USH CH 25

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This deck includes 140 flashcards covering americans volunteered, corps growth, approximate increase, and related concepts. Use it to review key History ideas, focus on weak cards, and prepare for your exam with StudyLess.

1. 01

   What was the function of the War Production Board?

   Directed factories to convert to military output and allocated critical raw materials.

2. 02

   What was the function of the Office of Price Administration?

   Controlled prices and rents and ran the rationing of consumer goods.

3. 03

   What event caused a surge of patriotic enlistment in the US?

   The attack on Pearl Harbor.

4. 04

   What nickname did Admiral Yamamoto give to America's economic capacity?

   The 'Sleeping Giant'.

5. 05

   What enabled the US to switch to a war economy?

   Civilian factories rapidly converted to war production.

6. 06

   What was the Lend-Lease program?

   A program to supply friendly nations with war materials.

7. 07

   Which nations received the largest portions of Lend-Lease aid?

   Britain (about 60%) and the USSR (about 25%).

8. 08

   What was the 'Europe First' strategy?

   Prioritizing the European theater for most war material and men due to fear of Nazi victory.

9. 09

   What was the 'Pacific Second' strategy?

   Treating the Pacific theater as a lesser threat to be dealt with after Germany's defeat.

10. 10

    What was the Manhattan Project?

    A secret multi-billion-dollar program to develop an atomic weapon.

11. 11

    What were two reasons Germany declared war on the US?

    American destroyers and German U-boats had clashed; Hitler assumed the US would enter the war later anyway.

12. 12

    When did Germany declare war on the United States?

    December 11, 1941, days after Pearl Harbor.

13. 13

    How did opening multiple fronts help against Germany?

    Stretched German forces thin, allowed landings almost anywhere, and utilized resistance populations.

14. 14

    How did supplying the USSR help against Germany?

    Kept over 70% of German forces tied down in the East, where the USSR had vast manpower.

15. 15

    What was the goal of strategic bombing against Germany?

    To hit German factories and Romanian oil fields, reducing vehicles, disrupting transport, and cutting off resources.

16. 16

    What was the goal of the Battle of the Atlantic (1939-1945)?

    Keep Lend-Lease shipping flowing and open the way to liberate Western Europe.

17. 17

    What was the outcome of the Battle of the Atlantic?

    The German U-boat force was defeated and Lend-Lease flowed freely.

18. 18

    What was the outcome of the North Africa campaign?

    Mass Axis surrender; North Africa was liberated.

19. 19

    What was the goal of the Italy campaign (1943-1945)?

    Knock Italy out of the war and open another front against Germany.

20. 20

    What was the outcome of the Italy campaign?

    Italy switched sides and Germany was tied down defending the peninsula.

21. 21

    What was the goal of the France campaign (June-August 1944)?

    Open the way into Germany and liberate France.

22. 22

    What were the three pillars of the American strategy against Germany?

    Open multiple fronts, supply the USSR through Lend-Lease, and strategic bombing.

23. 23

    What conditions were unique to the European Theater?

    Freezing temperatures due to winter and mountainous terrain; early bombers lacked long-range escorts.

24. 24

    What was the goal of the North Africa campaign (1942-1943)?

    Blood American troops in combat and destroy a large Axis army.

25. 25

    What was the outcome of the France campaign?

    France was liberated and the Western Front was opened.

26. 26

    What was the goal of the Rhineland campaign (Spring 1945)?

    Crack Germany's last western defensive line, the Rhine River.

27. 27

    What was the goal of Strategic Bombing of Germany (1939-1945)?

    Destroy German industrial capacity and transportation links.

28. 28

    What was the outcome of Strategic Bombing of Germany?

    German industry and transportation were crippled.

29. 29

    What was the outcome of Operation Market-Garden?

    An Allied defeat; Germany still held the Netherlands.

30. 30

    What was the outcome of the Eastern Front?

    Berlin was occupied, Hitler committed suicide, and the Nazi regime fell.

31. 31

    What was the outcome of the Rhineland campaign?

    Western Allies crossed the Rhine, opening the way into Germany and linking with Soviets.

32. 32

    What was the goal of the Eastern Front (1941-1945)?

    Tie down the bulk of the German army.

33. 33

    Why did Germany lose WWII (resource and casualty perspective)?

    Lacked resources to fight US and USSR simultaneously; aggressive war produced unreplaceable casualties.

34. 34

    Why did Germany lose WWII (air and naval perspective)?

    Allied air superiority destroyed industry; Allied naval superiority kept supply lines open and starved Germany of options.

35. 35

    What was the goal of the Battle of the Bulge (1944-1945)?

    Defeat Germany's last major offensive.

36. 36

    What was the outcome of the Battle of the Bulge?

    The German attack failed and the road into Germany lay open.

37. 37

    What was the goal of Operation Market-Garden (September 1944)?

    Liberate the Netherlands and end the war by Christmas.

38. 38

    What were Japan's motivations for attacking Pearl Harbor (geopolitical perspective)?

    Vulnerable colonies (Dutch East Indies) and inconvenient islands (Philippines) astride supply routes.

39. 39

    Why did Japan attack the US Pacific Fleet?

    To cripple it preemptively, as it would protect the Philippines and Allied colonies.

40. 40

    What was the 'island hopping' strategy?

    Isolating Japanese garrisons by taking surrounding islands ('cutting the vine') and using captured islands as B-29 bases.

41. 41

    How did supplying China help the US strategy against Japan?

    Kept nearly 80% of Japanese ground forces tied down in China, where Chinese manpower could absorb casualties.

