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The Japanese invasion of Manchuria is what started the Japanese aggression against China and Indochina. They intended to create a sphere of economic domination. The U.S responded by imposing trade restrictions, such as embargoes on gas and iron. Japan viewed these embargoes as threats. This is important to history because it ultimately saved Japan from the effects of the GD, Manchuria was seen as an economic lifeline full of rich natural resources.
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Britain and France agreed to allow Hilter to acquire more land, in exchange for Hilter to seek no more territory after that concession. Hilter broke the Pact in less than 6 months by continuing to invade Czechoslovakia. This ended the European policy of appeasement. This is significantly important to history because this showed the people that Hilter was not to be trusted and needed to be removed from Germany and tried for his crimes.
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Known as "Night of the broken glass" Nazis in Germany torched synagogues, vandalized Jewish homes, schools, and businesses, and killed close to 100 Jews. This is important to history because this shows us how wicked and evil the Nazis were towards Jewish people.
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Germany's invasions of Poland led to Britain and France declaring war on Germany. FDR decided to have the Neutrality Acts amended in order to provide aid to allies. FDR’s attempts to change American policy from isolationism to international involvement led to evolving. This was important to history because the war couldn't be won without the U.S involvement (i.e from providing aid to allies to bigger involvement such as declaring war on Japan).
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Neutrality Acts were a series of ways to aid U.S allies in the upcoming war. One of the Acts; Cash and Carry allowed nations at war to purchase goods from the U.S if they paid cash upfront and carried the merchandise back on their own ships. These Acts are important to history because this allowed the U.S to still technically be neutral AND help allies during hardened times.
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The Lend-Lease Act stated that the U.S gov't could lend or lease war supplies to any nation deemed "vital to the defense of the U.S. Under this specific policy, the U.S was able to aid its foreign allies during WW2 all while still remaining neutral. This was important to history because these helped other countries with war and provided ally support of the U.S
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FDR & British Prime Minister Winston Churchill signed the Atlantic Charter. A broad statement of US and British war aims. It endorsed self-determination and an international system of general security.
This was important to history because it gave America a role to supply democratic nations at war. -
AA faced much discrimination during WW2. A. Philip Randolph threatened to organize a march on Washington and in response FDR issued Executive Order 8802, prohibiting ethnic or racial discrimination in the nation's defense industry. This was important to history because this made it clear that AA deserved equal and fair treatment. Especially since many were serving and protecting a country that would not protect them.
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Alliance strengthened between US & Great Britain by signing the Atlantic Charter.
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Japanese navy attacked Pearl Harbor in response to U.S embargoes and because it saw the US Pacific fleet as a threat to its growing empire. Over 2,000 Americans were killed and over 1000 were severely wounded. This is important to the U.S because it brought attention to the failures and lack of readiness of the U.S military. This attack launched the U.S into WW2. It was also the very 1st attack on American soil.
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Prior to the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Western states feared another surprise attack and showed heavy prejudice against Japanese Americans and urged FDR to take immediate action. In response, FDR issued Exec. Order 9066 which authorized the internment of Americans of Japanese descent and resident aliens from Japan. This was important to U.S history because it made white America feel more protected.
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U.S strategy was island hopping and their goal was to get close enough to the Japanese home islands to launch air attacks in preparation for an invasion. The U.S achieved victory at Midway and stopped the Japanese advance and put them on the defensive. This is important to U.S history because this was one of the most important American Naval victories of WW2.
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Invasion of North Africa was launched to free the Mediterranean Sea from German control and protect the oil fields in the Middle East. Took some pressure off the USSR, but the Soviet’s fierce resistance to the Germans at Stalingrad turned the tide on the eastern front. This was important to U.S history because this gives us an inside look at how the Big 3 planned on taking down Germany.
