Unit 7 Test Flashcards
New Deal
The economic and political policies of the Roosevelt administration in the 1930s.
Great Depression
The nation’s worst economic crisis, extending throughout the 1930s, producing unprecedented bank failures, unemployment, and industrial and agricultural collapse and prompting an expanded role for the federal government.
Hooverville
Shantytown, sarcastically named after President Hoover, in which unemployed and homeless people live in makeshift shacks, tents, and boxes. Hoovervilles cropped up in many cities in 1930 and 1931
Bonus Army
A group of unemployed veterans who demonstrated in Washington for the payment of service bonuses, only to be dispersed violently by the U.S. Army in 1932.
Fireside chats
Speeches broadcast nationally over the radio in which President Franklin Roosevelt explained complex issues and programs in plain language, as though his listeners were gathered around the fireside with him.
Fascist government
Subscribing to a philosophy of governmental dictatorship that merges the interests of the state, armed forces, and big business; associated with the dictatorship of Italian leader Benito Mussolini between 1922 and 1943 and also often applied to Nazi Germany.
Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere
Japanese goal of an East Asain economy controlled by Japan and serving the needs of Japanese industry
Axis Powers
The opponents of the United States and its allies in World War 2. The Rome-Berlin-Axis was formed between Germany and Italy in 1936 and included Japan after 1940
Blitzkrieg
German war tactic in World War 2 (“lightning war”) involving the concentration of air and armored firepower to punch and exploit holes in opposing defensive lines
Lend-Lease Act Program
Program begun in 1941 through which the United States transferred military equipment to Britain and other World War 2 allies.
Atlantic Charter
Statement of common principles and war aims developed by the President Franklin Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill at a meeting in August 1941
Allies
In World War 1, Britain, France, Russia, and other belligerent nations fighting against the central Powers but not including the United States, which insisted upon being merely an associated nation. In World War 2, the Allie fighting the Axis Powers included the United States as well as the Soviet Union, Great Britain, France, China, and other nations.
Eastern Front
The area of military operations in World War 2 located East of Germany in eastern Europe and the Soviet Union
Battle of the Atlantic
The long struggle between German submarines and the British and U.S. navies in the North Atlantic from 1940 to 1943
Manhattan Project
The effort, using the code name Manhattan Engineer District, to develop an atomic bomb under the management of the U.S. Army corps of Engineers during World War 2.
D-Day
June 6, 1944, the day of the first paratroop drops and amphibious landings on the coast of Normandy France, in the first stage of Operation OVERLORD during World War 2.
Operation OVERLORD
United States and British invasion of France and June 1944 during World War 2.
Holocaust
The systematic murder of millions of European Jews and other deemed undesirable by Nazi Germany
Island Hopping
IN the Pacific Theater during World War 2, the strategy in which U.S. forces seized selected Japanese-held islands by bypassing and isolating other islands held by Japan.
Yalta Conference
Meeting of U.S. president Franklin Roosevelt, British prime minister Winston Churchill, and Soviet premier Joseph Stalin held in February 1945 to plan the final stages of World War 2 and postwar arrangements
Potsdam Declaration
Statement issued by the United States during a meeting of U.S. president Harry Truman, British prime minister Winston Churchill, and Soviet premier Joseph Stalin held at Potsdam, near Berlin, in July 1945 to plan the defeat of Japan and the future of Eastern Europe and Germany. IN it, the Untied States declared its intention to democratize the Japanese political system and reintroduce Japan into the international community and gave Japan an opening for surrender.
Cold War
The political and economic confrontation between the Soviet Union and the Untied States that dominated world affairs from 1946 to 1989.
Taft-Harley Act
Federal legislation of 1947 that substantially limited the tools available to labor unions in labor-management disputes
GI Bill of Rights
Legislation in June 1944 that eased the return of veterans into American society by providing educational and employment benefits.
Levittown
Any of three large suburban housing developments built in New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey in the late 1940s and 1950s
Redlining
Restricting mortgage credit and insurance for properties in neighborhoods defined as being high risk
Dixiecrats
Southern Democrats who broke from the party in 1948 over the issue of civil rights and ran a presidential ticket as the States’ Rights Democrats
Truman Doctrine
President Harry Truman’s statement in 1947 that the United States should assist other nations that were facing external pressure or internal revolution; an important step in the escalation of the Cold War.
Marshall Plan
The European Recovery Program (1948-1951) that provided U.S. economic assistance to European nations; named for Secretary of State George Marshall
Berlin Blockade
A 300-day Soviet blockade of land access to U.S., Britain, and French occupation zones in Berlin, 1948-1949.
National Security Council (NSC)
The formal policymaking body for national defense and foreign relations, created in 1947 and consisting of the President, the secretary of defense, the secretary of state, and other appointed by the president.
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
Military alliance of the United States, Canada, and European nations created in 1949 to protect Europe against possible Soviet aggression.
Warsaw Pact
Military alliance of the Soviet union and Communist nations of Eastern Europe from 1955 to 1989.
National Security Council Paper 68 (NSC-68)
Policy statement that committed the United States to a military approach to the Cold War.
Containment
The policy of resisting further expansion of the Soviet bloc through diplomacy and, if necessary, military action, developed in 1947-1948.
