WWII Study Guide Answers

Why did Japan surrender when it did?

August 15, 1945 VJ (Victory in Japan) Officially ends the war Didn't want any more bombings more mass killings

Hiroshima

August 6, 1945 60,000 civilians killed

Nagasaki

August 9, 1945 35,000 civilians killed

Operation Torch

British / US invasion of North Africa Started the european war

Selective Service Act

Build up of Army Cut military spending during GD FDRs way to draft soldiers before and during war

Adolf Hitler:

Created Nazi Party Prolific Speaker Mein Kampf "My Struggle" Written in prison Political Ideology Anti-Semitic: prejudice against Jews Appointed Chancellor in 1933 Crushed all opposition

Benito Mussolini:

Creates the Fascist Party 1922: Leads a march on Rome to overthrow the govt. Says he will get back the roman empire Gives the people hope Outlawed political parties, liberalism, and kept a firm grip on the country

Pearl Harbor

December 7, 1941 Japanese air force attack US Pacific Fleet 2,500 people killed Navy heavily damaged

Why did the United States declare neutrality at the outbreak of WWI? Why was this position criticized by many interventionists?

Declared Neutrality: depression, didn't want to get involved This was criticized because they felt we needed to protect our ally

Manhattan Project *what was alternative?

Developed the atomic bomb 15 kilotons of TNT Alternative: Invading Japs, but there would have been 11 mil casualties

Theaters of Operation

Different fronts where war was fought North Africa Europe Pacific (Asia) Japan gain control of Philippines and major islands in Pacific ocean

Operation Fortitude

Dummy tanks made of balloons to trick the Germans where we were attacking

Why did democracy fail in many European countries following WWI?

Economic crisis, racial instability, defects in constitution, no popular statesmen

"Arsenal for Democracy"

FDR views Germany as a direct threat and make the world safe Selective Service Act Build up of Army Lend Lease Act America can give aid to nations preserving democracy Britain can buy weapons from U.S. on loan Cost: $50 billion

Weimar Republic:

Failed, weak Germany in the middle of economic depression (hyperinflation) hitler over threw it

Neutrality Acts

Forbid the U.S. from getting involved not picking sides

Axis Powers:

Germany Italy Japan *fascists

What did FDR mean by an, "Arsenal for Democracy?"

Germany direct threat US makes the world safe Selective Service Act Lend Lease Act

What event was the official start of WWII?

Germany invades Poland

Operation Barbarossa (1941)

Germany invades Russia US, GB, and Russia allies

Appeasement

Giving in to keep peace

Totalitarianism

Government where one leader/party controls economic, social and cultural lives of the people

Allies:

Great Britain, France, USA (1941), Russia(1941)

Atomic Bomb

Hiroshima August 6, 1945 60,000 civilians killed Nagasaki August 9, 1945 35,000 civilians killed Japan surrenders August 15, 1945 VJ (Victory in Japan Officially ends the war

Why did Stalin/Soviet Union become an Allied power?

Hitler invaded the USSR (barbarosa) and tried to capture Stalingrad

Battle of Stalingrad

Humiliation for Hitler Hilter tried to obtain Russia by getting to the capital, but his troops could not survive in the harsh weather

Why did Truman ultimately decide to drop the bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki?

Japanese fight until they win

Operation Overlord/D-Day/Invasion of Normandy

June 6, 1944 First American British invasion of Europe Invade at Normandy Beach Goal was to free France 4,000 Allie troops killed August 1944 Paris freed from Germany

Yalta Conference

Meeting between Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin to discuss plans for postwar Europe Authorized atomic bomb Creation of United Nations (UN) International organization for the preservation of peace

Tehran Conference

Meeting between allies to destroy hitler US and GB would launch full invasion in Europe USSR would then fight in the Pacific

Battle of Midway

Naval battle in the pacific United States victory Turning point of war heavily impacted jap navy

Why did many nations, including the United States use the policy of appeasement in response to German/fascist aggression?

No one is harmed, prevents war, we were in economic depression

Isolationism

No war Great Depression, WWI death tolls Neutrality Acts European conflict

Island Hopping

Seizing selected Japanese islands in the pacific while ignoring others

Why did many people follow radical leaders (Mussolini/Hitler) following WWI?

