T4: WWII Effects IDs European Theater

Italy Invades Ethiopia

(1935-36) Mussolini invaded, conquering it in 1936. The League of Nations failed to take any effective action against Mussolini, and the US just looked on → Appeasement

1935 Neutrality Act

(1935, US) Banned arms shipments to any country where a state of war existed. Also, he could forbid U.S. citizens from traveling on vessels of such countries except at their own risk. The act did not prohibit the sale of steel, copper, or oil.

Spanish Civil War

(1936-39, Spain) Spain had established a leftist, democratic government in the 1930s. A civil war between loyalist Republican forces (aided by Russia) and Franco’s Fascist party (aided by Mussolini and Hitler) later resulted. The U.S., France, and Britain offered no official assistance to either side BUT American volunteers, the Abraham Lincoln Brigade, assisted the Loyalists. Fascists win.

1936 Neutrality Act

(1936, US) Gave the president the authority to determine when a state of war existed and prohibited loans to belligerents.

Militarization of the Rhineland

(Mar. 1936, Germany) Germany violates the Treaty of Versailles by entering a demilitarized zone with his army.

1937 Neutrality Act with Cash and Carry Clause

(May 1937, US) Civil wars qualified as wars (Spain); fell under the act. Banned arms sales to belligerents. President could ban other materials as well. New clause: belligerent nations could trade for materials other than arms as long as they paid cash and transported the goods on non-American ships. FDR knew this would only aid the Allies since they had the cash & the ships were not subject to a blockade like the Germans.

Anschluss

(Mar. 1938, Austria) Hitler invades Austria and unites it with Germany. Violation of the Treaty of Versailles.

The Sudetenland and the Munich Conference

(Sep. 1938, Germany) Hitler wanted to annex a portion of Czechoslovakia whose inhabitants were mostly German-speaking. On September 29, Germany, Italy, France, and Great Britain signed a pact that gave Germany the land Hitler wanted. British Prime Minister Chamberlain justified the fact with the belief that appeasing Germany would prevent war → Appeasement

Invasion of Czechoslovakia

(Oct. 1938-39) Hitler invades the western portion of this nation and installs a puppet government in the eastern portion.

Italy Invades Albania

(Apr. 1938) Italian forces invade a nation (result of Mussolini’s imperialist policies and a fear of being upstaged by Hitler).

Non-Aggression Pact / Nazi-Soviet Pact

(Aug. 1939) Germany and Russia agreed not to attack each other, which allowed Hitler to open up a second front in the West without worrying about defending against Russia. Granted Western Poland to Germany, but allowed Russia to occupy Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Eastern Poland. Hitler intended to break the agreement.

Germany and Soviet Union Invade Poland

(Sep. 1, 1939) Following the non-aggression treaty with the Soviet Union, German troops invaded a nation. England and France declare war on Germany. Soviets invade Poland, then the Baltic states & Finland.

Phony War

(Oct. 1939-Mar. 1940, Europe) Period of non-combat after declarations of war when Britain and France mobilized for war against Germany.

1939 Neutrality Act with Cash and Carry

(Nov. 5, 1939, US) After a fierce debate in Congress, a final one passed. This lifted the arms embargo and put all trade with belligerent nations under the terms of a clause. The ban on loans remained in effect, and American ships were barred from transporting goods to belligerent ports.

Germany’s blitzkrieg takes western Europe

(Mar.-Jun. 1940) Denmark, Norway, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and France are crushed by a German offensive.

Fall of France

(Jun. 1940) Germany invaded a nation and set up the Vichy government, which lasted until the Allies invaded in 1944.

Battle of Britain

(Began Jul. 1940) German bombers ruin these cities in attempt to obtain surrender from this nation before U.S. entry. This nation’s breaking of German code & use of radar help overcome air attacks.

Tripartite Pact

(Sep. 1940) Germany, Italy, and Japan sign this, creating the “Berlin-Rome-Tokyo Axis”.

Destroyers for Bases Deal

(Sep. 1940) US agreed to “lend” its older WWI destroyers to Great Britain. Signaled the end of US neutrality in the war.

Lend-Lease Act

(Mar. 1941, US) Authorized the president to transfer, lend, or lease any article of defensive equipment to any government whose defense was deemed vital to the defense of the U.S. Allowed the U.S. to send supplies and ammunition to the Allies without technically becoming a co-belligerent. It was designed to help Britain who was running out of cash. Also extended to France, China, and USSR.

Operation Barbarossa

(Jun. 1941, Soviet Union) Germany breaks non-aggression pact and invades USSR after failure of Battle of Britain. Germany begins two-front war with invasion of Russia. Germany fails to capture Leningrad (north), Moscow (central), or Stalingrad (south). Turning point of WWII on the Eastern Front.

Atlantic Charter

(Aug. 1941, Newfoundland (Canada)) Document issued by FDR and Churchill during their secret meeting near Newfoundland. It had these 8 main principles: 1. Renunciation of territorial aggression. 2. No territorial changes without the consent of the peoples concerned. 3. Restoration of sovereign rights and self-government. 4. Access to raw materials for all nations. 5. World economic cooperation. 6. Freedom from want and fear. 7. Freedom of the seas. 8. Disarmament of aggressors.

