WWII Test

Why was Hitler and/or his message so popular in Germany?

Effective propaganda and capitalizing on the great depression

What country did Japan attack in 1931?

Manchuria

Which country did Italy invade in 1935?

Ethiopia

What did Hitler do in direct violation of the treaty of Versailles?

Sending German military forces into the Rhineland

Was the League of Nations effective in the addressing these problems?

It was limited, especially in preventing major conflicts like WWII

How did the United States respond to growing problems aboard?

Neutral acts - Prohibiting American citizens from engaging in certain actions with nations at war

Japanese problems/Panay incident - a demand for an apology and indemnity from Japan.

What is Appeasement?

The action or process of appeasing

What nation was sacrificed by the agreement of appeasement?

Czechoslovakia

Why was Hitler’s invasion of Poland significant?

It started WWII

Is democracy left anywhere in Europe

Yes

What did the US Congress pass in reaction to the fall of France?

A new neutrality law

Holocaust

Murdering Jews

What was Hitler’s goal in the Holocaust

To kill all the “imperfect” humans

What was the American response to the dawn of WWII abroad? How did this change by 1940?

Neutrality and isolationism, with efforts to avoid involvement in the conflict

What was the Tripartite Pact? What did three countries have in common

Shared a common goal of expansion and a desire to establish new empires through military conquest

Why was Josef Stalin an “unlikely bedfellow” for the Allies?

For flamboyant innovation, disruption, and avant-gardism.

Who served as British Prime Minister through the majority of WWII?

Winston Churchill

What was the Atlantic Charter? What were the “war goals” defined in this charter?

No territorial expansion, self-determination for all nations, economic cooperation, freedom of the seas, disarmament of aggressor nations, and international cooperation

Why did Japan attack Pearl Harbor?

To neutralize the U.S. Pacific Fleet and secure their expansionist ambitions in Aida and the Pacific

Why did FDR create the Office of War Mobilizatin?

To centralize and coordinate the nation’s efforts during WWII

What was the cost-plus system?

An agreement where a contractor is reimbursed for all project-related costs plus an additional fee or profit margin

Why did union membership increase during the war?

The National War Labor Board (NWLB)’s favorable stance on unions and the need for a stable, efficient labor force to support the war effort

Smith-Connally Act - What was made illegal?

Prohibited unions from contributing to federal elections

How did the US finance the war?

Primarily through a combination of increased taxes, borrowing, and sometimes, printing money

Why did the Office of Price Administration create a rationing program?

To ensure a fair distribution of scarce goods and prevent inflation

After the US entered the war, which country did the Allies agree to concentrate their energy first?

Nazi Germany

What was Hitler’s mistake in Russia?

Poor strategic planning

What was the result of the Battle of Stalingrad?

A decisive Soviet victory

Why did the Allies open a second front in North Africa?

To relieve pressure on the Soviet Union

What was the result of the Casablanca Conference?

The Allies agreeing to demand the unconditional surrender of the Axis Powers

What was Operation Torch, which general led the campaign, what what were the results?

Dwight D. Eisenhower

What was the result of the invasion of Sicily?

The Allies successfully capturing the island from Axis forces, leading to the downfall of Benton Mussolini and Italy’s surrender to the Allies

What were the results of the Italian campaign?

The liberation of Italy from Fascist control and the overthrow of Mussolini

Teheran Conference

US President Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Churchill, and Soviet Premier Stalin

How was the D-day invasion significant?

The liberation Western Europe and the eventual collapse of the German defenses

What was the battle of the Bulge?

A major German offensive in WWII, launches in the Ardennes region of Belgium in December 1944

What were the major events in April - May 1945?

The capture of Vienna by Soviet forces, the final offensive encircling Berlin, Hitler’s suicide, Germany’s surrender, and the Allied conquest of Okinawa

What was the name of the project organized to develop an atomic bomb?

The Manhattan Project

Why did Truman decide to drop the atomic bomb?

To bring about swift end to WWII and save American lives

What was the result of the dropping of a-bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki?

The deaths of an estimated 140,000 people in Hiroshima and 74,000 in Nagasaki