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FDR declines London Economic Conference
66 nations meet to find a solution to the global depression. However, the U.S. did not attend in fear of spoiling their own economic policies. The effect of the U.S. isolationist approach was polarizing because the allies felt the U.S. had no concern for their situation, thus foreign trade was stunted. -
US Recognizes the USSR
U.S. recognized the USSR to gain a vital ally against Japan and to open trade. As a result, many republicans and Catholics further displayed dislike towards Roosevelt while the USSR was crucial in the eastern front in WWII. -
FDR Good Neighbor Policy
Roosevelt declared a policy of non-intervention in Latin America in order to act like a “good neighbor”. He hoped trade would increase, but the Latin American nations were still skeptical of the U.S. Additionally, this habit of isolation prompted the U.S. to remain isolated for the beginning of WWII. -
Tydings-McDuffie Act
This allowed the Philippine government to become independent from the U.S. because they proved to be a great liability for U.S. The result was an easier annexation for Japan while the U.S. economy improved because they no longer needed support. -
Reciprocal Trade Agreement
The plan suggested by Secretary of State Cordell Hull which authorized FDR's administration to negotiate treaties that reduced US trade tariffs up to 50% in return for a reciprocal reduction on tariffs from the other nation. Resulted in new treaties with 21 countries and 40% increase in U.S. exports. As a result, this act set the modern standard on how trade is conducted today in the U.S. between other nations. -
U.S. Neutrality Acts, 1935,1936,1937,1939
Not only did the Neutrality Acts prevent the U.S. from going to war, they also prevented supplies from going to allied nations. In 1937 and 1939, the acts were renewed to prevent U.S. corporations from backing the Fascist Spanish, and further prevented America’s intervention in the newly started WWII. -
Italy invades Ethiopia
The Italians successfully conquered Ethiopia in search of colonial expansion. It is important because it exposed the flaws of the League of Nations because it failed to prevent Mussolini. Additionally Mussolini acquired more support. -
Spanish Civil War
A conflict between Fascism and Democracy. General Francisco Franco was backed by the Nazis while the Republic was backed by the USSR. The significance is that this conflicted tested the U.S. Neutrality Acts but ultimately proved Americans were still not eager to intervene. -
Japan invades China
Despite being badly defeat outside the Chinese capital, Chinese forces continued to fight, resulting in the death of many civilians. Again, this invasion demonstrates the U.S.’s strong sense of neutrality despite the chaos in the world around them. -
Panay Incident
The Japanese attack a U.S. ship off the coast of China. The Japanese apologized and FDR forgave them, which is important because it displays the degree of U.S. neutrality, especially compared to other time periods where U.S. ships were sunk, which prompted war. -
Hitler annexation of Austria
Hitler seized Austria due to overwhelming German support in that Area. There was no fighting involved and Hitler was a popular leader in Austria. This violated the treaty of Versailles and proved that the allies were too weak to intervene. -
Munich Conference
Britain met with Germany to discuss a plan for suppressing Hitler’s aggression. Britain agreed to let Germany take Czechoslovakia, but nothing more. As a result, Hitler was appeased, and with his feeling of invisibility, he continued to attack Poland and France. This appeasement also allowed the allies to build up their militaries. -
Hitler annexation of Czechoslovakia
Germany took the Sudetenland, and his justification was many Germans still lived there. This annexation continued to demonstrate the isolationist approach of the U.S. and the allies, allowing Hitler to become appeased. -
Nazi-Soviet Pact
After this Pact, the Nazis and the USSR had split their spheres of influence in Eastern European nations. The result was shocking for the allies because they believed they had lost their strongest partner. However, Stalin knew Hitler’s ultimate goal was to invade the Soviet Union. As a result, the U.S. was urged to join the war from Britain and to create policy that would benefit the allies. -
Invasion of Poland
Hitler invaded Poland despite threats from Britain, and as a result, the British declared war on Germany beginning WWII. This is important because for the first time, the allies did not appease Hitler and fought, which provoked the U.S. further help the ally cause -
Fall of France
After using Blitzkrieg, Hitler seized France. This was a major blow to U.S. trade because the Germans now had access to the Atlantic, meaning they could use U-boats to destroy ships, and they could also invade Britain, thus the Allies needed the U.S. desperately -
Battle of Britian
The Germans attack Britain by air, but the British emerged victorious because Hitler split his forces to fight the USSR. As a result, the U.S now had a Launchpad for the Normandy operation, which allowed France to become liberated. Additionally, Britain’s survival allowed the USSR to stay in the war. -
Destroyer Deal With Britian
FDR and Churchill met on a destroyer to discuss a military deal. The U.S. was granted eight of Britain’s naval basses while the U.S. provided warships for Britain. As a result, the U.S. had the tools to liberate France at Normandy. -
US invokes Peacetime Draft
This Selective Service Act required that men between the ages of 21 and 35 register with local draft boards. This was the first peacetime draft in U.S. history, and now the U.S. was preparing for war due to the fall of France. -
Hitler attacks USSR
In Operation Barbarossa, Hitler attacked the Soviet Union. He was halted and lost, despite his great momentum, due to the soviet winter. As a result, the tide of the war was changed because now, Hitler was fighting a war on two fronts, which made it easier for the allies to penetrate. In addition, it prompted Stalin to call on the allies to help invaded Germany through Italy. -
Lend-Lease Act
America could lend weapons to other ally nations during the war but still had the power to repossess them after the war. The result was it destroyed America’s long view of isolationism. Additionally, Hitler became more aggressive in the Atlantic and sunk U.S. merchant ships. -
Fair Employment Practices commission Established
This allowed for fair employment for blacks in defense industries, and because discrimination was not allowed in these key industries, many blacks migrated north, and the south, despite great new deal spending, lost yet again economic growth. Additionally, due to new cotton machines, cheap labor was no longer needed. -
Atlantic Charter
This was a declaration after Churchill and FDR met in Newfoundland. This provided that the U.S. would attack Germany first, then focus on Japan. This is significant because the U.S. was making war plans despite not entering in the war yet, which suggests that even FDR was about to abandon his sense of isolationism. -
Pearl Harbor
The Japanese launched a surprise attack in order to prevent the U.S. form threatening the Japanese empire. However, while destroying many war ships, it forced the U.S. to declare war, which was followed by declaration by Italy and Germany on the U.S. Despite being attacked, many still opposed war and only support the Lend-Lease Act. -
US declares war on Japan
U.S. declaration of war was followed by the Pearl Harbor attack. This marked an end to the isolationist period. In addition, this declaration of war would launch America out of the Great Depression by reducing unemployment significantly. -
Japan conquer the Philippines
The Japanese invaded the Philippines while being outnumber by American and Filipino forces. Despite terrible losses, the U.S. managed to resist for a longer period because the Japanese removed their best division. It is important because the U.S. no longer needed to care for the economic liability of the Philippines. -
Germany declares War on U.S.
