#AP US History: World War II - The Ultimate Study Guide 🚀

Hey there, future APUSH master! Let's get you prepped and confident for your exam. This guide is designed to be your go-to resource, packed with everything you need to ace it. Let's dive in!

#1. The Road to War: Pre-War Tensions and Aggression 🌍

#1.1. Rising Tensions with Japan

• Japan's expansionist ambitions in China and Southeast Asia created major friction with the US. 😠

-

#1.2. Code Breaking and Failed Diplomacy

• US Naval intelligence broke the Japanese diplomatic code, allowing them to intercept and read messages.

- Japan sent a peace envoy to Washington, but the US knew their terms were unacceptable due to code breaking.
Jump to Pearl Harbor

#2. The Attack on Pearl Harbor: A Day of Infamy 💥

#2.1. The Surprise Attack

• On December 7, 1941, Japanese planes attacked Pearl Harbor, catching the US fleet completely off guard. 🚢💥

- Warning messages from Washington failed to arrive in time.

#2.2. Declaration of War

• FDR declared December 7th "a date which will live in infamy" and asked Congress for a declaration of war. 🇺🇸

- Congress declared war on Japan, with only one dissenting vote. - Germany and Italy declared war on the US on December 11, fully involving the US in WWII.

#2.3. Japanese War Crimes

• Americans were horrified by reports of Japanese war crimes, including mass rape and murder of civilians in Nanjing, China. 💔

Jump to The Holocaust

#3. America and the Holocaust: A Moral Failure 😥

#3.1. Nazi Atrocities

• The US learned about Nazi concentration camps where Jews, Roma, LGBTQ people, and others were imprisoned and killed.

#3.2. US Response

- Isolationist sentiment and limited immigration policies hindered the US response. - This topic is crucial for understanding US foreign policy and its moral implications. - The US prioritized neutrality and non-interference, failing to provide assistance to those targeted by the Nazis.
Jump to European Theater

#4. The European Theater: The Fight Against Nazi Germany ⚔️

#4.1. Allied Cooperation

• The US and Britain formed a strong wartime partnership, with Roosevelt and Churchill coordinating strategy.
• They prioritized the European theater because Germany was seen as the greater threat. 🎯

#4.2. Strategic Differences

• The US favored a direct invasion across the English Channel, led by George C. Marshall and Dwight D. Eisenhower.
• The British preferred a perimeter approach, starting with Africa and Italy.

#4.3. Key Battles and Campaigns

• North Africa Campaign: General George Patton led troops to drive Germany out of Africa by May 1943. - D-Day (June 6, 1944): The long-awaited invasion of Normandy began with a massive force of nearly 3 million troops. 🏖️
  • Paratroopers landed behind German lines the night before.
  • British and American troops stormed the beaches at dawn.
  • Eisenhower secured the beachhead, leading to the liberation of Paris by August.

#4.4. The End of the War in Europe

• The Soviet Union launched a massive offensive from the east, while the US and Britain advanced from the west.
• Allied air forces firebombed German cities like Hamburg and Dresden.
• Hitler committed suicide on April 30, and Germany surrendered unconditionally on May 7.
  Jump to Pacific Theater
  

#5. The Pacific Theater: Island Hopping and Naval Warfare 🏝️

#5.1. Island Hopping Strategy

• The US used an "island-hopping" strategy to advance towards Japan, rather than trying to retake all of Southeast Asia.

#5.2. Key Battles and Events

• Philippines: Japanese forces conquered the Philippines in early 1942. - General Douglas MacArthur was driven from the islands, vowing, “I shall return.”
  • The Bataan Death March resulted in the deaths of thousands of American and Filipino prisoners of war. 💀
• Battle of Okinawa: Fierce fighting with heavy casualties, including kamikaze attacks.

Jump to Atomic Bomb

#6. The Atomic Bomb: A Controversial Decision ☢️

#6.1. The Manhattan Project

• The US secretly developed the atomic bomb under the Manhattan Project, spending $2 billion.
• Scientists worked at the University of Chicago, Oak Ridge, TN, and Los Alamos, NM.

