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Japan Invades Manchuria
Following the fictitious attack that was the Mukden Incident, the Japanese Army begins an occupation of Manchuria. The Japanese secure their hold on the Chinese province by installing a puppet government and seizing the region's economic assets. Condemnation of the invasion by the League of Nations led to the Japanese government's withdrawal from the international body shortly thereafter. -
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Nye Committee convenes
The Senate Special Committee on Investigations of the Munitions Industry claimed that bankers and industrialists propelled the U.S. into WWI for reasons of financial gain. This troubles many Americans who had previously believed the Great War was fought to preserve democracy. The committee's findings influenced the creation and renewal of a series of congressional neutrality laws. -
Hitler Creates the Luftwaffe
Violating terms of the Treaty of Versailles, Hitler issued a decree establishing an air force as the third branch of the German armed forces. Although he initially masked his efforts at illegal rearmament, Hitler revealed his modern air force to the world the following month. -
*Neutrality Act of 1935
In response to growing threats across the globe, the U.S. outlawed Americans from traveling on belligerents' vessels, the sales of arms to belligerents, and the exportation of arms to belligerents. -
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American Neutrality in World War II
Beginning with the first American neutrality law and ending with the German & Italian declarations of war on the United States. -
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Second Italo-Ethiopian War
Mussolini begins the Second Italo-Ethiopian War by annexing Abyssinia in an effort to create a new Roman Empire. -
*Neutrality Act of 1936
The Italian invasion of Abyssinia in October 1935 forced Congress to renew the Neutrality Act of 1935 for another 14 months. This law additionally outlawed loans to belligerents, acknowledging the Nye Committee's findings that bankers and industrialists were in part responsible for dragging the U.S. into World War I. -
Rhineland Reoccupied
Violating the Treaty of Versailles, Hitler sent in troops to reoccupy the demilitarized Rhineland. -
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Spanish Civil War
Fascist forces under General Francisco France wage war against Republican troops loyal to the monarch. U.S. business profit considerably from the sale of oil and vehicles to Franco. -
FDR Wins Reelection
In an electoral landslide, FDR defeats Republican KS governor Alf Landon as a referendum on the latter's New Deal Policies. Given that the election occurred in the eighth year of the Great Depression with no decisive end in sight, the campaigns focused mostly on domestic economic policies and presidential power. Foreign conflicts and troubles played little part in the presidential race, helped in part by Congress's passage of two neutrality laws. -
*Neutrality Act of 1937
Following the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936, Congress renewed the Neutrality Act with the additional provisions of banning arms sales to nations in civil war and levying an embargo of any supplies to belligerents (not just arms). In a major shift, this act permitted the president to sell supplies to belligerents, provided they paid CASH and would then CARRY the goods from the U.S. on their own ships. -
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Second Sino-Japanese War
Following a shooting incident at the Marco Polo Bridge in Peking, Japanese troops launch a full-scale invasion of eastern China. Hundreds of thousand of Chinese civilians die during the campaign in Shanghai and Nanking. The war lasts until the surrender of Japanese forces on mainland Asia. -
*Quarantine Speech
Speaking at a WPA event in Chicago, the President suggested that the U.S. and other democracies economically isolate, or quarantine, "aggressor nations" as an alternative to non-intervention. A "quarantine" would likely involve multilateral embargoes of Germany, Italy, and Japan. FDR's speech was met with tremendous isolationist backlash. -
USS Panay Incident
During the Japanese attack on Nanjing (Nanking), a U.S. gunboat was bombed by Japanese planes and three Americans were killed. This strained relations between the two nations, but Japan claimed the bombing was unintentional and paid a $2.2 million indemnity. -
Anschluss
Hitler forced the Austrian government to submit to Nazi Party rule and unify with Germany under his leadership. This unification violated the Treaty of Versailles, but was met with only minor protest from Britain and France. -
