HIS 202 – Chapter 26: America’s Rise to Globalism, 1927-1945

Flashcards cover major events, policies, and figures from Chapter 26, assisting review for the quiz and Unit Three exam.

What problems were created by World War I and the failed peace process that followed?

Unresolved national grievances, punitive reparations on Germany, unstable new borders, global economic dislocation, and widespread disillusionment that fostered extremist ideologies.

Which territories did Japan conquer during the 1930s, and how did the United States respond?

Manchuria (1931), coastal China, Indochina. The U.S. issued moral condemnations (Stimson Doctrine), refused to recognize conquests, and imposed escalating economic sanctions including an oil embargo.

What was U.S. foreign policy in Latin America and how did it evolve into the Good Neighbor Policy?

Initially interventionist; under Hoover and FDR it shifted to non-intervention and mutual respect, ending direct military occupations and promoting hemispheric cooperation—dubbed the Good Neighbor Policy.

Who was Benito Mussolini and how did he exemplify fascism?

Italian dictator (1922-1943); promoted authoritarian nationalism, militarism, suppression of dissent, and state-corporate economic control—core traits of fascism.

Who was Adolf Hitler and how did he relate to fascism?

Nazi leader of Germany (1933-1945); blended fascist dictatorship with racial ideology, aggressive expansion, and totalitarian control.

What were the Nye Committee Hearings and why were they significant?

1934-36 Senate investigation claiming arms makers and bankers pushed the U.S. into WWI; strengthened isolationist sentiment and led to Neutrality Acts.

Define “isolationist.”

A person favoring minimal political or military involvement in foreign affairs.

Define “internationalist.”

One who supports active engagement and cooperation with other nations, often for collective security.

What were the Neutrality Acts and how did they reflect U.S. isolationism?

1935-37 laws banning arms sales, loans, and travel on belligerent ships; aimed to keep the U.S. out of foreign wars.

What was the Cash-and-Carry policy?

1939 revision allowing warring nations to buy U.S. arms if they paid cash and transported goods themselves—limited aid while preserving neutrality.

How did the U.S. respond to Japan’s 1937 invasion of China?

Extended moral support to China, provided limited loans and arms, and denounced Japanese aggression but avoided formal war.

Which countries formed the Axis Powers?

Germany, Italy, and Japan.

What was Roosevelt’s Quarantine Speech (1937) and why significant?

Called for peaceful nations to ‘quarantine’ aggressors economically; signaled FDR’s move away from strict neutrality, met with public backlash.

What was the Munich Conference/Pact (1938) and how did it embody appeasement?

Britain & France ceded Sudetenland to Hitler hoping to avoid war; exemplified the failed policy of appeasing aggressors.

What was the 1939 Nonaggression Pact between Germany and the Soviet Union and why significant?

Agreement to refrain from attack and secretly divide Eastern Europe; cleared Hitler’s path to invade Poland and start WWII.

Which nation did Germany invade on 1 Sept 1939, sparking WWII?

Poland.

What territories did Germany overrun in spring–summer 1940?

Denmark, Norway, the Low Countries (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg), and France.

What was the Lend-Lease Bill (1941) and its impact?

Allowed FDR to supply arms to nations vital to U.S. defense; deepened intervention and made U.S. the ‘arsenal of democracy.’

What was the Atlantic Charter (Aug 1941) and why significant?

FDR & Churchill statement of war aims—self-determination, free trade, collective security—foreshadowed the United Nations.

What factors led to the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor and what was its impact?

U.S. embargoes, frozen assets, Japanese need for oil and Pacific dominance; attack (7 Dec 1941) destroyed U.S. fleet and brought America into WWII.

Why did Roosevelt and Churchill adopt a “Germany First” strategy?

Nazi Germany posed the greatest threat to Europe and Soviets; defeating it would free resources to finish Japan.

What difficulties did the U.S. face at the start of 1942?

Military unpreparedness, global two-front war, supply shortages, and early Axis advances.

What major contributions did the U.S. make to the Allies after entering WWII?

Mass industrial production, financial loans, large combat forces, technological innovations, and strategic bombing.

Who were the ‘Big Three’ Allied leaders?

Franklin D. Roosevelt (U.S.), Winston Churchill (U.K.), and Josef Stalin (U.S.S.R.).

Why did Stalin demand a second front, and what did Roosevelt & Churchill do instead?

To relieve Soviet pressure by engaging Germans in Western Europe; Allies delayed and fought in North Africa and Italy first.

What was the Battle of the Coral Sea (May 1942) and its impact?

First carrier vs. carrier battle; halted Japanese advance on Australia.

What was the Battle of Midway (June 1942) and its impact?

U.S. sank four Japanese carriers, turning point that shifted Pacific momentum to Allies.

What was the Battle of Stalingrad (1942-43) and its impact?

Soviet victory that stopped German eastward advance and began Nazi retreat in Europe.

How many Americans died and were wounded in WWII?

About 405,000 dead and 672,000 wounded.

Who were the WACS and why were they significant?

Women’s Army Corps; allowed women in non-combat Army roles, freeing men for frontline duty and advancing gender integration.

What was the War Production Board (WPB) and its significance?

Federal agency coordinating wartime industry, converting civilian factories to military production, ensuring material allocation.

What was the Manhattan Project and why important?

Top-secret U.S. program that developed the atomic bomb, altering warfare and post-war power dynamics.

What was the impact of WWII on the American economy?

Ended the Great Depression, spurred full employment, industrial expansion, and set the stage for post-war prosperity.

What roles did women play in WWII?

Entered factories (‘Rosie the Riveter’), served in auxiliary military units, and filled civilian jobs vacated by men.

Explain U.S. policy of internment concerning Japanese Americans.

Executive Order 9066 relocated 120,000 Japanese Americans (and some Germans/Italians) to camps over security fears, later judged unjust.

Who was A. Philip Randolph and how did Roosevelt respond to his planned March on Washington?

Black labor leader demanding defense-industry equality; FDR issued Executive Order 8802 banning racial discrimination in war industries.

What were the Zoot Suit Riots (1943) and their significance?

Clashes in L.A. between servicemen and Mexican American youths; exposed wartime racial tensions.

What was the D-Day (Normandy) invasion (6 June 1944) and its impact?

Allied landings in France opened Western front, leading to liberation of Western Europe.

What was the Tehran Conference (1943) and its significance?

First Big Three summit; agreed on Operation Overlord and post-war cooperation.

Purpose, leaders, and decisions of the Yalta Conference (Feb 1945)?

Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin; planned German occupation zones, Soviet entry into war against Japan, and groundwork for U.N.

Who was Harry Truman and why significant?

FDR’s vice-president who became president (April 1945); approved atomic bomb use and guided early post-war policy.

What was the Holocaust and how did the U.S. respond?

Nazi genocide of six million Jews and others; U.S. focused on military victory, admitted few refugees, later helped liberate camps.

What was the impact of creating the United Nations?

Established 1945 for collective security, human rights, and international cooperation, with U.S. as a founding leader.

What was the Potsdam Summit (July-Aug 1945) and its impact?

Truman, Attlee, Stalin finalized German disarmament, demanded Japan’s surrender, and deepened U.S.–Soviet tensions.

How did the atomic bomb program affect the war and U.S. status, and what moral dilemmas arose?

Bombs forced Japan’s surrender, showcased U.S. power, initiated nuclear age; raised ethical issues over civilian deaths and necessity.