US Undeclared Naval War with Germany

(Fall 1941, Atlantic Ocean) 4 significant events: 1. In September, a German U-boat fired on US destroyer Greer. 2. FDR ordered U.S. ships to fire on German subs “on sight”. 3. US destroyer, Reuben James, sunk by Nazi sub killing Americans in October. 4. Congress passes a bill allowing merchant ships to be armed and sail into belligerent ports.

US Declares War on Germany and Italy

(Dec. 11, 1941) Declaration made in response to those nations’ declarations of war against the US.

Battle of the Atlantic

(1941-45) Sea battles over supply lines between the Allies & Germany.

FDR’s Promise to Stalin

(May 1942) US president assures USSR diplomat that the US would create a second front in Europe by the end of the year. Why? USSR had been fighting Germany alone. This will not be fulfilled until D-Day.

North Africa Campaign

(Nov. 1942-May 1943) Huge Allied landing forces Germany to retreat to Tunisia, where they are surrounded by British and American forces. Germans surrender at Tunisia. Over 250,000 German and Italian troops are captured and Allies prepare to invade Sicily and Italy.

Casablanca Conference

(Jan. 1943, Morocco) FDR and Churchill met to settle future strategy of the Allies following the success of the North African campaign. They decided to launch an attack on Italy through Sicily before initiating an invasion into France over the English Channel. Also announced that the war would continue until the “unconditional surrender” of all Axis enemies.

Stalingrad

(Feb. 1943, Russia) Germans surrender after fierce hand-to-hand fighting and huge casualties for each side. Turning point in the war in the East: Germans lose the Eastern Front.

Allies Invade Sicily

(Jul. 1943) In the largest amphibious invasion in history, over 250,000 American and British troops land. Germans and Italians escape to maintain Italy.

Allies Invade Italy

(Sep. 1943) This nation surrenders. Although these troops quit fighting Allies, Germans continue in fierce fighting. Rome finally surrenders on June 4, 1944.

Cairo Conference

(Nov. 1943, Egypt) A meeting of Allied leaders Roosevelt, Churchill, and Chiang Kai-shek to define the Allies’ goals with respect to the war against Japan; they announced their intention to seek Japan’s unconditional surrender and to strip Japan of all territory it had gained since WWI.

Tehran Conference

(Nov-Dec. 1943, Iran) FDR, Stalin, and Churchill (“the big three”) agreed to a second front in the west to relieve the Russians within 6 months. USSR pledged to enter the war against Japan when Germany was defeated. An international organization for peace was planned (future United Nations).

D-Day: Normandy Invasion

(Jun. 6, 1944, France) Largest amphibious attack. Led by Eisenhower, over a million troops (the largest invasion force in history) stormed the beaches here and began the process of re-taking France. The turning point of WWII. Allies use 4,600 ships to invade German-held France. Suffering heavy casualties, the Allies were able to retake Paris in August. Fulfills FDR’s obligation to Soviets of creating a second frontal attack on Germany.

Dumbarton Oaks Conference

(Aug.-Oct. 1944, Washington D.C.) (Washington Conversations on International Peace and Security Organization) Representative of the US, USSR, UK, and China formulated a plan to create the United Nations (UN): Every nation would be represented in the General Assembly. 5 permanent members (US, USSR, UK, China, and France) would be the Security Council (SC), along with temporary delegates from other nations. Each major power could veto SC decisions *These agreements were the basis for the drafting of the UN charter at a conference of 50 nations in San Francisco in April 1945. The UN charter is ratified by the US Senate, August 8, 1945.

Operation Market Garden

(Sep. 1944, Holland & Germany) Goal was to circumvent the German defenses by landing behind enemy lines and capturing the bridges leading into Germany. Failure of this meant the war would not be over by Christmas.

Battle of the Bulge

(Dec. 16, 1944-Jan. 25, 1945) After recapturing France, the Allied advance became stalled along the German border. In the winter of 1944, Germany staged a massive counterattack in Belgium and Luxembourg which pushed a 30 mile section into the Allied lines. The Germans almost won, but the Allies stopped the German advance and threw them back across the Rhine with heavy losses.

Yalta Conference

(Feb. 1945, Crimea (southern Ukraine)) Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin met to make final war plans, arrange the post-war fate of Germany, and discuss the proposal for creation of the United Nations as a successor to the League of Nations. They announced the decision to divide Germany into three post-war zones of occupation, although a fourth zone was later created for France. Russia also agreed to enter the war against Japan, in exchange for the Kuril Islands and half of the Sakhalin Peninsula. The USSR was given half of Poland and an occupation zone in Korea. The plan for the UN was ratified. Stalin gets a lot from this meeting (FDR doesn’t know how long it will take to defeat Japan; counting on support from USSR to do so); sets the stage for future Cold War clashes.

Battle of Berlin

(Apr. 6-May 2, 1945) Soviets take German capital after house-to-house fighting. Hitler commits suicide.

Potsdam Conference

(Jul. 1945, Germany) Allied leaders Truman, Stalin, and Churchill met to set up zones of control in Europe and to inform the Japanese that if they refused to surrender unconditionally at once, they would face total destruction.

UN Charter

(Aug. 8, 1945) President Truman signs this, US joins UN.

Nuremberg War Crimes Trials / Tokyo War Crimes Trials

(1945-48) International military tribunal tried major war criminals at Germany (1945-46) and in Japan (1946-48). In Germany, 12 criminals were sentenced to be hanged; in Japan, 7.

V-E Day

(May 8, 1945, Europe) German government issues unconditional surrender to Allied forces.