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In 1931, Japan led a surprise attack on the Chinese province of Manchuria. Japan controlled the whole resource-rich province, within a few months. The league of nations condemned this act by Japan, leading to their withdrawal from the league. This then upset the US because of its unprovoked nature
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Hitler starts the movement of discrimination towards all non-Aryans in Germany, claiming that they are not as good as the Aryan people. This was the event that started the Holocaust, the systematic killing of more than 11 million people. The US, who is very proud of its mixed heritage is upset by the targeting of their ancestors and fellow people.
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In 1936, the Abraham Lincoln Battalion was formed after a civil war broke out in Spain. This group consisted of 3,000 American citizens who wanted to go to Spain to fight Francisco Franco. This group did travel to Spain to help rebel against the Fascists. The rise in Fascism was protested by the African American community as well because of the invasion of Ethiopia the year before.
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Japan starts to take over China and parts of Indochina including Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. The US did not approve of this aggression and they cut off trade with Japan in protest, embargoing oil, a necessary part of Japan's war strategy.
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Germany invaded Poland by bombing military bases and cities while ground troops moved into the territory. Two days after the invasion started, Britain and France declared war. These two nations have had close relations with the US and their decision to go to war has an effect on the mindset of the US. A few weeks later, Germany had completely taken over Poland and WWII had begun
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Congress passed the "Cash-and-Carry", allowing the US to sell weapons to countries in Europe as long as they paid cash and transported the weapons in their own ships. This made it easier for the US to sell weapons to the nations that they supported like Britain and France.
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A surprise invasion in Denmark and Norway was launched by Hitler, in order to build bases along the coast to more easily strike at Britain. This was a direct threat to the closest allies to the US, and it was major in revealing the untrustworthiness of the Nazi Regime.
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Germany invaded France along with Italy and took over the country along with the government. Germany controlled the northern part of France and set up a Nazi-controlled puppet government in southern France. Germany had taken over one of the close allies to the US and threatened the ideals of democracy in Europe that the US was strongly advocating
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For two entire months, every night Germany bombed Britain with the German air force. Now Germany had not only taken over one of the close allies to the US, but now they were bombing the closest Allie to the US at this point in time.
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The Lend-Lease Act was passed, allowing President Roosevelt to lend or lease arms or supplies to any country whose defense was vital to the United States. This act put forward the ability to aid the countries that the US favored in the war in Europe.
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A German submarine fired on the US destroyer. In response to this threat, President Roosevelt ordered the navy to shoot the German submarines on sight. Then, two weeks later, an American merchant ship was sunk by a German submarine. Then in mid-October, a US destroyer was torpedoed by another German submarine. In response, the Senate repealed the ban against arming merchant ships
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Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, which is the largest US naval base in the Pacific. This attack was the final push that the US needed to abandon their policy of neutrality that they had been trying to maintain. Upon receiving this news of the attack, President Roosevelt decided to go to enter the war with Japan.
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