Dwight D. Eisenhower
American military officer who commanded the Allied invasion in North Africa. He was known as "Ike.
Erwin Rommel
Known as "Desert Fox," Rommel was a German general who led German troops against the Allies in North Africa.
George S. Patton, Jr.
He was an American tank commander known as "Blood and Guts." He was in charge of troops in N. Africa.
saturation bombing
used to destroy large areas
strategic bombing
used to destroy a specific target (like a military base)
Battle of Midway
A turning point of the war in the Pacific, this specific battle was clearly won by the Allies.
A. Philip Randolph
labor leader who pressured FDR to sign Executive Order 8802.
Executive Order 8802
order signed by FDR (and encouraged by A. Philip Randolph) that assured fair hiring practices in any job funded by the government
bracero program
plan that brought workers from Mexico to work on American farms.
internment
temporary imprisonment of members of a specific group
442nd Regimental Combat Team
World War II unit made up of Japanese American volunteers
rationing
government controlled limits on the amount of certain goods that civilians could buy during wartime
OWI
Office of War Information - government agency that encouraged support of the war effort during WWII
Tuskegee Airmen
African American squadron that escorted bombers in the air war over Europe during World War II
D-Day
June 6, 1944, the day Allies landed on hte beaches of Normandy, France
Battle of the Bulge
where Hitler ordered a counterattack on Allied troops in Belgium, but it crippled Germany by using up reserves and demoralizing its troops
Harry S. Truman
president after FDR; saw the United States to victory in Europe
island hopping
World War II strategy that involved seizing selected Japanese-held islands in the Pacific while bypassing others.
kamikaze
Japanese pilots who deliberately crashed planes into American ships during World War II, killing themselves.
Albert Einstein
world famous scientist who had encouraged FDR to pursue the development of an atomic bomb
Manhattan Project
code name for the project that developed the atomic bomb
J. Robert Oppenheimer
physicist who worked on developing the atomic bomb
holocaust
systematic murder of Jews during World War II
anti-Semitism
hatred of Jews
Nuremberg Laws
laws enacted by Hitler that denied German citizenship to Jews
Kristallnacht
Night of Broken Glass," organized attacks on Jewish communities in Germany on November 9, 1938
genocide
willful annihilation of a racial, political or cultural group
concentration camp
camps used by the Nazis to imprison "undesirable" members of society
death camp
Nazi camp designed for the extermination of prisoners, mostly Jews
war refugee board
US government agency founded in 1944 to save Eastern European Jews
VE Day
Victory in Europe; May 7, 1945
VJ Day
Aug 15, 1945
bombing of Hiroshima
August 6, 1945
bombing of Nagasaki
August 9, 1945
Why did the Allies decide to concentrate first on the war in Europe instead ofJapan?
Germany posed a great threat than Japan
why was the Battle of Stalingrad a turning point in the war?
The defeat of the Germans by the Soviets ended Hitler's plans to dominate Europe
What were the goals of British and American bombing runs over Germany?
to destroy Germany's capacity to make war
What happened at the Battle of Midway?
America destroyed many of the Japanese destroyers and halted the Japanese from expanding their control in the Pacific
How did the war create opportunities for African Americans?
African American leaders fought for fair treatment in hiring in the government, and FDR signed a bill ordering this
How did the war affect the location of industries and workers in the United States
people flocked to cities that offered industrial jobs and had built up industries for war production
why were Japanese American interned during the war?
some political and military leaders thought that Japanese immigrants would be disloyal to the United States.
How did the war change America at home?
women began working in jobs that were traditionally men's. African Americans were treated a little more fairly in government jobs
On what issues did Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill disagree?
when to start a second European front in France
What was the objective of D-day?
to gain a strong position in France and begin pushing back the Germans
Describe American and German troop movements at the Battle of the Bulge.
In late 1944, German forces punched through the front line of the US forces, forming a "bulge" that reached into Belgium. Bad weather prevented Allied air attacks. However, Allied forces held the lines around the bulge for weeks until the skies cleared and bombers could attack the German positions. Then, with reinforcements and air support, the Allies steadily pushed the Germans back into Germany.
What were the results of the Battle of the Bulge?
It crippled Germany and demoralized its troops; they were pushed back into Germany and never went on the offensive again
Why was island hopping so deadly?
American forces took control of islands only after life and death struggles against Japanese troops who fought fiercely to the last man; kamikaze pilots also crashed into American ships
What were the consequences of the decision to bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
95,000 Japanese residents of those cities were instantly killed or missing, but Japan surrendered, ending the war
Be able to describe what happened to European Jews during World War II. Be thorough.
use the questions and your notes for this
Be able to describe the major battles of WWII, and how the war progressed, finishing with the ending of war in both Europe and the Pacific.
use the questions and your notes for this