International Treaties and Relations Pre-WWII

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Questions and Answers

What were the three treaties constructed at the Washington Conference?

Five-Power Treaty, Four-Power Treaty, Nine-Power Treaty

What year was the Washington Conference held?

1921

What did the Five-Power Treaty agree to do regarding the navies of the participating countries?

Maintain a ratio with their largest battleships.

What did the Four-Power Treaty agree to do regarding their Pacific territories?

Respect each other's Pacific territories. Signup and view all the answers

What did the Nine-Power Treaty agree to do regarding the Open Door Policy in China?

Respect the Open Door Policy in China. Signup and view all the answers

What year was the Kellogg-Briand Pact signed?

1928 Signup and view all the answers

What did the Kellogg-Briand Pact renounce?

Wars for national purposes. Signup and view all the answers

What was the US's relationship with Latin America like in the period before World War II?

The US had a growing economic presence in Latin America, with increased investments, but military influence declined. Signup and view all the answers

What discovery in the Middle East led to a "dash" for drilling rights?

Oil. Signup and view all the answers

What did Congress pass in 1922 that negatively impacted European countries?

A new tariff on manufactured goods. Signup and view all the answers

The US was a debtor nation before World War II.

False (B) Signup and view all the answers

What did the Dawes Plan propose to do to help Germany's financial situation?

Lend Germany money to rebuild their economy. Signup and view all the answers

How did Hoover's policy differ from Taft and Wilson's regarding Latin America?

Hoover's policy focused on friendly relations and ended interventionist policies, withdrawing troops from Nicaragua and Haiti. Signup and view all the answers

What did Japan do in the early 1930s that defied the Open Door Policy and the League of Nations?

Invaded Manchuria. Signup and view all the answers

What doctrine did Secretary of State Stimson articulate in response to Japan's actions in Manchuria?

Stimson Doctrine. Signup and view all the answers

What was FDR's "Good Neighbor Policy" based on?

Non-intervention in Latin American internal affairs (C) Signup and view all the answers

What did FDR convince Congress to repeal in regards to Cuba?

The Platt Amendment Signup and view all the answers

What did FDR urge Americans to do when Mexico seized control of American-owned oil properties in 1938?

Negotiate with the Mexican government. Signup and view all the answers

What event signaled a shift in US-Soviet relations?

FDR recognized the Soviet Union in 1933. Signup and view all the answers

What did FDR push for in regards to the Philippines?

Independence and troop removal. Signup and view all the answers

What policy did FDR promote to increase trade?

Reciprocal trade agreements. Signup and view all the answers

In what year did Mussolini form his Fascist government in Italy?

1922 Signup and view all the answers

What ideology does fascism promote?

Glorifying the nation and race through aggression and domination. Signup and view all the answers

What year did Hitler and the Nazi party gain control of the German government?

1933 Signup and view all the answers

What did Japan promote in the 1920s and 1930s that led to its invasion of China and other areas of the Pacific?

Nationalism and militarism. Signup and view all the answers

What was the Spanish Civil War fought between?

Fascists of Francisco Franco and those who opposed him. Signup and view all the answers

Who formed the America First Committee?

Charles Lindbergh Signup and view all the answers

What did many Americans believe about US involvement in World War I?

That it was a mistake. Signup and view all the answers

What did the Nye Committee conclude about the reasons for US involvement in World War I?

The main reason was to serve the greed of wealthy bankers and industrialists. Signup and view all the answers

What did the Neutrality Act of 1935 authorize the president to do regarding arms shipments?

Prohibit arms shipments. Signup and view all the answers

What did the Neutrality Act of 1936 prohibit?

Extension of loans and credits to belligerents. Signup and view all the answers

In what year did Italy take over Ethiopia?

1935 Signup and view all the answers

In what year did Germany send troops into the Rhineland?

1936 Signup and view all the answers

What event happened after Japan continued its war with China and sank a US ship?

Japan apologized. Signup and view all the answers

What did Germany take in 1938?

