World War II: Campaigns and Events

North Africa Campaign

• Allies and Axis powers fought for control of the Suez Canal and access to Middle Eastern oil and Asian raw materials.
• Campaign lasted from June 10, 1940, to May 13, 1943, ending with German surrender in Tunisia.

Battle of Stalingrad

• Fought from August 1942 to February 2, 1943; significant conflict between Germany and the Soviet Union.
• Despite initial advances and capturing key cities, the Germans were ultimately halted during the harsh winter.
• Resulted in a pivotal Soviet victory, leading to a significant decline in German forces on the Eastern Front.

Italian Campaign

• Involved Allies, including the U.S., Great Britain, and the Soviet Union, aiming to conquer Italy from 1943 to 1944.
• Italy’s surrender followed numerous beach landings and military operations.

The Holocaust

• A tragic genocide orchestrated by the Nazis to exterminate European Jews, occurring primarily from 1942 to 1945.
• Over 6 million Jews perished during this horrific campaign.

No-Strike Pledge

• Enacted under the Smith-Connally Act in 1943, requiring labor unions to wait 30 days before striking.
• Prohibited strikes during wartime to ensure production continuity for the war effort.

Wildcat Strike

• Unauthorized strikes conducted by workers without union approval, often spontaneous and localized.

Office of Price Administration (OPA)

• Established in 1941 to combat inflation during WWII.
• Moderated price control issues but struggled against the rise of black markets and profiteering.

War Production Board (WPB)

• Created by FDR in January 1942 to oversee military purchases, though faced operational challenges.
• Complaints about contracts favoring larger companies led to eventual transition to the Office of War Mobilization.

Ultra Project; Enigma Machine

• Allies' intelligence program that successfully decoded German communications using the Enigma machine.
• Polish intelligence developed the Bombe to assist in deciphering Enigma codes.

A. Philip Randolph; Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters

• Leader in labor and civil rights, advocated for integrated workplaces and led the march on Washington.
• His union was the first African American organization chartered by the American Federation of Labor.

Fair Employment Practices Commission

• Established following Randolph's threats of protest, aimed at preventing workplace discrimination against African Americans.

1943 Detroit Riot

• Resulting from increased African American migration to cities for war jobs, leading to urban tension.
• The riot caused 34 deaths, primarily among the black community.

Congress of Racial Equality (CORE)

• Founded in 1942, this organization galvanized mass resistance to racial discrimination.

Navajo Code Talkers

• Native Americans who developed an unbreakable military code using their languages for secure communications.

Braceros Program

• 1942 agreement allowed Mexican contract laborers to work temporarily in the U.S. to meet labor demands in war industries.

Zoot Suit Riot

• Ethnic tensions rose in June 1943 in Los Angeles, targeting Mexican American youths wearing distinctive zoot suits, leading to violent riots.

Japanese Internment

• Over 100,000 Japanese Americans were forcibly relocated to internment camps due to wartime suspicion.
• Conditions in camps resembled prisons, despite many being loyal citizens.

Korematsu Decision

• 1944 Supreme Court ruling upheld the constitutionality of internment camps for Japanese Americans during WWII.

Swing Music

• Served as a source of comfort during the war; musicians formed military bands to boost morale.

USO Clubs

• Provided entertainment and social events for servicemen; women hostesses managed events, with strict rules on interactions.

Rosie the Riveter

• Iconic image representing the critical role of women in the industrial workforce during World War II.

Dr. New Deal/Dr. Win-the-War

• "Dr. New Deal" symbolized FDR’s focus on economic recovery, transitioning to "Dr. Win-the-War" as the emphasis shifted entirely to wartime victory.

D-Day

• Launched on June 6, 1944, as the Allied invasion of Normandy to liberate Western Europe from Nazi control.
• Involved a massive coordinated landing with extensive logistical planning and deceptive operations.

The Battle of the Bulge

• Last major German offensive on the Western Front, fought in the winter of 1944-1945.
• Named for the German advance creating a "bulge" in the Allied line, ultimately leading to significant German losses and the war's conclusion.

Firebombing of Tokyo

• A devastating air raid by the U.S. that killed 80,000; internal pressures in Japan intensified as military leaders resisted peace.

The Manhattan Project

• A secret project to develop atomic weapons led by the U.S. during WWII, aiming to outpace Germany's nuclear capabilities.

Radioactive Fallout

• Residue remaining after a nuclear explosion, indicating residual radioactivity in affected areas.

Hiroshima & Nagasaki

• Cities where the U.S. dropped atomic bombs at the end of WWII, significantly contributing to Japan's surrender.