AP US History Unit 7

WWII, Cold War, The Affluent Society, The Sixties

Isolationism

an American foreign policy during the 1920’s-1930’s that was based in the belief that it was the best interest of the US to stay away from foreign conflicts that didn’t directly threaten American interests. This was how America was before the Second World War b/c they wanted to focus on repairing their economy after the Great Depression. Neutrality Acts that limited trading weapons (1935 and 1839) came out of this. The rise of Nazi Germany brought the US out of this.

Yalta Conference

This was a meeting held in Yalta (Soviet Union) between Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin in 1945. They talked about the future of post-war Europe and decided Germany would be split into 4 diff. zones, Eastern Europe would have free elections, and Germany would join the war against Japan.

Bataan Death March

When the US-controlled Philippines fell to Japan, garrisons of American and Philipine soldiers were marched 80 miles to a camp without rest, food, or water, and over 10,000 died, many were hurt, and it left severe trauma to those left alive.

Manhattan project

A project under Truman that aimed to build an atomic bomb large enough to end the war. J. Robert Oppenheimer ran the scientific team, and the bomb was built in Los Almos, NM. It was first tested in 1945. Controversy around atomic weapons arose in the public arena. Some thought it was too harsh, others thought it might end the war and be ‘payback’ for Japanese atrocities.

Rosie the Riveter

She was an illustrated image of a woman in blue overalls saying “We can do it!”. She represented the women that rose up to jobs in factories after men went to fight in the war. This was part of a larger movement of women getting jobs to help the war effort, as well as working as nurses and officers in the war. This movement largely excluded black women because of discriminatory sentiments at the time.

Double V Campaign

A civil rights campaign that called for the defeat of Nazis and Japanese imperialism abroad and racial discrimination at home. This led to the formation of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) that organized protests. This was the start of the larger civil rights movement in the 50-60’s.

Japanese Internment Camps

Camps that forced all Japanese American citizens to move into them. Many Japanese lost their houses in the process. These camps were often very cramped and were in bad conditions, leading to sickness and death because of lack of health care.

Neutrality Act of 1935

A legislation that outlawed American trade in weapons or military supplies with waring powers. This was to promote isolationism and limit US involvement in wars.

Neutrality Act of 1939

A legislation that allowed warring countries to buy American arms if they paid in cash and carried the goods in their own ships.

American First Committee

An isolationist committee that had 820,000 members in 1940. They strongly opposed involvement in European wars and liked the neutrality Acts.

Lend Lease Act (1941)

This was an act that allowed the US to send military equipment to the British, who would pay at the end of the war. This made the US look like an “arsenal of democracy”, as Roosevelt said.

Atlantic Charter (1941)

A document written by Roosevelt and Churchill that endorsed the principles of national self-determination, free trade and rejected territorial expansion by conquest. they urged the creation of a League of Nations to police aggressor nations.

Final Solution

This was Hitler’s plan to eliminate all Jewish people that was found out by American, British, and Russian troops when the German empire collapsed.

Holocaust

A time from 1941-1945 that 6 million Jews were killed in death camps under the Nazi regime. American soldiers were outraged by what they saw and expressed sympathy.

Island Hopping

A strategy in WWII used by American soldiers that involved isolating and neutralizing Japanese bases using air technology and then landing marines and army at these points. They used submarines to cut off Japanese resources.

Kamikaze Pilots

Japanese pilots that set off suicidal one-way flights, hoping to crash their planes into American ships. This was used when the Japanese were getting overwhelmed and were desperate to win at any cost.

Enola Gay

The B-29 that dropped the atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima, killing 75,000 and the city of Nagasaki, killing 40,000. It was named after the mother of the pilot who flew it.

Rationing

Families and individuals were given rations to regulate their purchase of goods like gas, meat, sugar, butter, and even tires.

War bonds/the War Production Board (WPB)

These were used to raise money for the expenses of the war. This started in WWI and returned then, as well as an increase in taxes. Celebrities, cartoons, and patriotism were used to convince people to support the war effort.

FDR’s “Four Freedoms”

Goals that articulated the social and political objectives of the time. Freedom of speech, worship, and freedom from fear and want.

Tuskegee Airmen

They were all-black pilots that made escorts and went on missions. They won medals and merits and reflected the time of larger civil rights and movements away from discrimination but showed segregation at the same time.

A. Philip Randolph

He was the president of the largest black trade union wo threatened FDR with a march on Washington. His threat led to the creation of Executive Order 8802, banning racial and religious discrimination in defense industries.

Zoot Suit Riots (1943)

They were a series of violent clashes between Latino and Mexican American resident and US servicemen. They were characterized by their flamboyant style. These riots were fueled by racial and social tensions and changes, reflecting the larger issues of discrimination and identity.

Bracero program

A program where the US contracted Mexican nationals to work in US agriculture and railroads. They were viewed as a mixed blessing, having good pay but excess work. They planted a new Mexican presence in the South and West, as well as reestablishing Mexican migration.

Navajo Code Talkers

They were US marines of Navajo descent that developed and used a special code to communicate during WWII. This code played a vital role in the success of US military operations in the Pacific Theatre.

