Chapter 34: Historical Thinking Skills

Chapter 34: Historical Thinking Skills

Historical Causation:
The authors contend that Americans “demonstrated again, as they had in World War I, that the American way of war was simply more-more men, more weapons, more machines, more technology, and more money than any enemy could hope to match.” As you read this chapter, how many long-and short-term causes of the Allied victory in World War II can you detect? What do you think was the primary cause of the Allied victory? What evidence can you cite to justify your choice?
Contextualization: The authors characterize the internment of Japanese during World War II as “brutal, unnecessary, and unfair” and note that it was a “painful exception” to “no government witch-hunting of minority groups as had happened in World War I.” As you read this chapter, can you reconstruct the historical context of Japanese internment?
Interpretation: After you have read “Varying Viewpoints: The Atomic Bombs: Were they Justified?”, which interpretation of the atomic bombs do you think is valid based on the evidence from the chapter? How many specific examples can you provide to support your answer?