US History - Chapter 12: America Enters WWII

Washington Naval Conference

Hosted by President Harding, leading powers agreed to limit the size of their navies in 1921.

“Good Neighbor Policy”

President Herbert Hoover and Franklin D. Roosevelts attempt to improve US and Latin America relations. The US agreed to not interfere in the internal affairs of Latin American nations.

Russian Revolution of 1917

Abdication of the Tsar, Russia became the first communist state, known as the Soviet Union, caused by WWI loses and Tsars reactionary policies.

National Socialist German Workers' Party

A far-right political party in Germany led by Adolf Hitler that gained power in the 1930s and instigated World War II, promoting fascism, militarism, and anti-Semitism.

Benito Mussolini

An Italian politician and leader of the National Fascist Party, Mussolini ruled Italy from 1922 to 1943 and was a key figure in the development of fascism.

Adolf Hitler

Leader of the Nazi Party, established a dictatorship in Germany, Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and a central figure in instigating World War II, known for his fascist policies and genocide during the Holocaust.

League of Nations

An international organization established after World War I to promote peace and cooperation among countries, which ultimately failed to prevent World War II.

Collective Security

The idea that peaceful nations would band together to stop aggressors. Failed when US and Soviet Union failed to join the League of Nations.

Sudetenland

A part of Czechoslovakia where many Germans lived. France and Britain backed down their protection promises when Hitler threatened war.

Failures of the League of Nations

1. Hitler rebuilt the German army.

2. Italy attacked Ethiopia.

3. Germany bombed Spanish cities.

4. Japan invaded Manchuria and China.

Munich Conference (1938)

British and French leaders, without consulting the Czechs, agreed to give Hitler part of Czechoslovakia to avoid war.

Appeasement

Policy of giving in to satisfy the demands of a potential enemy. Led to Hitler viewing Britain and France as weak.

The German Invasion of Poland (1939)

The event marking the start of World War II, when Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, leading Britain and France to declare war on Germany.

Blitzkrieg

A German term meaning 'lightning war,' used to describe a swift and intense military offensive strategy utilized by Germany during World War II, characterized by speed and surprise in attacks.

Neutrality Acts (1935-1937)

Prohibited Americans from traveling on ships of nations at war. Due to one of the US causes of WWI being German submarines attacked American ships. Also prevented Americans from selling arms to countries at war.

“Cash-and-Carry”

A policy adopted during World War II allowing countries to purchase arms from the U.S. if they paid in cash and transported the goods themselves.

“Quarantine” Speech

Delivered by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1937 after Japan’s invasion of China, this speech advocated for the containment of aggressive nations and promoted international cooperation to prevent the spread of war.

Flying Tigers

An American volunteer group of pilots who fought for China against Japan in WWII, known for their distinctive shark-mouth painted aircraft.

Lend-Lease Act

A policy enacted in 1941 that allowed the U.S. to supply Allied nations with military aid and supplies while keeping their own military neutral until directly involved in WWII.

Kellog-Briand Peace Pact

Signed by 62 nations in 1928, renouncing the use of war.

“Four Freedoms”

A concept articulated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1941, outlining the fundamental rights that should be guaranteed to all people.

1. Encompassing freedom of speech

2. Freedom of worship

3. Freedom from want

4. Freedom from fear

Winston Churchill

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during World War II, known for his leadership and oratory skills, rallying the British people against Nazi Germany.

Atlantic Charter

A pivotal policy statement issued in August 1941 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill, outlining the goals for the post-war world United Nations, including seeking no territorial gains, freedoms of the seas, and an end to war.

Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941)

A U.S. naval base in Hawaii that was attacked by Japan on December 7, 1941, leading to the United States' entry into World War II.

Two Fronts

The strategy during World War II where the U.S. and its allies fought simultaneously against Germany in Europe and Japan in the Pacific.

War Bonds

Debt securities issued by the U.S. government during WWII to finance military operations, encouraging citizens to lend money to the government in exchange for future repayment with interest.

Volunteerism

The practice of offering one's time and services for free to help others or contribute to the community, especially significant during WWII as Americans contributed to war efforts through non-paid work.

