american history 130 pt test

Page 1: Key Events and Figures in WWII

  • Harry S. Truman

    • FDR's running mate in 1944.

    • Made the decision to drop atomic bombs on Japan to end WWII, believing it would "save lives".

  • Manhattan Project

    • Top-secret program aimed at developing the atomic bomb.

  • Hiroshima & Nagasaki

    • The two Japanese cities targeted with atomic bombs in 1945.

  • Chester Nimitz

    • U.S. Naval commander during the Pacific War.

  • Iwo Jima & Okinawa

    • Islands with heavy U.S. casualties, key strategic victories close to the Japanese mainland.

  • Italy

    • Captured slowly by Allies, many casualties; not the "soft underbelly" as previously thought.

  • Yalta Conference

    • Conference where Russians agreed to enter the war against Japan.

  • Casablanca Conference

    • U.S. and British leaders committed to an unconditional surrender from Axis powers.

  • Hideki Tojo

    • Japanese Prime Minister tried as a war criminal at the 1948 Tokyo Trials.

  • Thomas E. Dewey

    • Opponent of FDR in the 1944 presidential election.

  • Omaha & Utah

    • Two American beaches stormed during D-Day.

  • Teheran Conference

    • First meeting of the "Big 3" Allies to discuss a second front against Germany.

  • Paul Tibbets

    • Pilot of the Enola Gay, the plane that dropped the first atomic bomb.

  • George S. Patton

    • U.S. General known for leading the breakout from Normandy; nicknamed "Blood-n-Guts".

  • George C. Marshall

    • Army Chief of Staff and advisor to FDR, considered too important to recover from the battlefield.

  • December 8, 1941

    • Date Congress declared war after FDR's "Day of Infamy" speech.

  • 1944

    • Significant events: D-Day beaches stormed, FDR's electoral vote, Leyte Island liberation.

Page 2: Key Events and Conferences

  • Casablanca Conference

    • Major conference leading to the invasion of Sicily and Italy; Mussolini’s government subsequently faltered.

  • April 12, 1945

    • Date of FDR's death.

  • August 6, 1945

    • Date the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima.

  • Dwight D. Eisenhower

    • Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe during D-Day.

  • Axis Powers

    • Alliance of Japan, Germany, and Italy.

  • Big 3

    • Alliance of FDR, Churchill, and Stalin during most of WWII.

  • Battle of El Alamein

    • Montgomery defeated Rommel in North Africa, marking a turning point in 1942.

  • Pearl Harbor

    • Attack on December 7, 1941, leading to U.S. entry into the war.

  • D-Day

    • Allied invasion on June 6, 1944.

  • V-E Day

    • Victory in Europe Day, May 8, 1945.

  • V-J Day

    • Victory over Japan Day, August 15, 1945.

  • 2nd Front

    • Allies established a second front in 1944 against Germany, fulfilling Soviet demands.

  • Erwin Rommel

    • German General Commanding the defense of Fortress Europe.

  • Stalingrad

    • Crucial Soviet victory in 1942 that halted the Nazi advance in the USSR.

  • Douglas MacArthur

    • U.S. Army Commander in the Pacific Theater, famously promised "I shall return".

  • Battle of Midway

    • Key turning point battle in the Pacific in June 1942, resulting in significant Japanese losses.

Page 3: U.S. Strategies and Personalities

  • U.S. Strategy in the Pacific

    • Operation Olympic

      • Planned invasion of Japan set for November 1, 1945.

    • Little Boy

      • Nickname for the first atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.

    • Fat Man

      • Nickname for the second atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki.

    • Operation Overlord

      • Code name for the D-Day invasion.

    • Wolf Pack

      • Group of German U-boats that threatened Allied shipping.

  • Philippines

    • Site of the Leyte Gulf battle, pivotal for control in the region.

  • 1939-1945

    • Duration of WWII.

  • Battle of the Bulge

    • Germany's last major offensive in the Western Front.

  • Hirohito

    • Japanese Emperor who remained after the war.

  • Yamamoto

    • Japanese Admiral responsible for Pearl Harbor, killed in 1943.

  • Josef Stalin

    • Communist leader known for purges, referred to as the "man of steel".

  • Bernard Montgomery

    • British General who was openly critical of American leadership.

  • Adolf Hitler

    • Austrian-born leader responsible for Germany's actions in WWII; ultimately led his nation to defeat.

  • Winston Churchill

    • British Prime Minister concerned about Communism’s spread in Eastern Europe post-war.

  • Auschwitz

    • Notorious Nazi extermination camp in Poland.

  • Potsdam Declaration

    • Ultimatum warning Japan to surrender or face "prompt and utter destruction".

  • Guadalcanal

    • Site of significant naval and ground combat in 1942, vital in securing Australia.

Page 4: Cultural and Lesser-Known Aspects

  • Kamikaze

    • Japanese suicide pilots, symbolizing extreme devotion and desperation.

  • Rosie the Riveter

    • Icon representing women who worked in factories and shipyards during the war.

  • Enola Gay

    • The aircraft that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima.

  • Bock's Car

    • The plane responsible for dropping the atomic bomb on Nagasaki.

  • Great Britain

    • Nation that stood alone for a time against Germany, suffering extensive bombing but ultimately emerged victorious.

  • Wannsee Conference

    • Meeting among Nazi officials to discuss the "Final Solution" to the Jewish issues.