J. Kelly Robison


World War II


I.         The Erosion of American Neutrality
            A.        Isolationists have the upper hand
                        1.         Neutrality Act of 1937
                                    a.         â€œCash and Carry”
                                    b.         Foreign Ships may carry non-war goods if they pay cash and use their own vessels
            B.        War Begins in Europe
                        1.         German-Soviet non-Aggression Pact - Aug. 1939
                        2.         German invasion of Poland - Sep. 1939
                                    a.         Used “Blitzkrieg” tactics
                                    b.         Launched Great Britain into war
                        3.         Italian alliance with Germany - 1940
                        4.         TriPartide Treaty between Germany, Italy and Japan
            C.        Remaining Neutral, Preparing for War
                        1.         Roosevelt’s Quarantine Speech (1939)
                        2.         Destroyer-for-Bases Deal
                        3.         â€œLend-Lease”
                        4.         Peace-Time Draft
                        5.         Engagement with German U-Boots in Atlantic
II.        America Enters the War
            A.        Pearl Harbor (Dec. 7, 1941)
            B.        The European Theater
                        1.         Defensive Strategy
                                    a.         North Africa Campaign
                                    b.         Eastern Front
                                    c.         Invasion of Sicily/Italy
                        2.         On the Offensive
                                    a.         The Bombing Campaign
                                                (1)       Fire-bombing of Dresden
                                    b.         D-Day (June 6, 1944)
                                    c.         Battle of Saint-Lo
                                    d.         Battle of the Bulge
                                    e.         The Taking of Germany
                                    f.         V-E Day (May 8, 1945)
            C.        The Pacific Theater
                        1.         Battle of Midway
                        2.         Island Hopping
                                    a.         Samoa
                                    b.         Iwo Jima
                                    c.         Okinawa
                        3.         Battle of Leyte Gulf
                        4.         Fire-bombing of Tokyo
III.       A New World is Born
            A.        The Yalta Conference and the Post-War World
            B.        Birth of the Atomic Age
                        1.         The Manhattan Project
                        2.         Hiroshima and Nagasaki
IV.      The Final Ledger


Identification Terms:

Cash and Carry German-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact of 1939 Blitzkrieg
Tripartite Pact (the Axis) Lend-Lease Quarantine Speech
Eastern Front Pearl Harbor D-Day
Yalta Conference Manhattan Project Hiroshima and Nagasaki
the Holocaust Iwo Jima

Study Questions:

Why did the United States become involved in the Second World War?


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