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Module 5 Study Guide – World War II

Road to War/U.S. Entry

Events of the 1930s that led to war:

• Europe:
  
  

  • 1933: Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany
    
    

  • 1935: Italy invades Ethiopia
    
    

  • 1936: Spanish Civil War; Germany and Italy support fascists
    
    

  • 1938: Germany annexes Austria (Anschluss)
    
    

  • 1939: Germany invades Czechoslovakia and then Poland
    
    

• Pacific:
  
  

  • 1931: Japan invades Manchuria
    
    

  • 1937: Japan invades China (Rape of Nanking)
    
    

  • 1940: Japan signs Tripartite Pact with Germany and Italy
    
    

  • 1941: Japan occupies French Indochina
    
    

U.S. Reaction to the 1930s Crisis:

• Europe: Neutrality Acts to avoid war; minimal involvement
  
  

• Pacific: Economic sanctions against Japan; froze assets; oil embargo
  
  

Isolationist Attitudes:

• Kellogg-Briand Pact (1928): Nations promised not to use war to solve disputes
  
  

• Washington Naval Conference (1921–22): Limit naval armaments; promote peace
  
  

• Neutrality Acts (1935–1937): Banned arms sales, loans to nations at war
  
  

Interventionist Attitudes:

• Atlantic Charter (1941): FDR and Churchill outline post-war goals; shows support for Allies
  
  

• Lend-Lease Act (1941): Provided military aid to Allied nations
  
  

• Destroyers-for-bases deal (1940): U.S. gave destroyers to Britain in exchange for military bases
  
  

Four Freedoms (1941):

• FDR Speech & Rockwell Posters: Freedom of speech, worship, want, and fear; moral justification for entering the war
  
  

Why did Japan bomb Pearl Harbor?

• U.S. oil embargo and sanctions threatened Japan’s expansion; aimed to cripple U.S. Pacific Fleet to secure resource access in Southeast Asia
  
  

What event started the war in Europe?

• Germany’s invasion of Poland in 1939
  
  

Long-term goals of Germany and Japan:

• Germany: Expansion, racial superiority, Lebensraum
  
  

• Japan: Dominate Asia-Pacific, secure natural resources
  
  

Roosevelt’s views and policies:

• Initially isolationist, gradually shifted to intervention; supported Allies through Lend-Lease, Atlantic Charter
  
  

WWI’s impact on WWII:

• Treaty of Versailles harsh on Germany → resentment → rise of Hitler and nationalism
  
  

Why remain neutral?

• WWI trauma, Great Depression, isolationism, anti-war sentiment
  
  

“Arsenal of Democracy”:

• U.S. provided weapons/supplies to Allies while staying out of war
  
  

European Theater

Allied and Axis Strategies:

• Allies: "Germany First" strategy, focus on defeating Hitler before Japan; strategic bombing, amphibious invasions
  
  

• Axis: Blitzkrieg (lightning war), rapid invasion and occupation, U-boat campaigns to cut off Allied supplies
  
  

Military and Economic Consequences:

• Total war mobilization by all nations involved
  
  

• Mass destruction in Europe; millions of casualties
  
  

• Shift of economic power to the U.S.
  
  

Major Battles:

• D-Day (June 6, 1944): Allied invasion of Normandy; opened Western Front
  
  

• Battle of the Bulge (Dec 1944–Jan 1945): Last major Nazi offensive; Allies held ground
  
  

• Operation Torch (1942): Allied invasion of North Africa
  
  

• Battle of Stalingrad (1942–43): Turning point in Eastern Europe; USSR defeats Germany
  
  

Final Solution / Holocaust:

• Nazi plan to exterminate Jews and other groups (Roma, disabled, political dissidents)
  
  

• 6 million Jews killed; known as the Holocaust
  
  

Nuremberg Trials:

• Trials of Nazi leaders after the war for crimes against humanity
  
  

• Precedent: Leaders can be held accountable for war crimes
  
  

Pacific Theater

“Date that will live in infamy”:

• December 7, 1941: Attack on Pearl Harbor; brought U.S. into the war
  
  

Why early months after Pearl Harbor were devastating:

• U.S. lost Philippines, Guam, Wake Island
  
  

• Japan expanded rapidly across the Pacific
  
  

Doolittle Raid (April 1942):

• Surprise bombing raid on Tokyo; morale boost for U.S.
  