Executive Order 9066

This authorized the removal of people from “exclusion zones”. Most of these zones were in the west, and it targeted primarily Japanese Americans, but also some German and Italian Americans as well. This was brought on by anti-Japanese sentiment after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Korematsu v. US (1944)

A Supreme Court case that came up due to Japanese being angry at the treatment they received in internment camps. The case ruled that internment was lawful because it was based on “military necessities”.

442nd Infantry Regiment

This was a unit in the war consisting of mostly Japanese Americans in Hawai’i. It was the most highly decorated unit of the war.

Battle of Midway

A battle in 1942 where American carriers ambushed a Japanese fleet that was threatening the island of midway. The Japanese suffered many casualties and America lost only 1. This was the turning point for the “arsenal of democracy” to swell the American navy in the Pacific.

D Day (1944)

A large seaborne invasion carried out under Gen. Dwight Eisenhower to liberate West Europe. It faced many casualties and was very long, but established a foothold in Europe and liberated France.

VE Day (May 1945)

Victory in Europe Day. The day that the remaining German govt. surrendered after Hitler died in late April. This marked the end of WWII.

VJ Day (Aug 1945)

Victory over Japan Day. The day where Japan surrendered in WWII, bringing the war to an end.

The Long Telegram

A telegram sent by American diplomat George Kennan that denounced the Soviets and that the best response to it was a long-term containment policy. This was the foundation if American policies towards the Soviets for the rest of the war.

East vs. West Berlin

West Berlin came into being part of the new Federal Republic of Germany when the Allies (US UK France) decided to merge their occupation zones to limit communism. Stalin made a blockade on the roads towards W berlin. The US and Britain flew planes over Berlin and dropped them food and resources for 15 months until W Berlin was made into a country.

The Marshall Plan

The US gave aid in nonmilitary ways to European Nations to help the Reconstruction efforts. Soviet Union discouraged their satellite states from accepting aid. It laid the foundations for greater economic integration and revived prosperity in Europe as well as bringing economic benefits to the US as they traded with Europe.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

A security pact made up of the US, Canada, and 10 European nations with the goal to defend themselves against the Soviet threat. It states the countries had to help each other when attacked, bringing the US into alliance with another for the first time since 1800. The Soviet union responded by making the Warsaw Pact with their satellite states.

NSC-68

National Security Memorandum 68. It was a US program that warned of weapons of mass destruction to destroy the Soviet Union. It urges a rapid buildup of political, economic, and military strength.

The Korean War

A war btwn Soviet-backed North Korea and UN backed South Korea. Gen Douglas MacArthur led the UN forces. Fighting didn’t lean to one side or the other very often and an armistice was talked over on for 2 years. N and S Korea remained at almost the same 30th parallel after the war. It was known as the “forgotten war” and 40,000 American soldiers died.

The Truman Doctrine/Containment

A doctrine that said the US would help any country threatened by communism. It was addressed by Truman because the US took on more role in the global stage as Britain focused on internal improvements.

The nuclear arms race/MAD

A race between the US and the USSR to create nuclear arms. It gained traction after the Soviet Union tested an atomic bomb. Mutually Assured Destruction was shown when the US and USSR tested hydrogen bombs, deterring them from war.

The space race

A race between the US and USSR to see who could reach certain milestones in space. The successful launching of the Soviet Sputnik into space encouraged the US to invest more in their math and science at school. NASA was created as a result of that time coming.

Eisenhower’s “military Industrial Complex” theory

The relationship between a country’s military, its govt., and its defense industries. It highlighted the relationship between these entities, especially during periods of conflict. It shaped foreign and domestic policies. It was coined by Eisenhower in 1961, and he warned against its potential influence on democracy. It led to technological advancements but also military spending and political influence.

Josephy McCarthy/McCarthyism

He was a Wisconsin senator who claimed he had a list of 205 people in the govt. that were communist. This fostered a climate of fear and paranoia and censorship. It was never fully revealed, and he was censured by the govt. for false claims. This led to blacklisting many people in Hollywood. McCarthyism also led to an age of conformity for fear of being outed as a communist and being jailed or taken away.

The Second Red Scare

This was an intense fear of communism in the US during the 1940’s and 1950’s. It was characterized by anti-communist sentiment, fueled by the Cold War, leading to widespread suspicion and govt. action, like persecution of those who had communist ties or sympathies. The FBI and HUAC were systems that “hunted down” communists in the US govt. using controversial methods.

Alger Hiss/The Rosenbergs

He was a govt. official who was convicted of espionage during the Cold War and accused of being a Soviet Union spy. This sparked debate over loyalty to the US and integrity in institutions. This reflected the fear and paranoia at the time and how it could lead to hunts against perceived threats. Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were a couple convicted of passing US atomic secrets to the Soviet Union during the war and they were executed. Only Julius was eventually found guilty.

The rise of suburbia/Levittown; White Flight; Restrictive Covenant

Suburbanization increased after WWII with the economic boom. More people moved because it was easier to commute using cars to the city then. They also wanted a quieter and more peaceful lifestyle. Levittown were communities built in the 40-50’s that provided affordable housing for returning WWII veterans. It was a symbol of the American dream, as they got home-ownership. It also encouraged conformity and reflected the sentiments of this time. Most of these houses were sold only to white families, reflecting the racial segregation policies of the time. White flight was the movement of white families from racially mixed urban areas to suburban areas. Restrictive Covenant was legally binding clauses that restricted how property could be used. This impacted the demographic makeup of many neighborhoods.