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

Soviet dictator during and after World War II

Tuskegee Airmen

African airmen pilots that fought during World War II.

Bataan Death March

In what event did American POWs (prisoners of war) suffer brutal treatment by the Japanese after the surrender of the Philippines in 1942? Nearly 75,000 POWs were sent of this brutal death march.

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

A key Cold War strategy, and a military doctrine where a nation vows to respond to an attack with a much larger, more powerful response, often involving nuclear weapons.

Bay of Pigs

A failed 1961 CIA-backed attempt by the United States to overthrow Fidel Castro, the communist leader of Cuba.

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

American civil rights lawyer, first Black Justice on the Supreme Court. He was a tireless advocate for the rights of minorities and the poor.

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

First female astronaut in the U.S. space program (NASA)

Gerald Ford

The 38th President of the United States, assuming the office after Richard Nixon's resignation in 1974. He previously served as Vice President under Nixon. 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

A highly influential U.S. Supreme Court Justice, known for her strong advocacy for gender equality and civil rights.

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

Beaches where Allied soldiers landed on D-Day, June 6, 1944.

Midway

The turning point battle in the Pacific where the U.S. broke the Japanese code and sunk four Japanese aircraft carriers, significantly weakening the Japanese fleet.

Hiroshima

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

El Alamein

A pivotal event in World War II, particularly in the North African Campaign. The battle saw British forces, led by Montgomery, decisively defeat Axis forces.

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

Led the communist revoltution in Cuba in the late 1950s.

John F. Kennedy

U.S. President that was assassinated in Dallas, Texas.

Richard Nixon

Elected President in 1968 and 1972 representing the Republican party. He was responsible for getting the United States out of the Vietnam War by using "Vietnamization", which was the withdrawal of 540,000 troops from South Vietnam for an extended period. He was responsible for the Nixon Doctrine Was the first President to ever resign, due to the Watergate scandal. Was tried for three accounts: Contempt of Congress and 2 others

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

Prohibited poll tax

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

The NASA mission that first landed humans on the Moon in 1969.

Stokely Carmichael

A prominent West Indian-American civil rights activist and leader of the Black Power Movement in the 1960s. He coined the phrase “black power”. He later changed his name to Kwame 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

A retired Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, serving from her appointment in 1981 by Ronald Reagan until her retirement in 2006. She was the first woman to be appointed to the Court.

Jimmy Carter

The 39th President of the United States, serving from 1977 to 1981. He is known for his focus on human rights in foreign policy and for brokering the Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt. However, his presidency was also marked by the Iranian Revolution and the Iran hostage crisis, which damaged his foreign policy legacy

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

A General of the United States Army and statesman who served as Secretary of State from 1947 to 1949. He is best known for the Marshall Plan, which provided aid to Western Europe after World War II to help rebuild economies and prevent the spread of communism.

Rosie the Riveter

A cultural icon and symbol representing the American women who took on factory and shipyard jobs during World War II.

Siege of Stalingrad

Turning point battle of WWII on the Eastern Front between the Soviets and the Nazis.

Geneva Convention

A diplomatic meeting held in 1954 aimed at resolving issues related to the conflicts in Indochina, particularly the First Indochina War between France and the Viet Minh.

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

Established the “plan” to rebuild Europe after World War II.

Korean War

First major “hot zone” war of the Cold War fought in the early 1950s.

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.

Lydon B. Johnson

36th President of the United States, known for his Great Society reforms and escalation of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.

Oliver Hill

African American Civil Rights lawyer from Virginia.

Earl Warren

The 14th Chief Justice of the US, serving from 1953 to 1969, and leading the Warren Coutt, which is known for its progressive decisions on civil rights and indiviual liberties.

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

Leader of the National Organization for Women and author of “The Feminine Mystique”.

Ronald Reagan

U.S. President responsible for Supply Side Economics and SDI - Star Wars.

John Glenn

First American astronaut to orbit the Earth in 1962

Pearl Harbor

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