The Sudetenland. Signup and view all the answers

What agreement was made at the Munich Pact?

Hitler could take the Sudetenland but promised no more aggression. Signup and view all the answers

What is appeasement?

Giving something to an aggressive power to keep the peace. Signup and view all the answers

What did a treaty after World War I prohibit the uniting of?

Germany and Austria. Signup and view all the answers

What event happened after Hitler took Austria into Germany?

Austria was forcibly taken into Germany. Signup and view all the answers

What was the significance of Hitler taking all of Czechoslovakia in 1939?

It violated the Munich Pact and led to Britain and France pledging to fight if Poland was attacked. Signup and view all the answers

What pact was made between Hitler and Stalin, even though they were ideologically opposed, and what was the outcome?

The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact; Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. Signup and view all the answers

What countries were involved in the Locarno Pact?

Germany, France, Great Britain, and Italy. Signup and view all the answers

What was the significance of the 1936 Pan-American Conference in Argentina?

FDR attended, promoted disputes for arbitration, and united the hemisphere against Europe if needed. Signup and view all the answers

What did President Roosevelt's policies transition from?

Isolationism to assisting the Allies. Signup and view all the answers

What policy enabled the US to send arms to belligerents in World War II?

Cash and carry. Signup and view all the answers

What act did the US enact in 1940 that established a draft and began training soldiers?

Selective Service Act. Signup and view all the answers

What was the "destroyers for bases" deal between the US and Britain?

The US traded 50 old destroyers for bases in the Caribbean from the British. Signup and view all the answers

Who did FDR defeat in the 1940 presidential election?

Wendell Willkie. Signup and view all the answers

What did FDR outline in his "Four Freedoms" speech?

Freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from want, freedom from fear. Signup and view all the answers

What did the Lend-Lease Act do?

Halted the "cash and carry" policy and allowed the US to sell to Britain on credit. Signup and view all the answers

What did Churchill and FDR create in the Atlantic Charter?

A document promoting self-determination, an end to territorial expansion, and free trade post-war. Signup and view all the answers

What did FDR order the US Navy to do after the USS Greer was attacked by a German submarine?

Attack all German ships on sight. Signup and view all the answers

What powers formed the Axis powers?

Japan allied with Germany and Italy. Signup and view all the answers

What did the US implement against Japan in July 1941?

An oil embargo. Signup and view all the answers

What event happened on December 7, 1941?

Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. Signup and view all the answers

What did Congress do the day after Pearl Harbor?

Declares war on Japan. Signup and view all the answers

What major event happened in the war in Europe in the summer of 1941?

Hitler broke the non-aggression pact and invaded the Soviet Union. Signup and view all the answers

What policy did Churchill, FDR, and Stalin agree on?

Defeat Germany and Italy first before fighting in the Pacific. Signup and view all the answers

What was the War Production Board responsible for?

Managing war industries, setting production, and controlling raw materials. Signup and view all the answers

What was the Office of Price Administration primarily responsible for?

Freezing consumer prices, wages, and rent, and using rationing for commodities. Signup and view all the answers

How much did federal spending increase during World War II?

1000% Signup and view all the answers

What did businesses experience during the war?

High profits, low unemployment, and a widening gap between big and small companies. Signup and view all the answers

What did the Office of Research and Development focus on?

Developing new technologies and weapons. Signup and view all the answers

What year did the Manhattan Project begin?

1939 Signup and view all the answers

What happened to unions during the war?

They agreed to no strikes due to businesses making millions and wages being frozen. Signup and view all the answers

What did the US government do to finance the war?

Increased income tax and sold war bonds. Signup and view all the answers

What did the Office of War Information do?

Controlled news about troop movements and battles and pushed movies, radio, and music to support the war. Signup and view all the answers

Why is World War II often remembered as the "Good War" by Americans?

It brought unity to the nation that transcended political and social divides. Signup and view all the answers

How many African Americans left the South during World War II?

1.5 million Signup and view all the answers

Where did people move to get jobs during World War II?

