Unit 7: Topic 13 - World War II: Military Flashcards
Which two sides fought against each other during WWII?
World War II was fought between the Allied powers and the Axis powers.
The Allied powers were led by Great Britain (British Prime Minister Winston Churchill), the United States (President FDR), and the Soviet Union (Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin).
The Axis powers were led by Germany (Dictator Adolf Hitler), Italy (Dictator Benito Mussolini), and Japan (Emperor Hirohito).
How did America’s view of WWII change over time?
At first, the U.S. joined WWII as a defensive response to the Japanese offensive attack on Pearl Harbor (1941). As the U.S. fought in WWII, Americans started viewing the war as a fight for freedom and democracy against fascist totalitarianism and militarist ideologies.
What was the Bataan Death March?
The day after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, they began their invasion of the Philippines. A few months later, the U.S. and Filipino forces defending the Philippines surrendered and the Bataan Death March began.
The Japanese forced the 60-80 thousand surrendered Filipinos and Americans to march to war camps, and the brutality and harsh treatment caused around 15,000 to die of disease, murder, and starvation. This atrocity was used to build support against the Japanese back home in America.
What was the Holocaust?
The Holocaust (1933-1945) occurred across Europe as Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party in Germany took control and promoted antisemitism, blaming the Jewish people for the losses of WWI. Jewish people were sought out and sent to concentration camps such as Auschwitz.
In concentration camps, they would be executed, gassed, or worked to death, and around 6 million Jews were killed. The revelation of Nazi concentration camps encouraged the Allies to believe it was a fight for freedom and rallied more support for the war.
Who were the Kamikaze Pilots?
Kamikaze pilots were Japanese pilots during WWII who would fly their aircraft into enemy ships, sacrificing their lives for the war. They were usually very young men who believed that dying for Japan and their emperor was an honorable act.
What was Executive Order 9981?
The military remained segregated until President Truman issued Executive Order 9981 in 1948 which desegregated the armed forces. This was a step forward for the Double V Campaign and the fight for equality for African Americans.
Because WWII ended in 1945, the Korean War would be the first U.S. conflict with a desegregated U.S. military.
How did the development of the radar aid the Allied Powers during WWII?
One of the reasons the United States achieved military victory, was through technological and scientific advances. The development of the radar helped detect German U-Boats, and gave an advantage to American ships, allowing them to detect submarines in the Atlantic.
What was the Manhattan Project?
The Manhattan Project during WWII was led by J. Robert Oppenheimer and was the code name for the American effort to create the atomic bomb. It was created in response to fears of Germany using nuclear technology and was highly confidential.
What was Island-Hopping during WWII?
The Island Hopping campaign occurred throughout the Pacific as America took over islands not as heavily fortified and slowly moved forward to the Japanese coastline. This was a strategy to cut off Japan’s supply lines because the less fortified islands were used to supply stronger ones, resulting in the stronger Japanese islands becoming weak.
Which major battles in the Pacific helped the U.S. push back the Japanese during WWII?
The Battle of the Coral Sea (1942) and later the Battle of Midway (1942) were both naval aircraft battles in the Pacific Theatre which pushed back the Japanese and helped America gain stategic territories.
Who were the Code Breakers that helped during WWII?
Code Breakers, who were mostly women, secretly broke encrypted code during WWII to provide essential intelligence on the European and Pacific Theatre.
What were the outcomes of the Tehran Conference (1943)?
In 1943, Stalin, Churchill, and Roosevelt met at the Tehran Conference to make plans on opening a Second Front in Europe during WWII. This planned invasion became known as the D-Day invasion (June 6, 1944) as 200,000 allied troops landed on the beaches of Northern France. This invasion liberated France, leaving only Berlin left to invade.
What was the Battle of the Bulge?
The Battle of the Bulge in Belgium (December 1944 - January 1945) was the last German counter-offensive against the Allies during WWII. The Allies won the battle, and the Soviets would reach Berlin in April 1945. Hitler committed suicide a week before Germany finally surrendered on May 7th, 1945.
What was V-E Day?
May 8th, 1945, is known as V-E Day or Victory in Europe Day. This day celebrates the official end of World War II in Europe.
How were the atomic bombs used in WWII?
The atomic bombs were used on Hiroshima (August 6, 1945) and later Nagasaki (August 9, 1945) by President Truman, instantly causing the death of roughly 150,000 people who were mostly civilians, and dealing radiation poisoning and cancer. The use of atomic bombs hastened the end of the war with Japan but was controversial since it was very destructive and sparked debates about the morality of using atomic bombs.
