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Period: to
History to Present
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Maximilian Affair
In defiance of the Monroe Doctrine, French Emperor Napoleon III placed Archduke Maximilian on Mexican throne, America warns France against intervention, with 50,000 combat troops being sent to the Mexican border by President Andrew Johnson -
U.S Annexes Hawii
American businessmen unhappy with Queen Liliuokalani attempt to set up absolute monarchy; overthrows her with no violence and proclaims provisional government; US Marines landed to protect American lives; Hawaii and President Harrison agree to annexation but treaty withdrawn (1893) by President Grover Cleveland who rejects annexation -
U.S. Intervention of Venezuela Crisis
A dispute with Britain over the boundary of Venezuela and a British colony; it is finally settled by arbitration and appealed to the United States for assistance, citing the Monroe Doctrine as justification for U.S. involvement. -
Spanish American War
America declares war on Spain. -
Treaty of Paris
US gains Philippines, Guam and Puerto Rico; pays Spain for claims; Cuba comes under temporary US control. -
U.S. Annexes Philippines
After the Spanish-American War (1898), the Philippines were given to the US. President McKinley felt Germany would take over the Philippines if the US did not. Many Filipinos wanted independence, and fighting began in 1899 and continued until 1902. -
U.S. issues an Open Door Policy
Established equal trading rights inside China; accepted by Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Russia and Japan. -
Hay–Pauncefote Treaty is signed
American agreement with Great Britain nullifying Clayton–Bulwer Treaty of 1850; guarantee of open passage for any nation through proposed Panama Canal. -
Platt Amendment is ratified
March 2. Rider attached to the Army Appropriations Bill of 1901 designed to protect Cuba's independence from foreign intervention. The amendment effectively makes Cuba a US protectorate and allowed for American intervention in Cuban affairs in 1906, 1912, 1917, and 1920. It also permitted America to lease Guantanamo Bay Naval Base. Rising Cuban nationalism and widespread criticism led to its abrogation in 1934 by the Ramón Grau administration. -
Theodore Roosevelt issues Big Stick Diplomacy
Theodore Roosevelt refers to US policy as "speaking softly and carrying a big stick", applied the same year by assisting Panama's independence movement from Colombia. US forces sought to protect American interests and lives during and following the Panamanian revolution over construction of the Isthmian Canal. US Marines were stationed on the isthmus (1903–1914) -
Mexican Revolution
hundreds of thousands of refugees flee to America; President William Howard Taft recognizes Francisco I. Madero's regime; Madero assassinated by Victoriano Huerta, not recognized by America. -
World War I
America declares war on Germany and later on Austria entering World War I -
World War I Ends
Woodrow Wilson gives his Fourteen Points. Statement of American war aims by Wilson, served as basis for Treaty of Versailles and created the League of Nations -
Washington Naval Conference
World's largest naval powers gathered in Washington, D.C. for a conference to discuss naval disarmament and ways to relieve growing tensions in East Asia. -
Dawes Plan
An attempt in 1924 to solve the World War I reparations problem that Germany had to pay, which had bedeviled international politics following World War I and the Treaty of Versailles. -
Kellogg–Briand Pact
A international agreement in which signatory states promised not to use war to resolve "disputes or conflicts of whatever nature or of whatever origin they may be, which may arise among them -
Stimson Doctrine
America will not recognize Japanese takeover of parts of China; policy endorsed by the League of Nations. -
Good Neighbor Policy
The Good Neighbor policy was the foreign policy of the administration of United States President Franklin Roosevelt towards Latin America. It also reinforced the idea that the United States would be a "good neighbor" and engage in reciprocal exchanges with Latin American countries -
World War II Begins
America stays neutral and doesn't involve in any way. -
U.S. states Oil embargo in Japan
Responding to Japanese occupation of key airfields in Indochina following an agreement between Japan and Vichy France, the U.S. froze Japanese assets on July 26, 1941, and on August 1 established an embargo on oil and gasoline exports to Japan. -
U.S. declares war on Japan
In response to that country's surprise attack on Pearl Harbor the prior day. It was formulated an hour after the Infamy Speech of US President Franklin D. Roosevelt. -
Germany and Italy declares war on U.S.
