Download WWII Unit Review Causes of WWII (For each cause listed, give

WWII Unit Review

Causes of WWII (For each cause listed, give examples of how that factor led to war)
o Treaty of Versailles
o Poor economic conditions in Europe
o Rise of Fascism
o German Aggression
o Italian Aggression
o Japanese Aggression
o Appeasement

When Germany invaded ____________________ on September 1, _____________, the war officially
started. The US remained __________________, adhering to isolationism. What did “isolationism”
mean in this case and why is that term potentially misleading?

Germany overran France and most of Europe and pounded Britain from the air in what is known as the
____________________________. In 1941, Hitler turned on his former partner and invaded the
_____________________.
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Although the US remained neutral, they found many ways to still help out the Allies:
o Cash and Carry (1939) =
o Destroyer Deal (1940) =
o Lend-Lease Act (1941) =
o Franklin Roosevelt compared the Lend Lease Act to lending a _____________________ to a
next-door neighbor whose house is on fire.
o Franklin Roosevelt said the US would be an “arsenal of democracy.” What does this mean?

Meanwhile, Japan invaded ___________________ in 1931, then _______________ in 1937, and other
areas in the Pacific. The Japanese Goal in the Pacific was military and economic domination over Asia.
The US refused to recognize Japanese conquests. This US policy of refusing to recognize conquests
taken by force was called the ____________________ Doctrine. The US imposed an ______________
on exports of oil and steel to Japan. Tensions rose, but both countries negotiated to avoid war.

Then, an event occurred that caused the US to switch from isolationism to joining the war in 1941.
What caused this change? What day did it happen? What is the famous line from FDR’s speech about
this day?

What were the 4 main countries fighting on the Allied side?

What were the 3 main countries fighting for the Axis Powers?

The Allied Strategy is to focus on Europe first, known as the strategy to “Defeat ____________ first.”

The Allied Strategy in the Pacific is “__________________ hopping”, getting closer and closer to Japan.

The Axis strategy is to defeat communist ________________ quickly to gain access to its oil fields, and
take _________________ out of the war by a heavy bombing campaign. The Axis powers plan to do
this before the US industrial and military strength can turn the tide in the war.

Important Battles/Turning Points in the War in Europe/Africa:
o ___________________ (1942): hundreds of thousands of German soldiers were killed or
captured in a month long siege of this Russian city. This German defeat prevented Nazi access
to Soviet oil fields and turned the tide against Germany on the eastern front.
o ___________________ (1942): this city in Egypt was significant because German forces were
threatening to seize the __________ Canal. British forces defeat the Germans, preventing
Hitler’s access to Middle Eastern _______________.
o ______________________ (June 6, 1944): This invasion in France was known as _____ Day.
Allied forces were led by General ____________________. Despite intense opposition and
heavy American casualties, the landings succeeded and the liberation of France began.
o May 8, 1945 = V-E Day = ______________ in _____________ because this is when Germany
surrendered.

Important Battles/ Turning Points in the War in the Pacific:
o ______________ Death March (1942): This US possession in the Pacific – the ______________
was invaded by the Japanese. Allied forces were overwhelmed by the Japanese and forced to
surrender. The Allied POW’s (prisoners of war) were forced on this march across the island,
brutally beaten, ran over, and taunted along the way. This POW treatment is a violation of the
__________________ Convention.
o The Battle of ________________________ (1942): American naval forces defeated a much
larger Japanese force. A Japanese victory would have put Japan in position to invade Hawaii.
o ____________________ and Okinawa (1945): American invasions of these islands brought US
forces closer than ever to the Japanese mainland. These invasions cost thousands of American
and Japanese lives. Many Japanese soldiers and civilians committed _____________________
rather than surrender.
o Atomic Bomb (1945) dropped on the cities of ___________________ and __________________
o What president made the decision to drop the atomic bomb? What were his justifications for
killing thousands of Japanese civilians?
o September 2, 1945: V-J Day = _____________ in ___________ because this is when
__________ surrendered
Minorities in the war abroad and on the home front:

African Americans generally served in ___________________ military units and were assigned to
_____________________ roles

However, there were some African Americans who saw action in WWII, such as the
________________________________ - an all-black unit of pilots that served in Europe

The Second _____________________ Migration was a movement of African Americans to northern
cities for war industrial jobs (just like the migration during WWI)

The campaign for victory in war and equality at home was called ________________

Second Generation Asian Americans served in WWII in what were called ___________________
regiments

After Pearl Harbor, there was strong anti-Japanese prejudice on the West Coast in the US. Because of
a false belief that Japanese Americans were aiding the enemy, thousands of Japanese Americans were
put into ______________________ camps. The Supreme court upheld the government’s right to do
this in this case: ___________________________________

This Native American Language was used as a code for the US _________________________

Over 200,000 women joined the military in non-combat positions. When men went off to fight in
WWII, women took on non-traditional jobs at home. Rosie the _________________ was an image
used to encourage women to help the war effort by taking on industrial jobs.
The Holocaust:

______________ is the systematic and purposeful destruction of a racial, political, religious, or cultural
group.

What was Hitler’s Final Solution?

What groups were classified as “undesirables” by Hitler and thus affected by the Holocaust?