Urban areas in the Midwest and West Coast Signup and view all the answers

How many African Americans served in the military during World War II?

1 million Signup and view all the answers

What was the "Double V" campaign?

Victory over fascism abroad and victory over racism at home for African Americans. Signup and view all the answers

What organization was formed during World War II to address racial equality?

Congress of Racial Equality (CORE). Signup and view all the answers

What did FDR's executive order prohibit?

Discrimination in government and businesses that got government contracts. Signup and view all the answers

What agreement allowed Mexican farmworkers to come to the US during World War II?

The Bracero Program. Signup and view all the answers

What happened to American Indians during World War II?

They served in the military and defense, and many never went back to reservations. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Washington Conference Treaties

Five Power Treaty: Naval powers (US, GB, Japan, France, Italy) agreed to maintain a ratio of battleship strength; US and GB agreed not to fortify Pacific territories.
Four Power Treaty: US, France, GB, and Japan agreed to respect each other's Pacific territories.
Nine Power Treaty: China, Japan, Netherlands, US, GB, Italy, France, Belgium, and Portugal agreed to the Open Door Policy in China.

Kellogg-Briand Pact

1928 pact signed by almost all nations.
Nations renounced war for national purposes, allowing only for defensive wars.
No punishment was stipulated for violating the pact.

US and Latin America (Pre-WWII)

US investment in Latin America doubled.
US military influence in the region declined.
US-Mexico relations improved after Mexico's revolution with negotiation to avoid property confiscation.

Middle East Significance

Discovery of oil in the Middle East led to intense competition for drilling rights between US and GB.

Tariffs (Pre-WWII)

1922 tariffs on manufactured goods hurt European economies.
These tariffs led to retaliatory tariffs on US goods and hindered European repayment of war debts.
This contributed to the Great Depression.

Creditor Nation (US)

US exported more than it imported.
US lent more than it borrowed.
US demanded full repayment of war debts from GB and France, but this was impossible given Germany's debt to them.

Dawes Plan

Coolidge's VP proposed this plan to lend money to Germany to rebuild their economy.
Repayment of reparations was eased for all parties.

Hoover's Policy in Latin America

End of interventionist policies (Taft and Wilson).
Removal of troops from Nicaragua and Haiti.

Early Japanese Aggression

Early 1930s, Japan violated the Open Door Policy and the League of Nations by invading Manchuria.
The League's condemnation was ineffective, and Japan withdrew.

Stimson Doctrine

US Secretary of State Stimson opposed the Japanese-controlled government in Manchuria (Manchukuo).

FDR's Good Neighbor Policy

No intervention in Latin American internal affairs.
Overturned the Roosevelt Corollary.

FDR and Cuba

FDR convinced Congress to repeal the Platt Amendment, ending US control over Cuba but maintaining the naval base.

FDR and Mexico

FDR urged Americans to negotiate with the Mexican government after it seized American oil properties in 1938.

FDR and Soviet Union

FDR recognized the Soviet Union in 1933, increasing trade.

FDR and the Philippines

FDR pushed for Philippine independence and troop removal in 1946 due to economic constraints.

Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act

FDR lowered tariffs to expand trade.
US could lower tariffs up to 50% for countries reciprocating.

Fascist Italy

Benito Mussolini formed a fascist government in Italy in 1922.

Fascism

Glorifies the nation and race through aggression and domination.

Nazi Germany

Hitler and the Nazi party gained control of the German government in 1933 and increased military might in violation of the Treaty of Versailles.

Japan (1920s-1930s)

Japan promoted nationalism and militarism, leading to invasions of China and the Pacific.

Spanish Civil War

1936 war between fascists led by Francisco Franco and those opposed.
US remained uninvolved.
Franco was victorious.

America First Committee

Formed by Charles Lindbergh, advocating against US involvement in the European and Japanese wars.

American Isolationists

Viewed WWI involvement as a mistake.
Opposed further American involvement in war.

