WWII and the threat of a German Atomic Bomb

When did World War II officially begin?

On the 1st of September 1939 when Nazi Germany invaded Poland

Which countries declared war on Germany after it invaded Poland?

Britain and France

Who led Nazi Germany during World War II?

Adolf Hitler

What were the two opposing alliances in World War II called?

The Allied Powers and the Axis Powers

Which countries were part of the Axis Powers?

Germany, Italy, and Japan

Which countries were key members of the Allied Powers?

Britain, France, and later the United States

How did the Great Depression impact the United States after WWI?

It left the country in severe financial distress and with high unemployment

What was the U.S. unemployment rate in 1933 during the Great Depression?

25%

What were "Hoovervilles" and what did they symbolize?

Shanty towns for the homeless showing the public's loss of faith in the government

What were the Neutrality Acts of 1935 and 1937 designed to do?

Keep the U.S. out of foreign wars by banning trade and loans with warring nations

Which U.S. President signed the Neutrality Acts?

Franklin D. Roosevelt

What did Congresswoman Edith Nourse say about U.S. neutrality?

"Our own troubles are so numerous and so difficult that we have neither the time or inclination to meddle in the affairs of others."

What did Roosevelt urge Congress to do in 1939?

End neutrality and begin trading arms with Allied countries

What global concern influenced Roosevelt's decision to end neutrality?

Nazi Germany's aggressive expansionism

How was Nazi Germany viewed in the U.S. before WWII?

As a threat to democracy and liberty

What nickname did America earn for its massive weapon production?

"The arsenal of democracy"

What were the two major policies Roosevelt introduced to support the Allies?

The Cash and Carry policy and the Lend-Lease Act

How did the Cash and Carry policy work?

Allies could buy arms if they paid upfront and transported them themselves

What did the Lend-Lease Act allow the U.S. to do?

Lend or lease weapons and supplies to countries vital to U.S. defense

How much money did the U.S. earn from weapon sales by the end of WWII?

Around $300 billion

Who wrote the 1939 letter to Roosevelt warning of Germany's nuclear research?

Albert Einstein and physicist Leo Szilard

What key warning did the Einstein-Szilard letter give Roosevelt?

That Germany might be developing "very powerful bombs"

What phrase did Einstein and Szilard use to describe the potential of a German bomb?

"A single bomb of this type might very well destroy the whole port together with some of the surrounding territory."

What did Einstein and Szilard urge Roosevelt to do?

Take "watchfulness and if necessary, quick action" to develop a U.S. atomic bomb

What government body did Roosevelt create in response to the Einstein-Szilard letter?

The S-1 Committee for uranium research

What secret project later grew out of the S-1 Committee?

The Manhattan Project

Why did Roosevelt take the threat of a German atomic bomb seriously?

He feared Germany could win WWII with nuclear power and threaten U.S. security

How did the threat of German nuclear progress motivate the U.S.?

It drove the U.S. to begin developing its own atomic bomb before Germany could

What economic factor made atomic research appealing to Roosevelt?

Weapon production helped lift the U.S. economy out of the Great Depression

Why is WWII and the threat of a German bomb considered a cause of the atomic bomb's creation?

It motivated the U.S. to develop nuclear weapons for protection and global dominance