AP World History AMSCO Guided Notes
7.7: Conducting World War II
AP World History Guided Notes
AMSCO 7.7 - Conducting World War II
Essential Questions
- What similarities and differences were there in the methods governments used to conduct war?
I. Japan and Imperialist Policies
1. What was Japan's 'New Order in East Asia' and what territories did it target?
2. How did U.S. economic sanctions affect Japan's military strategy and expansion plans?
II. Germany's Early Victories and Challenges
A. Early Victories
1. What was blitzkrieg and how did Germany use it to conquer Poland and Western Europe?
2. What happened to France after Germany's invasion in 1940?
B. British-American Relations
1. What were the Destroyers-for-Bases Agreement and the Lend-Lease Act, and how did they change U.S. involvement in the war?
2. What were the main provisions of the Atlantic Charter?
C. The Battle of Britain
1. Why did Hitler order the Luftwaffe to bomb Britain, and what was the outcome of the Battle of Britain?
2. How did British advantages in technology and military strategy help defeat the German air campaign?
D. War on the Soviet Union
1. Why did Hitler invade the Soviet Union and what were his initial military successes?
2. What challenges did German forces face in the Soviet Union and what was the significance of the Siege of Leningrad?
III. Japan Overreaches
1. What was Japan's strategy in attacking Pearl Harbor and why did it fail to achieve its objectives?
2. How did the entry of the United States into the war change the global conflict?
3. What role did colonial armies, particularly the Indian Army, play in the Allied war effort?
IV. Home Fronts
1. How did the United States mobilize its economy and civilian population for total war?
2. How did Germany's use of forced labor differ from the U.S. approach to mobilization, and what were the consequences?
3. What were the strengths and weaknesses of Japan's home front mobilization efforts?
V. The Tide Turns in the European Theater
1. What were the key Allied victories in North Africa and the Soviet Union in 1942?
2. How did the Battle of El Alamein and the Battle of Stalingrad change the momentum of the war in Europe?
VI. The Tide Turns in the Pacific Theater
1. What were the significance of the Battle of the Coral Sea and the Battle of Midway Island in 1942?
2. What was the island-hopping strategy and how did it help the Allies advance toward Japan?
3. How did aircraft carriers, submarines, and aircraft technology contribute to Allied success in the Pacific?
VII. The Last Years of the War
A. European Theater
1. Why did the Allies target Italy in 1943 and what were the consequences of their invasion?
2. What was the significance of D-Day and how did the Normandy invasion change the war in Europe?
3. What was the Battle of the Bulge and what did it demonstrate about Germany's military situation?
B. Eastern Front
1. What was the Battle of Kursk and how did Soviet strategy differ from German blitzkrieg tactics?
2. How did Soviet forces advance through Eastern Europe in 1944 and 1945?
C. Victory in Europe
1. What were the circumstances of Hitler's death and Germany's surrender in May 1945?
D. Victory over Japan
1. Why did the United States decide to use atomic bombs against Japan despite initial hesitations?
2. What were the immediate effects of the atomic bombings on Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
3. When did Japan surrender and what marked the official end of World War II?
VIII. Consequences of World War II
1. What were the human costs of World War II and how did it change global perspectives on racism and colonialism?
Key Terms
Vichy
Lend-Lease Act
Battle of Britain
Siege of Leningrad
Pearl Harbor
Battle of El Alamein
Battle of Stalingrad
Battle of the Coral Sea
Battle of Midway Island
Guadalcanal
island-hopping
D-Day
Battle of the Bulge
Battle of Kursk
V-E Day
Hiroshima
Nagasaki
V-J Day
Nonaggression Pact
Destroyers-for-Bases Agreement
Atlantic Charter
Winston Churchill
Erwin Rommel
Douglas MacArthur
blitzkrieg
Luftwaffe
aircraft carriers