US. HIST 106: America and the World

Question 1

Retreat from
foreign affairs

Answer 1

1928 - Kellogg Briand Pact called for elimination
of war as tool of foreign policy.
* Disillusionment with international affairs.
* Senate rejected Treaty of Versailles left U.S.
outside League of Nations.
* U.S. kept distance politically while financial
connections with Europe grew.
* Depression made foreign policy seem remote
and unimportant.

Question 2

Rise of Militaristic
Regimes

Answer 2

Japan: Militarists dominated government,
left League of Nations, invaded China.
* Germany: Adolf Hitler –
* Capitalized on domestic discontent
and bitterness over World War I.
* Blamed the Jews for Germany’s
problems.
* Supremacy of “Aryan” race.
* Took Germany out of League of
Nations, reoccupied the Rhineland,
denounced the Treaty of Versailles.

Question 3

Militarist Regimes

Answer 3

Benito Mussolini:
* Aggressive foreign policy
* Invasion of Ethiopia 1935-36.
* League of Nations failed to address
invasion.
These three belligerents signed defensive
pact Berlin-Rome-Tokyo axis.

Question 4

American Reaction

Answer 4

• Historians called WWI a mistake & criticized Wilson for not preserving neutrality & claimed British duped the
  United States.
• Pacifism swept youth & determined to avoid mistakes of elders. Antiwar rallies common.
• Nye Committee: Investigated U.S. munitions dealers & claimed enormous profits made during war. Bankers,
  munitions makers were “Merchants of death.
• Neutrality Acts
• Banned sale of arms to nations at war.
• Warned Americans not to sail on belligerent ships.
• Banned loans to countries at war.
• Made prohibitions permanent and required trade with belligerents to be on cash-and-carry basis.
• Forbade American ships to carry goods or passengers to ports of nations at war or in a civil war.

Question 5

War in Europe

Answer 5

• 1938 Hitler annexed Austria, then seized
  Czechoslovakia.
• Munich Conference – Hitler agreed not to seize any
  more countries.
• Sept 1st 1939 Germany invaded Poland sparking
  war.
• Hitler signed a non-aggression pact (Molotov-
  Ribbentrop Pact) with Russia, avoiding a two front
  war.

Question 6

Neutrality
Strained

Answer 6

• 1940 - Germans unleashed blitzkrieg (lightning
  war).
• Public feared that Britain might fall, Hitler could
  gain control of British navy, move toward
  attacking America.
• FDR – all out aid to Allies, short of war
• Transfer of old destroyers to Britain.
• In exchange for rights to build air and naval
  bases in British West Indies.
• Breach of neutrality, but FDR stressed benefit of
  bases for U.S. protection.

Question 7

1940 Presidential Election

Answer 7

Roosevelt ran for an unprecedented 3rd term.

Question 8

“Great Arsenal of
Democracy”

Answer 8

• Lend Lease Act – military aid
  granted as long as returned
  after war.
• Operation Barbarossa -
  Hitler renounced pact with
  Stalin and invaded Russia in
  June 1941.
• U.S. began undeclared naval
  war against German U-boats.
• Poll 1941 – 80% wanted to
  avoid war.

Question 9

Japan

Answer 9

• United States limited exports to Japan of strategic materials.
• Limited petroleum and scrap metal.
• Banned sale of aviation gasoline.
• Japan sent envoys to United States to negotiate.
• Needed petroleum imports.

Question 10

Pearl Harbor

Answer 10

• U.S. demanded Japan withdraw from China.
• Believed any attack would be on Philippines.
• November 1941 intercepted message Japanese attack imminent.
• Dec 7th 1941 355 Japanese planes bombed Pearl Harbor destroying 14 ships, 188 planes, and killing 2500 men.

Question 11

“A date which will live in
infamy”

Answer 11

• December 8th U.S. declared
  war on Japan.
• Dec 11th Italy and Germany
  declared war on USA.

