9. The U.S. in World War II

Question 1

Mukden Incident

Answer 1

The Mukden Incident occurred on September 18, 1931, when Japanese military personnel staged a false flag attack by detonating a small amount of dynamite near a railway line owned by Japan’s South Manchuria Railway near Mukden (now Shenyang) in China. The explosion was minor and did not significantly damage the railway, but the Japanese army used it as a pretext to launch a full-scale invasion of Manchuria.

This event led to the establishment of the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo and significantly contributed to Japan’s diplomatic isolation, culminating in its withdrawal from the League of Nations in 193312. The Mukden Incident is considered a critical precursor to the broader conflicts that eventually led to World War II.

Question 2

What was “Cash and Carry”?

Answer 2

The “cash and carry” policy was part of the U.S. Neutrality Acts, specifically introduced in the Neutrality Act of 1937, then modified in 1939. This policy allowed belligerent nations (those involved in a war) to purchase non-military goods (and later military goods) from the United States under two strict conditions:

Cash only: No loans, no credit—buyers had to pay upfront in cash. This was to avoid the financial entanglements that had dragged the U.S. into WWI, where countries like Britain and France owed huge debts.
Carry their own goods: The purchasing countries had to transport the goods using their own ships. This kept U.S. vessels (and by extension, U.S. sailors) out of war zones, reducing the risk of American casualties and the likelihood of the U.S. getting drawn into the conflict.

Question 3

What was the initial U.S. belief about how Great Britain and France would handle Germany in WWII?

Answer 3

The U.S. believed that Great Britain and France, with financial help from America, could defeat Germany without U.S. military involvement.

Question 4

How did the U.S. perception of the war change with the onset of Blitzkrieg?

Answer 4

The U.S. realized that the strategy of letting Britain and France handle Germany was ineffective, as the Blitzkrieg showed Germany’s rapid and powerful military tactics.

Question 5

blitzkrieg

Answer 5

villámháború

Question 6

What was the Phony War (Sitzkrieg)?

Answer 6

The Phony War (Sitzkrieg) was the period from September 1939 to May 1940 during WWII when, despite the war declaration, little military activity occurred on the Western Front.

Question 7

Why was the period from 1939 to 1940 called the Phony War?

Answer 7

It was called the Phony War because there were no major military operations despite the declaration of war, leading to a period of inactivity.

Question 8

What is Blitzkrieg, and how did it impact WWII?

Answer 8

Blitzkrieg, or lightning war, was a German military tactic of rapid, surprise attacks using combined forces, which led to swift victories in several European countries early in WWII.

Question 9

When was WW2?

Answer 9

1939 Sept. 1.–1945 Sept. 2.

Question 10

What was the key announcement made at the Casablanca Conference in 1943?

Answer 10

President Roosevelt announced that the Allies aimed for the unconditional surrender of Germany and Japan.

Question 11

Why was the unconditional surrender announcement unexpected for the British?

Answer 11

The British found it unexpected because they preferred the flexibility to negotiate peace, whereas unconditional surrender could prolong the war.

Question 12

How did the Casablanca Conference’s declaration aim to calm Stalin?

Answer 12

It reassured Stalin that the Allies were committed to fully defeating Germany and Japan, ensuring no separate peace would be made.

Question 13

Axis powers

Answer 13

Germany, led by Adolf Hitler.
Italy, led by Benito Mussolini.
Japan, led by Emperor Hirohito.

Question 14

Allied Powers

Answer 14

Great Britain
The United States
The Soviet Union
China

Question 15

“Back to Normalcy” speech

Answer 15

May 14, 1920: Warren G. Harding delivers his “Back to Normalcy” speech, advocating for an isolationist policy.

Question 16

1920

Answer 16

Warren G. Harding wins the US Presidential election promising a return to normalcy.

Question 17

Washington Naval Conference

Answer 17

November 1921 – February 1922: Washington Naval Conference takes place, addressing naval armament and disputes in the Pacific and Far East, resulting in the Four-Power, Five-Power, and Nine-Power Treaties.

Question 18

Kellogg-Briand Pact

Answer 18

August 27, 1928: The Kellogg-Briand Pact is signed, renouncing war as an instrument of national policy.

Question 19

Mukden Incident

Answer 19

September 18, 1931: The Mukden Incident occurs, a staged attack on the South Manchurian Railway by the Japanese, leading to their occupation of Manchuria.

Question 20

Lytton Committee

Answer 20

December 10, 1931: The League of Nations establishes the Lytton Committee to investigate the Mukden Incident.

Question 21

Hoover-Stimson Doctrine

Answer 21

January 7, 1932: The Hoover-Stimson Doctrine is issued by the US, stating the US would not recognize territorial changes that are the result of aggression.