Four days after Pearl Harbor and in response Germany declares war. -
Casablanca Conference
Roosevelt and Churchill meet to plan European strategy. Unconditional surrender of Axis countries demanded, Soviet aid and participation, invasion of Sicily and Italy planned -
Cairo Conference
Roosevelt, Churchill and Chiang Kai-shek meet to make decisions about postwar Asia: Japan returns all territory, independent Korea. -
Tehran Conference
Roosevelt and Churchill meet with Stalin on the final push to Berlin. -
D-Day
Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Europe during World War II. The operation was launched on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings. -
Nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Surrender of Japan and lead to the beginning of the nuclear age and Cold War. -
Truman Doctrine
Gives military and economic aid to Greece and Turkey to halt spread of Communism and started the policy of "Containment" -
Berlin Airlift
America airlifted massive amounts of food, fuel and supplies into city. Soviet blockade lifted on May 12, 1949. -
America signs North Atlantic Treaty.
Creating NATO, a military alliance with the purpose of countering the Soviet Union and its allies. -
Korean War Begins
US sends in troops to stop North Korean invasion; UN votes support. US forces deployed in Korea exceeded 300,000. In September US-led invasion defeats North Korean army and the United Nations authorizes rollback strategy, with North Korea to come under UN control. In November Chinese forces enter North Korea; roll back UN-US-South Korean forces to below 38th parallel. -
Iran's coup
US and UK governments support shah's coup against Iran's Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh -
Korean War ends
After threats of use of nuclear weapons in Korean War, China agrees to negotiate. On July 27 armistice signed ending the Korean War -
Einsenhower Doctrine
Dwight D. Eisenhower gives the president authority to determine the necessity to assist any nation requesting assistance against armed aggression from any country controlled by international communism. Backing up Truman and his policy of Containment -
Bay of Pigs
CIA-trained Cuban exiles invaded Cuba and were defeated at the Bay of Pigs; captured and ransomed by President Kennedy -
U.S. intervenes in Vietnam
Nixon launches policy of Vietnamization, in which American ground troops in Vietnam were to be steadily reduced and the American role was to provide military training, equipment, and air support for the South Vietnamese. Vietnamization was intended to reduce American losses in Vietnam, and thus reduce the domestic pressure for a total withdrawal of American forces. Nixon's aim in Vietnam is to force a Korean War-type armistice. -
Nixon Doctrine
Nixon announces the Nixon Doctrine in which Nixon warns that the United States will not to any lengths to defend its allies, especially in Asia, and henceforth American allies must do more for their own defense. The doctrine is especially aimed at South Vietnam and is intended to pressure the South Vietnamese government to do a more effective job of fighting the Communists. -
Peace Paris Accords
The Paris Peace Accords, officially titled the Agreement on Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Vietnam. The treaty included the governments of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam), the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam), and the United States, as well as the Provisional Revolutionary Government (PRG) that represented indigenous South Vietnamese revolutionaries. -
Camp David Accords
The Camp David Accords were signed by Egyptian President Anwar El Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin on 17 September 1978, following twelve days of secret negotiations at Camp David. Due to the agreement, Sadat and Begin received the shared 1978 Nobel Peace Prize. The first framework (A Framework for Peace in the Middle East), which dealt with the Palestinian territories, was written without participation of the Palestinians and was condemned by the United Nations. -
Ronald Reagan declares to "tear down the wall"
"Tear down this wall!" is a line from a speech made by US President Ronald Reagan in West Berlin on June 12, 1987, calling for the leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, to open up the barrier which had divided West and East Berlin since 1961 -
Gulf War
The Gulf War codenamed Operation Desert Shield for operations leading to the buildup of troops and defence of Saudi Arabia and Operation Desert Storm in its combat phase, was a war waged by coalition forces from 35 nations led by the United States against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait. The war is also known under other names, such as the Persian Gulf War, First Gulf War, Gulf War I, Kuwait War, First Iraq War or Iraq War -
United States-India Peaceful Atomic Energy Cooperation Act
US no longer opposes India's civilian and military nuclear programs; bilateral relations improve. The 123 Agreement signed under which India agreed to separate its civil and military nuclear facilities and to place all its civil nuclear facilities under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards and, in exchange, the United States agreed to work toward full civil nuclear cooperation with India.
