WWII

  • 1936 Olympics: Jesse Owens won the 100-meter dash, disproving Nazi racial superiority claims.

  • Great Depression Photography: Life magazine captured the true struggles of the people.

  • Franklin D. Roosevelt: His "Fireside Chats" reassured the American public during crises.

  • Joe Louis vs. Max Schmeling: U.S. boxer Joe Louis defeated Hitler’s champion.

  • Pablo Picasso's Guernica: Depicts the horrors of the Spanish Civil War.

  • Marian Anderson (1938): A Black opera singer, symbolizing racial progress in the U.S.

  • Joseph Goebbels: Minister of Enlightenment and Propaganda.

  • Nazi Propaganda Tools: Film, radio, and posters played key roles in spreading ideology.

  • Leni Riefenstahl’s Triumph of the Will: A propaganda film glorifying Hitler.

  • Book Burnings: Works by Albert Einstein, Thomas Mann, Helen Keller, and Sigmund Freud were destroyed.

  • Nazi Views on Jews: Portrayed as weakening the master race, vermin, and criminals.

  • Nuremberg Laws (1935): Stripped Jews of rights and aimed to prevent intermarriage.

  • First Annexation: Austria was the first country taken over by Hitler.

  • Sudetenland (1938): Hitler’s demand, leading to the Munich Agreement.

  • Neville Chamberlain: Welcomed as a hero for signing the Munich Pact.

  • Kristallnacht (1938): "The Night of Broken Glass"—a violent Nazi attack on Jewish businesses.

  • St. Louis Incident: A refugee ship of Jews was denied asylum and sent back to Europe.

  • WWII Begins (1939): Nazi invasion of Poland led to war.

  • Fall of Paris (1940): On June 14, Paris fell to the Nazis.

  • Lend-Lease Act: Roosevelt provided weapons to Britain and Russia despite U.S. neutrality.

  • Einsatzgruppen: Mobile SS units tasked with extermination of Jews and communist officials.

  • Wannsee Conference (1942): The "Final Solution" aimed to eliminate 11 million Jews.

  • Warsaw Ghetto (1942): The largest Jewish ghetto targeted for extermination.

  • Death Camps in Poland: Auschwitz, Treblinka, and others served as extermination sites.

  • Auschwitz’s Gate: Arbeit Macht Frei ("Work Makes You Free") was a deceptive slogan.

  • Zyklon B Gas Chambers: Victims perished within 15 minutes.

  • Jewish Death Toll: 6 million Jews were murdered.

  • Japanese Expansion: Began with the invasion of China.

  • Rape of Nanjing: 200,000 civilians were massacred.

  • Saipan Civilians (1944): Many committed suicide by jumping off cliffs.

  • Kamikaze Pilots: Expected to crash into Allied ships.

  • Okinawa Defense: Young students used themselves as human landmines.

  • U.S. Bombing of Germany: Berlin (25,000 dead), Dresden (50,000 dead).

  • Hiroshima and Nagasaki (August 1945): Atomic bombs killed 200,000 people.

  • Japan’s Surrender: Officially surrendered on August 15, 1945.

  • Nuremberg Trials: 12 Axis leaders sentenced to death for crimes against humanity.

  • Tokyo Trials: 7 Japanese officers sentenced to death for war crimes. 

  • 1. Kellogg-Briand Pact (1929) – Nations, including the U.S., promised never to go to war again.

  • 2. Japan Invades Manchuria (1931) – Took over coal and iron deposits.

  • 3. Stimson Doctrine (1931) – The U.S. would not recognize land taken by force.

  • 4. Nazi Party (1933) – National Socialist German Workers’ Party, led by Adolf Hitler.

  • 5. German Expansion (1935-1936) – Hitler violated the Treaty of Versailles by rearming and occupying the Rhineland.

  • 6. Italy’s Aggression – Mussolini attacked Ethiopia (1934) and annexed it (1936).

  • 1. Recognition of the Soviet Union (1933) – Allowed trade and diplomatic presence.

  • 2. Neutrality Acts (1935-1936) – Banned selling arms and loans to warring nations.

  • 3. Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) – Franco, supported by Hitler and Mussolini, overthrew the republican government.

  • 4. Japanese Aggression (1937) – Clashed with China; U.S. continued trade with China despite Neutrality Acts.

  • 1. Germany Invades Austria (1938) – Annexed Austria without resistance.

  • 2. Munich Pact (1938) – Gave Germany the Sudetenland in exchange for no further expansion.

  • 3. Persecution of Jews – Nuremberg Laws (1935) stripped Jews of rights; Kristallnacht (1938) saw mass violence.

  • 4. Invasion of Poland (1939) – Germany and the Soviet Union agreed to split Poland, leading Britain and France to declare war.

  • 1. Blitzkrieg in Poland (1939) – German strategy of lightning war.

  • 2. The Holocaust Begins – 6 million Jews murdered by 1945.

  • 3. Axis Powers – Germany, Italy, and Japan signed a defense agreement.

  • 4. Battle of Britain (1940) – German bombing campaign; RAF defended Britain.

  • 5. Lend-Lease Act (1941) – U.S. supplied weapons to Britain.

  • 6. Attack on Pearl Harbor (Dec. 7, 1941) – Japan’s surprise attack led the U.S. to enter the war.

  • 1. Anglo-American Strategy – Defeat Hitler first; accept only unconditional surrender.

  • 2. Turning Point: Battle of Stalingrad (1942-1943) – Soviets encircled German forces.

