Grade 9 History – WWII Pacific, Allied Conferences, Atomic Age & Ideological Clash

These 33 question-and-answer flashcards cover Japanese expansion, Pearl Harbor, internment, Allied wartime conferences, the atomic bomb’s development and use, reasons for its deployment, and key contrasts between capitalism and communism, along with early Soviet history.

What expansionist actions did Japan take in China before and during World War II?

Japan invaded and occupied large areas of China, committing atrocities while seeking raw materials and territory.

On what date did Japan attack Pearl Harbor, bringing the United States into World War II?

December 7, 1941.

How were Japanese Americans treated by the U.S. government during World War II?

They were forcibly relocated to internment camps inside the United States.

What were conditions like in Japanese prisoner-of-war camps for Allied soldiers?

They were notoriously harsh, with brutal treatment, starvation, disease, and high death rates.

When and where was the Yalta Conference held?

February 1945 in Yalta (Crimea).

Which leaders attended the Yalta Conference, and what key decision did they make about Germany?

Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Josef Stalin decided Germany would be divided into four occupation zones.

When did the war in Europe officially end?

May 1945.

What was the main purpose of the Potsdam Conference, and when did it take place?

To decide how to punish and administer post-war Germany; 17 July – 2 August 1945.

Which new leaders represented Britain and the United States at Potsdam?

Clement Attlee for Britain and Harry Truman for the United States.

Why did tensions rise among the Allies at Potsdam?

The USSR occupied Eastern Europe, Stalin refused to withdraw troops, and Truman kept atomic-bomb information secret.

What major weapons test did the United States conduct on 16 July 1945?

The first atomic bomb test (Trinity) in the New Mexico desert.

What was the name of the aircraft that dropped the first atomic bomb on Japan?

Enola Gay.

On which city and date was the first atomic bomb dropped?

Hiroshima on 6 August 1945.

What nickname was given to the bomb dropped on Hiroshima?

“Little Boy.”

Approximately what percentage of Hiroshima was destroyed by the first atomic bomb?

About 90 percent of the city.

Where and when was the second atomic bomb dropped?

Nagasaki on 9 August 1945.

When did Japan formally surrender, ending World War II?

2 September 1945.

Where did the formal Japanese surrender ceremony occur?

Aboard the battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.

Which scientist’s 1939 letter alerted President Roosevelt to the potential of a German atomic bomb?

Albert Einstein.

What was the codename for the U.S. program to build an atomic bomb?

The Manhattan Project.

What was the codename for the first test bomb exploded in New Mexico?

“The Gadget.”

Which Manhattan Project leader quoted the Bhagavad Gita, saying, “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds”?

J. Robert Oppenheimer.

Give one major reason the U.S. government claimed justified dropping the atomic bombs on Japan.

To avoid further casualties by forcing a quick Japanese surrender.

How did the atomic bombings serve as a message to the Soviet Union?

They demonstrated U.S. military superiority and aimed to keep Stalin out of Japan.

In a capitalist economy, who owns most property and the means of production?

Private individuals and businesses.

How is wealth ideally distributed in communism?

Equally among the people, with the state owning major industries.

What type of economic system is associated with communism?

A centrally planned economy.

What political characteristic is common in communist governments?

They are usually one-party states and not fully democratic.

Which revolutionary group led by Vladimir Lenin eventually became the Communist Party in Russia?

The Bolsheviks.

Who succeeded Lenin and ruled the USSR with brutal policies in the 1930s?

Joseph Stalin.

What slogan did Lenin’s Bolsheviks use to appeal to war-weary Russians?

“Peace, land, and bread.”

When was the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) officially created?

20 December 1922.

Into how many occupation zones was Germany divided according to the Yalta Agreement?

Four zones.