Page 827 - US History

Chapter 27 | Fighting the Good Fight in World War II, 1941-1945 817
Key Terms
Big Three the nickname given to the leaders of the three major Allied nations: Winston Churchill, Franklin Roosevelt, and Joseph Stalin
conscientious objectors those who, for religious or philosophical reasons, refuse to serve in the armed forces
D-day June 6, 1944, the date of the invasion of Normandy, France, by British, Canadian, and American forces, which opened a second front in Europe
Double Vcampaign a campaign by African Americans to win victory over the enemy overseas and victory over racism at home
Enola Gay the plane that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima
Executive Order 9066 the order given by President Roosevelt to relocate and detain people of Japanese
ancestry, including those who were American citizens
Fascism a political ideology that places a heightened focus on national unity, through dictatorial rule, and militarism
internment the forced collection of the West Coast Japanese and Japanese American population into ten relocation centers for the greater part of World War II
Manhattan Project the code name given to the research project that developed the atomic bomb materiel equipment and supplies used by the military
Rosie the Riveter a symbol of female workers in the defense industries
zoot suit a flamboyant outfit favored by young African American and Mexican American men
Summary
27.1 The Origins of War: Europe, Asia, and the United States
America sought, at the end of the First World War, to create new international relationships that would make such wars impossible in the future. But as the Great Depression hit Europe, several new leaders rose to power under the new political ideologies of Fascism and Nazism. Mussolini in Italy and Hitler in Germany were both proponents of Fascism, using dictatorial rule to achieve national unity. Still, the United States remained focused on the economic challenges of its own Great Depression. Hence, there was little interest in getting involved in Europe’s problems or even the China-Japan conflict.
It soon became clear, however, that Germany and Italy’s alliance was putting democratic countries at risk. Roosevelt first sought to support Great Britain and China by providing economic support without intervening directly. However, when Japan, an ally of Germany and Italy, attacked Pearl Harbor, catching the military base unaware and claiming thousands of lives, America’s feelings toward war shifted, and the country was quickly pulled into the global conflict.
27.2 The Home Front
The brunt of the war’s damage occurred far from United States soil, but Americans at home were still greatly affected by the war. Women struggled to care for children with scarce resources at their disposal and sometimes while working full time. Economically, the country surged forward, but strict rationing