Key Figures and Events of the 20th Century: US Presidents, WWII, and Social Movements

Who was the Republican candidate who assumed the presidency in March 1929?

Herbert Hoover

What did Herbert Hoover promise the American people when he assumed the presidency?

Prosperity

How did Herbert Hoover attempt to deal with the Depression?

By trying to restore public faith in the community

Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Democratic president who created the New Deal to counter the effects of the Great Depression

Who was Eleanor Roosevelt?

FDR's Wife and New Deal supporter.

What social issue did Eleanor Roosevelt strongly support?

Civil rights.

What laws did Eleanor Roosevelt oppose?

Jim Crow laws.

What reproductive health issue did Eleanor Roosevelt advocate for?

Birth control.

What did Eleanor Roosevelt work to improve for women?

Better conditions for working women.

Who was Margaret Sanger?

An American leader of the movement to legalize birth control during the early 1900s.

What profession did Margaret Sanger have before becoming a birth control activist?

She was a nurse.

What did Margaret Sanger found in the U.S.?

The first birth control clinic.

What organization did Margaret Sanger help establish that later became Planned Parenthood?

The American Birth Control League.

What motivated Margaret Sanger to advocate for birth control?

She witnessed the suffering caused by unwanted pregnancy.

Who was Winston Churchill?

A noted British statesman who led Britain throughout most of World War II.

Who did Winston Churchill plan many allied campaigns with during World War II?

Franklin D. Roosevelt

What did Winston Churchill predict would separate Communist Europe from the rest of the West?

An iron curtain

Harry Truman

Became president when FDR died; gave the order to drop the atomic bomb

Who was Joseph Stalin?

A Bolshevik revolutionary and head of the Soviet Communists after 1924.

What position did Joseph Stalin hold in the Soviet Union?

Dictator of the Soviet Union from 1928 to 1953.

What economic strategy did Joseph Stalin use to increase industrial production?

Five-Year Plans.

How did Joseph Stalin maintain control over the Soviet Union?

By using terror to crush opposition.

Holocaust

a large-scale destruction, especially by fire; a vast slaughter; a burnt offering

Total War

A conflict in which the participating countries devote all their resources to the war effort

What treaty ended World War I?

Treaty of Versailles

What year was the Treaty of Versailles signed?

1919

What was the most important part of the Treaty of Versailles?

The forced blame on Germany and other allies

What was the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk?

A treaty that ended Russian participation in World War I.

What territory did Russia lose in the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk?

Substantial territory to the Germans.

In what year was the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk signed?

1918

Axis & Allied Powers (WW2)

What is the Enabling Act?

A congressional act directing the people of a United States territory to frame a proposed State constitution.

What is the purpose of the Enabling Act?

To take a step towards admission to the Union.

Battle at Midway

1942 World War II battle between the United States and Japan, a turning point in the war in the Pacific

Blitzkrieg

"Lighting war", typed of fast-moving warfare used by German forces against Poland in 1939

What event is known as the Attack on Pearl Harbor?

The bombing of Pearl Harbor in Hawaii by Japan on December 7, 1941.

What was Japan's goal in the Attack on Pearl Harbor?

To cripple the American fleet.

What was the reason for the American fleet's presence at Pearl Harbor?

To enforce an embargo that denied Japan raw materials.

What was the outcome of the Attack on Pearl Harbor for Japan?

The attack failed, leading to Japan's defeat.

What cities were targeted in the nuclear attacks during World War II?

Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Who ordered the nuclear attacks against Japan during World War II?

U.S. President Harry S. Truman

Which country conducted the nuclear attacks against Japan in World War II?

United States of America

Manhattan Project

A secret U.S. project for the construction of the atomic bomb.

What was the Supreme Court case Korematsu vs. United States about?

The case was about the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II.

What year was the Korematsu vs. United States decision made?

1944

What did the Supreme Court decide in Korematsu vs. United States?

The government had the right to keep Japanese Americans in internment camps.

What is Executive Order 9066?

An order issued on February 19, 1942, that led to the internment of Japanese-Americans.

