Text of the War Theme Review

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What Colonial victory in the Revolutionary War brought increased support from the French?
Saratoga
What was the freezing cold low point for the Continental Army?
Valley Forge
Where did the British surrender to Washington at the end of the Revolutionary War?
Yorktown
What was the issue that started the War of 1812?
British interfering with trade, impressing our sailors
Who won the war of 1812? Why was this important?
the U.S., showed we could stand on our own
Who opposed the Mexican American War? Why?
Whigs and Abolitionists, opposed extension of slavery
What did the U.S. gain from the Mexican American War?
CA, NM, AZ, UT, CO, & NV for $15 million
Name two advantages the South had at the start of the Civil War.
Better generals, defensive war, passion for their cause
Name three advantages the North had at the start of the Civil War.
larger population, more industry, better transportation, more food production
What was the bloodiest single day of fighting during the Civil War?
Battle of Antietam
What was it about the style of fighting in the Civil War that led to such huge numbers of casualties?
you would lead large #s of your men in an attempt to break lines of large #s of the opposition (e.g. Picket's Charge)
What was the purpose of the Emancipation Proclamation? What did it give the Union?
Free the slaves in rebellious states, moral cause for fighting the war
What two Union victories happened on July 4, 1863? Why were they important?
Gettysburg (turned Lee back from DC) and Vicksburg (control of the Mississippi)
Who marched through the South in 1864-1865 with the goal of forcing them to surrender? How?
Sherman, waging “total war”
What war from the late 1800’s signaled the entrance of the U.S. as an imperial power?
Spanish American War
Where did we gain influence as a result of this war?
Philippines, Cuba, Guam, Puerto Rico
What group of countries did the U.S. fight alongside in WWI?
the Allies (GB, France, Russia)
What group did the U.S. fight against?
Central Powers (Germany & A-H)
What weapon did the Germans use in WWI to attack allied ships and the British blockade?
U-Boat
What two factors led to trench warfare?
old tactics combined with new weapons
Name the two events that helped pull the U.S. into the WWI.
Lusitania & Zimmerman Telegram
What law prevented “disloyal utterances” during WWI?
Sedition Act
How did the Supreme Court rule on the Espionage and Sedition acts?
they were constitutional - exceptional measures in war time
Name 2 kinds of people who might have been opposed to WWI?
immigrants (esp. German & Irish), socialists, pacifists
What event allowed Germany to launch an all-out final offensive on the Western Front in 1918? Who helped to repel it?
the Russian Revolution, the United States
What was Wilson’s Plan for Peace called? Which part of it was most important to him?
14 Points, League of Nations
How long did it take Germany to conquer Western Europe at the start of the WWII?
9 months (9/39-6/40)
What law allowed us to provide supplies for Great Britain while remaining neutral at the start of WWII?
Lend-Lease Act
What was the Atlantic Charter?
An agreement on war goals between Churchill and Roosevelt signed in 8/41 (before we entered the war
What event brought the U.S. into WWII?
Bombing of Pearl Harbor
What kind of things were Japanese-Americans forced to leave behind when they were interned during WWII?
homes, businesses, most of personal possessions
How did WWII solve the problems of the Great Depression?
boosted production & wages, created full employment
Name one problem faced by Rosie the Riveter.
wage gap, fired for flirting, sexual harassment, little day care
How did our army handle soldiers of different races during WWII?
placed them in segregated units
How did the federal government raise money for the war effort?
Selling war bonds
Name two goods that were rationed during WWII.
rubber, gasoline, sugar, flour, meat products
Name three common themes of U.S. propaganda during WWII.
join the armed forces, buy war bonds, don’t spread info, do your part (ration, car pool, etc.)
How long did it take the Japanese to establish control of the entire Western Pacific at the start of WWII?
5 months (12/41-4/42)
What two kinds of fighting were most common in the Pacific?
naval air battles & amphibious assaults (island hopping)
What battle was considered the turning point in the Pacific?
Midway
Where did the Japanese resort to the greatest amount of kamikaze activity? Why was this island geographically significant?
Okinawa, less than 500 miles from Japan
What was the name of the program to create the A-Bomb? Where did many of it’s scientists come from?
Manhattan Project, Europe – which they left because of anti-Semitism
What was Truman’s alternative to dropping the Bomb?
massive land invasion
Identify two things that were controversial about the use of the A-Bomb.
used on civilians, radiation, start arms race, unknown effects
Where did we enter the fighting in the war against Germany?
North Africa
Where was our next major campaign after winning in North Africa? Why was it difficult to fight there?
Sicily (Italy), rugged mountainous terrain
What did we use to attack German manufacturing and military centers from 1942 until the end of the WWII?
Long range Bombers
What invasion marked the beginning of the end for the Germans in Europe?
D-Day/Operation Overlord
What was the last major German counter attack of WWII?
Battle of the Bulge
Why did Truman fire MacArthur during the Korean War?
insisted on being more aggressive (nuke China)
What was the result of the Korean War?
NK stays Comm., SK free, DMZ in middle (38th parallel)
Who was the leader of North Vietnam?
Ho Chi Minh
Who did the U.S. install as the leader of South Vietnam in the late 1950s?
Ngo Dinh Diem
What were the southern sympathizers of communist North Vietnam called?
Viet Cong or NLF
Which president oversaw our escalation of the conflict in Vietnam? Who’s policies was he following?
LBJ, JFK
What gave LBJ the power to “use any means necessary” to contain Communism in Vietnam?
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
What program was started to win over the hearts and minds of the South Vietnamese and clear rural areas of VC?
pacification
Name two things used to defoliate the jungles in Vietnam.
napalm & agent orange
List two ways combat conditions in Vietnam were unlike those soldiers had prepared for.
jungle, traps & guerrilla tactics, heat & rain, unknown enemy
What was “vietnamization”?
turning the war over to the South Vietnamese in 1969
Name one factor that made our involvement in Vietnam so controversial.
just cause?, high cost ($ & lives), impatience with lack of progress
Name two ways you could avoid the draft during the Vietnam War.
college, family, self inflicted wound, act crazy
Who were the Hawks? Who were the Doves?
Americans who supported the war, Americans who opposed it
What minority groups were over-represented in the troops in Vietnam?
Blacks and Hispanics
What theory proposed that if South Vietnam fell to Communism, the rest of SE Asia would soon follow?
domino theory
Why did we start Operation Desert Storm/Shield in 1990?
Because Iraq had invaded Kuwait
What type of fighting dominate the first phase of the first Persian Gulf War?
air strikes
What was the outcome of the first Persian Gulf War?
U.S. victory, Iraq out of Kuwait, Saddam stays in power