World War II Unit Test
What was the purpose of the ghettos created by the Nazis?
Hitler hoped the Jewish families inside would starve or die of disease.
What caused the Zoot Suit Riots in Los Angeles during WWII
-Mexican-American youth fashion -discrimination against Mexican Americans -influx of many white servicemen to Los Angeles
What were the terms of the agreement reached at the Yalta Conference?
-The Soviets would allow free elections in Eastern Europe. -The Soviets would join the United Nations. -The Soviets would help the U.S. against Japan.
How were American women affected by WWII?
-Women were forced to give up their factory jobs after the war. -Women were employed as clerical white collar workers in large numbers. -Women gained valuable work experience and confidence in the labor market
How did science and technology play a significant role in the outcome of WWII?
-atomic bomb -penicillin -sonar
What key provisions were included in the Nuremberg Laws?
-denied German citizenship to Jews -banned marriage between Jews and non-Jews -segregated Jews at every level of society
What was the significance of the Declaration of Human Rights?
-right to an adequate standard of living -denounces slavery and torture -rights of freedom of speech and religion
Why were the Jews and others targeted by the Nazis for extermination during the Holocaust?
-to preserve the racial purity of the Aryan people -to eliminate all inferior or "degenerate" races -to prevent other races from having children with Aryans
What accomplishment or feature of the 442nd regimental combat team made it one of the most unique units during World War II?
-was completely made up of Japanese Americans. -the most decorated military unit in U.S. history. -were involved in the Lost Battalion rescue, one of the most significant ground battles in WWII.
What made the 99th Pursuit Squadron, also known as the Tuskegee Airmen, a unique combat unit in World War II?
-was the first all-black combat air squadron in the Army Air Corps. -showed exceptional skill and bravery and were respected legends in their own time. -was among the most decorated air units in WWII.
How did George Marshall contribute to the Allied victory?
As Army Chief of Staff he led American mobilization efforts.
What battle was the major turning point in the war against the Japanese in the Pacific?
Battle of Midway
What was the significance of the Casablanca meeting?
Churchill and Roosevelt met to discuss invasions of Italy and France as well accepting only an unconditional surrender from the Axis powers.
Who led the Third Army into Paris to liberate the city from German occupation?
George Patton
Why was the Battle of the Atlantic so important for both sides in World War II?
German U-boats threatened to stop crucial American supplies to England and the Soviet Union.
What was the significance of Operation Torch?
It was the first significant action of inexperienced American troops against the Germans in North Africa
What was significant about the Battle of the Bulge?
It was the last great German offensive of the war and slowed the Allied invasion of Germany
Where did the Allies decide to attack after their victory in North Africa?
Italy
Why was the battle of Iwo Jima important to America's overall strategy in the Pacific?
Iwo Jima had airstrips that the Allies needed in order to bomb the mainland of Japan
Early in World War II, which enemy did Allied leaders decide that they had to defeat first?
Nazi Germany
How were Nazi leaders held accountable for their war crimes after the war?
Nuremberg Trials (hanged or long prison sentences)
What were the main reasons for President Truman authorizing the use of newly developed atomic weapons against Japan?
President Truman feared the cost in U.S. casualties during a surface invasion of Japan
How did the Atlantic Charter further lend support to Great Britain without bringing the United States into World War II?
The Atlantic Charter formerly established common goals and a desire for collective security between the United States and General Britain
"Yesterday, December 7, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy...." -President Franklin Roosevelt, December 8, 1941 What was President Roosevelt referring to in his speech?
The Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor
What was the significance of the Battle of Corral Sea?
The Japanese were stopped in their drive to Australia.
What was the significance of Kristallnacht?
The Nazis demonstrated that they were ready to escalate violence against the Jews
What was the significance of the Battle of Stalingrad?
The Soviet victory proved to be the turning point in the fighting on the Eastern Front.
What was the difference between strategic and saturation bombing?
The U.S. employed strategic bombing to increase accuracy while the British used saturation bombing to minimize bomber losses.
How did the World War II expansion of the domestic manufacturing and supply industries increase racial tensions in the northern United States?
The mass immigration of southern blacks caused occasional race riots in northern U.S. cities, which were predominantly white.
How did Japanese kamikaze or suicide missions, influence the American decision on whether to invade Japan?
They made American leaders choose an option to end the war quickly without an invasion.
What effect did the economic mobilization of the United States for WWII have on the population of the United States?
U.S. citizens moved from the south to the northern and western United States to take newly available war industry factory jobs.
Why were Jews unable to leave Germany before the beginning of WWII?
Western democracies became increasingly unwilling to accept them.
How did the formation of the Women's Army Corps contribute to the war effort?
Women filled valuable non-combat support roles, freeing more men to serve in combat.
Why was the invasion of Normandy so important to the Allies during World War II?
after years of war, British and American soldiers would invade France and begin their march toward Germany
Why did the U.S. Congress pass a series of neutrality acts beginning in August 1935?
because of American antiwar sentiments
How were Japanese attempts to create an empire prior to World War II in direct conflict with U.S. goals?
conflict with America trying to maintain an open trade policy in Asia
What was the goal of the "Cash and Carry" provision of the Neutrality Act of 1939?
designed to sell arms to friendly European nations for cash as a means of direct support without involving the United States in open conflict.
What was the purpose of the Manhattan Project?
develop atomic weapons for the U.S. military
What contribution was made by the Navajo Code Talkers to the war effort?
developed and memorized a secret code using the Navajo language to use it to send critical messages from island to island; code was never broken by the Japanese
What was the purpose of the War Production Board (WPB) during World War II?
ensuring consumers had enough resources during the war
What was the significance of the Supreme Court case Korematsu vs. United States?
government to place limitations on civil liberties
What specific economic leverage did President Roosevelt attempt to exploit during his foreign policy dealings with Japan?
instituted an embargo of key supplies like oil and steel.
How did the U.S. use the island hopping strategy to push Japan back?
invade selected islands, bypass other,s and neutralize remaining enemy troops with air power
Why was rationing used during World War II by the federal government?
provide more resources for the military.
Why were Japanese nationals and Japanese American citizens denied their due process rights and sent to internment camps in the western United States?
racism and national security concerns
What were the major reasons for Japan's attack on the United States in the twentieth century?
the fear that the United States would militarily force Japan to withdraw from China
What was the ultimate goal of the "final solution" implemented by the Nazi regime?
to eliminate all inferior people in Europe and preserve Aryan racial purity
What was the main reason for the United States oil embargo on Japan?
to halt Japan's aggression in Asia
What was the purpose of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade?
to lower tariff barriers and increase world trade
What was the Lend-Lease Act?
to provide the Allies with assistance while maintaining U.S. neutrality
