|
Foreign and Domestic Policy of FDR
Franklin Roosevelt was
the 32nd American President who served in office from March 4, 1933 to April 12, 1945
and witnessed the events leading up to WW2.During the
mid-1930's President Roosevelt was occupied with the economic crisis
and the effects of the Great Depression. Many Americans favored
Isolationism. FDR favored Internationalism believing that
international trade increased prosperity and helped prevent war
between nations. He adopted a neutral position in relation to
foreign affairs and Congress passed five different Neutrality Acts
from 1935 to 1939. President Roosevelt achieved his greatest foreign
policy success through his "good neighbor" policy towards Latin
America and countries of the Western Hemisphere (South America,
Central America and the Caribbean). FDR kept a wary eye on events
unfolding in Europe and Asia during the mid-1930s, but his priority
was leading America to economic recovery.
Events leading up to WW2:
Fascism, Nazism, Communism and Militarism
President Franklin
D. Roosevelt and the people of the United States saw the emergence
of European dictators such as Mussolini and Franco and the rise of
ideologies of Fascism. Adolf Hitler combined elements of Fascism and
Racism as the leader of the National Socialist German
Workers' Party, better known as the Nazi Party
and founded Nazism. Joseph Stalin, the Soviet dictator of the Union
of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) adhered to Communism. Emperor
Hirohito was the ruler of Japan with General Hideki Tojo who
sought to establish a colonial empire led by Militarists. These
powerful men, and the aggressive and expansionist governments in
Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan and the USSR all played a major role in
the events leading up to WW2. For additional facts refer to
Fascism, Nazism and Communism,
Japanese Militarism
and
Totalitarianism and the
Rise of Dictators.
Events leading up to WW2:
Isolationism in America during the 1930's
During this turbulent period
FDR was battling the economic crisis
and the effects of the Great Depression. As he watched the events
leading up to WW2 unfold in Europe and Asia he maintained a position
of neutrality, encouraging international trade through his policy of
Internationalism. The majority of
Americans at this time favored
Isolationism, fearing America
would be dragged into another war.
Timeline
of Events leading
up to WW2 for kids
The following fact
sheet contains interesting facts and information on the
Timeline of Events leading up to WW2
for kids.
Timeline of
Events leading up to WW2 for kids
Timeline of
Events leading up to WW2 -
1919: Following
WW1 the
1919 Treaty of Versailles set out the terms for
Germany's punishment which caused anger and resentment
in Germany
Timeline of
Events leading up to WW2 -
1919: The League
of Nations was created by the Treaty of Versailles by
which member nations would help preserve peace and
prevent future wars by pledging to respect and protect
each other’s territory and political independence.
Timeline of
Events leading up to WW2 -
1924: Benito Mussolini
(1883-1945) established himself as dictator of Italy in 1924 and
founded the ideology of Fascism.
Timeline of
Events leading up to WW2 -
1924: Joseph Stalin (1878 – 1953) established
himself as the Dictator of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
(USSR) and the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
Timeline of
Events leading up to WW2 -
1926: In 1926 Hirohito became the
Emperor of Japan and the symbol of the state
Timeline of
Events leading up to WW2 -
1929: The effects of the great
economic crisis of the Great Depression (1929 to 1939) are felt in
virtually all corners of the world. Anti-democratic countries form
Totalitarianism
governments that assert absolute and total control over the public
and private lives of people and begin to adopt policies of
expansion and aggression led by dictators
Timeline of
Events leading up to WW2 -
1930s: General Hideki
Tojo of Japan, a fascist, nationalist, and militarist,
played a key role in opening hostilities against China
in the 1930's - refer to
Japanese Militarism.
Timeline of
Events leading up to WW2 -
1933: Adolf Hitler (1889 – 1945) becomes Chancellor of
Germany and and head of the National Socialist German
Workers' Party, better known as the Nazi Party.
Timeline of
Events leading up to WW2 -
1933: FDR becomes President of
the US and implements the beginning of the New Deal with the Hundred
Days.
Timeline of
Events leading up to WW2 -
1934: Hitler establishes himself as dictator assuming
the title of "Fuhrer". Nazism shared many features of Fascism but
also featured racism.
Timeline of
Events leading up to WW2 -
1935: Italy invades Ethiopia (Abyssinia) in
October 1935
Timeline of
Events leading up to WW2 -
1935: US Congress passed a
series of Neutrality Acts (1935–1939) designed to avoid American
involvement in another World War by preventing loans to those
countries taking part in such conflicts
Timeline of
Events leading up to WW2 -
1936: General Francisco
Franco (1892-1975) overthrew the Spanish democratic republic in the
Spanish Civil War (1936-1939)
Timeline of
Events leading up to WW2 -
1936: Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy
form the Rome-Berlin Axis treaty on October 25, 1936
Timeline of
Events leading up to WW2 -
1936: Japan joined Germany in
signing the Anti-Comintern Pact (an anti-communist pact) against the
Soviet Union
Timeline of
Events leading up to WW2 -
1938 March 12 - Hitler annexes the country of
Austria into Germany
Timeline of
Events leading up to WW2 -
1938: In September 1938 France
and Britain enact a policy of appeasement, agreeing to the German
annexation of Czechoslovakia
Timeline of
Events leading up to WW2 -
1938: The Night of the Broken
Glass (Kristallnacht) occurs November 9-19 in which Nazis violently
attack Jews and destroy Jewish property
Continued...
Timeline of
Events leading up to WW2 for kids
Facts
and Timeline of
Events leading up to WW2 for kids
The following fact
sheet continues with facts and a Timeline of Events leading up
to WW2 in America for kids.
