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European Theater
The European Theater was an area that had lots of fighting across Europe from September 1, 1939 to May 8, 1945. Allied forces fought the Axis powers in three areas: the Eastern Front, the Western Front and the Mediterranean Theater. These were signficant because this included the Normandy Invasion, the Battle of the Bulge, Battle of Stalingrad, Battle of Berlin, and blitzkrieg(which wasn't a battle, but was a major war tactic used by the Germans). -
Lend Lease Program
The Lend-Lease Act was the main way for the US to provide military aid to foreign nations during World War II. The act allowed the president to transfer arms or any other defense materials to Britain, the Soviet Union, China, Brazil, and many other countries. -
FDR's response and passage of Fair Employment Practice Committee
FDR established the Fair Employment Practice Committee(FEPC) and signed the Executive Order 8802 to help prevent discrimination against African Americans in defense and workplace industries. -
Bombing of Pearl Harbor
At 7:55 A.M. on Sunday, December 7, 1941 , 353 Japanese planes attacked Pearl Harbor killing 2,343 men, wounding 1,272, and left 960 missing. The following day, FDR declared war on Japan. -
America’s war mobilization (rationing, war-time conversion, role of women in war industries)
After Pearl Harbor, 5 million men volunteered for military service, but The Selective Service System drafted 10 million more men. All materials that were useful for the war were conserved at home: gas, rubber, metal, food etc. American women worked the factory jobs left by men who fought in the war. -
A. Philip Randolph & Double V Campaign
A Philip Randolph was a civil-rights leader who fought for justice in the black American community. Segregation was horrible, and blacks were being treated unfairly. The Double V campaign stood for the double victory of the black Americans - victory at home, and also victory overseas. Newspapers created the Double V Campaign to encourage equality. -
Internment of Japanese-Americans, German-Americans, & Italian-Americans
Following Pearl Harbor, anti-Japanese sentiment was high. Then in the war, anti-German and Italian sentiment was high. These groups faced prejudice and hatred among American people. Immediately after Pearl Harbor, FDR signed the Executive Order 9066 ordering all Japanese Americans to evacuate the West Coast and relocate to 1 of the 10 interment camps on the coast. -
Pacific Theater
The Pacific Theater during World War II was a main area of fighting between the Allies and Japan. It included most of the Pacific Ocean and its islands, but the main part of Asia was excluded, and so were the Philippines, the Dutch East Indies, Borneo, Australia, most of the Territory of New Guinea and the western part of the Solomon Islands. -
Manhattan Project
The goal of the Manhattan Project was to put an end to WWII by using weapons of mass destruction to force the Japanese to surrender. It also opened opportunities for research of more powerful nuclear atomic bombs and the use of them in future wars/conflicts. On 6 August 1945, the first atomic bomb was dropped in Hiroshima, then 3 days later another on Nagasaki, killing over 300,000, not including those who died later from radiation. -
Battle of Midway
Named for its location near the Midway island in the Pacific Ocean, the Battle of Midway was important because it was the first definite victory for the Allied Forces in the Pacific during World War II. It was a major turning point. -
D-Day
D Day is the day that the Allied forces landed on the coast of Normandy, France to liberate France and defeat Germany.
D-Day was significant because it was the turning point of World War II. It was the start of the Allies' invasion of Western Europe and paved the way for the Allied victory. -
Fall of Berlin
The battle began on April 16, 1945 and lasted until May 2, 1945. By April 20th the Soviets began bombing Berlin. They worked their way around the city and had it completely surrounded in a couple days. Hitler began to realize that he was going to lose the battle. He tried to move the German army from western Germany to Berlin to save the city.
Once the Soviets entered the city, the fighting became fierce. Hitler committed suicide, and soon the Nazi army surrendered.
