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Lend-Lease Act
FDR persuaded congress to pass this act in March 1941. This act allowed him to sell or lend war supplies to “any country whose defense the President deems vital to the defense of the United States.” -
Neutrality Acts
In January of 1937, The United States congress passed these series. These laws forbid the sale of arms to any nation that was at war. Other laws forbid to give out loans to warring nations and didn’t allow Americans from traveling on ships to warring powers. -
Japanese invasion of china
Japanese military leaders thought that Japan should have an equal empire like the western powers so in 1939, Japan seized manchuria. When the league of nations condemned the aggression, Japan withdrew from the organization. Japan's success grew from militarist faction in Japan. -
Nazi-soviet Pact
In august of 1939, This bounded Hitler and Stalin together peacefully. The pact was created because they both feared something. Hitler feared communism and Stalin feared fascism. Hitler didn’t want to fight the western democracies and the soviet union at the same time. Since Stalin joined with Hitler, Stalin was trying to protect the soviet union from war with germany and hoped for a chance to gain land in eastern europe. -
German invasion of poland
A week after the Nazisoviet pact, September 1, 1939, German forces invaded poland. Two days after that, Britain and France declared war on Germany. Then world war 2 had begun. -
German Blitzkrieg
On september 1,1939, Known as the “lightning war.” When the German air force bombed air forces, factories, towns, and cities they had the power of the blitzkrieg. This improved tanks and airpower technology which help them attack the enemy even harsher. -
Pearl harbor
On December 7, 1941, Japanese airplanes bombed the American fleet at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The attack took about 2,400 people and destroyed many battleships and aircraft. -
Bataan Death March
On may of 1942, the japanese had gained control of philippines. In the 65 mile march they killed hundreds of american soldiers and about 10,000 filipino soldiers. A survivor described it as a “macabre litany of heat, dust, starvation, and thirst.” -
Island Hopping Campaign
The island hopping campaign began with victory at Guadalcanal in the Summer of 1942. The goal of the campaign was to regain some Japanese-held islands while bypassing others. They would capture an island and then move to the next. -
Battle of the bulge
December of 1944, Hitler came to the Allied forces and attacked them. His plan was to break the allied lines and trap them. -
Yalta conference
In february of 1945, this conference, three leaders agreed that the soviet union would enter the war against japan. Churchill and Roosevelt agreed to Stalin that they would take over southern sakhalin island,kuril islands, and the occupation zone that was in korea. They also agreed that germany would be divided into four parts for a temporary time. Stalin agreed to hold free of election in the eastern europe. -
United Nations
In April 1945, elected leaders from 50 nations met in San Francisco to draft a charter for the United Nations. The United Nations played a greater role in world affairs than the League of Nations did. -
V-E Day
V-E day stands for victory in Europe. On May 7, Germany surrendered . On May 8, 1945 the war officially ended and became V-E day. -
The Manhattan Project
The Manhattan project was code-named for a race to harness the atom. Scientists understood that by splitting the atom, that they could create a massive explosion. In July 1945, they successfully tested the first atomic bomb in Alamogordo, New Mexico. -
VJ Day
On August 4, 1945 Japan surrendered to the allies, ending World War 2. VJ stands for victory over Japan. On September 2, 1945 a surrender took place at Tokyo Bay where the formal treaty was signed on board the American battleship named Missouri. -
Atomic bomb on Hiroshima
On August 6, 1945 an American plane dropped an atomic bomb over the city of Hiroshima. The bomb instantly killed more than 70,000 people and many more died after from radiation sickness. -
Atomic bomb on Nagasaki
On august 8,1945, The United States dropped a second bomb on this city, Nagasaki. About 40,000 people were instantly killed in this explosion. Two days later, Emperor Hirohito took an unheard action for the Japanese emperor and and he forced the government to surrender. -
Truman Doctrine
On March 12, 1947 Truman drew up an outline for a new policy to congress “I believe that it must be the policy of the United States to support free people who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures.” The goal of this doctrine was to limit communism to the areas already under Soviet control. -
Marshall Plan
On April 3, 1948, The United States offered a massive aid package called the Marshall Plan that had food and economic assistance to help countries rebuild after the war. Billions of dollars in American aid helped Europe recover from war damages. -
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
On April 4, 1949, The United States, Canada and ten other countries formed a new military alliance. The members of this treaty pledged to help each other if any one of them were attacked. -
D-Day
June 6, 1994 was the day picked by the allies for the invasion of France. On June 5, Allied planes dropped paratroopers behind enemy lines. Then,thousands of ships ferried 156,000 Allied troops across the English Channel. The troops fought their way to shore against underwater mines and ranking machine-gun fire. Within a month all of France was free.
