Chapter 25 The World at War.docx

Chapter 25:The World at War Expanded Timeline 1938 Munich agreement Britain and France agreed to let Germany annex the Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia, indicating their reluctance to confront Hitler as he began to carry out his expansionist program in Eastern Europe. 1939 Nazi-Soviet pact Germany and the Soviet Union signed a treaty promising not to attack each other, giving Hitler the freedom to attack Poland. War breaks out in Europe The German army invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. Honoring pledges made to Poland, Britain and France entered the war two days later. 1940 Conscription reinstated The first peacetime draft in American history was enacted, calling attention to the increasing fear that the United States would be drawn into the war. America First Committee The America First Committee was formed by leading isolationists to keep the United States out of the war. Roosevelt reelected to third term FDR broke historical precedent by running for (and winning) a third term as president. The prospect of American participation in the war was a major campaign issue. 1941 Roosevelt promulgates Four Freedoms In his State of the Union address, the president noted the "four essential freedoms": freedom of expression and speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. Hitler invades Soviet Union Breaking the Nonaggression Pact, Hitler made a fateful move on June 22, 1941. Lend-Lease Act The United States agreed to lend or lease military equipment to the Allies, leading Germany to attack American shipping. Fair Employment Practices Commission Under pressure from the "March on Washington" movement, Roosevelt reluctantly established the Fair Employment Practices Committee (FEPC) in order to reduce racial discrimination in the defense industry. Atlantic Charter Roosevelt and Churchill met secretly on a ship off the coast of Newfoundland to discuss their intentions for the postwar world. The ideology was similar to Wilson's Fourteen Points, calling for collective security and national self-determination. Japanese attack Pearl Harbor On December 7, planes from Japanese aircraft carriers bombed and strafed American military installations in Hawaii, drawing the United States into World War II. 1942 Battles of Coral Sea and Midway halt Japanese advance in the Pacific These battles, fought primarily with planes from aircraft carriers, turned the tide of the Pacific war. Women recruited for war industries The campaign to enlist women in defense work was symbolized by Norman Rockwell's painting on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post, depicting a female industrial worker — "Rosie the Riveter." Relocation of Japanese Americans More than 100,000 Japanese Americans from the West Coast were interned in relocation camps in the interior. The federal government considered these people to be untrustworthy, and feared espionage and sabotage on behalf of Japan. No evidence of either has ever been discovered. Revenue Act of 1942 This act expanded the income tax to include average citizens. Up to this time, the federal tax had been borne primarily by the rich and by corporations. The number of taxpayers increased from 3.9 million in 1939 to 42.6 million in 1945. 1942-1945 Rationing A complex system for the rationing of scarce resources was applied on the American home front during the war. Among the items covered by this system were rubber, gasoline, sugar, butter, and meat. 1943 Race riots in Detroit and Los Angeles Racial tensions resulting from competition for jobs and housing led to outbreaks of violence in these and many other cities. Fascism falls in Italy Mussolini was overthrown as the Allies invaded Italy, but German troops continued the bitter fighting until 1945. Teheran Conference Roosevelt met Stalin for the first time in Teheran, where the Big Three began their complicated negotiations over the structure of the postwar world. Roosevelt and Churchill also agreed to open a second front within six months. 1944 Gunnar Myrdal, An American Dilemma Synthesizing studies undertaken by America's leading authorities on race relations, the Swedish sociologist's massive work focused attention on American racial prejudice. D-Day invasion The Western Allies finally opened a second front in Europe on June 6, drawing German forces away from the Eastern Front and beginning the pincer movement that would lead to the conquest of Germany. Reconquest of Philippines Under the leadership of Douglas MacArthur, American forces began their reconquest of the Philippines after the victory over the Japanese navy at the Battle of Leyte Gulf. GI Bill of Rights The federal government enacted legislation providing support for veterans of the war to pursue education, job training, and a variety of other benefits. Roosevelt reelected to fourth term Although dangerously ill, FDR decided to run again to see the war to its successful conclusion. 