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The invasion of Normandy on D-Day finally provided the long-awaited western front. Germany was now engaged on 3 fronts & had to divert resources to a western front. This is important to U.S history because D-Day marked the turn of the tide, control was now in the hands of the Big 3 and they certainly weren't letting go.
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Battle of the Bulge was the last German defense and the beginning of the end for the Nazis. America, French, and Britain marched towards Berlin ready to crush what was left of the Nazi defense. Hilter committed suicide as they neared, this led to the post-war division of Berlin and Germany and Cold War tension. This was important because America, French, and Britian showed resilience and maintained its position in the war.
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Fred Korematsu was a Japanese American who refused to leave his home( due to Exec Order 9066). He took his case to the Supreme Court arguing that they were indeed violating his constitutional rights. Unfortunately, he lost the case, and the Supreme Court upheld Japanese internment as Constitutional. This was and IS important to history because this again proved how prejudice and disgusting America was towards Japanese Americans after the bombing of Pearl Habor.
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Churchill, FDR, Stalin - Final plans for the defeat of Europe & began a discussion of post-war European Plans. Became known as the "Big Three" This was important to history because if they would have never put aside their differences and fought as one, who knows where'd be.
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President Truman decided to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima (Aug 6, 1945) and Nagasaki (Aug 9. 1945) to prevent the necessity for landing and fighting on the Japanese home islands (which would result in too many American lives lost) This was extremely important to U.S history because this prevented us from having to fight and lose American lives.
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The United States played a key role in helping to start and organize the U.N. This was created to promote international cooperation and to create and maintain international order. This is very important to U.S history because this is how we keep peace throughout the countries and control conflict.
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As the war ended, death camps and the Final Solution terrified both the soldiers who liberated the camps and the public. Those who were on trial stated that they were "just following orders" but, the Nuremberg Trials set the precedent that individuals are responsible for their own actions so ultimately 12 Nazis were sentenced to death. (Important to history because this precedent set the idea that individuals had to be held responsible for their own actions and face the consequences.)
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Pledged to contain communism, and was first applied when the United States supplied military and financial aid to Greece and Turkey. This is important to U.S history because we wanted to stop communism from invading the U.S
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The U.S offered financial aid to promote economic rebuilding and prevent the fall of European countries to communism. This is is important to U.S history because it prevented the fall of European countries to communism.
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The U.S supported the self-determination of the Jewish people and the creation of the Jewish state; Israel. This was important to U.S history because this was a new beginning for the Jewish population. To start off fresh and live in peace.
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The US supplied the people of Berlin with food, water, and other supplies via airdrops. This was important to U.S history because for nearly a year, supplies from American planes sustained over 2 million people in West Berlin.
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Established a military alliance aimed at the Soviet Union and in 1955, the Soviet Union organized the Warsaw Pact. This is important because it helped to secure Europe and North America during the Cold War.
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This led the United States to accelerate the development of the hydrogen bomb and began a nuclear arms race. This is important to U.S history because this helped established our dominance U.S in the nuclear arms agenda.
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1950, communist North Korea invaded South Korea. The United Nations voted unanimously to demand a ceasefire and support ‘police action’ to defend South Korea. The majority of troops & financial support for the Korean War came from the United States.
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The space race took off when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik. This is important to U.S history because this event catapulted the U.S into the race to put the first person in space.
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The prosperity of the 1950s allowed young people to stay in school longer, at least through high school. This allowed more young men and women to attend college. This is important to U.S history because created a more educated workforce.
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Germany was divided after World War II into East (Soviet zone) and West. The city was eventually physically divided by the Berlin Wall, which became a symbol of the Cold War to separate East & West Germany and keep people of the eastern bloc from escaping to freedom in the west through Berlin. This was important because it became one of the most powerful symbols of the Cold war.
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The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan to prop up a friendly government. This was important to history because it helped them institute a trade embargo.
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The fall of the Berlin Wall was considered the end of the Cold War and is important to U.S history because it allowed them to unify with western Europe.
