Interwar Period and WWII

By bjorichardson87

  • FDR declares the Good Neighbor Policy

    Roosevelt started the Good Neighbor Policy in 1933 to renounce armed intervention in Latin America. The last marines left Haiti in 1934, Cuba was released, and the country had less control of the Panama in 1936.

  • FDR declines London Economic Conference

    At the London Economic Conference, delegates from multiple nations hoped to form an international attack on the global depression. They wanted to stabilize currency and the rates in which they were exchanged. However,
    President Roosevelt realized that an agreement to mantain the dollar's value wouldn't allow him to inflate it and so refused to take place in the negotiations.

  • US recognizes the Soviet Union

    In 1933, Roosevelt recognized the Soviet Union, opening up trade and becoming friendly with them as to prevent the threat of Germany in Europe and Japan in Asia.

  • Tydings-McDuffie Act

    Congress passed the Tydings-McDuffie Act, which allowed for the independence of the Philippines by 1936.

  • Reciprocal Trade Agreements

    These trade agreeements were pacts that stated if the United States' lowered their tarriff, the other nation would do the same. The president could lower the tariff by as much as 50%. This increased foreign trade dramatically and paved the way for international trade following WWII.

  • US Neutrality Act of 1935

    The Neutrality Act of 1935 was an embargo on trading in arms and war materials with all parties in the war. Additionally, it declared any American citizen traveling on a waring ship would be traveling at their own risk. It was set to expire in 6 months.

  • Mussolini invades Ethiopia

    Mussolini and Italy wanted power in Africa so he invaded Africa in 1935.

  • The Neutrality Act of 1936

    This act renewed the neutrality act of 1935 for another 14 months. it also forbade any loans/credits given to the countries, except for instances like the Spanish civil war or gas/oil

  • Spanish Civil War

    The war was started by spanish rebels,led by General Francisco Franco, who wanted to overthrow Madrid's left-wing Republican government. Franco was helped by Mussolini and Hitler. Although sending war materials to Spain from the US was legal, the US soon passed the Neutrality Act of 1937 to stay out of war.

  • The Neutrality Act of 1937

    This act extended past neutrality acts, this time prohibiting loans with Spain as well. US ships were also not allowed to transport any materials/passengers to war nations, and US citizens were not allowed to travel on their ships either.

  • Japan Invades China

    South of Bejing, Japanese and Chinese forces clashed. By December, the Japanese seized control of China's capital Najing. The Chinese refused to surrender, and experienced extreme brutality and were later defeated.

  • The Panay Incident

    The Panay incident was the sinking of the American gunboat the Panay by Japanese planes. Tokyo quickly apologized to the US and they accepted.

  • Hitler Seizes Austria

    Austria voted to be taken over by Germany and in 1938 Hitler invaded.

  • Munich Conference

    The Munich Conference was a conference in Munich Germany where the Western European democracies, unprepared for war, gave Germany the Sudetenland and betrayed Czechoslovakia. They thought by giving Germany this land, hitler would be appeased and would not look for any more power.

  • Hitler seizes all of Czechoslovakia

    Hitler was still greedy for more power and in 1939 he takes all of Czechoslovakia, despite the efforts of the Munich conference to appease Hitler.

  • Nazi Soviet Pact

    This was a pact between Germany and the Soviet Union. It was a 10-year peace treaty and gave Russia 1/3 of Poland when Hitler would attack it.

  • WWII begins in Europe with Hitler's invasion of Poland

    Hitler demands Poland to return lands taken from Germany during World War I. When Poland fails to do this, Hitler invades. Britain and France declared war on Germany.

  • The Neutrality Act of 1939

    Tthis act ended the arms embargo and repealed the old neutrality acts. European democracies could buy war materials from america as long as they used their own ships and paid in cash.

  • Fall of France

    The Soviet Union took over Finland and Hitler took over Denmark and Norway and finally the Netherlands and Belgium. France was then forced to surrender. After France surrendered, America realized that England was the only thing keeping Hitler from controlling all of Europe.

  • Batle of Britain

    Following France falling to Germany, Hitler launched air attacks against Britain. This battle lasted over the British Isles for months. Broadcasts over the radio brought ongoing news of the raids to American homes.

  • Destroyer Deal with Britain

    Roosevelt transferred 50 destroyers from WWI over to Britain and in return Britain gave the US eight defensive base sites. By giving the destroyers to Britain, the United States no longer appeared neutral in the war.

  • US invokes first peacetime draft

    Congress passed a conscription law, which initiated America's first peacetime draft with training of 1.2 million troops and 800,000 reserves each year.