1945 Germany surrenders After Hitler's suicide on April 30, any desire on the part of the Germans to continue the war evaporated, and the surrender came on May 8, V-E Day. Battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa Some of the fiercest fighting and the heaviest casualties of the war in the Pacific took place on these islands as American forces came closer to Japan. Yalta Conference The Big Three met at Yalta to discuss their plans for postwar arrangements in Europe. Conflicting interpretations of the negotiations that took place contributed to the rise of the Cold War. Harry Truman becomes president after Roosevelt's death FDR died on April 12. Vice-President Truman had been "kept out of the loop" about military and diplomatic affairs, but he quickly took charge of the government during this critical period. United Nations convenes This organization for collective security and the negotiation of international conflict came into being with the support of the Big Three in San Francisco in April. U.S. drops atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki One of the first decisions President Truman had to make was whether to use a terrible new weapon he had never been told about until he took office. Desiring to end the war quickly, without the high casualties predicted for an invasion of Japan, Truman ordered the bombs to be dropped. Japan surrenders Japan offered to surrender a week after the bombing of Nagasaki, signing the formal surrender document on September 2. World War II Chronology Prelude to War 1931 March...........Japan invades Manchuria 1933. Jan...............Hitler appointed Chancellor of Germany March...........Hitler granted dictatorial power 1934 March...........Hindenberg dies, Hitler becomes Fuhrer 1935 March...........Hitler announces German rearmament Oct...............Nuremberg Laws deprives Jews of citizenship rights Italy invades Ethiopia 1936 March...........Germany moves troops into the Rhineland July.............. Civil War in Spain Germany signs pact with Italy 1938 March...........Anschluss (Germany annexes Austria) Sept..............Munich Conference (Sudetenland annexed) Nov..............Kristallnacht 1939 March...........Hitler annexes the rest of Czechoslovakia August..........Nazi-Soviet Pact Sept. 1..........Germany invades Poland! Sept. 3.......... Britain and France declare war on Germany! World War II 1939 Sept. 3..........war begins Fall...............USSR occupies Eastern Poland, bases in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland Nov..............US begins “cash and carry” policy 1940 April.............Germany invades Norway, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France June..............Dunkirk (evacuation of British and French troops) Italy enters war (invades southern France) June 20..........France falls July...............Battle of Britain begins Sept..............USA begins 1st peace time draft Tripartite Pact Dec...............Battle of Britain called off 1941 March...........US begins Lend-Lease June 22........Hitler invades USSR Aug..............Atlantic Conference Dec.7........... Japanese attack Pearl Harbor! Dec. 8..........US declares war on Japan! Dec. 11........Germany and Italy declare war on the US Entire western hemisphere except Argentina declares war on the Axis powers Late Dec.......Japan invades Philippines, Guam, Midway, Hong Kong, Malaya, New Guinea, Threatens Australia 1942 June............. Battle of Midway (US turns back Japanese navy) Nov............. Allied invasion of North Africa begins Germans begin retreat from Stalingrad 1943 Jan............... Casablanca Conference July............. Allied invasion of Italy Mussolini flees to Germany Italy joins the Allies Nov............. Teheran Conference 1944 June 4........... Rome falls to Allies June 6.......... D-Day (Allied invasion at Normandy) Aug. 25......... Paris liberated Nov-Dec....... Battle of the Bulge (last German offensive) 1945 Feb................ Yalta Conference March........... Allies cross the Rhine at Ramagen April 12....... FDR dies, Truman becomes President April............. Allied and Soviet forces meet at the Elbe River Mussolini executed April 30........ Hitler kills himself in his bunker in Berlin May 7........... Germany surrenders May 8........... V-E Day! July............... 1st testing of the atomic bomb at Los Alamos, NM Potsdam Conference Aug. 6........... 1st atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima Aug 8............ USSR declares war on Japan Aug. 9........... atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki Aug 14.......... Japan surrenders Aug 15..........V-J Day! Sept. 2...........Japan signs formal articles of surrender World War II Conferences & Treaties Conference /Treaty   Date Participants Highlights Molotov-Ribbentrop Treaty August 23, 1939 Germany, Soviet Union Hitler and Stalin sign non-aggression pact which meant the Soviets would not intervene if Poland were invaded. Hitler later invaded Russia (June 22, 1941) Atlantic Conference August 1941 Great Britain, US FDR and Churchill approve the Atlantic Charter which supported self-determination, a new permanent system of general security (a new League of Nations), and the right of people to regain governments abolished by dictators.   Casablanca Conference January 1943 Great Britain, US FDR and Churchill agree to step up Pacific war, invade Sicily, increase pressure on Italy and insist on an unconditional surrender of Germany.   Teheran Conference November 1943 Great Britain, US, Soviet Union Allies agree to launch attacks from Russia on the east at the same time as US and Great Britain attack from west. Yalta Conference February 1945 Great Britain, US, Soviet Union Stalin agreed that Poland would have free elections after the war and that the Soviets would attack Japan within three months of the collapse of Germany. Soviets receive territory in Manchuria and several islands   San Francisco Conference April 22, 1945 50 nations United Nations Charter approved establishing a Security Council with veto power for the Big Five powers (US, Great Britain, France, China, and Soviet Union) and a General Assembly.   Potsdam Conference July 1945 U.S, Great Britain, Soviet Union Pres. Truman met with Stalin and Churchill and agreed that Japan must surrender or risk destruction. Atomic bomb successfully tested on July 16 and then dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945.