Neutrality Acts (1935-1937)

1935: Prohibited arms shipments and US travel on belligerent ships.
1936: Forbade loans and credits to belligerents.
1937: Prohibited arms shipments to the sides in the Spanish Civil War.

Italy's Invasion of Ethiopia (1935)

Italy took over Ethiopia.

Germany in the Rhineland (1936)

Germany sent troops into the Rhineland.

Japan's Actions and Apology (1937)

Japan continued its war with China and sank a US ship, but then apologized.

Germany's Takeover of the Sudetenland (1938)

Germany annexed the Sudetenland region.

Munich Pact

GB and France appeased Hitler by allowing him the Sudetenland in exchange for a promise of no further aggression.

Appeasement

Giving concessions to an aggressive power to maintain peace.

Treaty of Versailles and Austria/Germany

Treaty of Versailles forbade the unification of Austria and Germany.

Anschluss

Hitler annexed Austria into Germany.

Hitler's Violation of the Munich Pact

Hitler took all of Czechoslovakia in March 1939 despite promises in the Munich Pact.
GB and France pledged to defend Poland if attacked.

Poland's Significance

Hitler and Stalin signed a non-aggression pact and agreed to split Poland.
Hitler invaded Poland on September 1, 1939.

Locarno Pact

1925 agreement among France, GB, Italy, and Germany to refrain from aggression, establish a demilitarized zone along the Rhine River, and guarantee borders.

Pan-American Conferences

1933 Uruguay- No US intervention in foreign affairs.
1936 Argentina- FDR attended, established dispute arbitration method, and discussed uniting the hemisphere against European intervention (if necessary).

Shifting US Policies

FDR transitioned from isolationism to supporting the Allies indirectly.

Cash and Carry

US could sell arms to belligerents if they paid cash and used their own ships.

Selective Service Act (1940)

US instituted a military draft, training 1.2M.

Destroyers for Bases Deal

US traded 50 old destroyers for naval bases in the Caribbean from Britain.

1940 Election

FDR won a third term, beating Wendell Willkie.

Four Freedoms Speech

FDR addressed the nation and outlined the Four Freedoms: freedom from speech, freedom from religion, freedom from want, and freedom from fear; justifying financial assistance to Britain in the war.

Lend-Lease Act

US replaced cash and carry with lending arms to GB and Allies.

Atlantic Charter

Joint declaration by Churchill and FDR.
Promoted self-determination, end to expansionism, and free trade.

Shooting on Sight

FDR ordered US ships to patrol water and take action against German/Italian ships.

Axis Powers

Japan allied with Germany and Italy.

Oil Embargo

US placed an embargo on vital materials, like oil, steel, and rubber, to pressure Japan in 1941.

Pearl Harbor

Dec 7, 1941: Japan attacked Pearl Harbor.
The attack was a surprise, but some expected military action.

US Declaration of War

US declared war on Japan following Pearl Harbor.
Germany and Italy declared war on the US.

War in Europe (1941-1942)

Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941 broke the non-aggression pact.

Europe First Policy

Allied agreement to defeat Germany and Italy before Japan.

War Production Board

Managed US war industries.
Set production quotas.
Controlled raw materials.

Office of Price Administration

Controlled prices, wages, and rent.
Implemented rationing for essential goods.
Led to black markets.

Federal Spending

Increased 1000% due to the war.
Deficit spending was utilized.

US Businesses During the War

High profits.
Low unemployment (1.2%).
Greater industry output than the Axis Powers combined.
Growing gap between large and small businesses.

Office of Research and Development (ORD)

Managed many vital scientific developments.

Manhattan Project

Created the first atomic weapons.
Involved significant European scientific talent.

Labor Unions During the War

No strikes were permitted.
Worker discontent existed as profits increased alongside frozen wages.
The Connally Anti-Strike Act allowed the government to take over war-related operations if a strike was anticipated.

Financing the War

Increased income taxes.
War bonds were sold.

Office of War Information (OWI)

Controlled news dissemination.
Promoted war support messaging via media.

