was an expansionist who believed that to gain more power, he had to expand and take over other countries. One of the other countries taken over by Mussolini was Ethiopia, which was invaded in 1936. Mussolini was allies with Hitler.

What was the Battle of the Bulge?

The Battle of the Bulge was the German counter-offensive. It was the bloodiest battle for U.S. troops (19,000 killed). It was a desperate effort by Hitler to turn the tides of the war and start winning. It went from December of 1944 to January of 1945. Basically after this battle, Allied victory was certain.

What was the Battle of Okinawa?

This battle lasted 82 days. Okinawa is approximately 340 miles from the mainland Japan. It was used as a base for Operation Downfall (planned invasion of Japan before the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs were dropped). Approximately 100,000 civilians were killed because unlike Iwo Jima, Okinawa was an inhabited island. Kamikaze attacks intensified/increased during the battle of Okinawa. Basically Japanese fighter planes would purposefully crash land into important U.S. assets; the pilots committed suicide in the doings but worked to destroy many American assets. This battle lasted from April to June of 1945.

What was V-E day?

V-E Day was May 8th, 1945. V-E stands for Victory in Europe. Basically Berlin was captured by the Allies from the West and by the Soviets from the East (final strep in Allied victory in Europe). We were going to kill Hitler at this point. Before we reached Berlin, however, Hitler committed suicide.

How many U.S. casualties (approximately) were there in the entire war?

~400,000 casualties

WWII lasted from ______ to __________. The United States got involved in ______.

1939-1945, with the U.S. becoming involved in 1941

The 10 internment camps were all in remote locations including some Native American reservations. They were located in the following states: a. Colorado, Wyoming, Arkansas, California, Idaho, Arizona, and Utah b. Utah, Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Florida, Hawaii c. California, Oregon, Washington, Texas, Utah, Arizona, Mississippi, Ohio d. Wyoming, Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, Idaho, Arizona, Oregon, and Utah

A

According to the article we read about Japanese internment, when the Japanese were interned, they responded in all of the following ways except: a. They occasionally violated imposed curfews b. They offered little resistance to relocation c. In many cases, they physically resisted relocation d. The Japanese displayed very little disobedience

C

How did Eleanor Roosevelt (first lady of the United States) justify Japanese internment? a. There was no time to investigate individual families b. In a time of war, the U.S. could not adhere strictly to the belief that man us innocent until he is proven guilty c. Both A and B d. None of the above

C

In early 1944, the government declared that all ethnic Japanese who were U.S. citizens could a. Return to their homes b. Go back to Japan c. Become eligible for the U.S. military draft d. None of the above

C

In the late 20th century, which of the following did the U.S. government do to surviving victims of Japanese-internment? a. Allowed them to return to their homes b. Offered each of the families annual payments of $300,000 c. Issued a formal apology d. Paid for their travel for them to return to their homeland

C

The attack on Pearl Harbor sparked widespread fears among the American public and some members of the government that Japan's next move would be to a. Fully invade Hawaii b. Attack Alaska's Aleutian Islands c. Attack the U.S. mainland and West Coast d. None of the above

C

According to opponents of the Japanese internment, interning American citizens of Japanese descent without any evidence that they have committed or intend to commit a crime- based solely on their race- violates a. The Constitution's Fifth Amendment guarantee that no person shall be "deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law." b. The Fourteenth Amendment, which gives all persons, regardless of race, equal protection under the law. Put simply, loyalty cannot be judged on race. c. The First Amendment's "right to assemble" clause d. Both A and B

D

Japanese internment took place from a. 1934-1936 b. 1946-1948 c. 1938-1940 d. 1942-1944

D

Who was the President during WWII?

Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the President during WWII, but he died in office in 1945 and Truman took over and was the president until the end of the war.

What was Pearl Harbor? Give some general details about it.

Just before 8 A.M. on December 7th, 1941, hundreds of Japanese fighter planes attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor near Honolulu, Hawaii. The entire barrage lasted only about 2 hours, but the results were devastating. The Japanese destroyed: -20 American naval vessels (8 enormous battleships) -More than 300 airplanes The Japanese killed: -More than 2000 American soldiers and sailors -1000 wounded from the attack The day after Pearl Harbor occurred, President of the United States, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, asked Congress to declare war on Japan, and Congress almost unanimously supported this response. Three days after the U.S. started war with Japan, Japanese allies Germany and Italy declared war on the United States due to the TRIPARTITE ACT. More than two years into the conflict, America had finally joined WWII.

Was Pearl Harbor the expected location for attack?

