Deck 27: The Second World War at Home and Abroad, 1941-1945

Question 1

During the Second World War, the federal government

A) helped some workers in defense plants by offering federally-funded childcare centers.
B) offered health care to all workers in defense-related industries.
C) established a higher minimum wage for workers in defense-related industries than in industries deemed nonessential to the war effort.
D) fully funded the pension plans for workers in defense-related industries.

Answer 1

helped some workers in defense plants by offering federally-funded childcare centers.

Question 2

The American victory at Iwo Jima was made possible in part by

A) the transmission of vital battlefield information to American forces by Navajo code talkers.
B) assistance given to the U.S. Navy by Soviet warships.
C) the inability of the Japanese to properly fortify the island.
D) the Soviet offensive against the Japanese home islands.

Answer 2

the transmission of vital battlefield information to American forces by Navajo code talkers.

Question 3

The Manhattan Project refers to

A) Allied plans to rescue the inmates of German concentration camps.
B) the project to decipher Japan's diplomatic code.
C) the plan of the United States government to defend New York in the event of enemy attack.
D) the secret plan to build an atomic bomb.

Answer 3

the secret plan to build an atomic bomb.

Question 4

Which of the following is true of the War Labor Disputes (Smith-Connally) Act of June 1943?

A) It authorized the president to seize and operate certain strike-bound plants.
B) It suspended labor's right to strike for the duration of the war.
C) It imposed a wage and price freeze for the duration of the war.
D) It created an arbitration board separate from the NWLB to settle all labor disputes.

Question 5

If the United States was to become the "great arsenal of democracy," it had to

A) take and maintain control over the important oil fields in the Middle East.
B) successfully convert major industries from production of consumer goods to production of military materiel.
C) convince corporate leaders to finance the retooling of their factories for the production of war materiel.
D) solve transportation problems between the United States and Europe.

Question 6

Which of the following is true of Rosie the Riveter?

A) She did not accurately portray women in the labor force during the Second World War.
B) Her image convinced most women going into the labor force for the first time to take skilled jobs in defense plants.
C) She was an indication of a permanent change in Americans' beliefs about what jobs were "suitable" for women.
D) Most working women during the Second World War were offended by the unfeminine image depicted by Rosie the Riveter.

Question 7

By the end of the Second World War, the United States was producing 40 percent of the world's weaponry. How was this feat accomplished?

A) The weapons industry relied on robotics.
B) Workers in defense plants were given monetary bonuses when they exceeded production quotas.
C) The assembly-line process of mass production was used in many defense-related industries.
D) Military personnel were used to increase the work force and speed up production in defense-related industries.

Question 8

In 1942, Prime Minister Winston Churchill rejected Stalin's appeal that Allied forces open a second front against Germany because Churchill

A) wanted to protect British interests in the Mediterranean and Middle East by halting German advances in North Africa.
B) wanted to strengthen Allied air forces over the English Channel to stop German bombing raids against London.
C) believed it was more important to liberate France.
D) did not want to draw Allied forces away from the war against Japan in the Pacific.

Question 9

Which of the following was a consequence of the Doolittle raid?

A) The raid convinced Japanese leaders to relinquish control over outlying Pacific islands and concentrate on defending Japan's home islands.
B) The raid convinced military commanders of America's forces in the Pacific that Japan was capable of bombing raids against the West Coast of the continental United States.
C) The raid, which convinced Japanese commander Yamamoto that he needed to defend his home islands against American bombers, led to the Battle of Midway.
D) The raid's success gave American forces in the Pacific confidence that Japan's air-defense system had been destroyed.

Question 10

Which of the following was a feature of the bracero program?

A) Against the wishes of the Mexican government, Congress excluded immigrant Mexican workers in the United States from minimum-wage requirements.
B) Mexican farm workers were admitted to the United States on short-term work contracts to fill agricultural jobs left vacant by Americans.
C) By agreement between Mexico and the United States, citizenship was extended to Mexicans illegally residing in the United States in 1942.
D) Against the wishes of the Mexican government, Congress provided for the deportation of Mexicans who had illegally entered the United States.

Question 11

Which of the following is true of government military contracts during the Second World War?

