7.2: The Great Depression & World War II

By s1740060

  • Hoover's Inauguration

    The last president of the Roaring Twenties and the first president of the Great Depression was elected on this day; everyone despised him during the Great Depression
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    Hoover's Presidency

  • Black Thursday

    The Wall Street Stock Market crashed on this day, putting the Great Depression into high gear.
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    Great Depression

    The worst economic crisis in American history, and lasted for a whopping 12 years.

  • Black Tuesday

    This was referring to the precipitous drop in the value of the Dow Jones Industrial Average on this day

  • Hawley-Smoot Tariff

    This raised tariffs on imported goods.

  • Japan takes over Manchuria

    Japan needed raw materials, so they invaded Manchuria to access said raw materials.

  • Bonus March

    Numerous WWI veterans protested near the White House, demanding the government to give them their bonuses, which were intended to be given to them in 1945.

  • The Ratification of the 20th Amendment

    This was an amendment that established that the day of presidential inaugurations would be January 20th.

  • Hitler becomes chancellor of Germany

    Hitler became chancellor, ending the Weimar Republic's reign in Germany.

  • Roosevelt's Inauguration

    Roosevelt won the election of 1932, so he ended up being inaugurated as president on this day.
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    FDR's Presidency

  • First Bank Holiday in US History

    This was established during FDR's first fireside chat, where he explained they closed banks on this day to make sure they're functioning properly.

  • Emergency Banking Relief Act (EBRA) Ratification

    This was a passed in the midst of the Great Depression that took steps to stabilize and restore confidence in the U.S. banking system

  • Beer-Wine Revenue Act Passed

    Legalized light alcohol no more than 3.5% concentration by weight, and put a $5 tax on each barre

  • Farm Credit Administration Established

    This provided low-interest farm loans and mortgages to prevent foreclosures on the property of indebted farmers

  • Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Established

    This employed about 3 million men to work on projects that benefited the public, planting trees to reforest areas, building levees for flood control, and improving national parks, you know, working on public works

  • Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) Established

    This was intended to increase farmers' purchasing power by reducing surpluses of agricultural products to encourage prices to rise back to levels; it was later declared unconstitutional in the Schechter v. USA case

  • Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) Established

    This was created to alleviate household unemployment by creating new unskilled jobs in local and state government

  • Tennessee Valley Authority Act Passed

    This controlled the flood waters of the Tennessee River to improve navigation.

  • Foundation of the Homeowners' Loan Corporation (HOLC)

    This provided mortgage relief to home owners at risk of losing their homes through foreclosure.

  • Glass-Steagall Act (GSA) Ratification

    This insured individual deposits up to $5000, thereby eliminating the epidemic of bank failure and restoring faith to banks.

  • Public Works Administration (PWA) Established

    This was designed to reduce unemployment and increase purchasing power through the construction of highways and public buildings.

  • National Recovery Administration (NRA) Established

    This was a U.S. government agency established by FDR to stimulate business recovery through fair-practice codes during this time.

  • Establishment of the Civil Works Administration (CWA)

  • US Recognition of the Soviet Union

    The USA recognized the USSR (even though the USSR has been a thing for a decade or two at the time)

  • The 21st Amendment Ratified

    This rectified the 18th and made the drinking age 21.

  • The Establishment of the Nye Committee

    This documented the huge profits that arms factories had made during the war. Essentially, they investigated arms manufacturers and bankers of World War I, and deduced that money was the sole reason America was involved in WWI.

  • Passing of the Tydings McDuffie Act

    This established that the Philippines would be an independent nation starting July 4, 1946

  • Establishment of Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

  • Indian Reorganization Act Passed

    This act decreased government control over Native American affairs, encouraging written constitutions, self-government, and a credit program to foster land purchases, education, and tribal organization

  • Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Established

    This insured bank-issued loans for home building and home buying.
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    Schechter V. United States

    This declared FDR's AAA unconstitutional

  • Works Progress Administration established

    This employed more than 8.5 million people on 1.4 million public projects in an attempt to relieve the economic hardship of the Great Depression

  • Wagner Act Passed

    Employees can join unions, yay.

  • Social Security Act Passed

    This created a social insurance program designed to pay retired workers age 65 or older a continuing income after retirement

  • 1st American Neutrality Act Passed

    You can't give weapons to warring nations, pal.

  • Italy invades Ethiopia

    Italy invaded Ethiopia of all places which was later liberated by the allies.

  • Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) Established

  • 2nd American Neutrality Act Passed

    You can't sell arms to warring nations, pal.