Hitler vowed to protect Japan, and when the U.S. declared war on the imperial empire, the Germans followed their promise. As a result, the U.S. entered the European conflict through North Africa, and later hoping to penetrate through Italy. -
Japanese Interned
The internment of Japanese Americans in the United States was the forced relocation of Japanese people who lived on the Pacific coast in camps in the interior of the country. After the war, it was a valuable lesson for the U.S. not to intern people and to take away rights during wartime. -
Battle of Coral Sea
Japan was seeking territory around Australia, but they wear denied by a U.S. naval force, which used aircraft to marginal defeat the Japanese. This was the first carrier battle, and it proved the Japanese could be halted. -
Battle of Midway
On Midway Island, the U.S. earned a decisive victory against Japan. Americas were aided by reinforcements and the Japanese plan was far too ambitious. It resulted in U.S. momentum, which they would carry until the end of the war, and at this time, they could now successfully implement their island hopping strategy. -
US invades North Africa
America invaded through Tunisia and linked up with British forces to defeat Erwin Rommel and his Panzer divisions. As a result, the U.S. entered the war in Europe and now had access to Italy. Additionally, the U.S. opened a second front to give more relief to Russia. -
Guadalcanal
The Japanese were planning to use the island as an airbase regain Air superiority. However, U.S. ground forces defeated the Japanese air force still suffered as a result. This battle displayed that the U.S. could beat the Japanese in the air and at sea. Also, they maintained air superiority. -
Casablanca Conference
This was a meeting between the allied leaders in order to coordinate a strategy in WWII for opening a new front for Russia. It is important because it was the first time allied leaders agreed on a strategy in WWII. -
Allies Invade Italy
The allies believed they could defeat Hitler through the “soft underbelly” of Italy. However, German resistance was much too powerful, and the U.S. could not penetrate. It did, however, allow the U.S. to practice for the D-Day landing, it boosted morale at home, and it opened a new front making Germany split their forces. -
Teheran Conference
The central aim of the Tehran conference was to plan the final strategy for the war against Nazi Germany and its allies, and the chief discussion was centered on the opening of a second front in Western Europe via France. As a result, the U.S. had the green light to invade through Normandy, which lead to German defeat. -
D-Day
The allies landed off the coast of France to begin the liberation of France. If France could be liberated, Germany’s chances would be greatly reduced. Subsequently, D-Day marked a turning point in the war in Europe and now the allies had access to Germany through France. -
Battle of Marianas
After intense bombardment and counter attacks, the U.S. took this island from the U.S., thus they now had access to mainland Japan through B29 bombers, meaning they could drop the atomic bomb through bombers positioned at these locations. -
Battle of the Bulge
In winter, Hitler launched an offensive against a bulge in the ally line. Hitler planned to split the allies in two, but he suffered losses that he could not afford. This was Germany’s last major offensive, and because of this loss, the allies could easily break through the German line. -
Korematsu v. US
After a Japanese American was faced with Internment, he sued the U.S. government through the Supreme Court. However, the court ruled that the camps were constitutional in times of war, meaning the U.S. could still legally abuse Japanese- American citizens. -
Iwo Jima and Okinawa
This battle was fought between the U.S. and Japan and was primarily centered on the tallest mountain on the island because controlling that area would allow for victory. The U.S. won in both islands, but their death tolls were high, proving that an invasion by land into Japan would be too costly, thus bombing was the decided strategy. -
Death of Roosevelt
He died of a massive cerebral hemorrhage at 1 pm at his cottage. This allowed Truman to take over, who ultimately decided to use the atomic bomb, and it ended the moment of the Democratic Party that held office for many years. Eisenhower would become the first republican president since Hoover. -
Atomic Bombs
Due to Japanese reluctance to surrender, the U.S. used the bomb on Hiroshima. Still, the Japanese did not give up until a second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. It let the world know how destructive the U.S. could be, and many speculate it was dropped to instill fear in the USSR. Regardless, this event heated up the cold war between the U.S. and the USSR. -
Potsdam Conference
The U.S., along with Britain and China, gave Japan an ultimatum for surrender, and because this ultimatum was rejected, the atomic bomb could be used. -
Japan Surrenders
Japanese ministers met on the USS Missouri to formally surrender, thus WWII was ended. This surrender provided that the Japanese could not have an attacking military. Most importantly, it ended WWII.