APUSH Timeline

World War II
By Zacherl, Corcoran, and Houy
At what point could we no
longer be considered isolationist? 

◦ The United States could no longer be considered isolationist after entering the
Spanish-American War. The United States became imperialist with the
colonization of Cuba, Philippines, and Puerto Rico. 
Do you think we should’ve gotten
involved in WWII earlier?
◦ No, because the United States joined at the most opportune time. The United
States benefited from the trade while being neutral and was able to avoid
connection with Communism. The U.S. had major benefits for joining when it
did.
Washington Naval Arms
Conference/Five-Power
Treaty
◦ Date: November 12, 1921 to February 6, 1922
The Washington Naval Conference was a meeting of
multiple countries with powerful navies, with the
intention of discussing naval disarmament. Nine
nations in total were invited to Washington D.C. to
reduce naval capacity.
The Five-Power Treaty summarized the tonnage of
ships allowed per country, with a 5:5:3 ratio eventually
settled on between the US and UK, Japan, and France
and Italy. All older ships had to be scrapped.
Rise of Mussolini
◦ Date: Summer 1922 to 1945

Mussolini becomes dictator of Italy, brought into the

government by liberals panicked from the first World
War. Mussolini was bloodlessly transferred the title of
Prime Minister.
Rise of Stalin
◦ Date: Mid-1924 to 1953

After Vladimir Lenin’s death, Stalin was declared

Lenin’s successor to the leadership of the Communist
Party and the U.S.S.R.
1st Neutrality Act
◦ Date: August 31, 1925
Congress passed an act declaring that any ‘arms,
ammunition, and implements of war’ could not be
exported to any foreign nations that were actively at
war. Arms manufacturers had to apply for a special
license to continue exporting. Franklin Roosevelt
initially opposed this, but Congress and the public
strongly approved and forced him to relent.
Kellogg Briand
Pact
◦ Date: August 27, 1928

Also known as the Pact of Paris, this treaty attempted

to outlaw war itself. Although very popular in public
opinion, and signed by an initial 15 nations with 47
more to follow, the pact eventually failed due to the
increase in militarism and the events leading to World
War II.
Japan invades
China
◦ Date: Early September 1931 to spring 1933

Also referred to as the Mukden Incident, this invasion

began with an explosion of a Japanese railroad that
was blamed on China. Japan retaliated by invading
Manchuria, meeting little to no resistance.
Japan conquers
Manchuria
◦ Date: September 18, 1931

Japan consolidated its power in the area after capturing

it with no resistance. Manchuria was declared the
autonomous state of Manchukuo. No countries backed
China; all were too busy with the worldwide
depression and most had no interests in the area.
Stimson Doctrine
◦ Date: January 7, 1932

After Japan conquered Manchuria, Secretary of State

Henry Stimson issued the Stimson Doctrine. This
doctrine was a statement that America would recognize
no agreements between China and Japan that limited
free trade. Japan was unaffected by this statement and
continued in its endeavors. This prompted the U.S. to
declare itself free from any naval limitations.
Good Neighbor Policy

◦ Date: March 4, 1933

◦ This is the American foreign relations policy that

was passed by Franklin Roosevelt that is primarily
centered on noninterference and nonintervention in
Latin American countries. The U.S. was now against
armed intervention.
◦ Ways the United States followed this:
◦ Increased trade with Latin American countries
◦ More open-mindedness regarding Latin America
Rise of Hitler
◦ Date: March 1933

◦ Hitler was a fascist German dictator who established

the Nazi Party. He was extremely anti-Semitic, and
started the Holocaust. The Enabling Act (can make
whatever laws he wants without having to
consult Reichstag) allowed Hitler to transition to a
dictator within four months of this act.
Nye Commission
◦ Date: April 12, 1934 to February 24, 1936

◦ Also known as the Special Committee on

Investigation of the Munitions Industry, the Nye
Commission was a committee of the U.S. Senate
and run by Gerald Nye. Its purpose was to observe
the financial interests that led to WWI. Many of its
results led to support for neutrality in WWII.
(Bankers led to WWI.)
Reciprocal Trade
Agreement
◦ Date: June 1934

◦ This policy established by Franklin Roosevelt gave

more executive power to the president through the
abilities to negotiate reciprocal trade agreements
with other nations. American trade policy could now
be globalized.  
2nd Neutrality Act
◦ Date: 1935 – 1939

◦ The President must declare if a war was active.

