Wartime FDR Flashcards
Who was the leader of Germany, at the same time that FDR was President of the USA (1930s-1940s)?
Adolf Hitler
Who was the leader of Italy from 1925 to 1945 (20 years)?
Benito Mussolini
Who was Hideki Tojo?
Prime Minister (Leader) of Japan during the 1940s, led Japan to attack the USA, which got the USA involved in World War II
Who was Joseph Stalin?
He was the Dictator of the Soviet Union from 1922 to 1953, serving for 30 years as dictator (King)
Who was the leader of China during the 1930s?
China had 2 leaders. WHY? Because China was in a Civil War during the 1920s and 1930s.
Ok, so who were the TWO leaders of China that were fighting each other during the Chinese Civil War of the 1920s and 1930s?
Mao Zedong led China’s Communists who were fighting against the USA-supported Nationalists.
The USA-supported Nationalists were led by a dude named Chiang Kai-Shek.
Why were the Communists and Nationalists fighting in China during the 1920s and 1930s?
Well, China’s government, which had existed since BEFORE JESUS CHRIST was alive, stopped existing. This government had been a Kingdom (in China they called it a Dynasty).
And now, there were two different ideas about how China should look in the future, which is why there is WAR.
One idea was from the communists, who wanted China to be Communist, and the other idea was from the Nationalists who wanted China to be a Republic, like the USA.
When does WORLD War TWO really start, like, assuming we aren’t talking about when it starts for the USA. Like, when does it start for the WORLD, since it’s a WORLD WAR?
It starts in 1931, when Japan attacks China.
Where do they attack in China?
Well, just like in the USA, we live in the state called “Texas”, right?
Well, Japan attacked the Chinese state called “Manchuria”.
Why did Japan attack the Chinese state of Manchuria?
Japan wanted Manchuria because it had coal and other raw materials needed for Japan to grow its military.
Why did Japan want to grow its military?
Well, for about 200 years, Japan was super loner, but then the USA came with its navy in the 1850s (like 100 years before World War 2 started) and told Japan that if it didn’t stop being loner, it would beat Japan up.
So Japan was forced to grow its military, and its economy, or else it would be pushed around by big countries like the USA. So Japan was like, Nah fam, I ain’t getting pushed around anymore, Ima pull up on China and “lick” some of this coal from Manchuria.
P.S. lick means to steal, for those of u who boomers who aren’t keeping up with the new slang
So after Japan took over Manchuria and stole some of China’s coal, what did it do?
Japan continued its expansion into China throughout the 1930s.
It became such a big threat to the Chinese, that the Chinese STOPPED their Civil War, and united forces, to fight the Japanese!
Damn, so what did Japan do, that was soooo bad, that it got the Chinese to stop having their Civil War?
Well, google the “Rape of Nanking”. It’s pretty bad.
First off, Nanking was the CAPITOL City of China. Which meant that this is where the government was at.
This is from the History Channel, who is keeping it PG-13:
“In what became known as the “Rape of Nanking,” the Japanese butchered an estimated 150,000 male “war prisoners,” massacred an additional 50,000 male civilians, and raped at least 20,000 women and girls of all ages, many of whom were mutilated or killed in the process.”
Man, Japan was doing some sick stuff, what did the USA and FDR do about all of this messed up stuff?
Nothing. Straight up nothing.
Wow, so the USA did nothing when Japan was committing war crimes against China. When did the USA actually do something though?
They blocked all trade with Japan 3 years later when Japan was attacking French-controlled Indochina
Why did Japan invade French-controlled Indochina? Because French-controlled Indochina had a lot of oil, and Japan needed oil for their military
What do Joseph Stalin, Hideki Tojo, Adolf Hitler, and Benito Mussolini, all have in common?
They are Fascist as heck.
Like suuuuuper fascist
What is a fascist?
Someone who is a Dictator or likes having Dictators.
A Dictator is like a King.
If you’ve ever seen someone who is SUPER EXCITED to go to a super strict teacher’s classroom, that person might be fascist.
Like, sometimes, a student will call me a fascist, and it triggers me a little bit because I don’t like fascism, but at least they know what it is LOL
So how did World War 2 start in Europe?
Well this guy, Benito Mussolini of Italy started the idea called Fascism, and then Adolf Hitler of Germany liked the idea and copied him, and the two of them became good friends.
Both men wanted their countries of Germany and Italy to have more land, and in order to get that land, they had to steal it from other people.
How did European countries like Britain, France, and the USA respond to Hitler’s taking of land?
They followed this idea called “Appeasement”.
What is appeasement?
It’s the idea that you just let someone do whatever they want so you can avoid having to fight.
James’ friend:“Hey James, are you going to let Lindsey take your lunch money like that?”
James:“Yeah man, the appeasement has worked for me so far, I don’t want to fight with her because she will beat me up.”
James’ friend: Nah man, I don’t do appeasement because it never works, they’ll keep wanting more unless you stand up for yourself.
What two major ideas were fought during World War 2?
On one side, you had Fascism, and that is represented by Hitler.
On the other side, you had Freedom & Democracy, and that is represented by FDR and the United States
Why did FDR dislike Germany and Adolf Hitler?
Because Adolf Hitler never kept his agreements, he would make deals and then break them
Who helped Hitler start World War 2 in Europe?
Joseph Stalin, the Dictator of the Soviet Union, helped Hitler by helping him invade the country of Poland.
The start of World War 2 in Europe begins with the German-Soviet invasion of Poland
How successful was Hitler against France?
Very successful, the city of Paris was conquered by the Nazis within 1 year of World War 2 starting.
Who was the leader of England, after appeasement failed and World War 2 began?
Winston Churchill.
Winston Churchill was always against appeasement, and when he became leader at the start of World War 2, he was determined to kill as many Nazis as possible
Who was supposed to be the “Arsenal of Democracy”?
The Arsenal of Democracy is the country that provided weapons to other countries to fight Hitler.
The USA was that country.
What was a propaganda poster like this trying to do?
Trying to encourage men to volunteer for the army
What was a propaganda poster like this trying to do?
Show how women were an important part of the war effort
What was the Bataan Death March?
It was when the Japanese forced American prisoners (and their friends) to walk for 8 days, sometimes stopping to shoot and torture the prisoners.
10,000 prisoners died, 9,000 of them being Filipino soldiers who were helping the USA fight Japan
Who is Vernon Baker?
He was the first African-American to get awarded the Medal of Honor.
He should have gotten it in the 1940s, because of his bravery during WW2, but he had to wait until the 1990s before the government gave it to him.
What is this statue known for?
It is a statue that memorializes when the USA took over the last island while they were island hopping to Japan. It was a major accomplishment putting an American flag on an island (Iwo Jima) that was so close to Japan.
The map shows you how close Iwo Jima is to Japan
Who is Harlon Block?
A dude from the Valley (Weslaco) who died on Iwo Jima.
Before he died, he held up the flag and can be seen in the statue.
Which guy? The guy on the far right, who legit was putting the flag into the ground
What was the purpose of the Manhattan Project?
To produce an atomic bomb
Why didn’t FDR drop the Atomic Bomb on the Japanese, why was it, Harry Truman?
FDR died of polio on April 12, 1945, at the age of 63