Evian Conference Begins
At FDR's prompting, Western nations met to discuss the issue of growing numbers of Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi persecution. While the conference certainly acknowledged German anti-semitism and the need for a humanitarian response to Jewish refugees, attendees could not arrive at an agreement. No multilateral solution was accepted and European Jews still had no safe haven. -
Munich Pact Signed
Britain and France agreed to allow Nazi Germany to occupy the German-speaking borderlands of Czechoslovakia: the Sudetenland. British PM Chamberlain claims that at his Berchtesgaden meeting with Hitler, he secured "peace for our time". -
Sudetenland Occupied
Pursuant to the Munich Pact, the Wehrmacht moves into the frontier lands of Czechoslovakia that border Austria and Germany. Because most of the Czechs' fortifications and defensive measures were in the Sudetenland, Czechoslovakia was made militarily vulnerable and weak in the face of a foreign occupier. -
Danzig Crisis Begins
Hitler's foreign minister, Joachim von Ribbentrop expressed to the Polish government Germany's desire to reacquire Danzig and to construct transportation routes from Germany to East Prussia. This set off a series of events over 10 months in which Hitler attempted to annex former German territory in Poland. -
Czechoslovakia Occupied
In violation of the Munich Pact, Hitler occupied the rest of Czechoslovakia. The western part of the country is divided into two protectorate states: Bohemia & Moravia. The eastern part of the country is set up as a Nazi puppet state: Slovakia. The Allies do nothing in response. -
Germany Invades Poland
Using a staged fake Polish attack on a German radio station at Gleiwitz as a pretext, Hitler orders the Wehrmacht to invade Poland. -
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World War II Begins
Britain and France declare war on Germany for its invasion of Poland. This early phase of the war ends with the German & Italian declarations of war on the United States. -
Soviet Invasion of Poland
Fulfilling its part of the Non-aggression Pact, the Red Army moves into eastern Poland stopping near the Curzon Line. -
*Neutrality Act of 1939
After the 1937 cash and carry provision expired, FDR was able to persuade Congress to renew it following the breakout of war in Europe. FDR aimed to provide aid to Britain and France, effectively ending the U.S. arms embargo leading up to World War II. -
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The Winter War
In an attempt to reclaim historically Russian territory, Stalin ordered the Red Army to invade and occupy Finland. The Soviet were expelled from the League of Nations as a result and only gained 18% of Finnish territory. Finland was able to remain independent and fought an admirable defense against the much larger Red Army. -
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Operation Weserübung
German forces invaded and conquered Denmark and Norway. -
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The Battle of France
Germany invades France and the Low Countries, all of whom capitulate within 45 days. -
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Battle of Britain
The Luftwaffe attempts to eradicate the RAF in preparation for a cross-Channel amphibious assault by the German armed forces. Ultimately, the Germans fail to subdue the RAF and call off their invasion of Britain. The economic pressure of alone waging a war against Germany compels the British to seek American assistance as a non-belligerent ally. -
*U.S. Oil Embargo Against Japan
In response to an agreement for Japanese use of French airfields in Indochina, the United States suspends all oil exports to Japan. American oil constituted 80% of Japanese consumption. -
*Destroyers for Bases Agreement
In violation of its neutrality policy, the United States traded 50 outdated destroyers for access to British overseas military bases. This deal was meant to help the Royal Navy's effort to protect merchant convoys in the Atlantic from U-boat attack. -
America First Committee Founded
Boasting 800,000 and 450 local chapters at its height of popularity, the AFC was one of the largest anti-war organization in U.S. history. Much of the isolationist sentiment behind its membership stemmed from feelings that the U.S. was pulled into WWI by political and financial interests. -
*Selective Training and Service Act of 1940
Set to take effect one month after it became law, the draft ordered that all men 21-35 years of age register with their local draft boards. This was largely a congressional response to the German defeat of France. -
Japan Invades Indochina
Japan seizes the French colony to gain access to rubber plantations and poise to invade the Dutch East Indies. -