A) They greatly enriched neighborhood enterprises.
B) They were equally distributed among all businesses.
C) They were awarded to companies with the lowest profit margin and the highest research and development expenditures.
D) Most were awarded to the nation's top one hundred corporations.

Question 12

The primary task of the War Production Board was to

A) decide where to build new factories for war production.
B) determine how to finance the production of war equipment.
C) allocate resources and coordinate production among the nation's factories as they converted from civilian to military production.
D) set the wage scale that would attract workers to jobs in defense plants.

Question 13

In 1943, which of the following stalled German advances in eastern Europe and was in large part responsible for placing German forces on the defensive?

A) The Allied invasion of Poland
B) The liberation of France
C) The battle for Aachen
D) The battle for Stalingrad

Question 14

U.S. strategy during the Second World War called for

A) the United States to concentrate its forces in the Pacific while Great Britain and Russia fought the war in Europe.
B) the defeat first of Germany and then of Japan.
C) a buildup of armaments in the Western Hemisphere so that the United States could withstand an Axis attack.
D) a negotiated settlement in Europe if possible while seeking the unconditional surrender of Japan.

Question 15

During the Second World War, women

A) were primarily employed in skilled jobs at defense plants.
B) received pay equal to that received by men doing the same job.
C) were never allowed to take jobs in heavy industry.
D) entered the labor force in increasing numbers and often found new employment opportunities.

Question 16

In producing Liberty ships, Kaiser shipyards

A) was unable to supply the navy with the cargo ships required to transport troops and war material to the front.
B) emphasized speed of production over quality.
C) lost its government contract because of cost overruns.
D) found it difficult to retain workers because of unsafe working conditions and low wages.

Question 17

In the matter of closed-shop versus open-shop arrangements in industry, the National War Labor Board

A) refused to deal with the issue, leaving the matter up to the various states.
B) was intimidated by John L. Lewis into requiring workers in industries receiving government contracts to join a union.
C) demonstrated that it was dominated by corporate interests by not requiring workers in major industries to join a union.
D) forged a workable compromise by allowing unions to enroll as many new members as possible but not requiring workers to join a union.

Question 18

What impact did the Second World War have on American industry?

A) It caused the breakup of major corporations because smaller production units were more efficient in manufacturing war materiel.
B) It accelerated the trend within industry to transfer jobs to Latin America and other regions where labor costs were lower.
C) It furthered the trend toward bigness by consolidating manufacturing into the hands of a few giant corporations.
D) Many major American corporations faced financial problems at war's end because of the no-profit pledge they had to make to receive defense contracts.

Question 19

This battle was a turning point in the Pacific war and relieved the Japanese threat to the U.S. Navy base at Honolulu.

A) The Battle of the Coral Sea
B) The Battle of Guadalcanal
C) The Battle of Midway
D) The Battle of Okinawa

Question 20

Issued by President Roosevelt in 1941, Executive Order No. 8802

A) fully integrated the United States armed forces.
B) offered direct assistance to African Americans who wanted to move out of the South.
C) created a presidential commission to study and recommend ways to alleviate wage discrimination based on race and sex.
D) prohibited racial discrimination in the employment of workers in war industries and in the government.

Question 21

How did the Supreme Court rule in the Korematsu case, which involved the internment of Japanese Americans?

A) It refused to hear the case until after the war was over.
B) It ruled that the policy of internment was unconstitutional.
C) It upheld the government's policy of internment.
D) It deferred to the military authorities and refused to review the case.

Question 22

Which of the following is true of children during the war years?

A) Children collected scrap metal, which could be used in the manufacture of grenades.
B) Record numbers of young people attended and completed high school.
C) Juvenile arrests dropped dramatically.
D) The number of working teenagers dropped substantially.

Question 23

Why did the War Production Board redesign men's suits during the Second World War?

A) To emphasize in a symbolic way the wartime sacrifices expected of the civilian population
B) To indicate the need for a disciplined appearance during wartime
C) To reduce the time consumed producing consumer clothing, thus freeing workers to concentrate on making military uniforms
D) To save wool for military use

Question 24

During the Second World War, the Red Cross

A) discovered the process for determining blood types.
B) segregated blood plasma by race.
C) offered its services, for the first time in its history, to soldiers wounded in battle.
D) refused to accept blood donated by Japanese Americans.

