Untitled Flashcards Set

Huey P. Long: A populist Louisiana politician who served as governor and senator in the 1920s and 1930s. He was known for his “Share the Wealth” program, which sought to redistribute wealth and provide economic relief during the Great Depression.

Father Charles E. Coughlin: A controversial Catholic priest and radio personality who gained a large following during the Great Depression. Initially supportive of Franklin D. Roosevelt, he later became a vocal critic and promoted populist and anti-Semitic views.

Dr. Francis E. Townsend: A physician who advocated for the Townsend Plan, which proposed giving elderly Americans $200 per month to stimulate the economy and provide financial security during the Great Depression. His plan inspired the creation of Social Security.

Share-the-Wealth Program: A proposal by Huey P. Long that advocated for the redistribution of wealth through higher taxes on the rich, the capping of personal fortunes, and the provision of guaranteed incomes for families.

Second New Deal: A series of programs and reforms introduced by Franklin D. Roosevelt in the mid-1930s, focused on economic security and social welfare, including the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and the Social Security Act.

Court Reorganization Plan: Also known as the "Court-packing plan," proposed by Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1937 to add more justices to the U.S. Supreme Court to shift its ideological balance and ensure New Deal policies would be upheld. The plan was rejected by Congress.

Fair Labor Standards Act: A 1938 U.S. law that set minimum wages, maximum working hours, and child labor laws to protect workers' rights.

Dust Bowl: A severe drought and series of dust storms in the 1930s that devastated the Great Plains, exacerbating the Great Depression and forcing many farmers to migrate westward.

Okies: A term used to describe displaced farmers from Oklahoma and other Dust Bowl states who moved west to California during the Great Depression in search of work.

Indian Reorganization Act: A 1934 law aimed at reversing the assimilationist policies of the past and promoting Native American self-government and economic development.

Kellogg-Briand Pact: A 1928 international agreement signed by 15 nations that renounced war as a means of resolving conflicts, although it ultimately failed to prevent future wars.

Dawes Plan: A 1924 plan to restructure Germany’s reparations payments after World War I, which helped stabilize the German economy and facilitate international loans.

Good Neighbor Policy: A diplomatic policy initiated by Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1930s aimed at improving relations between the U.S. and Latin American countries by promoting non-intervention and mutual respect.

Fascism: A far-right authoritarian political ideology that emphasizes dictatorial power, nationalism, and suppression of opposition, often associated with regimes like Benito Mussolini’s Italy and Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany.

Benito Mussolini: The leader of Italy's fascist government from 1922 to 1943, who aligned with Nazi Germany during World War II and sought to expand Italy’s territories.

Adolf Hitler: The dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945, responsible for instigating World War II and orchestrating the Holocaust.

Nazi Party: The National Socialist German Workers’ Party, led by Adolf Hitler, which governed Germany from 1933 to 1945, promoting extreme nationalism, anti-Semitism, and fascist policies.

Isolationism: A foreign policy stance advocating for minimal involvement in international affairs and avoiding alliances or conflicts with other nations, particularly prevalent in the U.S. before World War II.

Neutrality Acts: A series of laws passed by the U.S. in the 1930s aimed at preventing the country from being drawn into foreign conflicts, including restrictions on arms sales and loans to warring nations.

America First Committee: A prominent isolationist group in the late 1930s and early 1940s that opposed U.S. involvement in World War II, advocating for a focus on domestic issues.

Francisco Franco: The Spanish general who led the Nationalists to victory in the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) and ruled Spain as a dictator until his death in 1975.

Winston Churchill: The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during World War II, known for his leadership in resisting Nazi Germany and his inspiring speeches.

Joseph Stalin: The leader of the Soviet Union from the mid-1920s until his death in 1953. Stalin’s regime was marked by totalitarian control, mass purges, and industrialization.

Blitzkrieg: A military strategy employed by Nazi Germany during World War II, involving swift and overwhelming attacks using a combination of infantry, tanks, and airpower to quickly incapacitate the enemy.

Cash and Carry: A policy enacted by the U.S. in 1939 that allowed belligerent nations to purchase arms from the U.S., provided they paid in cash and transported the goods themselves.

Lend-Lease Act: A 1941 U.S. law that allowed the U.S. to supply Allied nations with military aid during World War II, without requiring immediate payment, helping to support countries like Britain and the Soviet Union.

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

War Production Board (WPB): A U.S. government agency established during World War II to oversee the production of war materials and to allocate resources for the war effort.

Manhattan Project: The secret U.S. project during World War II to develop atomic bombs, culminating in the successful detonation of the first atomic bomb in 1945.

Office of War Information: A U.S. government agency during World War II that oversaw propaganda efforts, including the dissemination of information to promote support for the war effort.

Women’s Army Corps: A branch of the U.S. Army during World War II that allowed women to serve in non-combat roles, such as clerks, nurses, and telephone operators.

Smith v. Allwright: A 1944 Supreme Court decision that declared it unconstitutional for political parties to exclude African Americans from voting in primary elections, expanding voting rights in the U.S.

Tuskegee Airmen: A group of African American pilots who served in the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II, becoming the first African American military aviators in the U.S. armed forces.

Braceros: Mexican laborers who were allowed to work temporarily in the U.S. during World War II under the Bracero Program, primarily in agriculture and railroad construction.

Korematsu v. U.S.: A 1944 Supreme Court case that upheld the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, a decision later viewed as a violation of civil liberties.

“Rosie the Riveter”: A cultural icon representing women who worked in factories and shipyards during World War II, symbolizing the contribution of women to the war effort.

Dwight D. Eisenhower: The 34th President of the United States (1953-1961), and Supreme Commander of Allied forces in Europe during World War II, responsible for overseeing the D-Day invasion and the eventual defeat of Nazi Germany.

D-Day: The Allied invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944, during World War II, which marked the beginning of the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi occupation.

Battle of Midway: A decisive naval battle in June 1942 in the Pacific Theater of World War II, where the U.S. Navy defeated the Imperial Japanese Navy, turning the tide in the Pacific War in favor of the Allies.

Island Hopping: A military strategy used by the U.S. during World War II in the Pacific, involving the capture of strategic islands while bypassing others, ultimately leading to the defeat of Japan.

Kamikaze: Japanese suicide pilots who deliberately crashed their planes into Allied ships during World War II, a tactic used to inflict maximum damage.

Douglas MacArthur: A U.S. general who played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II, known for his leadership in the Battle of the Philippines and the post-war occupation of Japan.

J. Robert Oppenheimer: The American physicist who served as the scientific director of the Manhattan Project and is often referred to as the "father of the atomic bomb."

Nagasaki & Hiroshima: The Japanese cities that were bombed with atomic bombs by the U.S. in August 1945, leading to Japan's surrender and the end of World War II.

USS Missouri: The battleship on which Japan formally surrendered to the United States on September 2, 1945, effectively ending World War II.

Harry S. Truman: The 33rd President of the United States (1945-1953), who succeeded Franklin D. Roosevelt and made the decision to drop atomic bombs on Japan to end World War II.

Casablanca Conference: A 1943 meeting between Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill where they announced the policy of unconditional surrender for the Axis powers and planned the next phase of World War II.

Yalta Conference: A 1945 meeting between Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin in which they discussed the post-war reorganization of Europe and the establishment of the United Nations.

The United Nations: An international organization founded in 1945 to promote peace, security, and cooperation among member states, following the end of World War II.

Atomic weapons: Explosive devices that release nuclear energy through fission or fusion, developed during World War II and used by the U.S. to bring about the end of the conflict with Japan.