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FDR declines London Economic Conference
London Economic Conference was a meeting of representatives from 66 nations at the Geological Museum in London in order to find a solution and agree on one to fight global depression, revive international trade, and stablilize currency exchange rates.
Roosevelt declined to attend because he did not want a world association to fix a problem closer to home; this caused tension with the other nations involved and the conference essentially failed. -
US Recognizes the Soviet Union
With this recognition, Roosevelt ended about 16 years of US non-recognition of the Soviet Union after negotiations in Washington, D.C. with the Soviet Commissar for Foreign Affairs, Maxim Litvinov.
Roosevelt hoped with this recognition, that the USSR would limit Japanese expansion in Asia, and serve US commerical interests in the USSR. We also wanted to maintain good relations. -
FDR delcares Good Neighbor Policy
Roosevelt announced this policy during his inagural address, where essentailly the policy declared that no country -- in this case the US -- has the right to intervene in the internal or external affairs of another nation.
This policy terminated the US Marines' occupation of Nicaragua, occupation of Haiti, and let to the annulment of the Platt Amendment. Overall, this policy made peace between the nations in South and Central America and the United States. -
Tydings-McDuffie Act
This act provided for Pilippine independence to take effect on July 4th, 1946. It was signed on the date above and sent to the Philippine Senate for approval. The act went into effect after a period of about ten years.
This is significant because it gave the Philippines their independence after many disagreements and conflict between this nation and the US -
Reciprocal Trade Agreements
This act gave President Roosevelt the authority to adjust tariff rates, and the power to negotiate bilateral trade agreements without receiving prior congressional approval.
By granting these powers to Roosevelt, it would help the administration quickly conclude agricultural trade agreements to a quicker recovery of the economy. -
Us Neutrality Act of 1935
This was the first Neutrality Act passed, and it prohibited the export of arms, ammuntition, and implements of war from the US to foreign nations at war and requiring arms manufactureres in the United States to apply for an export license.
This was a very strong public opinion, the citizens of the US wanted to remain out of the war for as long as possible. -
Mussolini invades Ethiopia
A border incident between Ethiopia and Italian Somaliland in December gave Benito Mussolini an excuse to intervene. Rejecting all arbitration offers, the Italians invaded Ethiopia.
This conflict resulted in Ehtiopia's subjection to Italian rule. This is seen often as one of the events that paved the way for the start of World War II. -
US Neutrality Act of 1936
This act renewed the provisions of the previous act for another fourteen months. It also forbade all loans or credits to belligerents.
However, this act did not cover "civil wars" as in Spain, and it did not cover materials such as trucks or oil, and many companies exploited this loophole and made millions of dollars off of profits.
This act was significiant because it continued neutrality and isolationist feelings for another year in this escalating war. -
Spanish Civil War
A war between the Republicans, who were loyal to the democratic Spanish Republic, and the Nationalists, a fascist rebel group led by General Francisco Franco. The Nationalists won and ruled Spain until 1975.
This conflict is known as the "dress rehersal" for World War II. It was one of the starts of the conflict and tension in Europe. -
US Neutrality Act of 1937
This extended the provisions of the other two acts, and it now included civil wars. Also US ships were prohibited from transporting any passengers or articles to belligerents, and US citizens were forbidden from traveling on ships of belligerent nations.
Also, the "Cash-and-Carry" provision was incacted.
This policy technically renewed the US neutrality stance in the war; however we slowly got more and more involved. -
Japan Invades China
This invasion was a result of decades-long Japanese imperialist party aimed at expanding its influence politically and miliartily in order to secure access to raw materials and other economic resources in the area, particularly food and labour.
There was ongoing tension between these two countries before invasion, but this started tension and made the US increasingly angry at the Japanese. -
Panay Incident
Japanese attack on the American gunboat Panay while it was anchored in the Yangtze River outside Nanking, China. At this time, Japan and the US were not at war, and the Japanese claimed that they did not know it was a US ship, they then apologized, and paid an indemnity. This was the start of bad US opinions toward the Japanese. -
Hitler Annexes Austria
Austrian Nazis conspired for the second time in years to seize the Austrian government by force and unite their nation with Nazi Germany. In this incident, Hitler and his troops succeeded, and Austria existed as a federal state of Germany until the end of WWII.
This was one of the first German invasions; it was significant because the Germans were gaining power and strength in Europe which allowed for the start of the war. -
Munich Conference
A conference held in Munich during which the leaders of Great Britain, France, and Italy agreed to allow Germany to annex certain areas of Czechoslovakia. The purpose of the conference was to discuss the future of Studentland in the face of ethnic demands made by Adolf Hitler. It was eventually seen as a failed agreement, as Germany's power only grew and expanded. -
Hitler seizes all of Czechoslovakia
Hitler's forces invade and occupy Czechoslovakia - a nation sacrificed on the altar of the Munich Pact, which was a vain attempt to prevent Germany's imperial arms. Hitler made threats before the invasion, and the Czech government wanted to come to a compromise but Hitler refused all of their offers.
