Dual Enrollment U.S. History 122: Final Exam Review

Erwin Rommel

German Field Marshall and innovative commander. Prominent figure in the Battle of El Alamein and known as the "Desert Fox" for his leadership in North African campaigns during World War II.

Joseph Stalin

Who was the Communist dictator (Premier) of the Soviet Union (U.S.S.R.) during World War II? He led the Soviet Union until his death in 1953. 

Tuskegee Airmen

Who were the African American aviation units of military pilots (fighter and bomber) who fought in World War II? Formally, they formed the 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Bombardment Group of the United States Army Air Forces and served with distinction in Europe.

Bataan Death March

In what event did American POWs (prisoners of war) suffer brutal treatment by the Japanese during World War II after the surrender of the Philippines between March and April of 1942?  This death march began on April 9, 1942 and it led to the death of an estimated 21,600 Filipino and American prisoners of war. 

Okinawa

The final major battle of World War II in the Pacific, fought in April 1945. It resulted in significant casualties and was pivotal for the Allied victory in the Pacific theater.

Nagasaki

One of the two Japanese cities that Americans dropped the atomic bombs on in August 1945.

Nuremberg Trials

Germany city where Nazis were placed on trail for war crimes

Adolf Hitler

Who was the Nazi dictator that started World War II with the Nazi invasion of Poland in 1939 and later honored a pact with Japan to declare war on the U.S. in 1941? 

Potsdam

The final wartime meeting between the major Allied powers (USA, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union) held in Potsdam, Germany in July-August 1945

United Nations

An international organization formed in 1945 after World War II to promote global cooperation, maintain international peace and security, and foster social progress and human rights.

Nikita Khrushchev

The Soviet leader who played a key role during the Cold War, particularly during the Cuban Missile Crisis. He also famously denounced Stalin and oversaw reforms within the Soviet Union.

Harry S. Truman

Who was the 33^rd U.S. President of the United States? He became president after the death of FDR at the end of WWII. As president, he led America at the end of World War II, desegregated the U.S. military, and guided the country through the start of the Cold War. He mobilized U.S. troops in the  Korean War and the U.S. “containment” policy to prevent countries from becoming communist would bear his name during the Cold War.

Massive Retaliation

What was Secretary of State John Foster Dulles and U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s policy (adopted in 1954) toward the Soviet Union in case the threat of nuclear war became a reality in the United States during the 1950’s?

Bay of Pigs

What invasion to over throw the Cuban communists failed under CIA Director Allen Dulles and President John F. Kennedy’s leadership in 1961?  The majority of the casualties were Cuban exiles known as the Democratic Revolutionary Front. After the disastrous CIA backed invasion, Kennedy took full responsibility for the blunder.

Mao Zedong

Leader of the Communist party in China that overthrew Jiang Jieshi and the Nationalists. He established the People's Republic of China in 1949 and implemented the Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution.

William Westmoreland

The commander of the U.S. forces in Vietnam from 1964 to 1968. He oversaw the dramatic escalation of American involvement in the conflict, advocating for a war of attrition.

Executive Order 9981

Mandated the desegregation of the U.S. Armed Forces, ensuring equality of treatment and opportunity for all service members without regard to race, color, religion, or national origin.

Thurgood Marshall

Who was the lead NAACP lawyer that defended the Brown family in the ground breaking Supreme Court decision, Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas?  He graduated top of his class from Howard Law and became the first African American to serve as a Supreme Court Justice (he was appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1967).

Brown v. Board

A landmark Supreme Court case that declared state-sponsored racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

A landmark piece of US legislation that aimed to eliminate discrimination, particularly against African Americans in the South, by outlawing practices like literacy tests and poll taxes.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Civil Rights leader that gave the “I Have A Dream” speech in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Jonas Salk

Doctor that discovered the vaccine for polio.

Sally Ride

Who was the first female astronaut to enter the NASA Space Program in 1978 and the first American woman to go to space in 1983 (also the youngest American at age 32)?  She earned four degrees from Stanford University. 

Gerald Ford

The 38th President of the United States, assuming the office after Richard Nixon's resignation in 1974. He was the first unelected president in US history, as he was appointed Vice President after Spiro Agnew resigned and then became President upon Nixon's resignation. 

Ruth Bader Ginburg

Who was the second female justice to serve on the United States Supreme Court and the sixth Jewish justice on the court?  She was appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1993. She was a crusader for equal rights and served on the court until her death in September of 2020. 

Bernard Montgomery

A crucial British Army commander during World War II, known for leading Allied forces in the Battle of El Alamein.

Hediki Togo

Prime Minister of Japan during most of World War II. He was known for his role in the attack on Pearl Harbor and his later execution as a war criminal.

Nisei Regiments

Japanese American regiments that served in World War II.