Question 12

To War

Answer 12

• Outlook for Allied victory bleak.
• Axis powers on the offensive.
• Hitler controlled Europe and invaded
  Russia.
• Japan controlled the Pacific.
• Conquered British Malaya, Burma, and
  Dutch East Indies.
• General MacArthur overwhelmed in the
  Philippines.
• United States, England, Russia fought to seize
  the initiative & launched offensive to crush Axis`

Question 13

Strategy
and
conflict

Answer 13

• United States favored frontal assault
  attack from across the English
  Channel. Would open a second front
  as promised to Russia.
• Britain preferred a perimeter
  approach with air and naval attacks
  around edge of continent.
• November 1942 Allies invaded North
  Africa & drove Germany out of Africa
  by May 1943.

Question 14

Attack

Answer 14

• Summer 1943 – Allied invasion of Italy and advanced up
  Italian peninsula.
• August 42- Feb 43 - Battle of Stalingrad Russia defeated
  Germans and advanced into eastern Europe

Question 15

Pacific Theater

Answer 15

• Island-hopping campaigns
• Douglas MacArthur led drive
  through New Guinea to the
  Philippines.
• June 1942 - Victory at
  Midway aided by superior
  air power.
• Early 1943 – Japan on
  defensive.

Question 16

Home Front

Answer 16

• Industry made contribution to war.
• American factories met needs of military.
• Built ships faster than Germans could sink them
  (1 ship per day and 1 plane every 5 minutes).

Question 17

Home Front pt. 2

Answer 17

• War Production Board
• Tax credits for businesses, awarded lucrative
  contracts for urgently needed goods.
• Allocation system for priority goods.
• Steel, rubber, aluminum, and copper & other
  scarce goods rationed.
• War bonds covered half the cost of war &
  increased income tax covered the rest. Class
  taxation to mass taxation.

Question 18

Japanese
internment

Answer 18

• Saw war with Germany as ideological but Pacific
  War was a race war.
• Hatred of Japanese grew after Pearl Harbor.
• 70% of Japanese Americans lived in California
  (2/3 native born).
• Feb 1942 - Military persuaded FDR to issue
  Executive Order 9066 to expel all Japanese
  from west coast.

Question 19

Japanese internment

Answer 19

• 110,000 removed to
  detention centers in 7
  western and southern states.
• Supreme Court upheld
  legality in 1944 in Korematsu
  vs USA.
• 1988 – Official government
  apology and $20,000 to
  victims.

Question 20

D-Day

Answer 20

• June 6, 1944 - Large force of troops to
  cross the English Channel Hoping to catch
  Hitler by surprise.
• Troops crossed French countryside,
  freeing Paris by August 25.
• Battle of the Bulge: last major
  engagement.
• Russian offensive swept toward Berlin,
  capturing it in May.
• Hitler committed suicide on April 30,
  1945.
• Holocaust; Over six million died, including
  Jews and others despised by Hitler regime.
• May 7, 1945 – Germans surrendered
  unconditionally.

Question 21

Postwar
goals

Answer 21

• Soviet Union:
• Determined to control Eastern Europe
  since Soviets did bulk of fighting.
• Wanted to prevent another Western
  attack with satellite states loyal to Russia.
• USA: Sought collective security arrangement.
• Yalta Conference Feb 1945 – Russia refused to
  grant self-government to Balkan states and
  Poland. Russia agreed to enter war against
  Japan three months after Germany fell.

Question 22

1944 Presidential Election

Answer 22

• FDR defeated Thomas Dewey
  but died of a stroke on April
  12 1945.
• Truman succeeded him and
  was informed of secret
  Manhattan Project.

Question 23

Japan and the Bomb

Answer 23

• Atomic bomb presented a
  quick resolution to the war.
• Aug 6th – Enola Gay plane
  dropped the “Little Boy” on
  Hiroshima killing 80k.
• Aug 9th – “Fat Man” dropped
  on Nagasaki killing 45k.
• August 14th – Japan
  surrendered unconditionally.

Question 24

Conclusion

Answer 24

• USA most powerful nation on
  earth.
• 50-75m million killed (400k
  American soldiers, 20m military
  and 40m civilians)