Chapter 35: America in World War II, 1941-1945

Question 1

1. How did America’s domestic response to World War II differ from its reaction to World War I?

Answer 1

• The domestic response to World War II was massive production. Women played a large role in manufacturing. Also, while there was segregation in the army, blacks did play a larger role in the second World War than in the first. Over 1 million African Americans joined in the fight, and World War II arguable started the civil rights movement. Also, the response to the end of World War I was isolationism, while the end of World War II led to the opposite. After the first World War, the League of Nations was created and the US refused to join, but after the second World War, the US took a lead role in the United Nations.

Question 2

2. What was the wisest strategic decision in World War II, and what was the most questionable?

Answer 2

• The wisest strategic decision in WWII was D-Day because it turned the tide of the war. The Germans were advancing into France, and without the invasion at Normandy, they would have been able to advance. D-Day was the beginning of the end of the War. The most questionable strategic decision in World War II was the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Many historians continue to argue whether the atomic bombs were justified. While there is no doubt that the bombs did contribute to the Japanese surrender, many people argue over the ethics of using atomic bombs.

Question 3

3. How were the European and Pacific wars similar, and how were they different?

Answer 3

• The European and Pacific wars were different tactically. The Pacific war was largely a war fought by air, and the Americans fought by “island hopping” in which they took one island at a time. The Japanese brutality was seen in their torture of American captives, much like Hitler tortured the Jews in concentration camps. They were willing to fight to the death, unwilling to surrender, while the Germans would surrender when faced with death. In the Pacific, many soldiers died from tropical diseases. Allied forces differed in the different war zones as well. In the Pacific, Americans were the primary allied force, whereas in Europe, US forces worked with the British to combat the Germans. The common factor in both wars was that many people lost their lives, soldiers and citizens, to combat the forces of evil.