WWII

Which countries were a part of the Axis?

Germany, Japan, Italy

Which countries were a part of the Allies?

Russia, Britain, France, US, China, Canada

Why did Russia change sides?

Germany violated their Non-Agression Pact when they decided to invade them in Operation Barbarossa

When did the war start in Europe?

September 1, 1939

When did the US enter the war?

December 8, 1941

When did the war end in Europe? (V-E Day)

May 8, 1945

When did the war end in the Pacific? (V-J Day)

September 2, 1945

What is fascism?

a political ideology in which everything is controlled by the government

How was press treated under fascism?

full of propaganda, censored, no free press or speech

Why were aircraft carriers important?

they allowed planes to take off from the ocean, which was especially key for fighting in the pacific

What were Kamikaze pilots?

they were suicide bombers; over 1900 were sent by Japan in the Battle of Okinawa (also used in the Battle of Leyte Gulf)

What was island hopping?

instead of capturing each Japanese controlled island, they would capture the weaker ones to cut off access to the stronger ones; it reduced time, money, and lives lost

When and what was the Lend-Lease Act?

March 1941, the US sent aid to the allies for free meaning they were no longer isolationist nor neutral

When and where was the bombing of Pearl Harbor?

December 7, 1941 at the US military base on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

Why did Japan bomb Pearl Harbor?

it was the heart of the US pacific fleet and it would give them time to attack other islands

How was the Battle of Britain fought?

nearly a year long of continual bombing by the German Air Force; focused on airfields and factories at first, then moved towards cities like London to break morale

When and where was the Battle of Dunkirk?

end of May, 1940 on the beaches of Dunkirk, France

How was the Battle of Dunkirk fought?

allied soldiers were trapped and suffering under heavy fire, Britain sent 850 ships of any kind to rescue them, in 9 days 338,000 were rescued

When and where was Operation Barbarossa?

June 22, 1941 in the Soviet Union

Why did Germany invade Russia?

because of race, to gain territory, and to destroy communism

When and where was D-Day? (aka Operation Overlord)

June 6, 1944 at Normandy, France

Who and what was important about D-Day?

Led by Eisenhower, they leaked fake plans to Germany to get a large portion of Hitler’s army to a wrong location. It was the largest land-sea-air operation in army history; allied victory, allowing them to control part of France

Where and when was the Battle of the Bulge?

December 16, 1944 in Belgium

Why was the Battle of the Bulge fought?

After the allies captured their first German town (Aachen), Hitler ordered one last final attempt and used tanks to advance into allied territory; allied victory, Germans lost 120,000 troops and tons of equipment

What was the purpose of the Doolittle Raid?

16 bombers were sent to raid Tokyo, while there was little physical damage it left a severe psychological impact leaving Japan vulnerable and lifting American spirits

When was the Battle of Midway?

June 3-7, 1942

What was significant about the Battle of Midway?

It was midway between the war, between Japan and the US, and the turning point in the war in favor of the allies; it stopped Japan’s advancement and the US would win most battles after this

What was significant about the Battle of Iwo Jima?

Iwo Jima was one of the most fortified sports on earth with trenches and cave systems, the allies won by a landslide (only 200 Japanese survived) but it wouldn’t have been possible without the Navajo Code Talkers who sent and received 800 messages with no errors

What was the largest camp during the Holocaust?

Auschwitz

How many Jews were killed in the Holocaust?

6 million

What is the first level of the Pyramid of Hate and examples of it?

Biased Attitudes: stereotyping, fear of differences, non-inclusive language, justifying biases by seeking like-minded people, accepting negative of misinformation

What is the second level of the Pyramid of Hate and examples of it?

Acts of Bias: bullying, name calling, slurs, social avoidance, dehumanization, belittling jokes

What is the third level of the Pyramid of Hate and examples of it?

Discrimination: economic, political, educational, employment, segregation, housing, criminal justice

What is the fourth level of the Pyramid of Hate and examples of it?

Bias Motivated Violence: murder, rape, assault, arson, terrorism, vandalism, threats

What is the fifth level of the Pyramid of Hate and examples of it?

Genocide: the act of deliberately and systematically kill an entire group of people

When and where did Japanese incarceration occur?

After the bombing on Pearl Harbor (Dec 1941), anti-Japanese sentiment increased in the US

Why and how were Japanese-Americans incarcerated?

Americans believed them to be disloyal and conspiring against the US in the war, they were a “threat to national security”; they were forcibly removed from their homes and put into concentration camps which were isolated, cheap, fenced in with barbed wire, heavily guarded, and crowded

What was executive order 9066?

Authorized relocation of all people deemed a threat to national security to assembly centers and eventually concentration camps

How did some Japanese Americans resist incarceration?

They used test cases like Ex Parte Endo and Korematsu vs US or they fought in the war for the US to prove loyalty

Who were the “No-No Boys”?

Those who answered no to both questions on the loyalty questionnaire and were kept separate from other incarcerees

Where and when was the Bataan Death March?

April 9, 1942 in the Pacific

Who was involved and why in the Bataan Death March?

Japan forced their prisoners of war (mainly Filipinos) on a 5 day march at gunpoint with little food and water because Japan saw it dishonorable to surrender

Why were the Navajo Code Talkers important?

They had the only unbroken code in military history (Dene) and were the largest group of decoders, especially key in winning Iwo Jima

What was the Manhattan Project?

Building and testing of the atomic bomb; the most ambitious scientific enterprise in history, costing billions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of workers (who usually did not know what they were building) led by Oppenheimer

Why did the US choose Hiroshima and Nagasaki to bomb? (August 6 and 9)

The size and layout made them suitable to bomb, almost every building collapsed in less than a minute

What point was added to international law in the Nuremberg Trials?

Individuals are responsible for their own actions, even in times of war

What was Germany found guilty of in the Nuremberg Trials?

Crimes against Peace (they planned and waged the war), War Crimes (killing hostages and POWs), Crimes against Humanity (genocide)

What was the purpose of the Yalta conference?

Roosevelt, Stalin, and Churchill met in the Soviet Union to discuss post-war Germany. Stalin wants harsh punishments, dividing them into 4 regions and Roosevelt sides with him to get support from such a powerful nation. Stalin promised free elections in Poland and to participate in the UN

How did the US change over the course of the war?

The war ended the great depression, unemployment fell to 1.2%, women were in the workforce while men were away but were fired as they returned, mass migrations, baby boom as men returned home, and the GI Bill of Rights provided education and training for veterans

Who is this?

Winston Churchill; leader of Britain

Who is this?

Tojo Hideki; military leader of Japan

Who is this?

Stalin; leader of the Soviet Union

Who is this?

Mussolini; leader of Italy

Who is this?

Hitler; leader of Germany

Who is this?

Franklin Roosevelt; leader of US (and president)

Label the European Countries

1- UK

2- France

3- Germany

4- Poland

5- Russia

6- Italy

Label the Pacific regions

1- Russia

2- China

3- Japan

4- Hawaii

5- Philippines