World War II (1939-1945) Flashcards
What is World War II (1939-1945)?
A large scale armed global conflict involving the Allied Powers and the Axis powers.
What caused World War II?
The immediate cause of the war was Germany’s invasion of Poland.
Who were the Allied powers?
Britain United States Soviet Union China France
Who were the presidents during World War II?
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Harry S. Truman
What was the Manhattan Project?
It was the United States development of the first atomic bomb. It was done with the support of Britain and Canada.
What is the U.S. Isolationism period?
The period of the 1930s when the American public did not want to get involved in what they considered European wars. The foreign policy was peace through isolation. This foreign policy was largely driven by the concern that war effort will worsen the economic impact of the Great Depression
Interestingly, isolationism was not new. George Washington argued that the U.S. should stay out of Europe affairs (mainly the antagonism btw France, Spain, & Britain). Continuing this pattern, the Monroe Doctrine further separated the U.S. from European dealings.
What drove the U.S. into World War II despite the policy of isolationism?
Japan bombing the Pearl Harbor in 1941 drove the U.S. into the war.
Who were the Axis powers?
Japan
Italy
Germany
Why did U.S. Japanese Internment happen (1942)?
The Executive Order of 9066 by FDR ordered all people of Japanese ancestry to be forcibly moved away from the West Coast. This order was a direct result of anti-Japanese sentiments due to the bombing of Pearl Harbor by Japan. The U.S. Government feared that people with Japanese ancestry somehow had sentiments toward Japan.
Why did Truman decide to use atomic bomb on Japan?
The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki happened because Japan refused to surrender despite the U.S. inflicting many serious attacks on the Japanese Navy. To Truman, the atomic bomb was the only way to hasten Japanese surrender and, therefore, spare more casualties.
Sadly, this use of atomic bomb ushered in the atomic bomb age (the threat that the world can be wipe out in an instant).
What were the consequences of post World-War II?
The immediate consequence of WWII was the creation
of the GI bill. The GI Bill is a big deal because it revitalized the U.S. economy by leading to increased higher education attainment, the baby boom, and movement away from cities into the suburbs.
