6. WWII, the Cold War & Civil Rights 1940-1970

World War II (1939-1945) began when Nazi Germany invaded Poland. Again the U.S. stayed neutral until Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941, drawing America into the war on two fronts.

Key WWII facts the GED® tests:

• The U.S. fought in both Europe (against Germany and Italy) and the Pacific (against Japan).
• D-Day (June 6, 1944) -- the Allied invasion of Normandy, France; the largest seaborne invasion in history.
• The Holocaust -- Nazi Germany's systematic murder of six million Jewish people and millions of others.
• The U.S. dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki (August 1945); Japan surrendered, ending the war.
• At home, women entered the workforce in large numbers ('Rosie the Riveter'); Japanese Americans were unjustly imprisoned in internment camps.

After the war, the United Nations was founded (1945) to prevent future conflicts. The U.S. and Soviet Union -- former allies -- fell into the Cold War: a decades-long ideological struggle between American capitalism/democracy and Soviet communism. Neither side directly attacked the other (each had nuclear weapons), but they competed globally. Key Cold War events include the Korean War (1950-1953), the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962), and the Vietnam War (U.S. involvement: 1965-1973).

At home, African Americans and allies waged the Civil Rights Movement to dismantle legal segregation:

• Brown v. Board of Education (1954) -- Supreme Court ruled school segregation unconstitutional.
• Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955-1956) -- sparked by Rosa Parks; led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
• March on Washington (1963) -- King's 'I Have a Dream' speech.
• Civil Rights Act of 1964 -- banned discrimination in public places and employment.
• Voting Rights Act of 1965 -- prohibited discriminatory voting practices.

⚠️ Common misconception: the Cold War was not a direct military war between the U.S. and USSR -- it was fought through proxy wars, espionage, and competition. A 'hot' nuclear war was what both sides feared and avoided.

💡 Tip: the GED® often pairs a Civil Rights event with its effect on law. Know: Brown v. Board -> school desegregation; Civil Rights Act -> public accommodations; Voting Rights Act -> protected access to the ballot.