  • Germany acquires the Rhineland

  • Rural Electrification Administration Established (REA)

    This encouraged farmers to join cooperatives to bring electricity to farms; it was a flop.
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    Spanish Civil War

    This was a military revolt against the republican government of Spain, supported by conservative elements within the country.
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    Flint, Michigan Sit-Down at General Motors

  • 3rd American Neutrality Act Passed

    You can't buy war bonds from warring nations, pal.

  • Little Steel Strike (AKA: Republic Steel Strike/Memorial Day Massacre)

  • Roosevelt's Quarantine Speech

    Essentially, FDR concluded that us democracies should try and contain the forces of fascism; this didn't work, like, at all and people mocked this speech.

  • Hitler Annexes Austria (the "Anschluss")

  • Mexican Oil Crisis of 1938

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    Approximate Time Germany Got the Sudetenland

    Thanks, Neville Chamberlain, you gave Germany what you wanted, that being the Sudetenland, which may or may not lead to a war in September of the following year.

  • Francis Franco takes power in Spain

    Francis Franco became ultra powerful following the end of the Spanish Civil War.

  • Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact

    This was a non-aggression pact signed by Stalin and Hitler; essentially, Hitler cannot invade the Soviet Union by any means.

  • Hitler invades Poland

    Hitler invades Poland which went against Neville Chamberlain's deal, so Britain and France declare war on Germany.

  • Britain remains free of Nazi troops

    During summer of 1940, Britain was the only European nation NOT to be infested with the Nazi scum.

  • Destroyers for Bases Deal Established

  • Establishment of the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940

    Essentially, the draft from WWI returned, yippee.

  • Formation of Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis

    In typical GI Joe fashion, Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, and Imperial Japan join forces to create the Axis Powers.

  • Election of 1940

    FDR won, no big surprise.

  • Lend Lease Act Established

    Allied forces can now get American supplies to fight the Axis Powers
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    Operation Barbarossa

    The Nazis invaded the Soviet Union, essentially violating their non-aggression pact they signed with Stalin

  • Atlantic Charter

    Essentially, Winston Churchill and FDR can meet anytime to discuss wartime matters.

  • Shoot-On-Sight Policy Established

    With the Nazi attack on the Greer, FDR ordered American Navy to sink Axis Power military vessels.

  • Pearl Harbor Bombing

    Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, one of America's naval bases, enough said.

  • US entering WWII

    Outraged, America declared war on Japan, which by extension meant they waged war with the other two members of the Axis Powers.
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    World War II

  • Germany and Italy Declare War on the US

    Japan declared war on the USA, so logically, Germany and Italy soon followed.
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    Battle of Midway

    The Japanese attacked a US base on Midway, the Americans fought back, the Americans won, and it ultimately ended Japanese expansion.
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    Operation Manhattan

    These were a bunch of nuclear bomb tests done in secret within America.
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    Casablanca Conference

    Essentially, Churchill and FDR made this decision during this conference
    "Surrender, Axis Powers, no ifs, ands, or buts"
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    Tehran Conference

    The plans of this conference became the impetus of D-Day, or Operation: Overlord.

  • D-Day

    The Allied Forces stormed the French beach of Normandy; several months later, they succeeded in liberating France from Nazi control.
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    Battle of Leyte Gulf

    Our first attempted and failed invasion of Japan; first instance of Japanese kamikaze pilots.

  • Election of 1944

    FDR won this election, which broke the 2-term tradition
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    Battle of the Bulge

    This was a battle that was the bloodiest in WWII, which happened in the Ardennes region between Belgium and Luxembourg; the Allies was victorious. This was the last major offensive attempted by the Axis powers on the Western front.
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    Yalta Conference

    Essentially, these were plans that foreshadowed Germany's unconditional surrender and the eventual creation of the United Nations.
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    Battle of Okinawa

    Last couple of days of Japan fighting the Americans; they resorted to kamikaze fighting during this war.

  • Franklin D. Roosevelt Passed Away

    FDR died of a stroke this day, much to the sorrow of the majority of the American public.
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    Harry Truman's Presidency

  • Hitler's Death

    As the Soviets close in on Berlin, where Hitler's bunker is located, he decides to commit suicide to avoid the Soviets' wrath.

  • Germany surrenders

    A week after Hitler committed suicide, Germany surrendered, leaving Japan as the last man standing.
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    Potsdam Conference

    Essentially, this whole conference was one thing: what to do with Germany now that it's effectively crippled?

  • Hiroshima & Nagasaki Bombings

    We bombed two Japanese cities to the point where they were completely leveled thanks to the power of atomic bombs.

  • Japan surrenders

    At long last, Japan surrendered, with the condition that Hirohito remains the emperor.

  • The Creation Of The United Nations

    The UN was created with 15 nations at the helm.