WWI and WWII Causes

WWI and WWII

• The primary cause of World War I is known as MANIA, which stands for Militarism, Alliances, Nationalism, Imperialism, and Assassination.
• The Triple Entente consisted of France, Russia, and the United Kingdom.
• The Treaty of Versailles was signed to end World War I, not World War II.
• Harry Truman was the U.S. president who authorized the use of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
• The primary objective of the Manhattan Project was to develop the atomic bomb.
• Key dates to remember:
  • D-Day: June 6, 1944
  • V-E Day: May 8, 1945
  • Pearl Harbor: December 7, 1941
  • Hiroshima Bombing: August 6, 1945
• The Selective Service Act was enacted to draft soldiers for World War II.
• The Central Powers in WWI consisted of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire.

Civil Rights

• The landmark case that declared "separate but equal" in public schools unconstitutional is Brown vs. Board of Education.
• Martin Luther King Jr. was a prominent leader of the Civil Rights Movement and advocated for nonviolent protest.
• The Civil Rights Act of 1964 ended segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination.
• The primary focus of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was to eliminate racial discrimination in voting.
• The term "de facto segregation" refers to segregation that occurs in practice, but is not enforced by law.
• Key events and descriptions:
  • March on Washington: A major civil rights rally where MLK delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech
  • Freedom Riders: Activists who rode interstate buses to challenge segregation
  • Black Panthers: Group that advocated for African American rights, sometimes through militant means
  • Kerner Commission: Investigated the causes of the 1967 race riots
• The main conclusion of the Kerner Commission was that America was moving toward two separate and unequal societies.