  

Allied vs. Axis Strategies:

• Allies: “Island hopping” strategy to reach Japan
  
  

• Japan: Fortify islands, fight to the death, delay U.S. advance
  
  

Major Battles:

• Midway (June 1942): Turning point; U.S. sank 4 Japanese carriers
  
  

• Iwo Jima (Feb–Mar 1945): Heavy casualties; strategic airfield
  
  

• Okinawa (Apr–June 1945): Deadly battle; preview of mainland invasion
  
  

Important Technologies:

• Aircraft carriers, radar, code-breaking (e.g., Navajo Code Talkers), atomic bomb
  
  

Bushido Code & Death Cult:

• Japanese warrior code encouraged no surrender
  
  

• Suicide missions, kamikaze attacks, mass civilian suicides on islands like Saipan
  
  

Potsdam Declaration (July 1945):

• Allied ultimatum to Japan: surrender or face “prompt and utter destruction”
  
  

Why atomic bombs were dropped:

• To avoid a costly invasion of Japan
  
  

• Hiroshima (Aug 6) and Nagasaki (Aug 9), 1945
  
  

• Japan surrendered on August 15, 1945 (V-J Day)
  
  

Homefront/Other

Contributions of minorities and women:

• Women: Worked in factories ("Rosie the Riveter"), military support roles (WAC, WAVES)
  
  

• African Americans: Double V campaign (victory against fascism and racism); served in segregated units (Tuskegee Airmen)
  
  

• Japanese Americans: Faced internment despite loyalty (Executive Order 9066)
  
  

Role of Government & Entertainment:

• Propaganda films, war bonds, rationing
  
  

• Office of War Information and War Production Board
  
  

• Hollywood supported war effort with pro-Allied films
  
  

How Americans were affected:

• Rationing, war bonds, loss of family members
  
  

• Women gained independence and workplace experience
  
  

Expected contributions to war effort:

• Victory Gardens, scrap metal drives, ration books
  
  

• Volunteering and buying war bonds
  
  

Catastrophic nationalism (Germany & Japan):

• Extreme ideology that glorified the nation above all
  
  

• Fueled genocide (Germany) and suicide attacks (Japan)
  
  

• Led to total war and refusal to surrender
  
  

Module 6 Study Guide – Cold War

Compare Cold War Policies

Chronological Events – Korean War

Chronological Events – Vietnam War

Cold War Foreign Policy Shifts

• After WWII, U.S. foreign policy became interventionist to contain communism. Shifted from isolationism to global leadership.
  
  

• Formed alliances like NATO, gave aid (Marshall Plan), and engaged in proxy wars (Korea, Vietnam).
  
  

Iron Curtain Speech

• Author: Winston Churchill
  
  

• Context: 1946 speech in Fulton, Missouri, warning about Soviet domination in Eastern Europe; coined term “Iron Curtain.”
  
  

Military Industrial Complex

• Term used by Eisenhower in farewell address.
  
  

• Warned about the growing influence of defense contractors and military leaders over national policy.
  
  

Chronological Events – Early Cold War

Presidential Evaluations

• Truman – Korean War: Mixed success; stopped communism, but war ended in stalemate.
  
  

• Eisenhower – Korean War: Credited with ending the war via armistice.
  
  

• Johnson – Vietnam War: Major escalation; war became unpopular.
  
  

• Nixon – Vietnam War: Withdrew troops (Vietnamization) but bombed Cambodia/Laos.
  
  

Chronological Events – Cuba Crisis

Chronological Events – Détente

Chronological Events – End of Cold War

Post-WWII Superpowers

• U.S. and USSR: Opposing ideologies (capitalism vs. communism), military buildup, arms race, space race
  
  

Early Cold War Conferences

Berlin Crisis

McCarthyism & Civil Liberties

• HUAC: Investigated suspected communists
  
  

• McCarthy: Led Red Scare; accused many without evidence
  
  

• Loyalty Review Board: Screened government workers for communism
  
  

• Significance: Raised fear but violated civil liberties
  
  

Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI / “Star Wars”)

• Proposed space-based missile defense system (Reagan)
  
  

• Limited effectiveness: Technology not viable, but pressured USSR economically
  
  

Cold War Events (1980s)

Civil Defense Administration

• Promoted air-raid drills, fallout shelters
  
  

• Cause: Fear of nuclear war
  
  

• Effect: Created culture of fear and preparedness
  
  

Eisenhower vs. Truman Doctrines

Vietnam War Evaluation

• Vietnamization (Nixon): Gradual withdrawal, shifting combat to South Vietnamese
  
  

• Success? Militarily strong, but politically failed; South Vietnam fell in 1975
  
  

Vietnam War Chart

Justification/Support:

• Containment
  
  

• Domino Theory
  
  

• Gulf of Tonkin Incident
  
  

• Support for anti-communist regimes
  
  

Negative Impacts:

• My Lai Massacre
  
  

• Tet Offensive shattered public support
  
  

• Bombing of Cambodia & Laos
  
  