#6.2. The Trinity Test

• The first atomic bomb was successfully tested at the Trinity Site in New Mexico on July 16, 1945. 🔥

#6.3. The Decision to Use the Bomb

• Harry S. Truman, who became president after FDR's death, decided to use the atomic bomb.
• Reasons included:
  • Avoiding a costly full-scale invasion of Japan.
  • Ending the war quickly.

-

#6.4. Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

• Hiroshima was bombed on August 6, 1945, killing 60,000 people.
• Nagasaki was bombed on August 9, 1945, after Japan did not respond to the demand for unconditional surrender.
• Japan surrendered three weeks later on the USS Missouri.

Jump to Wartime Conferences

#7. Wartime Conferences: Shaping the Post-War World 🤝

#7.1. The Big Three

• The leaders of the US (Roosevelt/Truman), Soviet Union (Stalin), and Great Britain (Churchill/Attlee) met to coordinate war strategy and plan for peace.

#7.2. Key Conferences

• Casablanca (January 1943): Roosevelt and Churchill agreed to invade Sicily and Italy and demand unconditional surrender from the Axis powers.
• Tehran (1943): The Big Three agreed that Britain and America would liberate France, and the Soviets would invade Germany.
• Yalta (February 1945):
  • Germany would be divided into occupation zones.
  • Free elections would be held in liberated Eastern European countries.
  • The Soviets would enter the war against Japan.
  • A new world peace organization (the United Nations) would be formed.
• Potsdam (July 1945):
  • Truman, Stalin, and Attlee demanded Japan's unconditional surrender.
  • They agreed to hold war-crime trials of Nazi leaders.

#Final Exam Focus 🎯

#High-Priority Topics

• Causes of WWII: Japanese aggression, US isolationism, and the rise of fascism.
• Key Battles: Pearl Harbor, D-Day, Battle of Midway, Battle of Okinawa.
• The Holocaust: US response and its moral implications.
• Atomic Bomb: The decision to use it and its consequences.
• Wartime Conferences: Agreements and their impact on the post-war world.

#Common Question Types

• Multiple Choice: Focus on specific events, dates, and key figures.
• Short Answer: Analyze the causes and consequences of major events.
• Free Response: Evaluate the impact of WWII on American society and foreign policy.

#Last-Minute Tips

• Time Management: Don't spend too long on any one question. Move on and come back if needed.
• Common Pitfalls: Avoid vague answers. Be specific and use evidence.
• Strategies: Read questions carefully and plan your answers before writing.

#Practice Questions

Practice Question

#Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which of the following was a primary reason for the United States' entry into World War II? (A) The German invasion of Poland (B) The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor (C) The sinking of the Lusitania (D) The signing of the Tripartite Pact

2. The term "island hopping" refers to the strategy used by the United States in which theater of World War II? (A) The Eastern Front (B) The Western Front (C) The Pacific Theater (D) The North African Campaign

3. What was the main purpose of the Manhattan Project? (A) To develop radar technology (B) To create a new type of submarine (C) To develop the atomic bomb (D) To break the German Enigma code

#Short Answer Question

Briefly explain TWO reasons why the United States did not take significant action to intervene in the Holocaust during World War II.

#Free Response Question

Analyze the extent to which World War II was a turning point in American foreign policy. In your response, be sure to address the period before, during, and after the war.

Scoring Rubric:

• Thesis (1 point): Presents a clear, historically defensible thesis that responds to all parts of the question.
• Argument Development (2 points): Provides evidence that supports the thesis and develops a logical argument.
• Evidence (2 points): Uses specific examples of historical evidence to support claims about the pre-war, wartime, and post-war periods.
• Analysis (2 points): Explains how the evidence supports the argument, including analysis of continuity and change in American foreign policy.
• Synthesis (1 point): Extends the argument by connecting it to a different time period, geographic location, or historical development.

You've got this! Go ace that exam! 💪