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Japan invades manchuria
In 1931 japanese started their aggression against china and indochina.Their plan was to create a japanese sphere of economic domination.They thought through expansion they could solve economic problems.The US responded with an limit to trading restrictions,more specifically embargoes on gas and iron.Which japan did not like and saw as a threat -
Munich pact
After hitler announced in 1935 that germany will no longer comply with the treaty of versailles,Hitler was aiming for world domination. hitler said Germany would rearm itself and annex more countries.France and britain proposed the munich pact to calm the opressor for peace giving the ability for germany to gain more land.In return germany couldnt seek for more land after that.Just 6months after signing it hitler broke the pact by acquiring more territory -
KristallNacht
Ww2 had terrible impact on the jewish community in europe.Especially in germany.Germany disliking jews was all part of the nazi propanganda which pretty much said jews are a lesser being to germany.This led to many terrible things including Kristallnacht.From november 9 till november 10th germans/nazis starting vandalzing anything jewish related including synagogues,jewish homes,schools and jewish owned buisnesses also killing 100jews. -
Neutrality acts of 1939
After hitler broke the munich pact by invading czech ,He went on to invade poland leading to france and britain declaring war on germany.Germany fought with a strategy called blitzkrieg essentially overwhelming the enemy.They invaded france quickly and hit multiple air strikes on britain.FDR tried to get the neutrality act amended so he could aid the allies.FDR's attempts from changing the us from isolationists led to moreinvloved policies:Cash and Carry Destroyers-for-bases deal Lend Lease -
Lend-Lease Act
In 1941 Congress allowed the lend lease act to pass.It would enable roosevelt too “sell, transfer title to, exchange, lease, lend or otherwise dispose of to any such government and defense article”.He believed this was needed in the interest of the US defense -
Atlantic charter
Before the war started.THe process of changing from peactime to wartime economy started before the war had started.FDR & British Prime Minister Winston Churchill signed the Atlantic Charter.The atlantic charter aimed for self determination and internation security.Before the war had started The US NAVY would already protect transportation of lend lease goods,even losing some ships to german aggression.It was said that they were in an unofficial naval battle with germany by summer of 1941 -
executive order 8022
African American had to serve in segregated divisions. While training they faced a lot of discrimination.Northern African Americans who went into the military experienced the horrible Jim crow laws for the first time as they were training in the south. African American leader Philip Randolph threatened to start a march in Washington, demanding equal war pay. As a result FDR issued the executive order 8022 prohibiting ethnic or racial discrimination in the nation's defense industry. -
Atlantic Conference
The atlantic conference was very important.FDR and churchill wanted to the strenghten the alliance between the US and great britain by signing the atlantic charter.It was a broad statemt of the british and US war aims.It supported self determination and an international system of general security.The signing of this also showed just how commited FDR was in stopping germany and japan causing terror in europe -
Attack on Pearl Harbor
December 7th 1941 In response to the US embargoes, Japan launched a devastating attack against the Pearl harbor naval base. It was very brutal taking the lives of over2400 Americans and wounding 1300.19 us ships were sunk/damaged. After the attack happened FDR gave a speech the next day saying: "a date which will live in infamy, ”He asked congress to declare war on Japan and they granted it to him. IN response to all this Germany would declare war on the US -
Exec Order 9066
before pearl harbor happened Americans feared a sabotage by the Japanese living in Hawaii. After pearl harbor had happen most western states feared another attack like pearl harbor happening, showing their ethic prejudices. They wanted FDR to take action against Japanese Americans citizens. Action was taken and FDR passed the executive order 9066 authorizing the internment of Americans of Japanese descent and resident aliens from Japan. This signing was very unconstitutional. -
Battle of midway
Battle of midway's ultimate goal was to get close enough to japanese home islands so that they could launch air attacks and also start preparing for an invasion.The US would use a strategy called island hoping,where as the name says the would go from island to island without being detected,even building tunnels to go undetected.Victory at midway would stop japan from advancing in the pacific and put them on defense.Japans mentality was a big benefit as they would not surrender no matter the cost -
Operation torch
German forces werent only active in europe,They were also controlling large amounts of land in africa.Operation torch was a plan to invade north africa o free the Mediterranean Sea from german control and also protect the oil fields that were out in the middle east.This took pressure of the USSR ,but Soviet's savage protection from the Germans at Stalingrad switched things around on the eastern front -
D-Day (invasion of Normandy)
D-day was without a doubt one of most important things in world war 2.On June 26 American forces came ashore on Normandy attacking the Germans who had occupied the land. This was important because now Germany was engaged in 3 different fronts making it very hard for them to defend. As Germany was engaged in 3 different fronts they would now also have to divert recourses to a western front. -
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Battle of the buldge
Battle of the Buldge was the last German offensive and the beginning of the downfall for nazis.After the battle of the buldge was finished french american and british troops marched west whilst USSR troops marched east,their goal was too reach berlin which they did and finish off what was left of the nazis.As they neared berlin hitler commited suicide and avoided prosecution for his war crimes.All this led too to the post-war division of Berlin and Germany and tension over soviet control. -