Hitler was gaining even more power in Europe and he showed that he was merciless and unforgiving. -
Nazi-Soviet Pact
A Russian and German "non-aggression Pact". Russia and Germany would not go to war, but would divide Poland between them. Germany would also allow Russia to annex Estinia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. Stalin decided this was a better option than a pact with Britain or France.
This alliance shocked the world, because of these two very powerful countries with stark political differences. It also showed that the war was escalating on a political level as well. -
Germany Invades Poland - Start of World War II
German forces bombarded Poland on land and from the air, as Adolf Hitler seeks to regain lost territory and ultimately rule Poland.
This German invasion of Poland was a preview as to how Hitler was planning to wage war. THis was known as the "blitzkrieg" strategy.
This was the official start of World War II in Europe, though it had been brewing for quite some time. -
Neutrality Act of 1939
Thia act allowed for arms to trade with belligerent nations such as GB and France on a cash-and-carry basis, thus in effect ending the arms embargo.
The US intended to remain neutral however, they were taking baby steps and still getting involved in war even in small ways. -
Fall of France
In May, Germany launched an invasion of France and the Low Countries. Seven weeks after the beginning of the invasion, on 25 June, the French government fell. The Germans tore through French lines as if they were nothing within this time span.
This part of the war was when Germany began to gain a lot of power and momentum; the other nations truly began to fear them at this point. -
Battle of Britain
Air campaign in WWII waged by the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) agains the UK during the summer and fall. The battle was completeled in 5 phases and it was the first major campaign to be fought entirely by air forces and was also the largest and most sustained aerial bombing campaign to that date. -
US Destroyer Deal with Britain
Fifty mothballed Caldwell, Wickes, and Clemenson-class US Navy destroyers were transferred to the Royal Navy from the US Navy in exchange for land rights on British posessions.
The US was still trying to keep up their neutrality reputation but up to this point it hadm't worked at all. -
US first Peactime draft
Selective Training and Service Act of 1940 or the Burke-Wadson Act. This required that men between the ages of 21 and 35 register with local draft boards. Later, when the US entered WWII, all men from 18-45 were made subject ot miliatry service, and all men from 18-65 had to register. This draft changed the way that the US went about war and military organization. It also showed that we were slowly tilting away from neutrality. -
Lend-Lease Act
This policy was a program under which the US supplied Free France, Great Britain, and the Republic of China and later the USSR and other Allied nations with food, oil, and material between 1941 and August 1945.
Again, the US was not remaining very neutral by enacting such policies. -
Atlantic Charter
The Atlantic Charter was a joint declaration released by the US President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill following a meeting of the two heads of state in Newfoundland. This established a vision for the world after the war. -
Hitler attacks the Sovet Union
Under the codename "Barbarozza", Nazi Germany invaded the USSR in the largest German military operation of WW II. To destroy the Soviets and end their communism, Hitler wanted them defeated almost as soon as the war started.
Hitler had been making his way around Europe conquering several countries, the German power was growing stronger every day. -
Fair Employment Practices Commission
This required that companies with gov contracts could not discriminate on the basis of race or religion. This was intended to help other African Americans and other minorities to obtain jobs on the homefront. -
Japan Attacks Pearl Harbor
This attack was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the US naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The attack was significant because it is still remembered with honor and respect today, and it brought thte US into they war they did not want ot enter originally. -
Japan Conquers the Philippines
This invasion of the Philippines by Japan and the defense of the islands by Filipino and US forces. The defending forces outnumbered the Japanese invaders by 3:2. The US and Filipino's held out for quite a while, yet it was very difficult to defend against Japan. This really made the War a World War by involving South American nations. -
US Declares War on Japan
In response to the incident at Pearl Harbor, the Unied States declared war on Japan, and all domestic support for non-interventionalism disappeared.
This action destroyed the idea of neutality, and the US made ready to prepare themselves. -
Germany Declares War on the US
In response to a treaty between the Japanes and the Germans would help if they were attacted. Since the US retaliated, the German's sat back and watched to see what would happen, after declaring war on Jepan. I -
Japanese American Internment
President FDR signed Executive Order 9066 authorizing th emass incarceration of over 110,000 Japanese Americans during WWII. Two thirds of these people were US citizens.
