The Second World War and the Americas (1933–1945)

Franklin D Roosevelt's pledge from 1933 that the US would not militarily intervene in Latin American affairs, aiming to build hemispheric trust and unity.

The US formally accepted the principle of non-intervention in the affairs of other American states.

That no European colony in the Americas could be transferred to another hostile power.

The 1935, 1936 and 1937 Neutrality Acts banned arms sales and loans to countries at war, reflecting US isolationism.

A US policy letting warring nations buy US arms if they paid cash and transported the goods themselves — it favoured Britain, which controlled the Atlantic.

It let the US lend or lease weapons and supplies to any country whose defence was seen as vital to US security, mainly Britain and later the USSR.

Japan attacked Pearl Harbor; the US declared war on Japan the next day, and Germany and Italy then declared war on the US.

The authoritarian president of Brazil (1930–1945) who balanced relations with Germany and the US before committing Brazil to the Allies in 1942.

German U-boats sank several Brazilian merchant ships in 1942, causing public outrage that forced Vargas to abandon neutrality.

Around 25,000 Brazilian troops who fought alongside the US Fifth Army in the Italian campaign, 1944–1945 — Brazil was the only South American country to send combat troops to Europe.

The US was pushed in by a direct attack on its own territory (Pearl Harbor); Brazil was pushed in by attacks on its shipping plus years of US diplomatic and economic groundwork under the Good Neighbor policy.

A term for how US industry converted to war production and supplied huge quantities of tanks, planes and ships to the Allies after 1941.

US wartime propaganda encouraging women to take factory jobs in war industries.

African American campaign for victory over fascism abroad and victory over racism at home.

A US programme bringing Mexican agricultural labourers into the US to fill jobs left by men in the military.

A political split between English and French-speaking (Québécois) Canadians over sending drafted troops overseas.

Authorized the forced removal and internment of around 120,000 Japanese Americans, signed by Franklin D Roosevelt.

The US Supreme Court upheld Japanese American internment as justified by military necessity.

About 22,000, under the War Measures Act; some restrictions on their rights lasted until 1949.

Over 2,200, mostly from Peru, were deported to US internment camps, partly to be used as hostages in prisoner exchanges with Japan.

Military necessity (avoiding a costly invasion) and diplomatic signalling of power to the Soviet Union ("atomic diplomacy").

Japan surrendered within days (15 August 1945), ending WWII; the bombings opened the nuclear age and shaped the Cold War arms race.

It ended the Great Depression: US industrial output nearly doubled and it became the leading global economy; Canada industrialized rapidly to become a top-five global economy.

Both became founding members of the United Nations (1945); the US permanently ended its isolationism and Canada gained new standing between Britain and the US.