Korematsu v. United States
After the exec order 9066 was passed many japanese people were ourraged,one of them being Fred Korematsu who refused leaving his home after it was signed.Instead what he tried was to take his case to the supreme court arguing that internment violated his Constitutional rights.He lost and supreme court deemed Japanese internment constitutional -
Yalta Conference
The Yalta conference was really important. The big 3 (stalin,Fdr and Churchill) meetup to discuss final plans in the defeat or Europe and also start discussing post war Europe plans. -
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Bombing of Hiroshima & Nagasaki
On august 6th the US made history by dropping the first ever atomic bomb on hiroshima(japan)killing over 70000 people instantly.Just 3 days later dropping another bomb on nagasaki august 9th.This decicions was made as president truman was left with 2 option,Invade japan through land fighting which would approximently have costed a quarter million american lives or drop the atomic bomb which would end it instantly.Japan unofficialy surrendered and officially surrenderd in september. -
United Nations is created
After the league of nations failed in world war 1,follwing world war 2 the united states played a key role in creating the united nations.It was based of off the league of nations.Its prupose was so that countries can come together and solve international problems together.It also served to create and maintain international order -
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Nuremberg Trials
Once the war ended,people and soldiers both were horrified by of the death camps as they liberated the camps.In response to what happened allied powers prosecuted nazi generals in what led to the nuremberg trials.Hitler wasn't prosecuted as he commited suicide beforehand.Nazi generals and civilians were charged with war crimes against humanity.Everyone who was on trial pledged "they were following orders".Set precedents that individuals are responsible for their own actions -
Truman Doctrine
As communism started growing through europe americans feared it would come to america.The truman doctorine pledged to keep communism contained in europe.It was first applied after the US supplied turkey and greece with financial and militarty aid. -
Marshall plan
After the war,most countries in west europe were broken down and economically hurting.The US feared they that these countries would elect communists officials and governments.So Sec. of State George Marshall proposed the marshall plan.Its purpose was to promote economic rebuild and avoid europe from falling to communism. -
Israel is established
The establishment of israel demonstrated the impact of German war crimes on the conscience of the US & the world.After the war the US supported the self determination of jewish people and because od this created israel.Immediately recognizing them and supporting them. -
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Berlin airlift
The berlin wall wasnt constructed without reason.in 1948 The soviets tested US policy by blockading berlin which meant no food transportation or any transportation was able from west to east.US won the first part of the cold war with the berlin airlift.To get around the blockade they supplied airships with food water and other supplies flying over east berlin and dropping them off -
US establishes NATO
As tension rose in the cold war between the US and the soviets.People feared bomb war breakout.The US establisghed the nato in 1949 which was a military alliance between countries aimed at the soviet union.Its principles were simple,If one country gets attacked all the nato members must act as if their own country were under attack.In response soviets created their own alliance called the warsaw pact in 1955 -
Soviet Union tests Atomic Bomb
On august 29 1949 the nuclear arms race began when the soviet tested their first atomic bomb.The US were quick to react accelerating their development of the hydrogen bomb. -
Korean Conflict (War)
Communist north korea invaded south korea which the truman administration believed to be an attack plotted by the soviets.He urged the US to take action against them.At the time korea was split at the north parallel.North korea was controlled by the soviets and south korea by the UN.The united nation voted to demand a ceasefire and support ‘police action’ to defend South Korea. Most of the finances and troops came from the US.the war just like it began korea was split at the 38th parallel -
Soviet Union launches Sputnik
on oct 4th 1957 the soviet union ticked off the space race after launching sputnik.In response congress passed the National Defense Education Act to promote science and math skills.After the arms race people were scared of war breaking out which we was shown in bomb shelter construction.In 1969 the US won the space race by sending the first man to the moon -
National Defense Education Act
In response to the soviets launching sputnik congress passed the nation defense educational act which promoted the learning of math and science skill,and also counteract the fear that consumerism made americans less likely to achieve their goals and also less likely to win the arms race -
Rise of the Berlin Wall (Construction begins…)
After the war germany was divided into 2 parts.East germany controlled by the soviets and west germany controlled by the US,france and the british.The soviets would build a wall to physically divide it into west and east.The wall would become a symbol of the cold war.It was their to keep people from fleeing into freedom which was found in the west. -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
in 1989 the fall of berlin wall considered the end of the cold war.The main reason the cold war ended was due to changes in the soviet union,Strain of arms race and Afghan war on Soviet economy and a movement of liberation in eastern europe.The soviet union ultimatly collapsed in 1991.Germany was a free country after the collapse and in many old pictures we can see people destroying the wall. -
Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan
in 1979 soviets invaded afgahnistan to"to prop up friendly governmen".Their was a afghan resistance movement happening which tried to stop the invasion.The us supported this movement in secret.After 10years the soviets withdrew in 1989.The afghan rebel troops evolved into taliban which supported al qaeda(organization formed by osama bin laden)