No one believed that the Japanese would start the war with an attack on American territory. For one thing, America and Japan are almost on opposite sides of the globe, making it difficult for Japan to reach a place like Hawaii. American officials were confident that the attack would occur on nearby European colonies in the South Pacific (the Dutch East Indies, Singapore, or Indochina). Because no one was expecting Pearl Harbor to be attacked, the naval facilities at Pearl Harbor were virtually undefended. It was the perfect place for Japan to destroy.

Who was Joseph Stalin?

Stalin was the communist dictator of the Soviet Union from 1924-1953. He killed approximately 8,000,000-13,000,000 Soviets in his Great Purge. He was an ally of the United States during WWII on the Allied Powers (against the Axis Powers, made up of Germany, Italy, and Japan). He was a communist (believed in sharing the wealth; everyone receives the same possessions so that the difference between the rich and the poor class is small).

What did the Tripartite Act state?

The Tripartite Act stated that Germany, Italy, and Japan were allies. It stated in Article III that they are to co-operate by assisting each other with all political, economic, and military means when one of the three contracting powers is attacked by a power at present not involved in the European war or the Chinese-Japanese conflict (remember that America was trying to be isolationist and neutral at the beginning of the war, so they had not joined yet. When they did, this put the Tripartite Act into motion, forcing Germany and Italy to declare war on the United States merely three days after the United States declared war on Japan for the Pearl Harbor attack/previous reasons).

What do we mean when we say that the United States was an isolationist country during the beginning of WWII?

The United States did not want to become involved in WWII. We wanted to stay "isolated" from war.

What was the Battle of Midway?

The battle of Midway was six months after Pearl Harbor. It was the Allies' first major victory against the Japanese. It occurred in June 1942. It sunk 4 Japanese carriers, which was 80% of what they had since their economy was so terrible and unstable. It limited Japan's ability to launch another major offensive against anyone. It was a key victory because if the Japanese owned the Midway Islands, they would be able to continually assault Pearl Harbor or force America to retreat because the islands were so close to the American mainland. We fought so fiercely in the Pacific Theater island battles because we needed more bases and we needed to gain strength as a country through owning more land and having more access to other parts of the world through "island hopping".

In the 1930's, why was the United States not involved in the war?

The biggest reason was that the United States was still in the midst of the Great Depression, the lowest economic state of American history. We were not economically stable enough to support a war if we could not even support our own citizens.

What is the justification for the atomic bomb?

The fighting was getting really fierce between the countries. The only way to end the fighting without it taking months/years was the use the atomic bomb to get the job done in a way that soldiers could not.

What was the Battle of Stalingrad?

The location was the Southwest Soviet Union. The Battle of Stalingrad was a key Soviet victory in which approximately 2 million were wounded, killed, or went missing. The Soviets turned the Nazis back from descending upon the Soviet Union, and were now on the offensive instead of defensive.

Was Pearl Harbor a complete surprise to the Americans, or could it be expected?

The physical attack of Pearl Harbor was completely unexpected, but the United States had been on the edge of war with Japan for quite some time. The United States did not like that the Japanese were becoming more and more hostile to China. The Japanese government held the belief that the only way to solve all of its economic/demographic problems would be to expand into its neighbor's territory and take over its import market. Because of this effort, Japan had declared war on China back in 1937. The United States did not support this aggression, so we hit Japan with economic sanctions and trade embargoes. We reasoned that without access to money or goods, especially important supplies such as oil, Japan would have to stop its expansion. Instead, the sanctions and embargoes only strengthened Japanese fury. Neither side (the U.S. or Japan) would budge on the matter, driving us closer and closer to war.

What was Hiroshima and Nagasaki?

This was considered the event that ended WWII for good. It was after firebombing raids that had started in June of 1944, by which approximately 500,000 were killed. The war in Europe was over in May, but the Manhattan Project (July 16) meant that we had an atomic bomb now and we planned to use it on Japan. Before we used it we gave Japan a final chance by making the Postdam Declaration in which we demanded unconditional surrender. Japan didn't want this, so we dropped the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. 242,000 people died (liked 95% civilians). August 10th- Japan surrendered. The bomb supposedly saved millions of people from dying if the fighting dragged on and the United States invaded Japan itself without the bomb. In February of 1945, the Allied powers got together and Stalin agreed that 90 days after V-E day, he would enter the war in Asia. Victory in Europe was on May 8th of 1945, and that means the Soviets should have joined on August 8th. We bombed on the 6th without telling Stalin about the bombs. Some say we didn't want Stalin to get spoils of war or share them with us. We didn't really trust the Soviets (we still don't really trust them today).