The Impact of WW2

Question 1

What did the US do after WW1?

Answer 1

Followed isolationism - kept out of other countries’ affairs

Question 2

What did the 1935 Neutrality Act do?

Answer 2

Banned the sale of weapons to countries at war

Question 3

What did the 1936 Neutrality Act do?

Answer 3

Banned loans to countries at war

Question 4

What was the ‘Cash and Carry Plan’?

Answer 4

November 1939 - Britain and France began to buy US weapons, warships and planes

Question 5

What was the Lend Lease?

Answer 5

March 1941 - America agreed to “lend” (rather than sell) weapons, warships, planes to Britain.
June 1941 - similar deal with USSR

Question 6

What was a positive impact of the Cash and Carry Plan?

Answer 6

Created a lot of new jobs in factories, just as unemployment was rising

Question 7

What happened in the 1930s? (WW2)

Answer 7

Japan began to invade surrounding countries

Question 8

How did FDR respond to Japanese imperialism?

Answer 8

He refused to sell oil or steel to Japan - millions of tons of US oil and steel were used by the Japanese each year

Question 9

What happened on 7th December 1941?

Answer 9

Pearl Harbour - Japanese bomber plans attacked US naval base.

Question 10

How many US warships were sunk at Pearl Harbour?

Answer 10

21

Question 11

How many people died at Pearl Harbour?

Answer 11

2,000

Question 12

When did America declare war on Japan?

Answer 12

8th December 1941

Question 13

What happened on 11th December 1941?

Answer 13

Japan’s allies (Germany and Italy) declared war on America

Question 14

What was the WPB?

Answer 14

January 1942 - War Production Board - converted industries from peacetime work to war work

Question 15

By 1944, how many planes were produced by America?

Answer 15

96,000

Question 16

WPB: what types of things were now being produced in factories?

Answer 16

1. Fighter planes, tanks instead of cars
2. Machine guns instead of typewriters

Question 17

In 1939, how many Americans were unemployed?

Answer 17

9.5 million

Question 18

In 1944, how many Americans were unemployed?

Answer 18

670,000

Question 19

What industries also prospered during the war?

Answer 19

1. Farming
2. Coal, iron, steel, oil industries

Question 20

What happened at Washing DC?

Answer 20

A huge march (100,000) planned at the capital - protested against the treatment of African-American workers

Question 21

What was FDR’s response to the plan of the march?

Answer 21

Set up FEPC (Fair Employment Practice Committee) in return for cancelling march

Question 22

What did the FEPC do?

Answer 22

Inspected factories, recommended changes to discriminatory practices

Question 23

How many African-Americans were employed?

Answer 23

10 out of a workforce of 30,000

Question 24

How many African-Americans fought in the war?

Answer 24

1 million

Question 25

What were the roles available to African-Americans at the start of the war like?

Answer 25

Limited - sailors could only work in soup kitchens, soldiers could not become officers and those in the air force could not become pilots

Question 26

How did experiences for African-Americans progress during the war?

Answer 26

The army began to train Black people as pilots and officers, however they were segregated

Question 27

How did experiences for women progress during the war?

Answer 27

They took over traditionally “male” jobs during the war.

Question 28

Feom 1940-45, how many women worked in the workforce?

Answer 28

By 1945, women made up 1/3 of the workforce (12 million, increase to 19 million)

Question 29

How many women served in the armed forces?

Answer 29

350,000 - however prohibited from taking combat roles