Major Battles & Military Strategies
What was the first battle where Germany suffered a major defeat in Operation Barbarossa?
Battle of Stalingrad
What was the goal of the Marshall Plan?
To restore the European economy with $13 billion from the U.S.
What was Benito Mussolini’s title?
Il Duce
One effect of the GI Bill was:
A large increase in the number of college graduates.
What does Kamikaze literally mean?
"Divine Wind"
What was the significance of the Battle of Normandy (D-Day)?
It was the turning point of WWII, giving the Allies a strategic advantage.
What was the significance of the Atlantic Charter?
It outlined post-war goals and became the basis for the United Nations.
What was the Munich Agreement?
Britain and France gave in to Hitler’s demands in an act of appeasement.
What was the economic impact of WWII and the New Deal on the U.S.?
Federal control of the economy increased.
What was the "Long Telegram"?
A message from George Kennan outlining the need for containment of Soviet influence.
Name and describe three pivotal WWII battles in which American troops were involved.
Midway (1942), D-Day (1944), Battle of the Bulge (1944-45)
How was the decision to join the United Nations a turning point in U.S. policy?
It marked a permanent departure from isolationism.
What was the Tripartite Pact?
An agreement in 1940 that made Japan the final member of the Axis Powers.
How did McCarthyism impact American political life?
It created fear of Communist infiltration, leading to blacklists and suppression of civil liberties.
What was Containment?
President Truman’s policy to keep Communism from expanding.
Name and explain two military strategies the U.S. used to defeat Japan?
Island Hopping (taking one island at a time toward the mainland of Japan) and the Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
What was the Lend-Lease Act?
It allowed the U.S. to provide war supplies to nations fighting aggressors.
Why was the 1939 Nonaggression Pact between Hitler and Stalin paradoxical?
Because Stalin had not signed the Munich Agreement.
What were the Nuremberg Trials significant for?
They established the precedent that leaders can be held accountable for wartime actions.
Define Blitzkrieg and where it was first used.
A strategy of surprise and overwhelming force; first used by Germany in Poland (1939).
What was the main strategic rationale for the Invasion of Normandy in 1944?
To open a second front against Hitler.
What influenced President Truman’s decision to drop the atomic bomb?
A belief that it would end the war quickly.
What was the significance of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact (1939), who signed it, and what were their real goals?
It meant the Soviet Union would not assist the Allies in defending Poland. Russia & Germany signed it--both wanted to take over land in Europe.
What demographic shifts occurred in the post-war U.S. (explain each)?
Sunbelt Growth: Population boom in warm-weather states due to economic opportunities.
Medical Advances: Wartime chemical and vaccine development improved public health.
Baby Boom: High marriage rates led to a population surge.
Define the term, and explain Hitler’s method and purpose for acquiring "Lebensraum."
Definition: "Living space" for Germans.
Method: Military conquest and annexation.
Purpose: Expand German territory, provide resources, and establish racial dominance.