America's "Good War" Representation

National unity aspect of the war effort.

African American Migration (WWII)

1.5 million African Americans left the South.

African Americans' Employment Shift

Moved to urban areas in the Midwest and West Coast.

African Americans in Military Service

1 million African Americans served in the military.

Double V Campaign

African American's campaign for victory over fascism and racism.

Congress of Racial Equality (CORE)

A Civil Rights organization formed during the war.
NAACP membership increased.

Executive Order to Prohibit Discrimination

FDR prohibited discrimination in hiring and practices concerning federal contracts and businesses.

Mexican Americans in Military Service

300,000 Mexican Americans served.

Bracero Program

Agreement allowing Mexican laborers to work in US agriculture temporarily.
Involved exploitation. Attacked during the Zoot Suit Riots.

American Indians in the War

Served in military and defense industries.
Many did not return to reservations after the war.
Served as "code talkers", giving strategic communication advantage.

Japanese Americans and Internment

100,000 Japanese Americans were relocated to internment camps (interned).
Korematsu v. U.S. upheld the internment camps.
Many served in the military; 20,000 Japanese American soldiers. 1988 reparations were paid.

Women's Roles in the War

Over 200,000 women served in noncombat roles in the military; 5 million women entered the workforce.
24% of married women entered the workforce.
"Rosie the Riveter" promoted women's role in defense industries.
Gender pay gap was persistent.

Battle of the Atlantic

Long battle for control of shipping lanes; Allies eventually gained the upper hand.
Utilizing radar and sonar.

Strategic Bombing

Focused on military targets in Europe, but eventually civilian targets were also attacked.

Operation Torch

Allied invasion of North Africa through North Africa and into Italy in 1942-1943.

D-Day

June 6, 1944: Allied invasion of France at Normandy.
Liberated France; Paris liberated by mid-August.
Moved into Germany by September.

Battle of the Bulge

German counteroffensive in December 1944.
Allies pushed back.

German Surrender

April 30, 1945, Hitler committed suicide.
Unconditional German surrender on May 7, 1945.

Battle of Midway

Significant Allied victory; shifted control in the Pacific toward the Allies.

Island Hopping

US strategy of capturing strategic islands in the Pacific.

Douglas MacArthur

Pacific US commander; led successful operations in the Philippines.
Significant naval defeat of Japanese at Battle of Leyte Gulf.

Kamikaze Pilots

Japanese suicide pilots; inflicted heavy damage during the Battle of Okinawa.

Robert Oppenheimer

Director of the Manhattan Project; led to the successful atomic bomb test in July 1945.

Truman and Atomic Bombings

Truman ordered the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Japanese Surrender

Japan surrendered on August 15, 1945.
Kept the Emperor as head of state.

Casablanca Conference

Churchill and FDR agreed on Europe first and unconditional surrender; Sicily and Italy invasion was discussed.

Tehran Conference

Big 3 (FDR, Churchill, Stalin) met in 1943 to agree on the D-Day plan and the Soviet invasion of Germany.

Yalta Conference

February 1945 Conference with the Big 3 to agree on dividing Germany into occupation zones.
Planned free elections in Eastern Europe.
Soviets agreeing to enter the war against Japan.
Soviets gaining control of some Pacific territory.
United Nations formed.

FDR's Death

FDR died on April 12, 1945, Harry Truman became president.

Potsdam Conference

July 1945 meeting of Stalin, Atlee, and Truman.
Agreed on demanding Japan's unconditional surrender.
Divided Germany and Berlin into four occupation zones.

WWII Legacy

Estimated 70-80 million deaths (1/3 in the Soviet Union).
15M served in military; 400,000 fatalities.
US emerged as a powerful nation with growing national debt.

United Nations

US became a founding member of the UN.

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Description

This quiz covers significant international treaties like the Washington Conference Treaties and the Kellogg-Briand Pact, as well as the evolving U.S. relations with Latin America and the Middle East before World War II. Test your knowledge on how these agreements and policies shaped geopolitical landscapes.