Question 22

1932 - Japanese thingies

Answer 22

The Japanese government establishes the puppet state of Manchukuo.
February 1933: The Lytton Committee releases its report stating that Manchukuo should be placed under international administration.
February 21, 1933: Japan declares that it is responsible for maintaining peace and order in the Far East.
March 27, 1933: Japan informs the League of Nations that it will withdraw from the organization, effective March 27, 1935.

Question 23

Neutrality Laws

Answer 23

1935-1939: A series of Neutrality Laws are adopted by the US Congress, aimed at keeping the US out of foreign conflicts.

Question 24

“Quarantine” speech

Answer 24

October 5, 1937: President Roosevelt delivers his “Quarantine” speech, condemning Japanese aggression in China, criticized by isolationists.

Question 25

Japan’s invasion of China starts

Answer 25

1937

Question 26

Neutrality Speech

Answer 26

September 3, 1939: President Roosevelt delivers his Neutrality Speech, asking Americans to remain impartial as WWII begins in Europe.

Question 27

Phony War or Sitzkrieg

Answer 27

September 3, 1939 - May 10, 1940: The period of the Phony War or Sitzkrieg.

Question 28

embargo on weapons and other military equipment was lifted

Answer 28

November 4, 1939: The embargo on weapons and other military equipment was lifted in the “cash and carry” policy, but American vessels are still restricted from travelling to war zones.

Question 29

changes towards involvement, but not joining the war by FDR

Answer 29

September 1940: “Destroyers for Bases” deal is made between the US and Great Britain.
December 16, 1940: President Roosevelt gives a fireside chat, invoking the metaphor of a neighbor’s house burning, to urge American support for Britain.
December 29, 1940: President Roosevelt’s speech on the US becoming the “arsenal of democracy.”

Question 30

Lend-Lease Act

Answer 30

March 11, 1941: Lend-Lease Act is passed, allowing the US to provide war materials to Allied nations.

Question 31

Atlantic Charter

Answer 31

August 14, 1941: The Atlantic Charter is signed by President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

Question 32

Congress cancels key provisions of the Neutrality Act.

Answer 32

November 17, 1941

Question 33

Pearl Harbor

Answer 33

December 7, 1941: Japanese forces attack Pearl Harbor.

Question 34

US Congress declares war on Japan

Answer 34

December 8, 1941: The US Congress declares war on Japan. President Roosevelt delivers his “Day of Infamy” speech to Congress.

Question 35

Germany and Italy declare war on the US.

Answer 35

December 11, 1941.

Question 36

Arcadia Conference

Answer 36

December 22, 1941 – January 14, 1942: The Arcadia Conference takes place in Washington, establishing the strategy of defeating Germany first.

Question 37

War Production Board is established.

Answer 37

1942

Question 38

Operation Torch

Answer 38

November 1942: Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of North Africa, begins.

Question 39

Manhattan Project

Answer 39

1942-1946: Manhattan Project, the US effort to develop atomic weapons, is undertaken.

Question 40

Battle of Stalingrad

Answer 40

1942-1943: The Battle of Stalingrad takes place, a key turning point on the Eastern Front of WWII.

Question 41

Battle of Midway

Answer 41

June 4-7, 1942: The Battle of Midway takes place, a decisive US naval victory in the Pacific.

Question 42

Operation Husky

Answer 42

July 1943: Operation Husky, the Allied invasion of Italy begins.

Question 43

Casablanca Conference

Answer 43

January 14 – 24, 1943: Casablanca Conference, where the Allies agree on “unconditional surrender” of Germany and Japan.

Question 44

Tehran Conference

Answer 44

November - December 1943: Tehran Conference where the Allies agree to open a second front in the spring of 1944.

Question 45

D-Day, the Allied invasion of Normandy.

Answer 45

June 6, 1944

Question 46

Bretton Woods Conference

Answer 46

July 22, 1944: Bretton Woods Conference which established the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.

Question 47

GI Bill

Answer 47

1944: The GI Bill is passed by the US government.

Question 48

Yalta Conference

Answer 48

February 4 – 11, 1945: Yalta Conference, the second “Big Three” conference, where the Allies make agreements about the post-war world.

Question 49

Trinity Test

Answer 49

July 16, 1945: The Trinity Test is conducted, the first test of an atomic bomb.

Question 50

Potsdam Conference

Answer 50

July 1945: Potsdam Conference where terms of German occupation and reparations were fixed and the Council of Foreign Ministers was established.

Question 51

The US drops an atomic bomb on Hiroshima.

Answer 51

August 6, 1945.

Question 52

The US drops an atomic bomb on Nagasaki.

Answer 52

August 9, 1945.