Timeline of
Events leading up to WW2 for kids
Timeline of
Events leading up to WW2 -
1939: General Franco
established himself as the Fascist dictator of Spain
Timeline of
Events leading up to WW2 -
1939: Adolf Hitler ordered
German troops to invade Czechoslovakia on 15 March 1939. The Germans
also took over Bohemia, and established a protectorate over
Slovakia.
Timeline of
Events leading up to WW2 -
1939: The Nazi-Soviet
Non-Aggression Pact signed August 23, 1939 in which Germany and the
Soviet Union pledged neutrality should either become involved in a
war
Timeline of
Events leading up to WW2 -
1939: On September 1, 1939, German forces invaded
Poland from the west.
Timeline of
Events leading up to WW2 -
1939: Britain and France
respond to the invasion forces by declaring war on Germany
September 3, 1939. The events leading up to WW2 had drawn to a
conclusion. World War II had begun...
Timeline of
Events leading up to WW2 -
1939: The United States declares its neutrality
on September 5, 1939
Timeline of
Events leading up to WW2 -
1939: The Soviet Union
invades Poland from the east on September 17, 1939. USSR and Germany
divide Poland.
Timeline of
Events leading up to WW2 -
1939: The Phoney War
(September 1939 to April 1940 ) was an eight-month period at the
start of World War II in which there was a lack of major military
operations and nothing seemed to happen.
Germany was preparing to defeat its
opponents in a series of short campaigns using the "Blitzkrieg"
(lightning war) strategy.
Timeline of
Events leading up to WW2 -
1939: The United States
Congress amend the Neutrality Acts on November 4, 1939 to favor
Britain and France
Timeline of
Events leading up to WW2 -
1939: On November 30, 1939 Soviet troops invade
Finland
Timeline of
Events leading up to WW2 -
1940: On April 9, 1940 Germany invades Denmark
and Norway
Timeline of
Events leading up to WW2 -
1940: On May 10, 1940 Holland, Belgium, and
Luxembourg are invaded by Germany
Timeline of
Events leading up to WW2 -
1940: On June 10, 1940 Italy
declares war on Britain and France. The British Prime Minister
Neville Chamberlain, who had favored appeasement resigns and Winston
Churchill becomes the new Prime Minister of Great Britain
Timeline of
Events leading up to WW2 -
1940: The evacuation of Allied
soldiers from the beaches and harbor of Dunkirk, France, between 27
May, 1940 and 4 June
Timeline of
Events leading up to WW2 -
1940: FDR is elected to an
unprecedented third term as president of the United States on
November 5, 1940
Timeline of
Events leading up to WW2 -
1940: On June 22, 1940 Germany attacks the Soviet
Union
Timeline of
Events leading up to WW2 -
1940: The British win the Battle of Britain
(August 8, 1940 - September 27, 1940)
Timeline of
Events leading up to WW2 -
1940: In September 1940, the
Tripartite Pact was signed forming the Axis powers of Germany,
Italy, and Japan, in which the three countries agreed to assist each
other if they were attacked by any additional power not yet at war
with them. The intended target was the United States.
Timeline of
Events leading up to WW2 -
1941: Congress signs the
Lend-Lease Act on March
11, 1941 by which the US government provided aid, economic and
other, to nations warring against the Axis Powers.
Timeline of
Events leading up to WW2 -
1941: August 11, 1941 FDR and
Winston Churchill form the
Atlantic Charter, establishing the war
aims of both nations
Timeline of
Events leading up to WW2 -
1941: On 4 September, 1941 the "Greer incident"
occurred on south of Iceland in the North Atlantic. The Greer became
the first US Navy war ship to be fired on by a German U-Boat but the
torpedoes missed their target.
Timeline of
Events leading up to WW2 -
1941: The USS Kearny was torpedoed on October 17, 1941 by a German
U-boat while on patrol off Greenland. The USS
Kearny but did not sink, but eleven men were killed and 22
men were injured in the explosion.
Timeline of
Events leading up to WW2 -
1941: On October 27, 1941 Franklin D. Roosevelt's
"Navy Day Address" on the Attack on the Destroyer Kearney. FDR
claimed to possess a secret Nazi map which demonstrated Hitler’s
intention to conquer Central and South America and designs against
the United States itself.
Timeline of
Events leading up to WW2 -
1941: On October 31, 1941 the U.S.S. Reuben James
was the first United States warship to be sunk during World War II
and resulted in the loss of 115 of 160 American crewmen. The
incidents in the Atlantic moved America nearer to outright
involvement in the European war. Refer to
USS Greer, Kearny and Reuben
James.
Timeline of
Events leading up to WW2 -
1941: The Japanese bomb the United States fleet
at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
Timeline of
Events leading up to WW2 -
1941: Britain and the United States declare war
on Japan on December 8, 1941 and America begins its fight in WW2
Timeline of
Events leading up to WW2 for kids
Facts
about
Events leading up to WW2 for kids:
For visitors interested in the history of
WW2 refer to the following articles:
Events leading up to WW2 for kids - President Franklin Roosevelt Video
The article on the Events leading up to WW2 provides detailed facts and a summary of one of the important events during his presidential term in office. The following
Franklin Roosevelt video will
give you additional important facts and dates about the political events experienced by the 32nd American President whose presidency spanned from March 4, 1933 to April 12, 1945.
Timeline of Events leading up to WW2
●
Interesting Timeline of Events leading up to WW2 for kids and schools
●
Summary and Timeline of the Events leading up to WW2
●
Timeline of
Events leading up to WW2
●
Franklin Roosevelt
Presidency and
Events leading up to WW2
●
Fast, fun facts and Timeline of the Events leading up to WW2
●
President Franklin Roosevelt and the Events leading up to WW2
● Franklin Roosevelt Presidency and
the events leading up to WW2 for schools,
homework, kids and children |