  • 3. Operation Torch (1942-1943) – U.S. and Britain attacked German-held North Africa.

  • 4. Italy Falls (1943-1945) – Mussolini was captured and executed.

  • 5. D-Day Invasion (June 6, 1944) – Allied forces landed in Normandy.

  • 6. Battle of the Bulge (1944-1945) – Last major German offensive.

  • 7. Hitler’s Death (April 30, 1945) – Suicide before Germany’s surrender on May 7.

  • 1. Japanese Expansion (1941-1942) – Took control of large parts of Asia.

  • 2. Battle of Midway (1942) – Turning point in the Pacific; Japan lost key carriers.

  • 3. Island-Hopping Strategy – U.S. captured strategic islands.

  • 4. Kamikaze Attacks – Japanese pilots crashed into U.S. ships.

  • 5. Atomic Bombs (Aug. 6 & 9, 1945) – Dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki; Japan surrendered on Aug. 14.

  • 1. Cairo Conference (1943) – Korea to be independent; Taiwan returned to China.

  • 2. Tehran Conference (1943) – Stalin promised to attack Japan after Germany’s defeat.

  • 3. Yalta Conference (1945) – War criminals to be tried; Germany divided into four zones.

  • 4. United Nations (1945) – Established to maintain global peace.

  • 5. Postwar Germany – Divided into zones controlled by the U.S., Britain, France, and the U.S.S.R.

  • 1. What is genocide?

  • Genocide is the deliberate and systematic extermination of a particular ethnic, racial, religious, or national group.

  • Approximately how many people died in the Holocaust?

  • Around 6 million Jews were killed, along with millions of others, including Romani people, disabled individuals, political prisoners, and others targeted by the Nazis.

  • What was determined at the Wannsee Conference?

  • The “Final Solution” was formalized, which was the Nazi plan to systematically exterminate the Jewish population.



  • War Efforts at Home:

  • What was the purpose of the Office of Price Administration (OPA)?

  • The OPA controlled prices and rationing to prevent inflation and shortages of essential goods during WWII.

  • What was the Double V Campaign?

  • A campaign that aimed for victory against fascism abroad and victory against racial discrimination at home.

  • Who were the Nisei, and what happened to many of them during the war?

  • Nisei were second-generation Japanese Americans. Many were forcibly relocated to internment camps due to Executive Order 9066.



  • Key Agreements & Conferences:

  • What was the Atlantic Charter, and what were its goals?

  • It was a joint declaration by the U.S. and Britain in 1941, outlining goals for a post-war world, including self-determination, free trade, and collective security.

  • What was discussed at the Yalta Conference?

  • The division of Germany, the formation of the United Nations, and Soviet involvement in the war against Japan.



  • Key Alliances and Countries:

  • What was the alliance formed by the United States, Britain, France, and the Soviet Union?

  • The Allies.

  • What was the alliance formed by Germany, Italy, and Japan?

  • The Axis Powers.

  • Which country was the first that the United States declared war on?

  • Japan, after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

  • Which country did Germany invade, breaking its non-aggression pact?

  • The Soviet Union (Operation Barbarossa).

  • Who was the Prime Minister of Japan during World War II?

  • Hideki Tojo.



  • Key Acts & Policies:

  • What was the purpose of the Cash and Carry Act?

  • Allowed countries at war to buy U.S. weapons and supplies as long as they paid cash and transported the goods themselves.

  • What did the Lend-Lease Act allow the U.S. to do?

  • Provided military aid to Allied nations without immediate payment.

  • What was the Selective Service Act, and why was it significant during WWII?

  • It established the first peacetime military draft in U.S. history, preparing the U.S. for war.

  • How did the United States respond to Japan taking over French military bases in Indochina?

  • The U.S. imposed economic sanctions, including cutting off oil exports.



  • Major Events & Battles:

  • What event led directly to the United States entering World War II?

  • The attack on Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941).

  • What was the significance of the Battle of Britain?

  • It was the first major defeat of the German Luftwaffe, preventing a Nazi invasion of Britain.

  • What was the objective of the D-Day invasion?

  • To liberate Nazi-occupied France and open a western front against Germany.

  • Why was the Battle of the Bulge important?

  • It was Germany’s last major offensive, attempting to break Allied lines in Belgium.

  • What is V-E Day, and why is it significant?

  • Victory in Europe Day (May 8, 1945) marked the official surrender of Nazi Germany.

  • What event caused Japan to surrender, leading to V-J Day?

  • The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

  • What was the strategy of Island Hopping, and how did it impact the war in the Pacific?

  • A U.S. strategy of capturing key islands to move closer to Japan while bypassing heavily fortified islands.



  • U.S. Leadership & Strategy:

  • Who was the Supreme Commander of U.S. forces in Europe?

  • General Dwight D. Eisenhower.

  • Which U.S. general vowed, “I shall return” to the Philippines?

  • General Douglas MacArthur.

  • What was the Manhattan Project?

  • A secret U.S. project that developed the atomic bomb.

  • Who made the final decision to drop the atomic bomb?

  • President Harry S. Truman.



  • Totalitarian Leaders:

  • Who was the leader of Nazi Germany?

  • Adolf Hitler.

  • Who was the fascist leader of Italy?

  • Benito Mussolini.

  • Who was the communist leader of the Soviet Union?

  • Joseph Stalin.

  • Who was the leader of Spain, and what role did the country play in WWII?

  • Francisco Franco. Spain remained neutral but sympathized with the Axis Powers.