Causes of WWII

1. Rise of European Dictatorship

2. Failure of the League of Nations

3. Germany’s Invasion of Poland

4. Japan’s Attack on Pearl Harbor

Rationing

A system used during World War II in which the U.S. government controlled the distribution of scarce goods and resources to ensure that enough supplies were available for the military.

Ration Coupons

Small paper vouchers issued by the U.S. government during World War II that allowed citizens to purchase limited quantities of essential goods.

Victory Gardens

Private gardens planted by American citizens during World War II to supplement their food supply and reduce demand on the public food system.

Office of War Information (OWI)

A U.S. government agency established during World War II to coordinate and deliver propaganda to promote public support for the war effort.

Voice of America

A U.S. government-run international radio broadcast service established during World War II to provide news, information, and propaganda to foreign audiences. Aimed to counter Nazi propaganda, lower enemy troop morale, and encourage surrender.

Women’s Army Corps (WACS)

A branch of the U.S. Army established during World War II that allowed women to serve in non-combat roles to support the war effort.

Tuskegee Airmen

The first African American military aviators in the U.S. Army Air Corps (later the U.S. Army Air Forces) during World War II.

Executive Order 9066

An executive order signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on February 19, 1942, that authorized the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II.

Korematsu v. U.S.

A landmark U.S. Supreme Court case decided in 1944 that upheld the constitutionality of Japanese American internment during World War II.

Stalingrad

A major battle between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union during World War II, marked as the turning point of the war, fought from August 23, 1942, to February 2, 1943, for control of the city of Stalingrad (now Volgograd).

D-Day

The Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France on June 6, 1944, during World War II, known as Operation Overlord.

General Dwight Eisenhower

Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe during World War II, responsible for planning and executing the D-Day invasion.

Normandy

The region in northern France where the Allied forces launched the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944, during World War II.

Battle of the Bulge

The last major German offensive on the Western Front during World War II, launched on December 16, 1944, in the Ardennes Forest of Belgium, Luxembourg, and France.

First Army Lieutenant Vernon J. Baker

An African American U.S. Army officer who demonstrated extraordinary heroism during World War II and was later awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions.

Genocide

The deliberate and systematic extermination of a particular ethnic, racial, religious, or national group.

Holocaust

The systematic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of six million Jews by the Nazi regime and its collaborators during World War II.

Final Solution

The Nazi regime’s plan to systematically exterminate the Jewish population of Europe during World War II.

Concentration Camps

Detention facilities established by the Nazi regime to imprison and exploit political opponents, Jews, and other targeted groups during World War II.

Bataan Death March

A forced march of approximately 60,000–80,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war (POWs) by Japanese forces after the fall of Bataan in the Philippines during World War II.

Island Hopping

A military strategy used by the Allied forces during World War II to bypass heavily fortified Japanese islands and capture strategically important islands one at a time, moving closer to Japan.

Navajo Code Talkers

A group of Native American Marines from the Navajo Nation who developed and used an unbreakable code based on their native language to transmit military messages during World War II.

Battle of Midway

A decisive naval battle fought between the United States and Japan from June 4 to June 7, 1942, near the Midway Atoll in the Pacific Ocean. The turning point in the Pacific front. Sank four Japanese aircraft carriers.

Admiral Chester W. Nimitz

Commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet during World War II, who led American naval forces to victory in key battles in the Pacific Theater. Also led the U.S. forces during the Battle of Midway.

General Douglas MacArthur

A prominent U.S. Army general who commanded Allied forces in the Pacific Theater during World War II and led the occupation of Japan after the war.

Albert Einstein

Though he was a pacifist, Einstein’s letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1939 helped initiate the Manhattan Project, leading to the development of the atomic bomb.

Harry Truman

The 33rd President of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953, following the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Atomic Bomb - Hiroshima and Nagasaki

On August 6, 1945, the U.S. dropped the first atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, followed by a second bomb on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. These bombings led to Japan’s surrender and the end of World War II.

Nuremberg Trials

A series of military tribunals held after World War II to prosecute prominent leaders of Nazi Germany for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and crimes against peace.