Question 25

As a result of wartime revenue acts,

A) the government was able to fund the war fully through increased taxes.
B) corporations paid more in taxes than did individual workers.
C) rises in the real income of Americans declined due to tax increases.
D) the number of Americans paying income tax increased significantly.

Question 26

Why was sugar rationed in the United States during the Second World War?

A) Sugar was used by Allied soldiers to win over the civilian populations in liberated European cities.
B) Sugar was used to produce alcohol, which was used in the manufacturing of weapons.
C) Large quantities of sugar were necessary as a quick energy source for soldiers.
D) Sugar was used to make fuel for military vehicles.

Question 27

How did some movie theaters support the war effort against Germany and Japan?

A) They showed short film biographies of American soldiers.
B) They displayed the pictures of orphaned European children who were available for adoption.
C) They had contests to see which patron could come closest to forecasting the date on which the war would end.
D) They held "plasma premiers" at which patrons could donate blood to the Red Cross as the price of admission.

Question 28

Statistics reveal that during the Second World War

A) the divorce rate consistently declined.
B) the marriage rate substantially decreased.
C) the marriage rate increased but the birth rate declined.
D) both the marriage rate and the birth rate rose.

Question 29

Why did many housewives save cooking fat during the Second World War?

A) Fat saved by housewives was used by the food industry in making ready-to-eat meals for soldiers.
B) Fat saved by housewives was processed to produce glycerin, which was used in making black powder for bullets.
C) Fat saved by housewives was used at military hospitals.
D) Fat saved by housewives was used to make fuel for military vehicles.

Question 30

Which of the following statements concerning the wartime economy is true?

A) The national debt skyrocketed during the war years.
B) Roosevelt secured passage of a steeply graduated corporate and private income tax to finance the war.
C) Net corporate profits fell dramatically during the war years.
D) From 1939 to 1945, employees' wages and salaries declined.

Question 31

Which of the following is true of the "Double V" campaign?

A) It was a campaign waged by American labor leaders to convince men that work in defense-related industries was just as important in the war effort as military service.
B) It was an attempt by African American leaders to force the nation to confront the parallels between the racist doctrines of the Nazis and racial segregation in the United States.
C) It was an effort by leaders of the women's movement for working women to receive pay equal to that of their male counterparts.
D) It was a propaganda campaign undertaken by the War Information Bureau to convince the American public that the war in Europe was just as important as the war in the Pacific.

Question 32

Where did Americans first see the horrors of Nazi death camps?

A) In newsreels at movie theaters
B) In pictorial magazines such as Life
C) On television in the 1950s
D) In brochures printed and distributed by the government

Question 33

The internment of Japanese Americans during the Second World War was based on

A) conviction for espionage and sedition.
B) well-documented conspiracies to sabotage the American war effort.
C) their ethnic origin.
D) evidence of their support for the Japanese war effort against the United States.

Question 34

The Office of War Information was created for which of the following reasons?

A) It was responsible for deciphering Japanese and German diplomatic codes.
B) It gathered military intelligence to help battlefield commanders.
C) It was established to gather information on civilians suspected of aiding the enemy.
D) It was in charge of domestic propaganda to build public support for the war.

Question 35

During the Second World War, the personal income of most American workers

A) declined in real terms because of higher taxes.
B) increased, but was eaten up by the high rate of inflation.
C) was lower than that of workers in other industrialized nations.
D) reached new highs.

Question 36

Which of the following is true of the Office of Price Administration?

A) It lost the support of the public because of a bribery scandal that involved the agency's director.
B) Its blatant favoritism toward business interests undermined its credibility.
C) It established a nationwide rationing program for certain consumer goods.
D) It reluctantly introduced rationing during the last months of the war.

Question 37

Which of the following is true of the Alien Registration Act of 1940?

A) It required that all immigrants from enemy nations be transferred to internment centers for the duration of the war.
B) It prohibited the employment of Americans of German, Italian, or Japanese descent in defense-related industries.
C) It made it illegal to advocate the overthrow of the U.S. government by force or violence.
D) It required all immigrants to take an oath of loyalty to the American government or face deportation.

Question 38

Which of the following statements is most consistent with the public's attitude toward women entering the labor force during the war years?

