us history unit 6 kbat - wwII

Quarantine speech

• Roosevelt states in the Quarantine Speech that he believes democratic nations should act together against aggressors

• American public rejects the idea

Neutrality Acts

3 Neutrality Acts 1935-1937 to keep us out of the growing conflicts in Europe.

• Prohibit all arms shipments to belligerents and forbid US citizens to travel on belligerents’ ships

• Forbade the extension of loans and credits to belligerents

• Forbade the shipment of arms to the opposing sides in the Spanish Civil War

cash and carry

FDR convinces Congress to change the nation’s neutrality laws: U.S. Cash and Carry

Belligerents can purchase U.S. arms if they paid for in cash and picked up in their own ships.

belligerent

a nation or person engaged in war or conflict, as recognized by international law

four freedoms speech

• FDR gives Four Freedoms address to Congress Jan 1941, trying to promote why America needs to be vigilant against nations who are denying freedom. 

• Freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear

lend-lease act

• Congress also passes the Lend-Lease Act: that allows America to give Britain US arms on credit.

“arsenal of democracy”

• FDR gives the “Arsenal of Democracy” fireside chat to rally the American people to support the Allies. 

atlantic charter

• FDR and English Prime Minister Churchill secretly meet and sign the Atlantic Charter and set common goals.

FDR also authorizes the navy to “shoot on sight” any German submarines.

embargo (japan)

• Earlier, the US begins a trade embargo to prohibit the export of scrap iron and steel to all nations except Britain and the Western Hemisphere.

  • In reaction to increased Japanese aggression, U.S. freezes Japanese assets in the U.S. and enacts an oil embargo on Japan. 

  • U.S. and Japan engage in failed peace talks in an attempt to negotiate a settlement regarding the pacific. 

pearl harbor

On December 7th, 1941, the Empire of Japan attacked  America at Pearl Harbor, Oahu. Any isolationist sentiment instantly vanished as the nation mobilized to defend its ERLOD ideals.

wartime production board

a US government agency est. during ww2 to oversee the conversion of civilian industries to wartime productio

• ensuring the military received necessary supplies by managing resource allocation and prioritizing military contracts

• essentially, directing the mass production of weapons and equipment for the war effort

taxes and bonds

During World War II, the primary methods for funding the war effort were significantly increased income taxes for citizens, particularly on higher earners, and the widespread sale of "war bonds" to the public, which encouraged people to invest in the war effort by buying government bonds at a discounted price, essentially loaning money to the government to finance military operations; this tactic was used to both raise funds and control inflation by removing excess money from circulation. 

price controls

During World War II, the United States government implemented strict price controls through the Office of Price Administration (OPA), which set maximum prices on most goods to combat inflation, and also used rationing to limit consumer purchases of scarce items like food, gasoline, and tires, effectively controlling how much people could buy at a fixed price. 

GI (gov. issue)

"GI" during World War II refers to a slang term for a US soldier, used to describe an American enlisted man

• originates from the phrase "Government Issue" as many military supplies were labeled with the initials "GI" due to their galvanized iron material. 

exec order 9066

• Authorized officials to designate military areas

• Any/all persons excluded from designated areas

• Evacuation of Japanese-Americans from WA, OR, CA began in March 1942

• Evacuation led to decision for internment (prison camps)

442nd regiment

1943: Releases given to those able to prove loyalty (17,000) oath, job waiting, promise to serve U.S. army:

442nd Regimental Combat Team “Go for Broke”

Korematsu vs US

• 1944: Korematsu vs. United States (6-3 vote) upheld conviction of Korematsu because of the “military necessity” of the situation

rosie the riveter

an iconic poster of a female factory worker flexing her muscle, exhorting other women to join the World War II effort with the declaration that "We Can Do It!"

WAC

"WAC" stands for "Women's Army Corps," which was a branch of the United States Army established during World War II that allowed women to serve in non-combat roles like clerical work, mechanics, and communications, essentially enabling female soldiers to contribute to the war effort without being directly involved in combat. 

