History Test study guide (standard 4/5) Flashcards
Why was the Lend-lease act created?
It would allow the United States to aid allied nations without declaring war
Before Pearl Harbor what types of things did the U.S. create to stay isolated from European affairs?
Neutrality acts (forbids the U.S. to sell arms to warring nations)
How did the Japanese feel we would act after the attack on Pearl Harbor? Instead, what did this event do to us?
They thought we would crumble but our national pride demanded war
Why did Winston Churchill dislike appeasement?
He wanted greater American involvement in Europe and felt it was dishonorable not to do so
What was the major aim of Roosevelt’s “Quarantine Speech?”
To take an isolationist approach and quarantine aggressors (nations at war)
What types of things did the U.S. do to mobilize for war
Created the War Board Committee (ration, convert industries, fix prices)
What was the U.S. policy of “cash and carry?”
Permitted the sale of arms to European warring parties as long as they crossed the Atlantic on their own ships and paid for them at once in cash (this provided weapons to allies while staying neutral)
How were women and African-Americans incorporated into the U.S. mobilization for war?
Through the WAC (served in military/factories) and Tuskegee Airmen
How was the Soviet Union’s victory in the Battle of Stalingrad and the U.S. victory at Midway similar?
Both were turning points in the war, allowed the U.S. to participate in an offensive action against the enemy
What was President Truman’s major goal in dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945?
To end the war quickly and save American lives
Know the Big 3 and what countries they represented
Roosevelt (United States), Churchill (Great Britain), and Stalin (Soviet Union)
What was the significance of D-Day?
It was the turning point in the war and opened up an additional front
What was the ultimate goal of the U.S.’s “Island Hopping” strategy in the Pacific theater of WWII?
To liberate Pacific Islands and get close enough to Japan to attack them
What were the trials at Nuremberg meant to accomplish?
Try Nazi war criminals and make them responsible for acts committed in war
Why is the Holocaust an example of genocide?
It was meant to exterminate an entire race of people
How did WWII affect the US economy?
The economy boomed
What was a lasting impact of the attempted genocide of the European Jewish population?
The creation of Israel
What was the “Final Solution?”
A Nazi plan for the genocide of the Jewish population
Why did Eastern Europe become involved in the Cold War?
Stalin wanted to establish pro-Soviet governments in the countries of Eastern Europe to serve as a buffer zone against possible western attacks
What was the U.S. policy of containment?
Policy of keeping communism contained within its existing borders
What was the purpose of the Berlin Wall?
To isolate West Berlin from communist-controlled East Berlin and to keep East Berlin citizens from fleeting
What was Senator Joseph McCarthy’s influence on the “Red Scare” of the 1950s?
He accused many people and political leaders of being communist
What was the Cuban Missile Crisis?
Struggle between the U.S. and Soviet Union over nuclear power over missiles in Cuba
What was the G.I. Bill? Who benefited from it?
A bill that eased the return of WWII veterans by providing education and employment aid; it benefited veterans and their families
What are “Baby Boomers?”
People who were born from 1946 and 1964 after WWII
What changes did we see to American society in the postwar years?
Growing middle class, gap between rich and poor is becoming smaller, and America is becoming a consumer society
How did public education change during the postwar era and after the Soviet launch of Sputnik?
Math and science skills were emphasized
What was Betty Friedan’s concept of women’s roles in her book The Feminine Mystique?
Women were not content with traditional roles
