WWII

• World war 2

  America had not joined the League of Nations, an international peace- keeping organisation, at the end of WWI. Instead it focused onbuilding up its economy and trade links. Isolationism carried on well into the 1930s.
• 1939

  WWII breaks out.

  America declares support for Britain and France. FDR persuades congress to change the neutrality laws to allow the USA to help Britain and France. The USA sold high quality weapons to Britain and France.

  Nov – Britain and France began to buy US weapons, warship and planes, known as the ‘Cash and Carry Plan’. This created valuable production jobs.
• Relationships

  After a strained relationship between Japan and America throughout the 1930s over Japan’s invasion or China and America’s refusal to sell Japan oil and steel (which they needed as they used millions of tons each year) the relationship grew worse. Japanese military leaders planned a secret attack on US ships at a naval base.
• December 1941

  Japanese bombers attacked Pearl Harbour. 177 US planes were destroyed, 2000 men were killed. The next day America and Britain declared war on Japan. Three says later Germany and Italy declared war on America.