-
Japan Invades Manchuria
The start of Japanese aggression against China and Indochina caused many problems and Japan created economic domination to help solve economic problems. This eventually caused the U.S. to limited trade by using embargos which was a contributing factor to the bombing of pearl harbor. -
Munich Pact
Munich pact was a policy of appeasement made by Britain and France to help deal with Hitler's advances and make concessions to an aggressor in order to maintain peace. Hitler broke it in six months ending the European policy of appeasement which contributed to the start of World War II. -
Kristallnacht
Known as the “night of broken glass” this is when Nazis in Germany torched synagogues, vandalized Jewish homes, schools and businesses, and killed close to 100 Jews. This was apart of the anti-semitism policy of the German government in the 1930s. -
Neutrality Acts of 1939
Current president Franklin D Roosevelt sought to have neutrality acts amended as a response to German aggression to help provide aid to allies. Roosevelt's attempt to change American policy from isolationism to international led to more policies being involved such as cash and carry, destroyers- for bases sale deal, and lend-lease. -
Germany Invades Poland
After Hitler broke the Munich pact by invading Czechoslovakia the European policy was already broken and Hitler proceeded to invade Poland. This led France and Germany to declare war on Germany. Germany used the strategy known as blitzkrieg to help invade France and launch air raids on Britain. -
Lend-Lease Act
Congress authorized Franklin Roosevelt to dispose of government articles by selling, transferring, exchanging, leasing, and or lending. It was thought of as necessary in the interest of the defense of the U.S. -
Atlantic Charter
In order to supply allies and prepare for the possibility of war FDR and British Prime Minister Winston Churchhill signed the Atlantic charter to endorse self-determination and an international system of general security. It showed FDR's opposing of German and Japanese aggression. -
Executive Order 8022
An African American Labor union leader named Philip Randolph threatened to organize a march on Washington demanding equal access to war-time jobs. FDR's direct response was an order that prohibited ethnic and or racial discrimination in the nation's defense industry. -
Atlantic Conference
FDR and Winston Churchhill signed the Atlantic Charter which endorsed self determination and an international system of general security. It also strengthened the US and Great Britian alliance. -
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack was launched by the Japanese against the pearl harbor navy base. Which happened to be located by the airfields. It was a direct response to U.S. embargos that resulted in the death of 2,400 Americans killed and 1,300 wounded. -
Executive Order 9066
Due to the attack on Pearl Harbor, many western states feared another surprise attack and showed their ethnic prejudices. Roosevelt was urged to take action against Japanese American citizens. Executive Order 9066 was issued which authorized the internment of Americans of Japanese descent and resident aliens from Japan. Japanese and citizens of Japanese descent were ordered to sell their property and belongings and go to deportation camps. -
Battle of Midway
The U.S. started to use a new strategy called island hopping. Their goal was to get close enough to Japanese home islands to launch air attacks to prepare for an invasion. The U.S got the victory at Midway which stopped the Japanese advance and put them on defense. -
Operation Torch
North Africa was invaded to free the Mediterranean Sea from German control and protect the oil fields in the Middle East. American and British landings in Italy helped open up a front and delay an attack on Germany. Italy eventually surrendered but German troops continued to fight in Italy. -
D-Day
On D-Day, the invasion of Normandy happened and finally provided the long-awaited western front. Germany now had three fronts and could divert resources to the western front. This gave them an advantage. -
Battle of the Bulge
This battle was the last German offensive and the beginning of the end for the Nazis. American, British, and French marched to Berlin after the battle. The Soviets marched from the east. When everyone gathered in Berlin they were determined to crush what was left of the Nazis. -
Korematsu v. United States
Fred Korematsu was a Japanese American who refused to leave his home even though the Exec. Order 9066 was issued. He took his case to the Supreme Court and argued it was a violation of his constitutional rights. He lost and the supreme court held Japanese internment as constitutional. -
Yalta Conference
Franklin Roosevelt, Joseph Stalin, and Winston Churchill gathered together to finalize the plans to defeat Europe. They also discussed post-war Europe plans. This caused problems because of different considering different ideology views. -
Bombing of Hiroshima & Nagasaki
The war in Europe ended and USSR marched into Korea which they agreed to at the Yalta Conference. Current President, President Truman decided to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima (August 6, 1945) and Nagasaki (August 9, 1945) in order to prevent landing and fighting. This resulted in Japan's surrender and there was no invasion needed. -
United Nations is Created
The United Nations was an intergovernmental organization tasked to promote international cooperation and to create and maintain international order. It was based on the League of Nations. The U.S helped with organizing and starting it. -
Nuremberg Trials
These trials were established to hold those responsible for their own actions during the holocuast. The conviction of Nazis showed you will be held accountable for the crimes you did. However the conviction of Nazis has not brought an end to genocide through the world. -
Truman Doctrine
This pledged to contain communision. The goal wasn't to get rid of it but to prevent it from spreading and potentially effecting the U.S military and financial aid they supplied Greece and Turkey. -
Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan or Economic Recovery Plan of 1948 offered financial aid to promote economic rebuilding and prevent the fall of European countries to communism. The U.S offered this plan
fearing that a war-torn and economically weak Western Europe would elect socialist/ communist governments. -
Israel Is Established
Israel is established and it helps gain support for the self-determination of the Jewish people. The U.S recognized and supported Israel. The creation of Israel showed the impact of od German war crimes on the U.S. and the world. -
Berlin Airlift
The first test of the U.S policy had the Soviet Union blockaded Berlin. The U.S won the first cold war confrontation with the help of the Berlin airlift. This airlift helped supply food, water, and other supplies to the people of Berlin. -
US establishes NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was established to form an alliance with the Soviet Union. The Warsaw Pact was later established by the Soviet Union to form an alliance that goes against NATO. This helped increase Cold War fears. -
Soviet Union tests Atomic Bomb
The testing of the Soviet Unions' bombs caused an arms race between them and the United States. At the same time, the U.S started to develop its hydrogen bombs. The arms race contributed to the U.S and the Soviet Union conflict. -
Korean Conflict (War)
In 1950 North Korea communist invaded South Korea. The United Nations was urged to take action. The United Nations voted and decided to demand a ceasefire and get police support to defend South Korea. Formal peace negotiations ended with North Korean forces contained above the 38th parallel. The victory cost 36,000 American lives, and this caused the U.S opinion to shift. -
Soviet Union launches Sputnik
The Soviet Union launched Sputnik On October 10, 1957. It was the first successful satellite launched into space. The U.S wanted to accomplish this first which resulted in the space race between the U.S and the Soviet Union. -
National Defense Education Act
There was an increase in quality education which lead to the creation of the National Defense Education Act. The National Defense Education Act was created to promote math and science skills. The prosperity of education in 1950 lead to more young men and women attending college and more educated men and women in the workforce. -
Rise of the Berlin Wall (Construction begins)
Berlin Germany began to divide after WWII into east and west zones known as the Soviet zone and the allied zone. The city was later physically divided by the Berlin Wall which kept people from the East escaping into the West and kept the zones separate. It also became a symbol of the Cold War. -
Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan
During the Cold War to prop up friendly government the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. Because of containment policy the US supported Afghan resistance movement mostly in private. The Soviet Union was starting to fear the loss of communisom in Afganistan. -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
The fall of the Berlin wall has been considered the end of the Cold War. Of course there were other contributions like changes in Soviet Union strain of arms race and Afghan war on Soviet economy
movement for liberation in Eastern Europe.