• Anti-war movement, draft resistance
  
  

Major Cold War Events in 1968

• Tet Offensive
  
  

• Johnson declines reelection
  
  

• MLK and RFK assassinated
  
  

• Protests and unrest
  
  

• Nixon elected president
  
  

Opposition Groups to Vietnam War

1. Students (SDS): Saw war as unjust, imperialist
   
   

2. Civil Rights leaders: MLK linked war to racism and poverty
   
   

3. Veterans (VVAW): Spoke against war after serving
   
   

4. Hippies/Counterculture: Rejected militarism, favored peace
   
   

Ho Chi Minh Quote Context

• Tiger: Viet Cong/guerrillas
  
  

• Elephant: U.S. military
  
  

• Meaning: Guerrilla warfare would slowly wear down a stronger force
  
  

Pentagon Papers/War Powers

End of Cold War (1985–1991)

• Gorbachev’s reforms (glasnost/perestroika)
  
  

• USSR’s economic decline
  
  

• Fall of Berlin Wall (1989)
  
  

• Eastern Bloc revolts
  
  

• 1991: Soviet Union collapses
  
  

🧠 WWII – Easy Version (Module 5)

🌍 Why WWII Started

• Germany & Japan wanted more land (like bullies in the sandbox).
  
  

• Germany invaded Poland.
  
  

• Japan invaded China and islands to take stuff (like oil and rubber).
  
  

• U.S. tried to stay out of it (didn’t want another WWI), but gave help like a quiet friend:
  
  

  • Lend-Lease: Gave stuff (like tanks and food) to good guys without fighting.
    
    

  • Destroyers for Bases: Swapped old boats for land to build forts.
    
    

🔥 Why the U.S. Joined the War

• Japan bombed Pearl Harbor (Dec 7, 1941) – huge surprise!
  
  

• That made the U.S. say, “Okay, now we’re in!”
  
  

🇪🇺 Europe Battles

• D-Day: Big beach attack in France to push back Hitler.
  
  

• Battle of the Bulge: Hitler’s last big fight; Allies still won.
  
  

• Stalingrad: Russians stopped Germany in the cold.
  
  

🧪 The Holocaust

• Hitler’s plan to kill Jews and others = The Final Solution.
  
  

• 6 million Jews were murdered.
  
  

⚖ Nuremberg Trials

• After the war, the bad guys were put on trial so everyone knew: “Even leaders have to follow rules.”
  
  

🌊 Pacific Battles

• Midway: U.S. sank Japan’s ships = BIG win.
  
  

• Iwo Jima & Okinawa: Bloody battles; Japan wouldn’t give up.
  
  

• Bushido Code: Japanese idea = Never surrender → led to kamikaze and suicide missions.
  
  

• Atomic Bombs: U.S. dropped 2 bombs (Hiroshima and Nagasaki) to end the war fast.
  
  

🏠 At Home (U.S.)

• Women worked in factories (Rosie the Riveter).
  
  

• Minorities fought but still faced racism.
  
  

• People grew food at home, saved stuff, bought war bonds = everyone helped.
  
  

🧱 Cold War – Easy Version (Module 6)

🥶 What is the Cold War?

• The U.S. and Soviet Union didn’t fight directly but were mad at each other for decades.
  
  

• Like 2 kids staring each other down, holding water balloons.
  
  

🛡 Key Policies (Ways U.S. Tried to Stop Communism)

📅 Key Cold War Events – Explained Simply

🥋 Korean War

• North Korea (bad guys) attacked South Korea (good guys).
  
  

• U.S. helped South. China helped North.
  
  

• It ended in a tie – they stayed split.
  
  

🧨 Vietnam War

• U.S. tried to stop communists in Vietnam.
  
  

• It got messy, long, and people at home hated it.
  
  

• Vietnamization: Nixon’s plan to let South Vietnam take over so U.S. could leave.
  
  

🚀 Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)

• USSR put nukes in Cuba (close to U.S.).
  
  

• U.S. said “NO WAY!” and blocked Cuba.
  
  

• Closest we came to WWIII.
  
  

• Solved peacefully – nukes removed.
  
  

🧱 Berlin Wall

• USSR built a wall to trap people in East Berlin.
  
  

• Wall came down in 1989 = symbol of Cold War ending.
  
  

🧑‍⚖ McCarthyism

• U.S. was super scared of communists hiding inside the country.
  
  

• People got accused with no proof.
  
  

• Bad for freedom.
  
  

🛰 Other Important Terms

🎉 How the Cold War Ended (1985–1991)

• Gorbachev tried to fix USSR, but it didn’t work.
  
  

• Berlin Wall came down.
  
  

In 1991, USSR broke up – Cold War OVER!