Tripartite Pact
The Axis powers forge a mutual defense alliance primarily to discourage American entry into the war. -
*U.S. Steel Embargo Against Japan
In response to the Japanese occupation of French Indochina, the U.S. ends all steel exportation to Japan. Over 70% of Japan's steel comes from American mills. -
*FDR's "Arsenal of Democracy" Address
In a radio address to the nation, FDR promises to help Britain fight the Nazis by providing all critical aid to the British whilst keeping America out of the war. FDR referred to the United States as an "arsenal of democracy" because of American industries having already converted to producing military equipment. -
*Lend-Lease Act
$50.1 billion in arms and material aid provided by the U.S. to the Allied powers. This aid was largely on loan and effectively ended American economic and political neutrality by providing weaponry on loan to China, Britain, the Soviet Union, and others. -
Office of Civilian Defense Created
In the interest of war preparedness, FDR establishes the OCD to coordinate protective measures for civilians in the event of a war-related emergency or attack. Civilian volunteers participated in organizing scrap drives, enforcing air raid blackouts, firefighting, and many other services. -
Operation Barbarossa
Nazi Germany launches a surprise invasion of the Soviet Union, violating the Molotov-Ribbentrop (Non-aggression) Pact. The Soviet Union then enters the war as one of the Allies. -
*Japanese Assets Froze
After Japan refuses to withdraw from Indochina, FDR uses economic warfare to convince the Japanese. All Japanese investments and businesses in the U.S. are seized by the Government. -
*Atlantic Charter issued
The United States and United Kingdom committed to postwar goals of freedom, self-determination, and free trade. This agreement forged a political alliance that violated American neutrality policy and formed the basis for the United Nations Charter. -
*FDR's "Shoot on Sight" Order to Navy
FDR orders U.S. Navy and Coast Guard vessels to attack any Axis ships (namely U-boats) in waters deemed vital to United States defense. -
Lindbergh's Des Moines Speech
Famed aviator Charles Lindbergh spoke to a crowd of American isolationists in Des Moines, Iowa on behalf of the America First Committee. Although this is one of many such speeches he delivered on the topic of isolationism, Lindbergh's remarks here focus on three groups he blamed most for attempting to propel the United States into a foreign war: the FDR administration, the British, and Jews. Lindbergh's argument is widely criticized for being anti-Semitic and weakens the isolationist movement. -
Reuben James Sinking
A German U-boat torpedoed and sunk a U.S. destroyer off the coast of Iceland during convoy duty. 116 American lives lost. -
*Arming Merchant Vessels
Congress repeals provisions of the 1939 Neutrality Act and allow U.S. ships to carry supplies to belligerents and arm themselves. -
Final Japanese Peace Proposal
Japanese ambassador to the U.S. Kichisaburo Nomura made his last diplomatic offer to the U.S. and Britain in order to avoid war: Japan would honor its alliance with Italy & Germany, Japan would cease expansion into Southeast Asia, and the Allies would cease material aid to China. -
U.S. Issues the Hull Note to Japan
In its final peace counterproposal to Japan, the U.S. Secretary of State Cordell Hull demanded that Japan unconditionally withdraw from China and Manchuria as well as sign non-aggression pacts with other Pacific nations. Japan's response was to break off diplomatic relations with the United States as part of its plan to open hostilities by attacking Pearl Harbor, Hong Kong, the Philippines, and other Allied possessions in the Pacific. -
Civil Air Patrol Created
NYC Mayor and Civil Defense Director Fiorello LaGuardia creates the Civil Air Patrol as an Army auxiliary of civilian pilots to assist with military responsibilities such as coastal patrols, pilot training, and messenger services. -
Pearl Harbor Attack
The Japanese launch a surprise attack against the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawai'i. -
U.S. Declares War on Japan
Following FDR's "Infamy" speech to a joint session of Congress, America officially enters World War II. -
Axis Declare War on the U.S.
Because of the U.S. declaration of war against their mutual ally Japan, Hitler and Mussolini declare war on the U.S. -
American First Committee Dissolved
In the wake of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the organized isolationist movement voted to disband. Lindbergh and the committee's leadership argued that their principles of isolationism were still valid, but in light of now being at war that all Americans should be united in the war effort.
