Key Terms Chapter 32/33

London Economic Conference (1933)

An international meeting aimed at combating the Great Depression by stabilizing currency exchange rates.

Good Neighbor Policy (1933)

U.S. foreign policy under Franklin D. Roosevelt to improve relations with Latin America by renouncing armed intervention.

Neutrality Acts (1935, 1936, 1937)

A series of laws passed by the U.S. to avoid involvement in foreign wars by restricting arms sales and loans to nations at war.

Quarantine Speech (1937)

Speech by President Franklin D. Roosevelt advocating for a 'quarantine' of aggressor nations to prevent the spread of war.

Appeasement

Policy pursued by Britain and France which allowed Hitler to annex parts of Czechoslovakia in hopes of avoiding war.

Hitler-Stalin Non-Aggression Pact (1939)

A treaty agreeing that Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union would not attack each other, secretly dividing Eastern Europe.

Neutrality Act of 1939

Revised earlier neutrality laws to allow 'cash-and-carry' sales of arms to belligerents, favoring Allied nations.

America First Committee (1940)

Isolationist group opposing U.S. entry into WWII, arguing for neutrality and non-intervention.

Lend-Lease Bill (1941)

U.S. program to supply Allied nations with war materials on the basis of lending or leasing, marking a step away from neutrality.

Atlantic Charter (1941)

Joint declaration by Roosevelt and Churchill outlining post-war goals including self-determination, free trade, and disarmament.

Pearl Harbor (1941)

Surprise Japanese attack on the U.S. naval base in Hawaii, prompting the United States to enter WWII.

Francisco Franco

Spanish military dictator who led Nationalist forces during the Spanish Civil War and ruled Spain until 1975.

Adolf Hitler

Leader of Nazi Germany responsible for initiating WWII and orchestrating the Holocaust.

Benito Mussolini

Fascist leader of Italy and ally of Nazi Germany during WWII.

Cordell Hull

U.S. Secretary of State known for promoting trade agreements and helping establish the United Nations.

Wendell Willkie

Republican candidate who ran against Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1940 presidential election.

Executive Order 9066 (1942)

Authorized the forced relocation and internment of Japanese Americans during WWII.

War Production Board (WPB)

Agency overseeing the conversion of industries to wartime production.

Office of Price Administration (OPA)

Controlled inflation and rationed essential goods during WWII.

National War Labor Board (NWLB)

Mediated disputes between workers and employers to prevent strikes during the war.

WACs, WAVES, & SPARs

Women’s military organizations during WWII, including Women's Army Corps and Coast Guard Women’s Reserve.

Bracero Program (1942-1964)

Agreement bringing Mexican laborers to work in agriculture and railroads during the war.

Congress of Racial Equality (CORE)

Civil rights organization advocating for nonviolent resistance to segregation and racial injustice.

Code Talkers

Native American servicemen who used their language for secure military communication.

Battle of Midway (1942)

Decisive naval battle that turned the tide in favor of the Allies in the Pacific.

D-Day (June 6, 1944)

Allied invasion of Normandy, marking the beginning of the liberation of Western Europe.

Battle of the Bulge (1944-1945)

Last major German offensive on the Western Front, ultimately repelled by Allied forces.

VE Day (Victory in Europe Day, May 8, 1945)

Celebration marking Germany’s unconditional surrender and the end of WWII in Europe.

Potsdam Conference (1945)

Meeting of Allied leaders to discuss post-war Europe and demand Japan’s surrender.

Manhattan Project (1942-1945)

Secret U.S. project to develop the atomic bomb, leading to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

VJ Day (Victory over Japan Day, August 15, 1945)

Celebration of Japan’s surrender, effectively ending WWII.

A. Philip Randolph

Civil rights leader advocating for racial equality in defense industries.

Douglas MacArthur

U.S. Army general commanding Allied forces in the Pacific theater.

Chester Nimitz

Fleet admiral of the U.S. Navy, instrumental in Pacific victories.

Dwight Eisenhower

Supreme Allied Commander in Europe who orchestrated D-Day.

Harry Truman

U.S. President who succeeded FDR and made the decision to use atomic bombs against Japan.

Albert Einstein

Renowned physicist whose letter to Roosevelt helped initiate the Manhattan Project.