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Isolationism
American foreign policy of the 1930s based on the belief that it was in the best interest of the United States not to become involved in foreign conflicts that did not directly threaten American interests. -
Ration Cards
Average Americans were asked to sacrifice much during the war. Goods such as gasoline, rubber, meat, sugar, and butter were rationed during the war. American families kept ration cards to determine which of these goods they could still buy during any given period. -
GIs
Soldiers in WWII called themselves "GIs." This referred to the "Government Issued" stamp that appeared on the uniforms, tools, weapons, and everything else the government issued to them. -
Atlantic Charter
Issued on August 14, 1941 during a meeting between President Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. The charter outlined the ideal postwar world, condemned military aggression, asserted the right to national self-determination, and advocated disarmament. -
Pearl Harbor
On Sunday morning, December 7, 1941, 190 Japenese warplanes attacked the American Pacific fleet anchored at Pearl Harbor. When the attack was done, 150 American airplanes were destroyed (most of them never left the ground), six battleships were sunk, as were a number of smaller ships, and nearly 2,400 Americans were killed. Luckily for the American navy, the aircraft carriers based at Pearl Harbor were out at sea on the morning of the attack. -
Battle of Midway
During the battle, the Japenese lost 4 aircraft carriers and over 200 planes. Many military historians consider the battle to be a turning point of the Pacific War. After this, Japan was never able to launch a major offensive. -
Island-Hopping
Beginning in 1943, the Allies instituted a policy of island-hopping. By this policy, key Japanese strongholds would be attacked by air and sea power as American marines would push on around these strongholds. By late 1944, American bombers were able to reach major Japanese cities, and unnleashed massive bombing attacks on them. -
D-Day Invasion
D-Day, the Allied invasion of Northern Europe on June 6th, 1944, opened up a second front that forced Hitler to send forces west, which took pressure off the Russians. The greatest seaborne invasion in history was aimed at 80 kilometres of mostly flat, sandy beach along the Normandy coast. -
Kamikaze Pilots
The Japanese began to use kamikaze pilots in a desperate attempt to destroy Allied ships. Several more bloody battles waited ahead for American forces. -
Yalta Conference
Meeting held at Yalta in the Soviet Union between President Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin in February 1945. At this meeting critical decisions on the future of postwar Europe were made. At Yalta it was agreed that Germany would be divided into four zones, that free elections would take place after the war in Eastern Europe, and that the Soviet Union would join the war against Japan.
