WW2 Flashcards
Yalta Conference
Feb 1945, US/UK/USSR met to discuss postwar world. E Europe- free elections for liberated countries (Baltics->USSR). Germany- 6 Ds (democratized/deindustrialized/divided/de-Nazified/disarmed/demilitarized). Poland borders shifted West.
Potsdam Conference
July 1945 (Big 3 again)- major changes- Germany surrendered, FDR dead, Churchill gone, Red Army in E Europe, US atomic bomb tested. disagreement over how to do Germany’s 5 Ds. Poland’s borders confirmed (Soviet Lublin Poles recognized). Unconditional surrender demanded from Japan.
United Nations
based on Atlantic Charter. created at San Francisco Conference 1945. General Assembly + Security Council (5 perm members 6 rotating).
Treaty of San Francisco
Japan’s surrender ceremonies held Sept 1945, US/others signed treaty 1951. returned sovereignty to Japan, US signed US-Japan Security Treaty same day to establish military alliance
Changes in role/status of women
depended on country. After war, strong pressure everywhere for women to return to pre-war roles.
Marshall Plan
Est 1947, launched 1948. $13 billion US aid for European economic recovery to Western Europe. USSR launched COMECON 1949 for E Europe
Occupation of Japan
Lasted 1945-1952. Constitution drafted/announced by emperor 1946. He stayed with limited powers, govt turned into multi-party parliamentary system. large estates/zaibatsu broken up. US at first wanted weak/democratic Japan
“Reverse course” in Japan
Starting 1947, more by 1950. Many 1945-6 reformed undone- Zaibatsu (Keiretsu) returned, leftists purged, self-defence force est), investment. Caused by tension w USSR and CCP Civil War victory
Pacific War beginning
Manchurian invasion 1931, left wing Japanese interpretation- began bc of militarist capitalist clique responding to economic pressures. Chinese invasion 1937, orthodox US interpretation- Japanese aggression. Pearl Harbor/E Asia attacks, Nationalist Japanese interpretation- J liberating SE Asia, responding to US threat
PW Phase 1- Blitzkrieg
Dec 1941-June 1942. Japanese rapid attacks on colonial possessions in E Asia. PH gained J time before US entered. By May 1942 J had almost all SE Asia, huge part of Pacific- most invasions justified using idea of GEACPS. puppets est in many nations like Philippines/Burma. Non-J treated bad
Japanese strategy of PW
Defensive Perimeter- knockout US navy in 1 surprise to buy time, est defensive perimeter in Pacific.
Coral Sea
tide turns. mid 1942 J controlled lots but lacked power to sustain it. Battle of the Coral Sea, May 4-8, US prevented conquest of New Guinea. Allied lost more but Japan couldn’t replace lost ships/aircraft.
Battle of Midway
tide turns. June 4-7, US defeated J and prevented conquest of Midway atoll. Americans broke codes and discovered it was an ambush. J lost a ton, couldn’t replace, no longer make any major attacks on US forces.
PW Phase 2- Stalemate
J lost no territory at Midway, hard for US to advance. Burma campaign 1942-1945, Britain protecting India/Chinese supply linrs.
Battle of Guadalcanal
Aug 1942-Feb 1943, length air/land/sea battle which US won. marked shift of Alliers from defensive to offensive. J historians view this as turning point, whereas US ones view Midway as turning point.
Allied conferences during Stalemate
Cairo Nov 22-6, 1943- FDR/Churchill/Jieshi met to discuss PW, goal was J surrender.
Tehran Nov 28-Dec 1, 1943- Stalin/FDR/Churchill met, Stalin wanted help against Germany
Island Hopping Strategy
neutralize heavily defended J bases by air/sub, but take less fortified ones to get closer to J and bomb it.
army- led by MacArthur through NG/Philippines.
navy- led by Nimitz across C Pacific
Battle of Leyte Gulf
Nov 1943-Aug 1945. US invaded Leyte, Philippines to cut J supply lines, J failed w heavy losses. first sig use of kamikaze
US submarine warfare
small % of fleet but subs crippled J’s merchant ships, dried their oil reserves
Iwo Jima
Feb 1945. small island meant for atom bomb, US thought it was empty but J forces fought very hard and both sides had many casualties.
Okinawa
Apr-June 1945. populated with largely Okinawans. Largest amphibious landing of the war, most ferocious fighting. many war crimes both sides. J navy basically crippled. influenced decision to use atomic bombs
bombing Japan
June 15, 1944 onward- bombing Japan. enabled bc of B29 Superfortress. General LeMay oversaw Tokyo firebombing March 1945, 100k civilians dead. Operation Ichi-Go to stop US from flying bombers out of china- largest land invasion from PW, unsuccessful.
end of PW
Aug 6 and 9- atomic bombs dropped. Aug 9- USSR forces invaded Manchuria. Aug 15- emperor Hirohito surrendered
Neutrality Act Aug 1935
European tension + GD = isolationism. Preventing taking a side, staying out of future war. if president declared a state of war existed, Congress forbade sale/transportation of munitions to belligerents. expired 6 months
Neutrality Act Feb 1936
Extended 1935 act- loans forbidden except for commercial contracts, civil wars excluded 1937, oil still excluded
Neutrality Act May 1937
permanent. included everything from previous acts, banned US citizens from traveling on belligerent ships/into warzones. Cash and Carry- belligerents could purchase non-military goods but must pay cash and accept transportation risk, expired 2 years. Congress most isolationist.
FDR easing nation into war
FDR approved of appeasement until Munich Crisis. refused to declre conditions of war in China 1937 so he could send China aid. Quarantine Speech 1937- peace/freedom of world jeopardized- needed endeavors to prevent. much backlash
Isolationist proposals
Congress opposed economic sanctions on J. Ludlow amendment Jan 1938- would require national referendum for war, almost passed. America First Committee- anti-semitic.
Slide towards PW
Cash and Carry expired May 1939- mandatory arms embargo basically. Nov 1939 Neutrality act renewed C&C and expanded it for military goods.
closer to war
Fall of France May 1940 shook complacency. consumer prod shifted to military, military spending inc, first peacetime draft, frozen assets of Axis-controlled companies, embargo on J.
aiding Britain
“surplus” planes/ammo to Britain, allowed pilots to train in Florida, let ships into US naval yards. Destroyers for Bases Deal Sep 1940- gave Britain warships in return for British colonial possessions.
Lend-Lease Act
Britain cash-poor, C&C difficult. passed March 1941, allowed US to transfer military materials to be returned/repaid at discount after war. Helped in European war
Atlantic Charter
Aug 1941, US/UK joint statement about post-war vision. No territorial land grabs, self-determination of peoples, freedom of seas/end to trade barriers, est of UN.
US at war
12/7/41 PH attack. 12/8 US declared war on Japan. 12/11 Germany declared war on US, who reciprocated same day.
rationing
J- 1941 strict system. food imports gone + diminished agricultural industry = starvation + illness.
US- 1942. consumer factories to military. ration books to prevent overconsumption.
Executive Order 9066
Feb 1942. All J-Americans on Pacific Coast -> prison camps, fears they would betray US.
comfort women
Rape of Nanjing 1937 made J army create brotherls with comfort women (oft kidnapped) to work as sex slaves.
codes/codebreaking
Japanese codes like JN-40 broken, which helped at battles like Midway. American Navajo code was very hard.
Amphibious landing craft
ALC like LVT-4 were manufactured a lot, helped with island hopping strategy.
submarines
US used submarines like Gato-class a lot. sinking J shipping was crucial for preventing J from supplying itself/controlling supply lines.
