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Japan Seizes Japan Seizes Manchuria
In 1931, Japan led a surpise attack on the chinese province of Mancuria. Within a few months, Japan controled the whole resource rich province. The league of nations condemned this act by Japan, leading to their withdrawl from the league. This act upset the US because of its unprovoked nature -
Hitler Orders the Killing of All Non-Arryans
Hitler starts the movement of discrimination towards all non-arryans in germany, claiming that they are not as good as the arryan people. This was the event tht started the Holocaust, the systematic killing of more than 11 million people. The US, who is very proud of their mixed herritage is upset by the targeting of their ancestors and fellow people. -
Abraham Lincoln Battalion Goes to Spain
In 1936, the Abraham Lincoln Battalion was formed after a civil war broke out in Spain. This group consisted of 3000 american citizens who wanted to go to spain to fight Francisco Franco. This group did travel to spain to help rebel against the Fascists. The rise in Fascism was protested by the african american community as well because of the invasion of Ethiopia the year before. -
Japan Launches Invasion of China
Japan starts to take over china and parts of Indochina including Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. The US did not approve of this agression and they cut off trade with Japan in protest, embargoing oil, a neccessary part of Japans war strategy. -
Congress Passes the "cash-and-carry" Provision
Congress passed this provision, allowing the US to sell weapons to countries in europeas long as they paid cash and transported the weapons in their own ships. This made it easier for the US to sell weapons to the nations that they supported like Britain and France. -
Germany Invades Poland
Germany invaded Poland, bombing military bases and and cities while ground troops moved into the territory. Two days after the invasion started, Britain and France declared war on Germany. These two nations have had close relations with the US and their decision to go to war has an effect on the mindset of the US. A few weeks later, Germany had completely taken over Poland and WWII had begun -
Germany Invades Denmark and Norway
Hitler launched a surprise invasion of Denmark and Norway in order to build bases along the coast to more easily strike at Britain. This was a direct threat to the closest allie to the US, and it was major in revealing the untrustworthiness of the Nazi Regime. -
Germany Takes Over France
Germany invaded France along with Italy and took over the country along with the government. Germany controlled the northern part of France and set up a Nazi controlled puppet government in southern France. Germany had taken over one of the close allies to the US and threatened the ideals of democracy in europe that the US was strongly advocating -
Germany Starts Bombing Britain
Every night for two months Germany bombed Britain with the German air force "the Luftwaffe". Now Germany had not only taken over one of the close allies to the US, but now they were bombing the closest allie to the US at this point in time. -
Lend-Lease Act Passed
The Lend-Lease Act was passed, allowing President Roosevelt to lend or lease arms or supplies to any country whos defense was vital to the United States. This act put forward the ability to aid the countries that the US favored in the war in Europe. -
German Submarine Fired on a US destroyer
A german submarine fired on the US destroyer and in response to this threat, President Roosevelt ordered the navy to shoot the german submarines on sight. Two weeks later, an american merchant ship was sunk by a german submarine and in mid-October, a US destroyer was torpedoed by another german submarine. In response, the senate repealed the ban against arming merchant ships -
Attack on Pearl Harbor
On this date, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, the largst US naval base in the pacific. Thiss attack was the final push that the US needed to abandon their policy of neutrality that they had been tring to maintain. Upon recieving the news of the attack, President Roosevelt decided to go to enter the war with Japan.