UNIT 7: WWII Flashcards

Question

A two front war

Answer 1

- the US is engaged in a 2 front war * European Theater- major military conflicts that took place in the Atlantic oceans, Europe, the middle east, and north Africa - street to street fighting in cities, the home front becomes the war- front * Pacific Theater- major military conflicts that took place in the Pacific ocean and Asia Where should the US focus first? - Europe is selected as the first main focus Why? - soviets insist on a western front in Europe to ease up tensions in the east -free up Britain's resources to help in the Pacific - Free France completely

Answer 2

* Operation Torch- allied invasion of North Africa (French colonies) Nov. 8-16, 1942 * Operation Husky- allied invasion of Italy following operation Torch - Italy falls by the end of the summer of 1943 -mussolini runs a puppet gov't w/ support of G in northern Italy until he's executed in 1945 -Both of these allied victories are under the direction of Generals Dwight Eisenhower and George S. Patton ("old blood and guts") - these campaigns were key in securing the oilfields in the Mid. east > resources to fuel allies - However, not much of a setback for G- only 5% of Nazi military is engaged and impacted by these campaigns

Answer 3

* planned allied invasion of France to open up the western front against G - under the direction of Dwight Eisenhower - the largest land-air-sea operation in history * June 6, 1944(D-Day)- operation Overlord begins as allies storm the beaches of Normandy, France; allied victory as Germans are taken by surprise; a second front in Europe is officially established *Patton's "Ghost Army" - "army" of inflatable tanks, planes, and other military vehicles stationed in southeast England to make it look like the allies were about to invade from a different position; saved many allies lives as G's were under prepared for the allied invasion

Answer 4

175000 allied troops land by the end of the first day - allied casualties during d-day: > approx. 10250 casualties, 4440 killed _ over the next mon. 1 mil. more allied soldiers arrive in northern france - Aug. 25, 1944- paris is liberated from the Nazis

Answer 5

*battle of bulge- failed German attempt to break the allies lines in the western front -600,000 US troops engaged in battle; 20,000 killed - march to berlin will begin after bulge *The Holocaust is Discovered- allies moving from the east and west discover concentration camps *Bombing of Dresden- allied firebombing of Dresden, Germany; chosen by Churchill as "revenge" for Axis civilian bombings against Britain - 3 waves of attacks w/zelch G resistance - approx. 25,000 German civilians killed

Answer 6

- April 12, 1945- FDR passes away from a stroke; Harry S. Truman becomes President -April 28- Mussolini is executed -April 30- Hitler commits suicide in Berlin as Soviet soldiers advance on the city -May 8- *V-E-DAY*- the unconditional surrender of Germany officially goes into effect; WWII is over in Europe

Answer 7

* Series of war crimes trials btw 45-46 led by the Allies to prosecute Nazi leaders for war crimes, crimes against humanity and peace Results: - 199 defendants were tried, 161 convicted, 37 sentenced to death -others were given long-term prison sentences -some were acquitted - This trial helps established new international laws including the idea that "just following orders" is not an excuse for committing crimes and can be used against someone in prosecution Nazi leaders were accused of: - crimes against peace -war crimes -genocide

Answer 8

*Island-hopping- Allies war strategy of moving from island to island in the Pacific in order to reach Japan and mainland Asia; attack some islands while blockading and starving out others; very difficult and dangerous - heavy naval air warfare -ground fighting often on beaches or tropical jungles -Extreme heat and humidity- 90-100+ degrees -Spread of disease - Japan's willingness to fight - "death before dishonor" * Kamikaze attacks- suicide attacks conducted by Japanese Pilots; crashing into American ships on purpose, often with explosives attached - Approx. 3,800 kamikaze pilots die killing more than 7,000 allied soldiers

Answer 9

- Japan invaded the Philippines * General Douglas MacArthur- head of the US military forces in the Pacific - Ordered to leave the Philippines by FDR to avoid capture; Philippines left open for Japan capture - Will later return to liberate the Philippines * The Bataan Death March- 60,000-80,000 Filipino and Am. POWs were forced to march through the Philippines on a route about 65 miles long; POWs were beaten, starved, beheaded; approx. 5,000-18000 died during the march

Answer 10

- Japan after Pearl Harbor -superior Navy, planes, pilots and wanting to finish what it started at Pearl Harbor - Midway island- key US military base and target of the next Japanese attack; US breaks Japanese code and knows attack is coming *Battle of Midway- Am. victory and turning point of the war in the Pacific; Japan loses 4 aircraft carriers, 300 pilots and 3,500 sailors; US positions itself to be on the offensive for the remainder of the war

Answer 11

*Battle of Iwo Jima- Feb. 16- Mar. 26, significant Am. victory as Am. captured key airfields and weakened Japan's ability to wage an air war; paved the way for the US to invade Okinawa *Battle of Okinawa- Apr. 1 - Jun. 22, 1945; Last major battle of the Pacific war and the bloodiest; key island for possible invasion of mainland Japan - Between both battles - Approx. 19000 Am. dead and 60,000 wounded

Answer 12

* American B-29 bombers firebomb Tokyo; use of Napalm -270,000 buildings destroyed; most buildings were made of wood - over 100,000 civilians killed -1 mil. left homeless -temperatures on the surface reaching 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit - General Curtis Le May- nothing left to bomb in Japan by late summer 1945

Answer 13

* Manhattan Project- top-secret Gov't project to build atomic weapons before Germany; begins in 1942, headed by J. Robert Oppenheimer and others, first successful test in July 1945 * The Yalta Conference- conference btw. Allies in Feb. 1945 to discuss postwar peace; Germany would be divided into military zones by Allies and Soviets would enter the war against Japan 3 months after Germany's surrender *Potsdam Conference- conference Btw. the Allies to discuss postwar peace; Truman reveals to Stalin that the US has atomic weapons and hopes to end the war with unconditional surrender

Answer 14

- 3 mil. Japanese soldiers stranded in China - Allied naval blockades cut off oil shipments to Japan and food is running out - Industrial output of Japan was reduced by 40% - most cities destroyed by firebombing - Japan refused to surrender if it meant the loss of Emperor Hirohito

Answer 15

1. continue conventional bombing of Japan and prepare for a land invasion 2. demonstrate the power of atomic weapons on a more isolated target 3. use atomic weapons on mainland Japan

Answer 16

* Hiroshima - US dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima - Stalin announces Soviet invasion of Japan is coming * Nagasaki- US dropped a second atomic bomb -emperor Hirohito announced Japan's surrender to the Allies * September 2- VJ DAY- Japan officially surrenders and the war in the Pacific is over; also ending WWII as a whole - Japans surrender is unconditional - Hirohito remains on the throne as a figure head

Answer 17

- btw. 50-80 mil. people military and civilian died in war - US lost approx. 400,000 soldiers - US spent approx. $300 bil. to win the war Worldwide casualties Estimates: - battle deaths 150,000