Double V Campaign

a movement by African Americans to fight for "victory abroad" against fascism overseas and "victory at home" against racial segregation and discrimination within the United States

tuskegee airmen

Those air crew and ground crew personnel associated with black flying units of the Army Air Forces (AAF) during World War II are known as the Tuskegee Airmen.

a. philip randolph

A. Philip Randolph was a labor leader and civil rights activist who founded the nation's first major Black labor union, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP) in 1925. In the 1930s, his organizing efforts helped end both racial discrimination in defense industries and segregation in the U.S. armed forces.

war refugee board

a US government agency that attempted to rescue victims of the Holocaust during World War II. The WRB was established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in January 1944. 

the st. louis

The MS St. Louis was a German luxury cruise liner that carried Jewish refugees from Germany to Cuba in 1939. The ship was turned away by Cuba and the United States, and forced to return to Europe. The passengers were eventually allowed to land in Belgium, the Netherlands, England, and France. However, many of the passengers who disembarked in these countries were later killed by the Nazis. 

bracero program

a labor agreement between the United States and Mexico that allowed Mexican citizens to work in the US on short-term contracts during World War II

zoot suit riots

a series of violent attacks on Mexican Americans in Los Angeles in June 1943. The riots were fueled by racism, wartime tensions, and the changing demographics of the city

allied vs axis powers

axis: Germany, Italy, and Japan

allies: everyone else

big three

the leaders of the United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union

• FDR, Churchill, Stalin

operation torch

Operation Torch was the code name for the Allied invasion of French North Africa during World War II,

erwin rommel

prominent German Field Marshal during World War II, most famous for his leadership of the Afrika Korps in North Africa, earning him the nickname "The Desert Fox" due to his successful desert campaigns against the Allies; he was known for his innovative armored tactics and is often portrayed as a skilled military commander

el alamein

the site of two World War II battles in Egypt that were a turning point in the North African campaign

george patton and omar bradley

• Both generals played significant roles in the North African campaign, the invasion of Sicily, and the Normandy campaign, with Bradley often commanding larger formations while Patton led smaller, more mobile units. 

precision and saturation bombing

precision: the practice of dropping bombs on a specific target with the goal of minimizing collateral damage
saturation: destroy large areas of land with unguided bombs.

operation overlord

the codename for the Allied invasion of Normandy, France on June 6, 1944, also known as D-Day. It was the largest amphibious assault in history and marked the beginning of the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi occupation. 

stalingrad

a city in Russia and the site of a major World War II battle between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. The Battle of Stalingrad was a turning point in the war, and is considered one of the bloodiest battles in history. 

battle of the bulge

a major German offensive launched on December 16, 1944, during World War II, where the German army attempted to push through the Allied lines in the Ardennes Forest, creating a "bulge" in the Allied front, in a last desperate attempt to turn the tide of the war in Hitler's favor

douglas macarthur

commanded the Allied forces in the Southwest Pacific theater during World War II, primarily responsible for the island-hopping campaign against Japan, culminating in the liberation of the Philippines and the acceptance of Japan's surrender; he later oversaw the occupation of Japan following the war. 

bataan death march

• MacArthur attempts defense of island; retreat

• US surrender

• 70,000 American and Filipino POWs marched brutal 63 miles

  • 7,000 died

• Horrific wartime atrocities committed by Japanese soldiers to POWs

doolittle raid

• 16 American bombers air raid strike Tokyo

• Morale boost for US

• Stressor for Japan

battle of midway

Turning point in Pacific where Allies stop Japanese expansion. Fought on aircraft carriers and in airplanes

battle of iwo jima

Strategic airbase and staging area for an invasion of Japan. Battle for Iwo Jima was one of the bloodiest of the war.

battle of okinawa

Closest point to Japan. Allies launch sea to land invasion and a two month battle - some hand to hand (death toll: US 12,000  Japan 100,000)

manhattan project

the code name for a top-secret research and development program undertaken by the United States during World War II, aimed at developing the world's first nuclear weapons, primarily the atomic bomb, before Nazi Germany could do so

harry s. truman

made the critical decision to drop atomic bombs on Japan, effectively ending the war

firebombing

Air raids over Tokyo. Single most destructive bombing raid in history.