WWII Study Guide
The Second World War and the Americas 1933‑45
As the world order deteriorated in the late 1930s, resulting in the outbreak of war in Europe, the countries of the region
reacted in different ways to the challenges presented. This section focuses on the changing policies of the countries in the
region as a result of growing political and diplomatic tensions preceding and during the Second World War. It also
examines the impact of the war upon the Americas.







Hemispheric reactions to the events in Europe: inter-American diplomacy; cooperation and neutrality; Franklin D
Roosevelt’s Good Neighbor policy, its application and effects- DEFINING CANADA- CHAPTER 18
The diplomatic and/or military role of two countries in the Second World War- DEFINING CANADACHAPTER 18
Social impact of the Second World War on: African Americans, Native Americans, women and minorities;
conscription
Treatment of Japanese Americans and Japanese Canadians- DEFINING CANADA- CHAPTER 18, PP. 458-462
Reaction to the Holocaust in the Americas DEFINING CANADA- CHAPTER 18, PP.458-461
Impact of technological developments and the beginning of the atomic age
Economic and diplomatic effects of the Second World War in one country of the Americas
Past WWII Essay Topics
 Analyze the social and economic effects of the Second World War on one country of the region.
 “The atomic bombs were necessary to end the Second World War.” To what extent do you agree with this
statement?
 Assess the impact of the Second World War on the economy of one country of the region.
 For what reasons, and with what results, were Japanese citizens of Canada and the United States interned during
the Second World War?
 Why did the United States become involved in the Second World War?
 With reference to one country of the region, evaluate the impact of the Second World War on the economy and on
minority groups.
 Assess the effects of the Second World War on women and minorities in two countries in the region.
 In terms of defending the national interests of the United States, which was the most critical front in World War
II, the European Theater or the Pacific? Why?
 "The United States and Canada, of all the major belligerents in World War II, gained the most - and lost the least from the global conflict." Discuss this contention.
 What were the results of the Second World War for any two countries in the region?
 'By December 1941, the United States was a belligerent in all but name.' Comment on this statement with regard
to United States foreign policy in the decade before Pearl Harbor.
 Describe the role of the United States and at least one other country of the region in the Second World War.
 Discuss the economic and political impact of the World War II in one country of the region.
 “Roosevelt’s actions of putting Japanese Americans in relocation camps was a legitimate wartime activity
(Korematsu v. US).” Assess the validity of this statement.
 Compare and contrast the treatment of Japanese internees in the United States and Canada during World War II.
 To what extent were attempts at “hemispheric cooperation” successful before and during the Second World War?
Key Terms
Good Neighbor Policy
 What was it? Describe major components
 How did it differ from the F.P. of T.R., Taft, &
Wilson?
 What was the reaction to it in Latin America?
 To what extent did L. American countries
cooperate with the U.S. during WWII?
Key People:
 Weimar Republic
 Benito Mussolini
 Adolf Hitler
 Joseph Stalin
 Neville Chamberlain
 Franklin Delano Roosevelt
 Winston Churchill
 Harry Truman
 Dwight D. Eisenhower
 Douglas MacArthur
 Chester Nimitz
Events Leading to WWII:
 Treaty of Versailles Provisions
 Stab in the Back Theory
 Mein Kampf
 Lebensraum
 Fascist
 Manchuria
 Rhineland (occupation)
 Spanish Civil War
 Austrian Anschluss
 Sudetenland
 Munich Conference/Appeasement
 Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact
 Invasion of Poland
 Axis Powers
 The Allies
Holocaust:
 What was the reaction of the U.S. and Canadian
government to the events going on in German
territory during the Holocaust?
 Nuremberg Laws
 Kristallnacht
 Ghettos
 Concentration v. Extermination Camps



Auschwitz
Wannsee Conference/Final Solution
Nuremberg Trials
American Foreign Policy 1930s-1940s
 How did American Foreign Policy shift regarding
Europe and the Pacific in the 1930s to 1941?
Why?
 London Economic Conference
 Nye Committee
 U.S. and League of Nations
 Kellogg-Brian Pact
 Neutrality Acts of 1935, 1937, & 1939
 Cash & Carry
 Isolationism
 Destroyers for Bases
 Lend Lease Act
 Atlantic Charter
 Selective Training and Service Act
 Japanese Imperialism
 Embargo on scrap metal and jet fuel
 Oil Embargo on Japan
 Dec. 7, 1941
 Goal of Pearl Harbor attack
 Pearl Harbor/Significance
Impact of WWII on the Homefront
 Impact of WWII on Depression
 Role of Govt. in the economy in WWII
 Rationing/Victory Gardens
 War Productions Board
 Price Controls
 Rosie the Riveter
 Impact of WWII on women
 Impact of WWII on African Americans, Native
Americans, and Japanese Americans
Japanese Internment in U.S.
 What were the motivations for it? Was it
justified? Why or why not?
 Executive Order 9066
 Korematsu v. U.S.
 How was the Japanese internment similar/
different from that in Canada?
WWII: European Front
 Why was the European front strategically
significant for U.S. national interests?
 Battle of Stalingrad
 Operation Torch
 “Soft Underbelly” of Europe
 D-Day
 Battle of the Bulge
 Dresden Firebombing
 VE-Day
WWII and the Cold War
 Why did the U.S. emerge from WWII as one of
two superpowers?
 In what ways did WWII set the stage for the
Cold War?
 Yalta Conference
 Potsdam Conference
 Iron Curtain
 United Nations
 Cold War
 How did the United States actions after WWII,
differ from its actions after WWI?
 Truman Doctrine
 Marshall Plan
 NATO
WWII Pacific Front:
 Why was the Pacific front so important to
America’s national interests?
 Bushido Code
 Bataan Death March
 Doolittle Raids
 Battle of Midway
 Island Hopping
 Guadalcanal
 Tarawa
 Peleliu
 Battle of Leyte Gulf
 Iwo Jima
 Okinawa
 Firebombing of Japan
 Manhattan Project
 Hiroshima
 Nagasaki

What were the reasons for the dropping of the
atomic bombs and was it justified
For study guide information pertaining to Canada and
WWII, please consult the Google Doc from class.