Key Terms Chapter 32/33

London Economic Conference (1933)

• An international meeting aimed at combating the Great Depression by stabilizing currency exchange rates. It failed due to disagreements, particularly the U.S.'s refusal to cooperate on currency stabilization.

Good Neighbor Policy (1933)

• U.S. foreign policy under Franklin D. Roosevelt to improve relations with Latin America by renouncing armed intervention and promoting mutual respect.

Neutrality Acts (1935, 1936, 1937)

• A series of laws passed by the U.S. to avoid involvement in foreign wars by restricting arms sales and loans to nations at war.

Quarantine Speech (1937)

• Speech by President Franklin D. Roosevelt advocating for a "quarantine" of aggressor nations to prevent the spread of war, signaling a shift from isolationism.

Appeasement

• Policy pursued by Britain and France, most notably at the Munich Conference in 1938, where they allowed Hitler to annex parts of Czechoslovakia in hopes of avoiding war.

Hitler-Stalin Non-Aggression Pact (1939)

• A treaty between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union agreeing not to attack each other, with secret provisions dividing Eastern Europe between them.

Neutrality Act of 1939

• Revised earlier neutrality laws, allowing "cash-and-carry" sales of arms to belligerents, favoring Allied nations without direct U.S. involvement in WWII.

America First Committee (1940)

• Isolationist group that opposed U.S. entry into WWII, arguing for neutrality and non-intervention.

Lend-Lease Bill (1941)

• U.S. program to supply Allied nations with war materials on the basis of "lending" or leasing, marking a step away from neutrality.

Atlantic Charter (1941)

• Joint declaration by Roosevelt and Churchill outlining post-war goals, including self-determination, free trade, and disarmament.

Pearl Harbor (1941)

• Surprise Japanese attack on the U.S. naval base in Hawaii, prompting the United States to enter WWII.

Francisco Franco

• Spanish military dictator who led the Nationalist forces during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) and ruled Spain until his death in 1975.

Adolf Hitler

• Leader of Nazi Germany (1933-1945), responsible for initiating WWII and orchestrating the Holocaust.

Benito Mussolini

• Fascist leader of Italy (1922-1943) and ally of Nazi Germany during WWII.

Cordell Hull

• U.S. Secretary of State (1933-1944), known for his role in promoting trade agreements and helping establish the United Nations.

Wendell Willkie

• Republican candidate who ran against Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1940 presidential election, supporting some interventionist policies.

Executive Order 9066 (1942)

• Authorized the forced relocation and internment of Japanese Americans during WWII, citing national security concerns.

War Production Board (WPB)

• U.S. government agency established to oversee the conversion of peacetime industries to wartime production, ensuring materials were allocated efficiently.

Office of Price Administration (OPA)

• Controlled inflation and rationed essential goods like gasoline, rubber, and food during WWII to prevent shortages and stabilize prices.

National War Labor Board (NWLB)

• Mediated disputes between workers and employers to prevent strikes and maintain productivity during the war.

WACs, WAVES, & SPARs

• Women’s military organizations during WWII:

  • WACs (Women’s Army Corps)

  • WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service)

  • SPARs (Coast Guard Women’s Reserve)

Bracero Program (1942-1964)

• Agreement between the U.S. and Mexico to bring Mexican laborers to work in agriculture and railroads, addressing labor shortages during the war.

Congress of Racial Equality (CORE)

• Civil rights organization founded in 1942 that advocated for nonviolent resistance to segregation and racial injustice.

Code Talkers

• Native American servicemen, notably Navajo, who used their language to create unbreakable codes for secure military communication.

Battle of Midway (1942)

• Decisive naval battle in the Pacific that turned the tide in favor of the Allies, crippling Japan’s navy.

D-Day (June 6, 1944)

• Allied invasion of Normandy, France, marking the beginning of the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi control.

Battle of the Bulge (1944-1945)

• Last major German offensive on the Western Front, ultimately repelled by Allied forces.

VE Day (Victory in Europe Day, May 8, 1945)

• Celebration of Germany’s unconditional surrender, marking the end of WWII in Europe.

Potsdam Conference (1945)

• Meeting of Allied leaders (Truman, Stalin, Churchill/Attlee) to discuss post-war Europe and demand Japan’s surrender.

Manhattan Project (1942-1945)

• Secret U.S. project to develop the atomic bomb, culminating in the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

VJ Day (Victory over Japan Day, August 15, 1945)

• Celebration of Japan’s surrender, effectively ending WWII.

A. Philip Randolph

• Civil rights leader who advocated for racial equality in defense industries, leading to Executive Order 8802, banning discrimination in war-related employment.

Douglas MacArthur

• U.S. Army general who commanded Allied forces in the Pacific theater and oversaw Japan’s post-war occupation.

Chester Nimitz

• Fleet admiral of the U.S. Navy, instrumental in key victories in the Pacific, including Midway and island-hopping campaigns.

Dwight Eisenhower

• Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, orchestrated the D-Day invasion and later became U.S. President.

Harry Truman

• U.S. President who succeeded FDR, made the decision to use atomic bombs against Japan, and led the nation through the early Cold War.

Albert Einstein

• Renowned physicist whose letter to Roosevelt helped initiate the Manhattan Project, though he was not directly involved in its development.