Belligerents were no longer allowed to have the
provision of loans. This accepted the observations of
the Nye Commission. 
3rd Neutrality Act
◦ Date: 1935
◦ This was the last of the Neutrality Acts that stated
that there was to be no occupation, formal or
informal, of munitions opposing Spanish powers.
This also permitted nations at war to buy goods, but
not arms or weapons
Hitler occupies
Rhineland
◦ Date: January 1936
◦ In one of the first actions by Germany that lead to
the tensions that started the war, German troops
went directly against the Treaty of Versailles and
invaded Rhineland, a demilitarized zone between
Germany and France
Spanish Civil War
◦ Date: July 17, 1936 to April 1, 1939

A revolt in Morocco led by Spanish military officers

spread to Spain, and General Francisco Franco uses
the army to capture Morocco and most of Spain. In
1939 Madrid was surrendered to Franco, who served
as dictator until his death. The Spanish Civil War, with
over a million lives lost, was the bloodiest war in
Spanish history.
Hitler annexes
Austria
◦ Date: March 12, 1938
◦ Now Nazi Germany sent troops to a much
supportive Austria which aided in the country’s
power. The population of Austria agreed almost
across the board that a union between Austria and
Germany would be beneficial to their government
Munich Conference/Appeasement

◦ Date: September 29, 1938

◦ Presented by Germany to the United Kingdom,
Republic of France, and Kingdom of Italy, this
appeasement was meant to keep war from breaking
out in Europe through the annexation of
Czechoslovakia to Germany. This led to tensions
instead between Germany and France who would be
opposing in the future war
Non-Aggression
Pact
◦ Date: August 23, 1939
◦ This German-Soviet peace pact was broken only a
week or so later when Germany invaded Poland and
became an Axis power, going directly against the
Soviet allies for the Allied powers
Germany takes
Poland
◦ Date: September 1, 1939
◦ German occupation of Poland and the bombardment
of the land and from the air lead to the formal
declaration of total war between Germany and
Poland, the beginning of WWII
Cash-and Carry
◦ Date: November 1939
◦ Ratified as a response to the outbreak of war in
Europe, this act was enacted by Franklin D.
Roosevelt replaced the Neutrality plans. This would
subsequently prevent any and all sale of domestic
American goods outside of non-military supplies to
foreign countries.
 Destroyers for
Bases
◦ Date: September 2, 1940
◦ These American ships, dubbed Destroyers for their
apparent indestructibility and vast destruction in
naval combat was a highly sought-after resources. In
1940, the United States sent Destroyers to London,
England in order to aid their allies against German
naval attacks
1st Peacetime
Conscription
◦ Date: September 14, 1940
◦ This was a Selective Service Act that aided to the
draft. It stated that all men over the age of 21 but
under the age of 36 were to register with their local
draft boards.
Lend-Lease
◦ Date: March 11, 1941
◦ This act was for the protection of the United States
during WWII by giving allies including France,
China, Britain, and the Soviet Union resources such
as food, oil, and other aid between 1941 and August
1945. This also aided in military supplies like
warships and weaponry
Atlantic
Conference/Charter
◦ Date: August 14, 1941
◦ This was a joint declaration that helped strength the
plan for the postwar world between the United
States (President Franklin D. Roosevelt), Britain
(Prime Minister Winston Churchill), and 26 other
allied nations following the meeting in
Newfoundland
US embargo on
Japan
◦ Date: August 1941
◦ With the recent Japanese occupation of Chinese
Territory (an American ally), the United States
issues an embargo act which lead to an oil and steel
crisis in Japan as they were running low on gasoline
and supplies to aid in the war.
Rise of Hideki Tojo
◦ Date: October 17, 1941 to July 22, 1944
◦ With an extensive list of military experience and
military victories, Hideki Tojo was able to win a
significant amount of popularity from a now
struggling Japan with a promise to lead Japan to
victory in WWII