  • Land-Lease Act

    This allowed American arms to be lent or leased to democracies as long as the guns and tanks could be returned when the war was over. By passing this, Congress was trying to support Britain without being directly involved in the war. Hitler and the other axis dictators saw this as an unofficial declaration of war from the US.

  • Hitler attacks Soviet Union

    Although the Nazi-Soviet Pact bounded the two nations to peace, neither trusted one another. Hitler decided to take over the Soviet Union so he could have their oil and other resources and then be able to take care of Britain.

  • Fair Employment Practices Commission established

    Roosevelt signed this executive order that banned any racial or religious discrimination in any defense industry with government contracts. This was intended for African Americans and other minorities to find jobs during WWII.

  • Atlantic Charter

    At the Atlantic Conference, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and President Roosevelt came up with an eight point charter that would outline the aspirations of a better world following the war's end. The charter promised that there would be no territorial changes, declared the right of the people to choose their own government, disarmament and peace of security, pending a new League of Nations.

  • Japan attacks Pearl Harbor

    Japan, who had been allied with Germany since September 1940, attacked Pearl Harbor killing 2,348 people.

  • US declares war on japan

    Four days after Japanese bombers attacked Pearl Harbor, the United States declared war on Japan.

  • Germany declares war on US

    Hitler made an agreement with Japan that Germany would join a war against the US and so following the United States' declaration of war, Hitler declared war on the US.

  • Japan conquers the Philippines

    General MacArthur held out against the Japanese for five months but eventually American troops surrendered the Philippines and were treated brutally in the 80-mile Bataan Death March to prisoner of war camps.

  • Battle of Coral Sea

    This crucial naval battle fought on the Coral Sea was the first battle in all fighting was done by aircraft carriers.

  • Japanese- American interned

    Over 110,000 Japanese Americans on the Pacific Coast were sent to War Relocation Camps after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor.

  • Battle of Midway

    The Midway Battle was a turning point in the Pacific War. Combined with the Battle of Coral Sea, and the loss of four carriers, the Japanese retreated.

  • Japanese driven from Guadalcanal

    From August 192 to February 1943, the US and its allies fought an air, sea and land battle against Japan for possession of the Guadalcanal. Since Japan held a major naval role in the Pacific, gaining this territory was key in their defeat. The Japanese suffered major casualties with the rate being 10 Japanese to 1 American.

  • US invades North Africa

    US troops joined the allies in North Africa to force the surrender of all Axis troops in Tunisia.

  • Casablanca Conference

    Held in Casablanca, Morocco, it was the first war conference between the allied powers and was for planning war strategies to end the war.

  • Allies invade Italy

    With North Africa secured, the allied forces invaded Italy. With the new Italian government as Mussolini surrendered, the Allies expected an easy takeover. However, they still had to battle German resistance. On May 2, 1945 thousands of axis troops in Italy surrendered.

  • Teheran Conference

    The Teheran Conference was a strategy meeting for Roosevelt, Stalin and Churchill. It took place at the Soviet Embassy in Tehran, Iran. It was the first meeting of the "Big Three".

  • D-Day invasion of France

    French Normandy was chosen at the Teheran Conference as the Allies' offensive attack. The Allies finally broke out of the German ring around the beach and General George S. Patton led divisions across France quickly and efficiently. Paris was liberated in August 1944.

  • Battle of Marianas

    The US launched an attack on Saipan in the Marian Islands. Following the victory at Guadalcanal, the US wanted to further cut the Japanese off.

  • Battle of the Bulge

    The Battle of the Bulge was a major Germany offensive. It was a surprise attack and the had the most casualties for the United States in all of the war.

  • Korematsu vs. US

    In the Supreme Court ruling, concentration camps for Japanese- Americans were deemed constitutional.

  • Battle of Iwo Jima

    This was a bloody, prolonged battle on the island of Iwo Kima in which American marines defeated Japanese.

  • Roosevelt dies. Truman assumes presidency

    Franklin Roosevelt suffered a massive stroke and died, leaving his Vice President Harry Truman to assume the presidency.

  • Battle of Okinawa

    In the closing days of WWII, US marines took the island Okinawa. It is considered the greatest victory of the Pacific.

  • Potsdam Conference

    At the Potsdam Conference near Berlin, President Truman met with Stalin and the British leaders. They gave Japan an ultimatum - to surrender or be destroyed.

  • Atomic bombs dropped

    The first bomb was dropped but Japan still refused to surrender. The first of 2 atomic bombs was dropped on Hiroshima.The final bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, 3 days later.

  • Japan surrenders

    Tokyo surrendered as long as Hirohito be allowed to remain the emperor. On August 14, the Allies accepted this condition. The war finally ended on September 2, 1945.