Question 53

Japan capitulates.

Answer 53

August 14, 1945.

Question 54

Lend-Lease program ends.

Answer 54

August 31, 1945.

Question 55

Stalin’s “election” speech

Answer 55

Stalin’s “election” speech, emphasizing ideological struggle against the West, 1946.

Question 56

Truman Doctrine

Answer 56

With the Truman Doctrine, President Harry S. Truman established that the United States would provide political, military and economic assistance to all democratic nations under threat from external or internal authoritarian forces.
The Truman Doctrine is announced, offering support for Greek and Turkish governments.
March 12, 1947

Question 57

NATO is formed

Answer 57

April 1949

Question 58

The Marshall Plan

Answer 58

June 5, 1947 – December 31, 1951: The Marshall Plan (European Recovery Program) is enacted. The Soviet Union rejects the Marshall Plan.

Question 59

Warren G. Harding

Answer 59

Republican US President (1921-1923) who campaigned on a platform of “return to normalcy,” advocating for an isolationist policy.

Question 60

Frank B. Kellogg

Answer 60

US Secretary of State, signed the Kellogg-Briand Pact, which renounced war.

Question 61

Franklin D. Roosevelt:

Answer 61

US President (1933-1945) who shifted the US from isolationism to internationalism, advocated for support for the Allies, and led the nation through WWII.

Question 62

Harry S. Truman:

Answer 62

US President (1945-1953), authorized the use of atomic bombs on Japan, and initiated the Truman Doctrine.

Question 63

J. Robert Oppenheimer

Answer 63

Prominent American scientist who led the Manhattan Project, which developed the atomic bomb.

Question 64

How did the Neutrality Acts of the 1930s reflect American public sentiment?

Answer 64

The Neutrality Acts reflected a strong desire among the American public to avoid involvement in foreign wars, stemming from disillusionment with WWI. These laws aimed to prevent the U.S. from being drawn into conflict by restricting trade and loans to belligerent nations, and forbidding American citizens to travel on ships belonging to such countries.

Question 65

What was the primary goal of the America First Committee, and who were some of its notable members?

Answer 65

The America First Committee advocated for strict non-interventionism, arguing that the greatest threat to American liberty was war itself, not the Axis powers. Notable members included Senator Gerald Nye, aviator Charles Lindbergh, and former President Herbert Hoover.

Question 66

Describe the Lend-Lease Act and its significance in the context of WWII.

Answer 66

The Lend-Lease Act authorized the U.S. government to provide military aid to Allied nations without direct American involvement in combat. It was a significant step away from neutrality, allowing the U.S. to support nations fighting against the Axis powers and making the U.S. an “arsenal of democracy.”

Question 67

What was the significance of the attack on Pearl Harbor?

Answer 67

The attack on Pearl Harbor was a turning point in American history, leading to the U.S. declaration of war and shattering the myth of American invulnerability. The devastating attack also united the American public, ending the debate over interventionism.

Question 68

What was the “arsenal of democracy,” and how did it contribute to the Allied victory?

Answer 68

The “arsenal of democracy” refers to the United States’ role as the primary supplier of war materials to the Allied forces. The U.S. economy massively expanded its production capabilities, outproducing its enemies and providing critical resources for the Allied victory.

Question 69

Briefly describe the Allied strategy of “island hopping” in the Pacific theater.

Answer 69

The “island hopping” strategy involved U.S. forces selectively targeting and capturing strategic islands while bypassing heavily fortified ones. This approach enabled the U.S. to advance towards Japan, using its naval and air power to push the Japanese back across the Pacific.

Question 70

What were the major agreements and disagreements among the Allied Powers at the Yalta Conference?

Answer 70

At the Yalta Conference, the Allied powers agreed on Soviet military involvement against Japan and the division of Germany into occupation zones. However, there were disagreements regarding the political future of Eastern Europe, leading to postwar tensions.

Question 71

How did the use of the atomic bomb impact the postwar relationship between the U.S. and the Soviet Union?

Answer 71

The use of the atomic bomb demonstrated American power, solidifying its superpower status and initiating the Cold War’s “atomic diplomacy.” The bombings, along with other postwar political considerations, contributed to the growing rivalry and distrust between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.

Question 72

What was the Double V Campaign?

Answer 72

The Double V Campaign was a movement by African Americans to achieve victory against fascism abroad and racism at home. It highlighted the contributions and sacrifices of Black Americans while pushing for equality and civil rights in the U.S.

Question 73

Describe the economic impacts of WWII on the United States.

Answer 73

WWII stimulated unprecedented economic growth in the U.S., ending the Great Depression and doubling industrial production. The war also led to increased government spending, the creation of millions of jobs, and a rise in personal incomes.