42. 42

    What were the main goals of strategic bombing and blockade against Japan?

    To choke resources and reinforcements, and exploit the vulnerability of wood-and-paper cities to firebombing.

43. 43

    What conditions were unique to the Pacific Theater?

    War of hatred, jungle warfare hazards, massive distances between islands, and carrier-versus-carrier naval battles.

44. 44

    What was the goal of the Solomon Islands campaign (1942-1943)?

    Begin island-hopping, secure airfields, and isolate the Japanese garrison at Rabaul.

45. 45

    What was the outcome of the Solomon Islands campaign?

    Airfields secured, Rabaul isolated, Admiral Yamamoto killed.

46. 46

    What was the outcome of the Marianas Campaign?

    Japanese naval strength sharply reduced; mainland Japan within B-29 range.

47. 47

    What was the goal of the Philippines Campaign (1944-1945)?

    Liberate the islands and cut the supply route to the Dutch East Indies.

48. 48

    What was the outcome of the Philippines Campaign?

    Rape of Manila; Dutch East Indies access cut; Japanese naval effectiveness collapsed; kamikaze tactics introduced.

49. 49

    What was the outcome of Iwo Jima?

    Heavy Allied casualties, but the emergency airstrip was secured.

50. 50

    What was the goal of the Battle of Midway (June 4-7, 1942)?

    Ambush the Japanese fleet attacking Midway.

51. 51

    What was the outcome of the Battle of Midway?

    Japan lost four fleet carriers and its strategic momentum, marking a turning point.

52. 52

    What were the three pillars of the American strategy against Japan?

    Island hopping, supplying China, and strategic bombing/submarine blockade.

53. 53

    What was the goal of the Marianas Campaign (June-August 1944)?

    Capture island bases for B-29 bombers.

54. 54

    What was the goal of the Iwo Jima operation (February-March 1945)?

    Capture an airfield for B-29 emergency landings and fighter escorts.

55. 55

    What was the goal of the Okinawa campaign (April-June 1945)?

    Secure a staging base for the invasion of Japan.

56. 56

    How did the submarine blockade affect Japan?

    Sank much of the merchant fleet, causing the home islands to starve.

57. 57

    What was the impact of the Soviet assault on Japan?

    The USSR attacked Manchuria and Korea, smashing every Japanese unit within days.

58. 58

    Why did Japan lose WWII (industrial and supply perspective)?

    Industrial weakness against US; strangled supplies led to starvation for garrisons (60% of deaths).

59. 59

    Why did Japan lose WWII (military strategy perspective)?

    'Gambling addicts' who repeatedly threw away their navy chasing a 'decisive battle'.

60. 60

    How did Japan adapt its defensive warfare?

    Shifted to cave-and-terrain defense, leading to skyrocketing Allied casualties.

61. 61

    What characterized Japanese suicidal determination?

    Kamikaze attacks became commonplace; new suicide units prepared; civilians killed themselves in battles.

62. 62

    What was the US's ultimate weapon against invasion?

    The atomic bomb ('the power of the sun').

63. 63

    What invention ended WWII?

    The atomic bomb.

64. 64

    What characterized the Home Front during WWII?

    Material restrictions, rationing, victory gardens, war bonds, salvage, and military focus.

65. 65

    What did Americans salvage for victory?

    Scrap metal, rubber, paper, and kitchen fat.

66. 66

    How did the war affect civilian production?

    All civilian car production ceased; other goods were limited in favor of military output.

67. 67

    What role did women play on the Home Front?

    Became breadwinners in factory jobs while most men were at war.

68. 68

    What were blackouts?

    Coastal cities turned off outside lights to confuse submarines and sabotage attacks.

69. 69

    What happened to Japanese-Americans during the war?

    Interned in camps on suspicion of treason.

70. 70

    What was the outcome of Okinawa?

    Heaviest Allied casualties of the Pacific war to date; invasion base secured.

71. 71

    What were the 'strangling Japan' tactics?

    Extreme high-altitude bombing (initially unsuccessful), low-altitude nighttime firebombing, submarine blockade, and Soviet invasion.

72. 72

    What was the nature of Germany's surrender?

    Unconditional surrender agreed to by the German government under Admiral Dönitz after Hitler's suicide.

73. 73

    What territorial changes occurred for Germany post-war?

    Lost territory to Poland and the USSR.

74. 74

    What happened to ethnic Germans in Eastern Europe post-war?

    Millions were expelled from countries across Central and Eastern Europe.

75. 75

    How was Germany divided for occupation?

    Divided into four occupation zones, as agreed at the Yalta Conference.

76. 76

    How was Berlin divided for occupation?

    Divided into four occupation zones.

77. 77

    What was the condition of Emperor Hirohito's surrender?

    Agreed to surrender in exchange for being allowed to remain as a figurehead.

78. 78

    Who assumed occupation duties in Japan?

    The United States alone.

79. 79

    What happened to Japan's military and territory post-war?

    Disarmed and stripped of all its imperial territory.

80. 80

    Who oversaw the rebuilding of Japan?

    General MacArthur.

81. 81

    Where did war-crimes trials for Japan take place?

    Tokyo.

82. 82

    What opportunities did the GI Bill create?

    Employment and education opportunities for returning veterans.

83. 83

    Who became president after FDR's death in April 1945?

    Harry Truman.

84. 84

    What were Japan's motivations for attacking Pearl Harbor (resource and time perspective)?

    Resource strangulation (oil access threatened empire) and a ticking clock (months of fuel left).