World war II and the cold war

Pearl Harbor

Surprise Japanese attack on U.S. naval base in Hawaii on December 7, 1941.

Japanese Attack Outcome

Multiple ships destroyed but no aircraft carriers.

U.S. Entry into WWII

Pearl Harbor caused U.S. to officially enter World War II.

Public Support for War

The attack on Pearl Harbor garnered public support for the war.

Neutrality Acts

Laws aimed at keeping the U.S. out of foreign wars.

FDR’s Fire Chat

FDR’s speech hinting that America will end up in war while urging morale.

Cash and Carry Policy

U.S. provided allies with non-military goods under the condition they pay upfront and transport them.

Lend-Lease Act

Program to provide borrowed military goods to countries vital to U.S. defense.

Four Freedoms

FDR's ideals of freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from want, and freedom from fear.

Fair Employment Practice Committee

Agency created to investigate discrimination in the defense industry.

Rosie the Riveter

Cultural icon representing women who filled industrial jobs during WWII.

Tuskegee Airmen

All-black air combat unit trained in Alabama, first Black military pilots.

Double V Campaign

Aimed at achieving victory abroad for democracy and victory at home against racism.

Segregated Units

Black soldiers served in segregated units, often relegated to lower jobs.

Issei

First-generation Japanese immigrants to the U.S.

Nisei

Second-generation Japanese Americans, often U.S. citizens.

Fred Korematsu

He challenged internment policies and argued it violated his rights.

Korematsu v. United States

Supreme Court case that ruled Japanese internment was permissible during wartime.

Executive Order 9066

Order that led to the forced relocation of 120,000 Japanese Americans.

Camp Family Dynamics

Families lost homes and faced disrupted roles due to internment.

1988 Civil Liberties Act

Provided reparations and apologized for the internment of Japanese Americans.

McCarthyism

Campaign against alleged communists in the U.S. government initiated by Joseph McCarthy.

Army-McCarthy Hearings

Televised hearings that led to public backlash against McCarthy.

Cold War Timeline

Chronological sequence of major Cold War events and policies.

Yalta Conference

Meeting of leaders to discuss postwar Europe and strategy against Japan.

NATO

Military alliance formed to resist Soviet military expansion.

Warsaw Pact

Military alliance of communist nations in response to NATO.

Domino Effect

Theory that if one nation falls to communism, others will follow.

Containment

U.S. policy aimed at stopping the spread of communism.

Truman Doctrine

Policy of providing support to countries resisting communism.

Bay of Pigs Invasion

Failed U.S.-backed operation to oust Cuban leader Fidel Castro.

Cuban Missile Crisis

Confrontation over Soviet missiles in Cuba, leading to a 13-day standoff.

Vietnam War Causes

Fear of communism and U.S. policy of containment triggered the war.

Geneva Accords 1954

Agreement to split Vietnam at the 17th parallel into communist North and anti-communist South.

Ngo Dinh Diem

Unpopular leader of South Vietnam supported by the U.S.

Gulf of Tonkin Incident

Alleged attacks leading to congressional authorization for escalation in Vietnam.

My Lai Massacre

Incident in which U.S. soldiers killed unarmed Vietnam civilians.

Vietnamization

Policy to transfer responsibility for the war to South Vietnam while reducing U.S. troops.

Agent Orange

Herbicide used during the Vietnam War causing severe health issues.

Consequences of Vietnam War

Shattered the democratic party, ended the Great Society, and diminished U.S. credibility.