How many Japanese-Americans were forced into camps due to Executive Order 9066?

112,000

What was the impact of Executive Order 9066 on Japanese-Americans?

Loss of homes and businesses.

How many additional Japanese-Americans renounced their citizenship due to Executive Order 9066?

600,000

What did Executive Order 9066 demonstrate about American sentiments during World War II?

Fear of a Japanese invasion.

When did the Reichstag Fire occur?

February 1933

Who was believed to have ordered the Reichstag Fire?

Josef Goebbels

What was the Reichstag Fire called by the Nazis?

A communist plot

Who did Hitler convince to suspend civil rights after the Reichstag Fire?

President Hindenburg

Which groups had their civil rights suspended after the Reichstag Fire?

Communists, socialists, liberals, and trade unionists

What was the Beer Hall Putsch?

A failed attempt by the Nazis to overthrow the government in Munich in 1923.

What happened to Hitler after the Beer Hall Putsch?

He received a brief prison sentence.

What book did Hitler write while in prison after the Beer Hall Putsch?

Mein Kampf

Kristallnacht

"Night of Broken Glass," when Nazis attacked Jews throughout Germany

Fascism

an authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization.

What is collectivization?

Creation of large, state-run farms rather than individual holdings.

What was a benefit of collectivization?

Allowed more efficient control over peasants.

Who implemented collectivization as part of their planning?

Stalin.

Was collectivization adopted by other regimes?

Yes, it was often adopted in other Communist regimes.

Antisemitism

hostility to or prejudice against Jews.

Xenophobia

a fear or hatred of foreigners or strangers

What is another name for The Great War?

World War I

What was The Great War also referred to as?

The War to End All Wars

What years did The Great War take place?

1914 to 1919

What type of conflict was The Great War?

A global military conflict

Which entities were involved in The Great War?

Most of the world's great powers

Nationalism

A strong feeling of pride in and devotion to one's country

New Imperialism

The late-nineteenth-century drive by European countries to create vast political empires abroad.

Weimar Republic

German republic founded after the WWI and the downfall of the German Empire's monarchy.

What does CIA stand for?

Central Intelligence Agency

What type of agency is the CIA?

A civilian intelligence agency of the United States government

What is the primary function of the CIA?

Obtaining and analyzing information about foreign governments, corporations, and persons

Who does the CIA advise?

Public policymakers

What is the Truman Doctrine?

A policy stating that the U.S. would support Greece and Turkey with economic and military aid.

What was the purpose of the Truman Doctrine?

To prevent Greece and Turkey from falling into the Soviet sphere.

What was the main goal of the containment policy?

To stop the spread of communist influence.

Who was the leader of the Bolshevik Party?

Vladimir Lenin

Where did Vladimir Lenin live in exile until 1917?

Switzerland

What significant event did Vladimir Lenin lead the Bolsheviks to victory in?

The Russian Revolution

What conflict followed the Russian Revolution that Lenin also led the Bolsheviks in?

The civil war

What is the Tennessee Valley Authority?

A relief, recovery, and reform effort.

How many poor citizens did the Tennessee Valley Authority give jobs and land to?

2.5 million

What type of power did the Tennessee Valley Authority provide?

Cheap electric power

What type of housing did the Tennessee Valley Authority promote?

Low-cost housing

What did the Tennessee Valley Authority provide that relates to agriculture?

Cheap nitrates

What environmental issue did the Tennessee Valley Authority address?

Restoration of eroded soil

What was the Works Progress Administration?

A New Deal agency that helped create jobs for those that needed them.

How many jobs did the Works Progress Administration create?

Around 9 million jobs.

What types of projects did the Works Progress Administration work on?

Bridges, roads, and buildings.

Civilian Conservation Corps

A major public works program in the United States during the Great Depression.

What year was the Social Security Act enacted?

1935

Who was the president during the enactment of the Social Security Act?

Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR)

What age do workers begin receiving guaranteed retirement payments under the Social Security Act?

65

What type of system did the Social Security Act set up for unemployment insurance?

Federal-state system