This action did not set the US too far apart from Germany. This was one of our lowest points in terms of morale. -
Battle of Coral Sea
The Battle of Coral Sea was a major naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II between the Imperial Japanese Navy and the naval and air forces of the US and Australia. The battle was the first in action in which aircraft carriers engaged each other, as well as the first in which neither side's ships sighted or fired directly upon the other. -
Battle of Midway
This battle was a crucial and decisive naval battle in the Pacific Theatre of the war. The US Navy defeated an attacking fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy, inflicting devastating damage on the Japanese fleet that proved irreparable. This battle is known as the "most stunning and decisive blow in the history of naval warfare." It was Japan's first naval defeat since the Battle of Shimonoseki Straits in 1863. -
US invades North Africa
Operation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa during the North African campaign. This attack on North Africa would clear the Axis powers from the area, improve naval control of the Mediterranean, and prepare for an invasion of Southern Europe in 1943. This operation was sucessful and the US and Britain pushed forward in the war. -
Japanese driven from the Guadalcanal
This naval battle of Guadalcanal was the decisive engagement in a series of naval battles between the Allied (mainly US) and Imperial Japanese forces durin ghte Guadalcanal Campaign in the Solomon Islands. These were combined air and sea engagements, and the US came out with a victory. Changing the tide of the war in our favor one battle at a time. -
Casablanca Conference
This conference was held in French Morocco to plan the Allied European strategy for the next phase of WWII. FDR, Winston Churchill, and Charles de Gaulle, and Henri Giraud, were present. Stalin declined. This addressed the specifics of procedure, allocation of resources, and the broader issuses of diplomatic policy. This is where the idea of "unconditional surrender" arose. -
Allies invade Italy
The Allied invasion of Italy was the Allied landing on mainland Italy. The operation followed the successful invasion of Sicily during the Italian Campaign. The main invasion force landed around Salerno on the west coast.
The British and the US were gaining the upper hand in the war slowly but surely. -
Tehran Conference
This conference was held in the USSR's embassy in Tehran, Iran. It was the first of the WWII conferences of the "Big Three" Allied leaders (USSR, US, UK). The main outcome of this conference was the Western Allies' commitment to open a second front against Germany. The conference also addressed the Allies' relations with Turkey and Iran, and a seperate protocol signed at the conference recognized Iran's independence. -
D-Day Invasion of France
This invasion of the Allied Powers in France was the largest seaborne invasion in history. The operation began the invasion of German-occupied western Europe, led to the liberation of France from Nazi control, and contributed to an Allied victory in the war. This was the most crucial event in WWII. It changed history for the better and was the beginning of the end of Hitler's tyranny in Germany. -
Battle of Marianas (Philippine Sea)
This was a decisive naval battle of the war which eliminated the Japanese Navy's ability to conduct large-scale carrier actions. It took place during the US's amphibiois invasion of the Mariana Islands during the Pacific War. This was the largest carrier-to-carrier battle in history. -
Battle of the Bulge
This was a major German offensive campaign launched through the densely forested Ardennes region of Wallonia in Belgium, France, and Luxembourg on the Western Front toward the end of the War in Europe. The Germans' initial attack included a barrage of men, tanks, and other tracked vehicles and many weapons. Many more Americans fought in the battle and many of the died; this was the largest and bloodiest battle fought by the US in WWII. -
Korematsu vs. US
This was a landmark US court case concerning the constitutionality of Order 9066. In a 6-3 decision, the Court sided with the government, ruling that the exclusion order was constitutional. Six of 8 Roosevelt appointees died with Roosevelt. This has been considered a highly controversial decision ever since the end of the court case. It is still questioned today. -
Battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa
By this point, the US had turned back the Japanese advance in the Pacific and had re-taken a sweeping arc of islands that surrounded the enemy nation. For all these gains, however two small islands remained crucial to an invasion of Japan: Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Iwo Jima was attacked first, and it was secured by the end of March. Then Okinawa was attacked and finally secured in late June after a lot of struggle. -
Roosevelt dies; Truman assumes Presidency
FDR dies and Truman assumes Presidency and takes control over the country as it is finishing up its struggles in war. The death of this president was felt by the entirety of the nation, and a lot of the world as well. He was crucial to the US during the times of the Depression and during WWII. -
Potsdam Conference
In this conference, the USSR, the US, and the UK were represented. The goals in this conference were to decide how to administer punishment to the defeated Nazi Germany, which had agreed to unconditional surrender on May 8. The goals were also to establish post-war order, peace treaty issues, and countering the effects of the war. -
Atomic Bombs Dropped
The US dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. These two bombings killed at least 129,000 people, and they remain the only use of nuclear weapons for warfare in history. This was the final stage of World War II. -
Japan surrenders
The surredner of the Emprie of Japan brought the hostilities of the war to a close. By the end of the war, the Imperial Japanese Navy was incapable of conducting major operations and an Allied invasion of Japan was imminent.
This event truly marked the end of the war; however tensions among all of the nations and people involved who suffered would remain for years to come.
