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World War I
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American "Age of Isolationism"
America began a faux Age of Isolationism beginning around 1920, weary with the affairs of other countries and not wanting any more interference. The period was not really isolationist in the starkest meaning of the word. America still sought "good" relations with Latin American countries and began to prepare for and take interest in the affairs of Europe and the Pacific. There were high tariffs though. -
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Great Depression
The Great Depression, a global market disaster is usually attributed to starting with the US Stock Market Crash (referenced as beginning) and ending, in the US, with the advent of WWII. The Banking Act of 1935 (August 23) helped pull the US out of a further recession within the Depression, and GDP returned to an upward trend in 1938 -
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World War II
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French Surrender to Germany
The French surrender would leave Germany in control by occupation in the northern portion of the country, while the southern part of the country was controlled as Vichy France that would attempt to impart the ideals of Nazism and act as pro-Naxi by itself until it became a puppet government being controlled by Germany after Allied landings in North Africa. -
America Begins Peacetime Draft
Seeing that France had been conquered and knowing that it would side with the Allies, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt took a preemptory action and begin conscription in the United States once more. Of course, why build an army unless you plan on using it? -
Russian Entry into WWII
After a 1939 non-aggression pact and the invasion of Poland, which Russia went so far as to assist in, Germany went to invade Russia. This provocation warranted Russian entry into WWII on the side of the Allies. The Russians would go on to become the major combatant force of the European Theater against the Axis powers. -
Pearl Harbor Attack
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a devastating, shocking blow to the American people. What was meant as a preventative measure to keep the US out of the war in the Pacific would only bring them furhter into it, for the attack prompted American declarations of war upon all of the Axis powers. -
America Declares War on Japan
Prompted by the terrible Pearl Harbor attack, the US retaliated with a declaration of war that would enter them further into the Pacific Theater. -
Declarations of War Involving US, Germany, and Italy
Taking the retaliation to the Pearl Harbor attack even further the US would declare war on Germany and Italy, which wouold be reciprocated on the same day. -
Ford Ceases Commercial Production
To conserve resources for the war effort, Ford Motors was told not to shut down its assembly lines on this day. Some cars would still be made by Ford the same year, for military and government purposes, but a 1942 Ford remains very difficult to find. -
Executive Order 9066
This presidential order signed by FDR gave the Secretary of War the permission to denote some areas as military zones. Eventuallly, this order would permit the detainment of Japanese and Japanese-American citizens to be put into internment camps. -
Operation Torch
The US, keeping its promise to the other Allied Powers that it would help with the European Theater before dealing with the Japanese, assisted in this operation to take North Africa for the Allies. This was the first US operation in the European Theater although it actually happened in Africa. -
Detroit Race Riot
Fighting began on Belle Isle on this day and continued for three after an initial altercation. There were rumors about what had been done on both sides of the argument, and in the aftermath (the riots had to be ended by federal intervention) police brutality towards African Americans was held as one of the major atrocities of the affair. -
Announcement of a "Second Bill of Rights"
In his 1944 State of the Union Address, President Roosevelt pointed out that the United States needed to implement new rights, for the first Bill and the Constition had failed to adequately provide for equality in the pursuit of happiness. The eight rights that he wished to ensure were a right to education, employment, food, fair income for farmers, housing, medical care, and social security. -
D-Day (Invasion of Normandy)
The Allies finally took an offensive on the Western Front with the invasion of the beaches at Normandy. The invasion was planned far ahead of its actual occurence, using misinformation to give cause to the Germans to allocate there men elsewhere during the beginning of the invasion. -
G.I. Bill Signed
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the G.I. Bill on this day, assuring that soldiers who would soon be coming home from fighting in WWII would have jobs to come home to along with many other benefits, assuring stability for the US coming off of a war. -
Nazi Surrender in Berlin
The Battle of Berlin concluded 1 week before a surrender was issued, for the Germans wanted to surrender to the Western Allies rather than the Soviets. In the days leading to the end of battle in Berlin, Hitler and many of his associates committed suicide. This day marked the end of the war in the European Theater. -
Bombing of Hiroshima
On this day, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima in Japan. The first of the two uses of nuclear warfare in history would leave thousands dead with the world in fear of total annihilation that would lead into the Cold War. -
Bombing of Nagasaki
This bombing was the US's second bomb on Japan and the one that would result in the end of WWII on its final front. -
Surrender of Japan
Just after the Russians had declared war on the Japanese and two atomic bombs had been dropped upon them, Japan surrendered, bringing an official end to WWII. -
Truman Doctrine
President Harry Truman gave a speech that would outline the ways in which America would see and define themselves in contrast with the Soviets and other communist nations. It painted the Soviets as tyrannical and America as democratic and free, some of the hallmarks of Cold War era thought. -
The Marshall Plan is Outlined
In a speech to Harvard University students in 1947, Secretary of State George Marshall outlined a plan to aide Europe after a particularly harsh winter. This aide helped to establish capitalist ways of life in western Europe after the war, which are still, to an extent, used today. -
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Berlin Blockade
With a split Berlin wholly within a non-split East Germany controlled by Russia, Stalin felt that he needed to show his power over the city by blocking all routes coming in from the West to Berlin. He wanted the other Allies to withdraw the new Deutschmark from West Berlin, but he eventually lifted the blockade due to the Berlin Airlift and the unceasing efforts of the other Allies to still provide for West Berlin. -
Berlin Airlift
The Berlin Airlift was the Western Allies' response to the Berlin blockade opposing the currency known as the Deutsch Mark (the Russians favored their own Ostmark). During the blockade, food and supplies in quantities at one time reaching 8893 tons in one day. -
The Red Menace
"The Red Menace" is one of the propaganda films released in America to depict the communists, especially the Soviets in a disparaging light. Films and other propaganda like this influenced the popular opinion greatly and created a very close-minded approach to geopolitical tensions during the Cold War. -
End of Chinese Civil War
This date marks the end of major fighting between two ideological groups that had been very prominent in China, democrats vs. communists, with the democrats retreating to Taiwan. Thus, the People's Repbulic of China had been formed not much earlier and solidified on this day. -
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Korean War
American intervention in the Korean conflict stemmed from the fear of communism spreading to states outward in a "domino effect". Fearing intervention and hostility from the Svoiets, though, Amreica waited until word had been received that the Soviets would not retaliate. Because of this, the UN was the main intervening force during many points in the ever-changing war. At one point, the South had been pushed almost to defeat; later, the North was pushed almost to the border of China. -
Entry of US Forces into Korea
After North Korea began its invasion, it was approaching Seoul. This day marks the order of President Truman for naval and air forces to intervene in the Korean Conflict. -
The Warsaw Pact
In response to the formation of NATO, a treaty of communist nations, many of which had been formed by Russia, created a military alliance in which Russia could intervene in any communist country in the pact. This pact was integral in the formation of the Eastern Bloc. -
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Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was America's first definite defeat. From its conception, America's intervention was flawed. It was based on completely false events and was originally supposed to be a war for Vietnam's independence before America entered it, posing it as an ideological conflict. -
Gulf of Tonkin Incident
The Gulf of Tonkin Incident, followed by the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, was the American basis for fighting in the Vietnam War. Before anyone was sure of what had happened, President Lyndon Johnson had used the incident and sent ground troops in to fight. -
The US Helps Vietnam with Environmental Problems
Stemming from the Vietnam War, many tons of environmental agents were used in attempts to make Vietnam easier for Americans to fight in. One of these agents was Agent Orange. It has been responsible for millions of deaths from dioxin poisons. While the US denies Agent Orange's involvement in dioxin poisoning, it does still help Vietnam with the problem.
