1938-1941 Events leading up to WW2

By rachael146

  • Munich Agreement Signed

    Hitler set his eyes on the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia.With Hitler making urgent territorial demands and under the suggestion of Roosevelt, the leaders of Britain and Francedecided to hold a conference in Munich, Germany to settle the matter peacefully. Germany, France, Britain, and France finally completed an agreement on September 29, 1938.

  • Albania is invaded by Italy

    the Albanian foreign ministry was merged in with the Italian foreign ministry.n response to this action, Britain and France began to form an alliance and build up their military forces.

  • Poland invaded by Germany

    The actual invasion began when the Germans planned an attack on a German radio station.Then the Germans blamed the Polish, and the German Army began their assault.Two weeks later, the Red Army invaded the eastern regions of Poland.By October 1, the armies overran Poland, although the government never officially surrendered

  • Neutrality Act of 1939

    This new neutrality act gave the president the power to proclaim certain danger zones, witch prevented American merchant ships from sailing into potentially threatening waters.In the end, the Neutrality Act of 1939 helped bring America out of its recession, as demands for munitions in Europe were very high.This act also clearly showed which side the neutral America supported

  • Roosevelt Grants Destroyers to Britain

    America agreed to grant them fifty destroyers.In return, Great Britain agreed to hand over valuable defensive base sites stretching from Newfoundland to South America.This act of generosity was just another indication that America would continue to support its overseas allies in the war, even if America itself was not going to offer soldiers.America was definitely shifting from a neutral country to one that sincerely wanted to aid its allies.

  • Tripartite Pact Signed

    Germany, Italy, and the Empire of Japan entered into a military alliance.The pact formally founded the Axis Powers that opposed the Allied Powers.The alliance was also used as a warning to the United States to remain neutral in the war.

  • FDR is Reelected

    Roosevelt's reelection meant that America would continue to economically support the Allied powers.Roosevelt had shown that he was sympathetic to the British when he chose to grant destroyer ships to the British in September 1940.This was very important because Germany was definitely in control of Europe

  • Lend-Lease Act is Signed

    America agreed to send war material to the Allied powers.In a sense, America was pledging itself to fight the Axis powers because their equipment and machinery would be used.This approach was praised as a method of keeping the nation out of the war because America would not feel as guilty about its absence of participation if it was providing direct aid to the cause.

  • Germany Invades USSR

    itler led a surprising and devastating attack on the USSR, believing that defeating the Soviets would be quick and easy, as Hitler's troops were believed to be far more superior than Stalin's.Hitler could then move on to take out Britain.

  • Japanese Assets Are Frozen

    Japan could either ease up on its control in Asia, specifically China and Indochina, and hope that America would ease up its embargo or they could take an offensive and invade more lands, risking starting a war with America and the Allies.Japan chose the latter, attacking America at Pearl Harbor a few months later.American Action