Normandy

What World War II European battle (led by American troops under Allied Supreme Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower) was the largest amphibious (water to land) assault (known as Operation Overlord) in military history launched on June 6, 1944?  This started the liberation of France and Allied victory over Nazi Germany 11 months after the battle. The town of Bedford, Virginia paid a heavy price having lost nineteen young men as a result of the invasion force on Omaha Beach. The National memorial for this battle is now located in Bedford, Virginia. 

Midway

What was the Pacific World War II battle that was a major American victory (American turning point in the Pacific) that was an Aircraft Carrier based operation, which occurred just several months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor (June 3-7, 1942)?  American forces took out a large portion of the Japanese carrier fleet (4 carriers), held this strategic island (American military base), and successfully broke the Japanese code: "Purple." It was considered a “miracle.”

Hiroshima

Japanese city where the first atomic bomb was dropped in 1945.

El Alamein

One of the largest military campaigns of the Vietnam War, launched on January 30, 1968 (launched on the Vietnamese New Year) by forces of the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese People's Army of Vietnam against the forces of South Vietnam, the United States, and their allies. It was a campaign of surprise attacks against military and civilian commands and control centers throughout South Vietnam.

Navajo Code Talkers

Native Amercan code talkers during WWII.

Internment Camps

The Japanese-American camps established by the US government during World War II. These camps were used to forcibly relocate and detain Japanese Americans, often resulting in loss of property and civil rights.

Berlin Aircraft

A major event during the Cold War where the United States and United Kingdom responded to the Soviet Blockade by airlifting vital supplies to the city.

Truman Doctrine

President Truman’s policy of providing economic and military aid to any country threatened by communism or totalitarian ideology.

HUAC

Congressional committee to investigate suspected communists during the Cold War.

Douglas MacArthur

A highly decorated and influential American general who played a role in World War II and the Korean War. He was known for his strategic brilliance and strong leadership in the Pacific theater. He also led the Allied occupation of Japan after the war, overseeing its reconstruction and democratization.

Fidel Castro

Who was the main leader of the communist revolution in Cuba in from 1953 to 1959?  He was the leader of communist Cuba (as prime minister and president) from 1959 to 2008.

John F. Kennedy

Who was the 35th U.S. President from Massachusetts? He established the Peace Corps and the NASA Space Program, was responsible for overseeing the events of the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, but was tragically assassinated in Dallas, Texas in 1963.

Richard Nixon

Who was the 37^th U.S. President that pledged to bring the Vietnam War to honorable end through Vietnamization but failed to do so? He was respected for his foreign policy with the Soviet Union and communist China (he visited China in 1972 and the USSR in the 1970's). However, he was ultimately forced to resign from office in 1974 due to the Watergate scandal.

Tet Offensive

A series of coordinated surprise attacks launched by the North Vietnamese Army and the Viet Cong against South Vietnamese and U.S. Forces on January 30, 1938, during the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in public accommodations and employment.

24th Amendment

During the Jim Crow Era, citizens in some states (mainly Southern) had to pay a fee or a poll tax to vote in U.S. elections. What Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibiting the poll tax in U.S. elections? It was ratified or approved by the states on January 23, 1964. 

Davis v. County School Board of Prince Edward Co.

A landmark Supreme Court case that ruled against the practice of "separate but equal" in public school systems, requiring desegregation.

Apollo 11

What was the American spaceflight that landed the first humans on the Moon in 1969? The mission was manned by Michael Collins, Neil Armstrong, and Buzz Aldrin on July 20, 1969 and Armstrong became the first to step onto the lunar on July 21, 1969.

Stokely Carmichael

He was one of the main young leaders (starting in his collegiate years at Howard) of the Civil Rights group, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). SNCC was formed at Shaw University by Ella Baker in 1960. He became the 4^th Chairman of SNCC, promoted Black Power, and later became the leader of the All-African People’s Revolutionary Party (he was also known as Kuame Ture).  

Bill Clinton

He served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001, marking an era characterized by economic prosperity, political polarization, and significant social change. His presidency faced various challenges including economic reform, healthcare initiatives, and foreign policy issues, all set against the backdrop of a rapidly changing global landscape at the dawn of the 21st century.

Sandra Day O’Conner

Who was the first female justice on the United States Supreme Court, appointed by President Ronald Reagan?  She retired from the court in 2005, served as chancellor of the College of William & Mary, and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barrack Obama in 2009.  

Jimmy Carter

Who was the 39th U.S. President from Georgia?  As president, he established the Department of Energy, the Department of Education, and most famously brokered the Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel. He was a one term president because his administration was marred with an energy (gas/oil) crisis in 1979, a struggling U.S. economy, and the Iranian hostage crisis that lasted 444 days from November 1979 until the day that he left office in 1981.

Clarence Thomas

The second African American Supreme Court Justice, appointed by George H.W. Bush in 1991. He is known for his conservative judicial philosophy and his controversial confirmation hearings, which included accusations of sexual harassment by Anita Hill. His time on the Court has been marked by his strong stance against affirmative action. 