Sense of hope, fear, last resort, stability

Why did Stalin pressure the United States/Great Britain to open up a second front in Europe?

Stalin was doing all the ground fighting, and America and Great Britain were only doing air attacks

Describe why the following battles were important. stalingrad midway d-day operation torch

Stalingrad: Humiliation for Hitler Midway: Turning point in the Pacific War D-Day/Normandy: The start of the allied troops moving in from the West Operation Torch: was the first time the British and Americans had jointly worked on an invasion plan together.

St. Louis

The St. Louis sailed to Cuba with approximately 900 Jews Turned away from Cuba Headed to the US Because the refugees had not been able to secure necessary documents before leaving, and because of strict immigration laws, US government denied entry to the refugees Forced them to return to Europe Many ended up dying in the concentration camps

Why did the Japanese attack the U.S. at Pearl Harbor?

They wanted total control of all islands in the pacific they wanted to destroy the US naval and air fleets

Why was the Nazi occupation of France important to America?

This turned it into a single front war and America felt they had to help GB, which was the only democracy fighting Hitler. If the occupied GB, then we felt that we were next.

Fascism

Total control of people The needs of the state are more important than the individual Often uses violence Often celebrated: there is strong and then there is the weak Strong must get away the weak

What are the major characteristics of a totalitarian state?

Total control of the military Total control over means of communication (propaganda, News) Police control with the use of terror as a control tactic Control of the economy

VJ Day

Victory of Japan Day September 2

Why did the United States and the rest of the world decide to take very little Jewish refugees?

We did not want to become a target of germany, we didnt want the jews either, Wasn't enough jobs for everyone, economy was bad so we couldn't support immigrants, depression

Why did the U.S. decide to concentrate the bulk of its forces in Europe first?

We wanted to help great britain

Why did the U.S. government decide to intern Japanese citizens during WWII?

We were paranoid at war and the Japanese were easily recognized. Russians and Germans blended in more

Evian Conference

Worldwide meeting called by FDR Was intended to find locations/countries for Jews to emigrate to Despite voicing sympathy, most countries made excuses for not accepting refugees

How did Hitler and Mussolini take their countries out of economic depressions?

building public works projects and weapons/vehicles helped employment rate and debt

Joseph Stalin

communist leader of soviets Gained land for the Soviet union in Eastern Europe Created a buffer zone of communist governments

Kamikaze

suicide pilots

Describe the progression of fascist aggression

taking over neighboring countries to expand themselves, bring themselves happiness and resources

How was Hitler/Mussolini able to rise to power?

they gave their people hope of being a world power when they were suffering in the depression and failing with democracy

Why would many see this as unavoidable?

they would have gained all control of the Pacific They wanted to complete destroy the US naval and air fleet Unavoidable because they wanted to take control of China and get oil

How did the Treaty of Versailles attempt to prevent another global war? Why was it not successful?

treaty of versailles attempted to prevent another war by creating the league of nations but it didn't work because not enough countries, like the US, joined. It was supposed to limit german military power and fuel democracy Germans wanted revenge and democracy failed with the GD

Interventionist

yes war (FDR)

The Holocaust

1933-1945 The German government's systematic persecution and murder of Europe's Jews Murdered millions of other people who were considered politically, racially, or socially fit 6 million Jewish deaths 14 million total included prisoners, Jehovah's, Witnesses, Gypsies, Homosexuals, people with disabilities, etc..

Tripartite Pact

Alliance with Germany and Italy Influenced our decision to cut trade

What was the purpose of the Lend-Lease Act?

America can give aid to nations preserving democracy Britain can buy weapons from U.S. on loan The purpose was to aid GB without getting involved in the war

Lend-Lease Act

America can give aid to nations preserving democracy Britain can buy weapons from U.S. on loan Cost: $50 billion

Harry S. Truman

President after Roosevelt Commander and Chief when war ended (atomic bomb)

Franklin D. Roosevelt

President of the United States during the war

Japanese Internment

Put all the Japanese in camps because of nationwide paranoia They were easily recognized