A) Women who seek gainful employment usually do so because they have not been able to find a husband.
B) Women cannot adequately perform men's work because they lack sufficient physical strength.
C) Women should enter the labor force for the duration of the war, but they should return to the home when the war is over.
D) Women make better workers than men because of their determination to prove themselves.

Question 39

Which of the following is true of the American military during the Second World War?

A) It remained segregated by race throughout the war.
B) The Air Force was the first service to allow enlistment of African Americans.
C) African Americans could enlist only in the Army.
D) African Americans were not allowed to serve in combat.

Question 40

In the aftermath of several days of street violence in which mobs of white men attacked certain Mexican-American gang members, the city of Los Angeles

A) attempted to heal racial divisions by inviting First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt to the city to meet with Mexican-American leaders.
B) passed a law requiring that military personnel wear their uniforms when on leave.
C) banned the sale of alcoholic beverages to Mexican Americans and to American sailors and soldiers.
D) outlawed the wearing of zoot suits.

Question 41

Which of the following most accurately describes the relationship among the Allies during the Second World War?

A) The relationship reflected the closeness of friends locked together in a mutual quest for survival.
B) It was a hostile relationship with each nation openly criticizing the failings of the others.
C) Cooperation among the Allies was undermined by an undercurrent of suspicion.
D) Only after D-Day did the relationship become one of complete trust.

Question 42

What was achieved at the Dumbarton Oaks conference in 1944?

A) The strategy for the defeat of Japan was outlined.
B) The United Nations Organization was approved in principle by the Allies.
C) Details concerning Germany's postwar status were finalized.
D) The timetable for extending independence to former colonies was worked out.

Question 43

Which of the following was used as a reason to keep the armed forces racially segregated throughout the Second World War?

A) The commitment of African Americans to the war effort was in question.
B) Integration of military installations would challenge segregation by law in the southern states and possibly provoke racial violence.
C) Since African Americans were the only service personnel who could not be assigned to combat duty, they must be assigned to all-black support units.
D) African Americans were not considered citizens of the United States and therefore must be separated from other military personnel.

Question 44

D-Day refers to

A) the invasion of Normandy by Allied troops on June 6, 1944.
B) the day Germany surrendered.
C) the invasion of North Africa by the western Allies in November of 1942.
D) the invasion of Italy by British and American forces in the summer of 1943.

Question 45

Which of the following was a major factor that shaped the agreements reached by the Allies at Yalta?

A) Stalin's insistence that China be recognized as a major power
B) The military positions of the Allies
C) Roosevelt's ill health
D) Dissension between Roosevelt and Churchill over German reparations

Question 46

Which of the following was a consequence of the Teheran Conference of December 1943?

A) Stalin announced that the Soviet Union would withdraw from the Grand Alliance if it could secure a separate peace with Germany.
B) Churchill and Roosevelt agreed that the next major Allied campaign would be a strike against Vienna through the Balkans.
C) Stalin, over the objections of Churchill and Roosevelt, insisted that Russian troops would enter the war in the Pacific in January 1944.
D) The three Allied leaders finally agreed that Operation Overlord would be launched in early 1944.

Question 47

How did the Allies respond to mounting evidence that Hitler intended to exterminate the Jews?

A) Only the United States went out of its way to welcome Jewish refugees.
B) The British agreed to open Palestine to Jewish settlement.
C) British and American representatives met in Bermuda to discuss the plight of the Jews, but offered no concrete plan of assistance.
D) The United States persuaded Latin American countries to open their doors to Jewish refugees.

Question 48

Which of the following was an agreement reached at the Yalta Conference?

A) The United States and Great Britain would enter into a treaty of friendship with Mao Zedong of China.
B) Poland would be a protectorate under Russian domination and with a pro-Soviet government.
C) Germany would be divided into two zones, one controlled by the western Allies and the other by the Soviet Union.
D) Russia would declare war on Japan shortly after Hitler's defeat.

Question 49

What impact did wartime service have on American GIs?

A) Most felt that their war years were wasted, and they returned home angry and disillusioned.
B) Most did not want to return to their civilian lives and made a career out of the service.
C) Many became disillusioned with the American political system.
D) Many became less prejudiced after having served with people from backgrounds and cultures different from their own.