World War II Unit 3.1

The United States attempted to avoid involvement in World War II by doing which of the following?

• Passing a series of neutrality laws

• Officially recognizing the existence of the Soviet Union

• Establishing the Good Neighbor Policy with European nations

• Forgiving the German reparations incurred during World War I

What was the purpose of the Fair Employment Practice Committee (FEPC)?

• To establish employment for interned individuals of Japanese, Italian, and German descent during World War II

• To abolish racial discrimination in the United States armed forces and ensure equal treatment and opportunities for all members

• To establish a federal agency tasked with finding employment for millions of out-of-work Americans in major public works projects

• To help African Americans find employment during World War II by prohibiting companies from discriminating on the basis of race

What generalization do these posters support?

• The government urged women to contribute to the war effort.

• The government tried to recruit women for combat in the war.

• Women refused to volunteer in war industries to assist the war effort.

• Women fought alongside male troops on the European front of the war.

How were the rights of Japanese-Americans restricted during World War II?

• Japanese-Americans were deported in large numbers for matters of national security.

• Japanese-Americans were forced to enlist into the military and sent to the front lines in Japan.

• Japanese-Americans were placed in internment camps and forced to abandon their homes and businesses.

• Japanese-Americans were blacklisted from potential employment opportunities in war industries on the homefront.

What was the purpose of the "cash and carry" policy adopted by the United States government in 1939?

• To punish aggressor nations

• To preserve United States neutrality

• To gain access to new trade markets

• To spread democracy around the world

How would propaganda posters, like the ones above, contribute to the United States war effort?

• Encourage Americans to buy war bonds

• Encourage Americans to conserve resources

• Encourage Americans to work in war industries

• Encourage Americans to serve in the armed forces

Which World War II domestic policy initiative is reflected within the poster?

• wartime repression of civil liberties

• reduced access to consumer goods during wartime

• wartime mobilization of full United States workforce

• emergence of the United States as a leading industrial power

From the standpoint of the Imperial General Headquarters, based on the assumption that a peaceful solution has not been found and war is inevitable, the Empire’s oil supply, as well as the stockpiles of many other important war materials, is decreasing day by day with the result that the national defense power is gradually diminishing. If this deplorable situation is left unchecked, I believe that, after a lapse of some time, the nation’s vitality will deteriorate and ultimately fall into dire straits.

--Admiral Osami Nagano, Tokyo, Japan, September 6, 1941

What event was planned to solve the problem identified by Admiral Nagano?

• attack on Pearl Harbor

• dropping the atomic bomb

• invasion of the Midway Islands

• implementation of Kamikaze strategies

What was a consequence of establishing the Lend Lease provision?

• The Soviet Union joined the Axis Powers.

• Japan declared war against the United States.

• Western Europe recovered from the damage caused by World War I.

• The United States departed from neutrality in support of Great Britain.

Use the statement below to answer the question.

“Korematsu was not excluded from the military area because of hostility to him or his race. He was excluded because we are at war with the Japanese Empire, because the… authorities feared an invasion of our West Coast and felt constrained to take proper security measures.”

--Justice Hugo Black, decision of Korematsu v. United States (1944)

• Individual rights can be restricted if a "clear and present danger" exists.

• Only the Supreme Court can legally deprive citizens of rights and liberties.

• Individual rights must be maintained at all costs, even in national emergencies.

• The Supreme Court lacks the power to block executive orders made during wartime.