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Kellogg-Briand Pact
Arms control agreement that outlawed war as an instrument of national policy following World War I. The policy proved unenforceable. -
Neutrality Acts are passed
Legislation passed by Congress between 1935 and 1937 to make it more difficult for the United States to become entangled in overseas conflicts. The Neutrality Acts reflected the strength of isolationist sentiment in 1930s America. -
Munich Accord Signed
Agreement between Germany, Great Britain, and France, which allowed Germany to annex the Sudetenland, a western region of Czechoslovakia, in an agreement Germany would not acquire any more land afterwards. However, the following year German troops occupied the rest of Czechoslovakia. This is an example of appeasement. -
Tripartite Signed
1940 mutual defense agreement between Japan, Germany, and Italy. The goal of this was largely to deter the U.S. away from joining the war. -
France Surrenders to German Forces
France surrendered to German forces. This greatly changed American attitudes toward entering the war. Before Germany invaded France, 82 percent of Americans thought that the United States should not aid the Allies. But, after France's defeat, some 80 percent of Americans favored assisting Great Britain in some way. -
America First Committee Founded
Isolationist organization founded by Senator Gerald Nye in 1940 to keep the United States out of World War II. -
Selective Training and Service Act Passed
The U.S legislation passed the Selective Training and Service Act which required men between the ages of 18 and 35 to register for the draft, later expanded to age 45. It was the first peacetime draft in U.S. history. -
The Atlantic Charter is signed
The Atlantic Charter was an agreement between Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill that outlined potential war aims and cemented the relationship between the United States and Britain. -
Lend-Lease Act Passed
Gave Roosevelt virtually unlimited authority to direct material aid such as ammunition, tanks, and airplanes, to the war effort in Europe without breaking the Neutrality Act. This showed American support of the allies. -
Attack on Pearl Harbor
Japanese attack on the U.S. Pacific Fleet stationed at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii. This surprise air and naval assault killed more than 2,400 Americans, seriously damaged ships and aircraft, and abruptly ended isolationism by promoting US entry into WWII.