House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC)
Congressional committee (1938-1973) that investigated suspected Nazi and Communist sympathizers
McCarthyism
Anti-Communist attitudes and actions associated with Senator Joe McCarthy in the early 1950s, including smear tactics and innuendo
100 Days
Refers to the first 100 days of FDR’s presidency in which he passed several bills to counter the Great Depression and to revive the economy. Such as passing a large body of legislation, addressing the banking crisis, and starting fireside chats to explain complex issues to the general public
Dust Bowl
Result of poor agricultural practices, extended drought, unusually high temperatures and high winds, coupled with economic depression. Lasted from early to mid 1930’s.
What was Hoover’s strategy for fighting the depression.
Hoover relied heavily on voluntary relief such as charities and organizations, instead of government action. He pushed through a tax cut and established the Reconstruction Finance Corporation to fund the recovery from the Great Depression through government loans
Causes of the Great Depression
Unequal distribution of income/limited purchasing power, lack of a firm economical base, stock market crash of 1929.
What was Black Tuesday?
The start of the stock market crash, investors traded millions of stocks all within the same day, led to the Great Depression.
Black Cabinet
African American federal employees in the executive branch during FDR’s presidency. They began to meet informally in an unofficial Federal Council of Negro Affairs to try to influence federal policy on race issues.
Rationale for dropping the atomic bombs
The US believed they would kill less people and be more intimidating towards the Japanese if they dropped the bombs instead of a full scale invasion.
British/French response to Hitler’s expansion
Was first a passive response and one of appeasement, in which they would give him pieces of land if he promised not to be aggressive, like the Sudetenlands. Soon changed after Hitler invaded Poland
Axis military missteps (invading USSR Pearl Harbor)
One major misstep was Germany invading Russia despite a non aggression pact because it had caused a two front war. Japan also mistepped in dragging the US into the war by bombing Pearl Harbor. Finally, they mist stepped in bombing civilian targets in Britain rather than strategic targets
Creation of the Council of Economic Advisers: Purpose and Impact
Established by the Employment Act to assist the president on economic policy. They helped put the federal government at the center of economic planning.
Impact of returning soldiers on the domestic economy
One major negative effect was that there were not enough houses for returning soldiers. However, a positive effect was that the college rate increased in the US. It also overall boosted the economy because of a large amount of workers returning home.
Foreign Policy: Truman Doctrine/Post-War dealings with Japan
The Truman doctrine stated that the United States would provide political, military and economic assistance to all democratic nations under threat from external or internal authoritarian forces. After the war the US began the process of helping to bring Japan back into the international community by strengthening military, political and economic ties
Impact of WW2 on size of the U.S. Government (budget, number of employees, new departments)
The government created more programs and agencies to support the war effort, which led to more federal employees than the United States had ever employed. An example of one of these agencies was the CIA. The budget also went up significantly.
Levvitown
Postwar, America faced housing shortages. To combat this, the VA and FHA allowed veterans to get mortgage loans without a down payment. To provide housing, William Levit built 2,000 800 square ft houses. By 1951, there were more than 17,000 Levittown houses. African Americans were discriminated and excluded from the new housing. Federal housing industries and private industry worsened this problem by redlining older neighborhoods
Allied strategy (European Theater vs. Pacific Theater)
In the Pacific Theater, they used the strategy of Island hopping where they went island to island slowly freeing each one from Japanese Tyranny.
In Europe, there were many different strategies that were thought of, used, and failed. For example, when attacking through the south of Europe through Italy, Allies used a second front in Russia. Ultimately it was decided to attack Germany in Europe in Normandy, France. They also attacked Germany before they attacked Japan.
What was the result of WW2 veterans who created a high demand and short supply of goods?
Inflation
During WW2, the number of civilian employees in government grew how many times larger?
Four times larger
Court Packing
The practice of increasing the number of seats on a court (especially the US Supreme Court) in order to admit judges likely to further one’s own end or make decisions in one’s favor.
Wagner-Peyser act
Created a U.S. Employment Service and encouraged states to create local public employment offices
Glass Steagall Act
Separated commercial and investment banking and guaranteed bank deposits.
Tennessee Valley Authority Act
Act of May 18, 1933, created the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to oversee the construction of dams to control flooding, improve navigation, and create cheap electric power in the Tennessee River Valley Basin
Federal Emergency Relief Act
Established the Federal Emergency Relief Administration, a grant making agency authorized to distribute federal aid to the states for relief
National Industrial Recovery Act
Established a national recovery program and authorized a public works program
Civilian Conservation Corps Act
Established the CCC to provide work relief on reforestation and conservation projects
The Wealth Tax Act
Brought about a sudden increase in taxes on the wealthy and created new and larger taxes on excess business
Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938
Set maximum hours and minimum wages for most categories of workers. Also one of the oversight authorities of the Puerto Rico Reconstruction Administration, which administered relief efforts to Puerto Rican citizens by the Great Depression
Social Security Act
Created a social insurance program designed to pay retired workers age 65 or older a continuous income after retirement, targeted towards tenant farmers and migrant workers
Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of 1935
Established Works Progress Administration (WPA) relief program, which made the federal government the largest employer in the nation
National Labor Relations Act/ Wagner Act
protects workplace democracy by providing employees at private-sector workplaces the fundamental right to seek better working conditions
Emergency Banking Act
Stabilized the private banking system
Agricultural Adjustment Act
Established a farm recovery program based on production controls and price supports
Emergency Farm Mortgage Act
Provided for the refinancing of farm mortgages
Home Owners Loan Act
Protected homeowners from mortgage foreclosure by refinancing home loans
Farm Credit Act
Expanded agricultural credits and established the Farm Credit Administration
Securities Act
Required full disclosure from stock exchanges
