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Japan Invades Manchuria
Japan wanted to create a Japanese sphere of economic domination. They believed expansion was a way they could solve their economic problems.This starts Japanese aggression agains China & Indochina. -
Munich Pact
Great Britain and France both agreed to allow Hitler to obtain more land, in exchange for Hitler’s agreement to seek no more territory after that concession. The pact doesn't last long as Hitler breaks it within 6 months by acquiring more land. This ends the EU policy of Appeasement. -
Kristallnacht
An unfortunate event when Nazis in Germany torched synagogues, vandalized Jewish homes, schools and businesses as well as murdering up to 100 jews. This as well as the implementation of Nuremberg Laws would result in the extermination of 6 million jews and over 5 million others. -
Neutrality Acts of 1939
Acts passed in the 1930s to prevent the US getting involved in the war and remain isolationist. They banned sales of arms and lending money to any of the countries that were in involved in any type of military action. -
Germany Invades Poland
This leads to France and Great Britain declaring war on Germany. Germany then uses the blitzkrieg strategy to invade France and put air raids on Great Britain. American policies begin to shift from isolationism by current president FDR at the time as a response to the German aggression. -
Lend-Lease Act
Congress allows FDR to "sell, transfer title to, exchange, lease, lend or otherwise dispose of to any such government and defense article." He felt that this was very necessary for the defense of the United States. -
Atlantic Charter and Atlantic Conference
A broad statement of US and British war aims. Endorsed self determination and an international's system of general security. This also showed FDR's commitment to the allies by opposing German as well as Japanese aggression. The Atlantic Conference was an alliance that was strengthened between the United States and Great Britain by signing the Atlantic Charter. -
Executive Order 8802
A response from FDR to the issues that African Americans were facing on military bases that prohibits ethnic or racial discrimination in the nation's defense industry. -
Attack on Pearl Harbor
Surprise attack launched by Japanese on Pearl Harbor naval base located in Hawaii, as well as nearby airfields. This was a response to the embargoes placed on them by the US as well as viewing the US Pacific Fleet as a threat to their growing empire. This is what pushes us into the war. We still acknowledge December 7th as a remembrance day for those lost in the sneak attack on US soil. -
Executive Order 9066
Is issued by FDR and authorizes the internment of Americans of Japanese descent and resident aliens from Japan. Any Japanese persons residing in America and Americans of Japanese descent were forced to sell their property & belongings and report for deportation to camps in the inland deserts. At this point in American history anyone who was Japanese ethnically was severely discriminated against. -
Battle of Midway
Battle that included the United States using island hopping strategy to get close enough to the Japanese home islands so that they could launch several air attacks in preparation for another possible invasion. It results in a victory and stops the Japanese from advancing and puts them on the defensive. -
Operation Torch
Invasion of North Africa that was launched in order to free the Mediterranean Sea from German control land and to protect all of the oil fields located in the Middle East. This even relieved some pressure off of the Soviet Union. -
D-Day (invasion of Normandy)
An invasion on Nazi controlled Normandy, France by the Allies. Forces Germany to divert its resources to a western front. Resulted in a victory for the Allies on the western front. -
Battle of the Bulge
This battle was at the last offensive German attack and marks the beginning of the end for the Nazis. Part of the Allies marched towards Berlin for the west side after this battle while the other part marched from the east. Once most of the nazis had been defeated as they get closer to Berlin Hitler commits suicide. This results in a post war division of Berlin and Germany and will create Cold War tension over the control from Soviets of Eastern Europe. -
Korematsu v. United States
A Japanese American who refused to leave his home and instead took his case all the way to the Supreme Court stating that the internment camps violated his Constitutional rights. It results in Korematsu losing and the Supreme Court keeping Japanese internment camps constitutional. -
Yalta Conference
Group Comprised of Churchill, FDR, and Stalin that discussed the final plans for defeating Europe and also beginning to discuss post war European plans. -
Bombing of Hiroshima & Nagasaki
Action decided by President Truman to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima on Aug 6 and Nagasaki on Aug 9 to prevent having to go on the Japanese islands and fight on the land. Japanese surrenders greatly and never invades the US after the bombs were dropped. The United States would help Japan rebuild its country and democratize it after the war and make it an ally. -
United Nations is Created
An intergovernmental organization that is taken to promote international cooperation and create and maintain global order. The idea was based off of the League of Nations which was originally pitched by Woodrow Wilson. The United States played an important role in helping to set up and start the United Nations. -
Nuremberg Trials
Establishes the precedent that individuals are responsible for their own actions and for future trials on war crimes. This and the conviction of Nazis however did not bring an end to the genocide through the globe. -
Truman Doctrine
A doctrine that pledged to contain communism in Europe and was first tried when the United States supplied both Greece and Turkey with military and financial aid to fight back the communist-backed rebel forces that were currently located there. -
Marshall Plan
Financial aid that would promote economic rebuilding and prevent the fall of several European countries to communism. This was a reaction of concern from the US that Western Europe which was already war-torn and economically weak would elect socialist/communist governments. -
Israel is Established
The United States supports the self-determination of the Jewish people with the Jewish state of Israel. This shows how the impact of German war crimes are on the conscience of the US and all over the world. -
Berlin Airlift
This was a reaction from the US when the Soviet Union blockaded Berlin. The airlift included supplies for the people of Berlin such as food, water, and other supplies by air drops. This would be the United States first test of their policy. -
US establishes NATO
NATO [North Atlantic Treaty Organization] Was a military alliance established by the United States that was organized and aimed at the Soviet Union. In 1955, the Soviet Union responds by organizing the Warsaw Pact which was a military alliance of Eastern European nations against the NATO. -
Soviet Union tests Atomic Bomb
On Aug 29, 1949 the Soviet Union decided to test an atomic bomb this leads to the United States to accelerate the development of the hydrogen bomb and this begins a nuclear arms race between the US and the USSR. -
Korean Conflict (War)
In 1950 communist North Korea invaded South Korea. The United Nations reacts by voting unanimously to demand a ceasefire and to support 'police action' to defend South Korea. Several American lives were lost in this conflict and resulted in a border at the 38th parallel to this day. -
Soviet Union launches Sputnik
Once the space race takes off due to the Soviet Union launching Sputnik in 1957. The US responds by passing the National Defense Education Act which promotes science and math skills. -
National Defense Education Act
Is passed by the US Congress as a result of the start of the space race. IT promotes science and math skills and learning to counteract the fear that consumerism was making Americans less competitive and less likely to win the arms race. -
Rise of the Berlin Wall (Construction begins...)
Was constructed to separate East and West Germany and to keep the citizens of the eastern bloc from escaping to freedom through Berlin. This wall also became known as a symbol the Cold War. Soviets had control over East Berlin and the Allies had control over West Berlin. -
Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan
Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan on Dec 24,1979 and the United States supports afghan resistance movement but mostly in secret. The Soviets end up withdrawing in 1989. -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
The fall of the Berlin Wall is considered to be the end of the Cold War and after this the Soviet Union also collapses in 1991. This is mainly due to changes in the USSR as well as a movement for liberation in Eastern Europe.