George C. Marshall

Who was the U.S. Army Chief of Staff during World War II under President Franklin D. Roosevelt? He served as both Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense under President Harry S. Truman. He won the Nobel Peace Prize for the plan that instituted to help rebuild Europe and prevent the spread of communism in Europe after World War II. He was also a graduate of the Virginia Military Institute (Class of 1901). 

Rosie the Riveter

Who was the “poster woman” for all American working women during World War II?  She was a factional character created by J. Howard Miller and Norman Rockwell but she was a very real symbol for the over two million women that took part in the American war effort.  

Siege of Stalingrad

What was the five to six month siege fought between the Soviet Union and Nazi forces from August of 1942 through February of 1943 during World War II? This Soviet Union victory over Nazi Germany cost hundreds of thousands of lives on both sides in this months-long siege of this Russian city (along the Volga River). This siege was considered the turning point of the war for the Soviets in Eastern Europe.

Geneva Convention

What international meeting in Switzerland was an attempt to ensure the humane treatment of civilians, prisoners of war, soldiers, and the establishment rules to be followed in war by all nations? 

Iwo Jima

A bloody and prolonged operation on the island in which American marines landed and defeated Japanese defenders. The island was needed for closer bases from which to blast and burn enemy cities and industries. The Americans finally captured the island after fighting from April to June of 1945.

Battle of Britain

A crucial aerial conflict of World War II, fought between the Royal Air Force and the German Luftwaffe from July to October 1940. This all-air battle marked the first major campgain fought entirely by air forces. It was significant for preventing a German invasion of Britain and boosting Allied morale.

Final Solution

The systmeatic mass murder of Jewish people between 1941 and 1945.

Office of Strategic Services

The United States first intelligence agency, establihsed during World War II to gather information, engage in covert operations, and support resistance movements behind enemy lines.

Yalta

Conference held in Crimea between FDR, Stalin, and Churchill to end WWII in Europe

Marshall Plan

What was the U.S. aid program to help rebuild Europe after World War II and to prevent the spread of communism in war torn Europe? It is still considered one of America’s great pieces of foreign policy in the 20^th century.

Korean War

What was the first war (Cold War hot zone) America got involved in trying to contain communism between 1950 to 1953?  This United Nations operation (American led by General Douglas MacArthur) occurred not long after World War II ended.  The armistice (cease fire) line was drawn along the 38 degree parallel north latitude.  

Alger Hiss

Suspected communist spy in the Pumpkin Papers scandal during the Cold War.

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg

Suspected spies that were executed with espionage.

Cuban Missile Crisis

Site of the missile launch sites that were aimed directly at the U.S.

Mikhail Gorbachev

Soviet leader that oversaw the collapse of the Soviet Union

Ho Chi Minh

Leaders of the North Vietnamese in the Vietnam War.

Lyndon B. Johnson

Who was the 36^th U.S. President from Texas? He was responsible for the Great Society, sweeping Civil Rights reform (24^th Amendment, Civil Rights Act of 1964, Voting Rights Act of 1965),  and “The War on Poverty,”  He also instituted a troop surge to Vietnam through the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution and instituted the draft for the Vietnam War. He did not seek reelection in 1968 due to the stalemate in Vietnam and major domestic problems in the U.S.

Oliver Hill

African American Civil Rights lawyer from Virginia.

Earl Warren

Who was the 14th Chief Justice of the Supreme (appointed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower) outlawed segregation in public schools and transformed many areas of American law?  He made the Supreme Court a power center on a more even basis with Congress and the Presidency, especially through four landmark decisions: Brown v. Board of Education (1954), Gideon v. Wainwright (1963), Reynolds v. Sims (1964), and Miranda v. Arizona (1966).

Supply Side Economics

The economic theory that lowering taxes and decreasing regulation can stimulate economic growth by increasing the production and supply of goods and servies.

Barack Obama

First African American president in U.S. history.

George H.W. Bush

The 41st President of the United States. He was the Vice President of Ronald Reagan. His presidency is often associated with the end of the Cold War, the Invasion of Panama, and the First Gulf War.

Betty Friedan

Who was the American feminist/activist that authored The Feminine Mystique in 1963 and was one of the founders of the National Organization for Women? She fought for women’s equal rights in employment, education, and society in the 20^th century.

Ronald Reagan

Who was the 40^th U.S. President from California? He called for a “conservative revolution,” a war on drugs, established a 30% tax cut, instituted “Star Wars,” and fought for the collapse of the Soviet Union. He has received a great deal of criticism for Iran Contra scandal during his time in office. He was known as the Great Communicator.

John Glenn

First American astronaut to orbit the Earth in 1962

Pearl Harbor

U.S. harbor attacked by the Japanese on December 7, 1941