AP US History Flashcards: Interwar Foreign Policy

What this deck covers

This deck focuses on Interwar Foreign Policy, giving you a quick way to review the definitions, rules, and examples that matter most for AP US History.

How to use these flashcards

Work through these flashcards in short sessions. Try to answer each prompt before flipping the card, then revisit any cards you miss until the explanation feels automatic.

Flashcard 1: Identify the main aim of the Munich Agreement of 1938.

Answer: To appease Nazi Germany by ceding Sudetenland. Represented failed policy of appeasement toward Hitler.

Flashcard 2: What was the significance of the U.S. recognition of the Soviet Union in 1933?

Answer: It established formal diplomatic relations. Ended 16 years of diplomatic isolation.

Flashcard 3: What was the purpose of the Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act of 1934?

Answer: To reduce tariffs and promote international trade. Moved away from protectionist Hawley-Smoot policies.

Flashcard 4: What was the main consequence of the Neutrality Act of 1937?

Answer: It introduced the 'cash and carry' provision for non-military goods. Allowed trade while maintaining technical neutrality.

Flashcard 5: What was the main objective of the London Economic Conference of 1933?

Answer: To combat global depression through international cooperation. Failed when Roosevelt prioritized domestic recovery.

Flashcard 6: What was the primary focus of the Nye Committee in the 1930s?

Answer: Investigating arms manufacturers and their influence on U.S. entry into WWI. Concluded that arms dealers influenced war entry.

Flashcard 7: Which event led to the U.S. adoption of the Stimson Doctrine?

Answer: Japan's invasion of Manchuria. Response to Japanese aggression in Northeast China.

Flashcard 8: Identify the primary goal of the Washington Naval Conference (1921-1922).

Answer: To limit naval armaments among major powers. Established naval tonnage ratios among major powers.

Flashcard 9: What did the Atlantic Charter of 1941 outline?

Answer: Allied goals for a post-war world. Established principles for peace and democracy.

Flashcard 10: What was the economic strategy behind the Dawes Plan?

Answer: To stabilize the German economy with American loans. Created circular flow of American investment and reparations.

Flashcard 11: Which act in 1936 aimed to prevent U.S. involvement in the Spanish Civil War?

Answer: The Neutrality Act of 1936. Extended neutrality restrictions to civil conflicts.

Flashcard 12: Which U.S. President implemented the Good Neighbor Policy?

Answer: Franklin D. Roosevelt. Marked a shift from previous interventionist approaches.

Flashcard 13: What did the U.S. aim to achieve at the World Disarmament Conference of 1932?

Answer: Global reduction in arms and military expenditures. Ultimately failed due to international tensions.

Flashcard 14: Which 1930s policy did the U.S. use to oppose European colonialism in Latin America?

Answer: Good Neighbor Policy. Promoted hemispheric solidarity against European influence.

Flashcard 15: What was the main effect of the Johnson Debt Default Act of 1934?

Answer: Prohibited loans to countries that defaulted on WWI debts. Aimed to recover unpaid war debts from allies.

Flashcard 16: Which act allowed the U.S. to sell arms to Allied nations in 1939?

Answer: The Neutrality Act of 1939. Modified earlier acts to help Britain and France.

Flashcard 17: What was the primary focus of the Nye Committee in the 1930s?

Answer: Investigating arms manufacturers and their influence on U.S. entry into WWI. Concluded that arms dealers influenced war entry.

Flashcard 18: What was the main objective of the Neutrality Acts of the 1930s?

Answer: To prevent U.S. involvement in foreign wars. Reflected strong isolationist sentiment after WWI.

Flashcard 19: What was the main impact of the Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act of 1930?

Answer: It worsened the Great Depression by reducing international trade. Raised tariffs to highest levels in U.S. history.

Flashcard 20: Identify the main purpose of the Young Plan of 1929.

Answer: To reduce Germany's reparation payments. Further reduced Germany's financial burden from WWI.

Flashcard 21: Which country was excluded from the Washington Naval Treaty?

Answer: Soviet Union. The U.S. had not yet recognized the communist state.

Flashcard 22: What was the main purpose of the Kellogg-Briand Pact of 1928?

Answer: To renounce war as a national policy. Though idealistic, it lacked enforcement mechanisms.

Flashcard 23: Which policy did the U.S. use to reject Japanese territorial acquisitions?

Answer: Stimson Doctrine. Also known as non-recognition doctrine.

Flashcard 24: Which policy aimed to improve U.S. relations with Latin America in the 1930s?

Answer: The Good Neighbor Policy. Replaced intervention with diplomatic cooperation.

Flashcard 25: Which event ended the U.S. adherence to the Neutrality Acts?

Answer: The outbreak of World War II. Hitler's invasion of Poland made neutrality untenable.

Flashcard 26: What was the purpose of the U.S. 'Good Neighbor' policy toward Latin America?

Answer: To foster mutual respect and non-intervention. Abandoned military intervention for diplomatic cooperation.

Flashcard 27: What was the main purpose of the Export-Import Bank established in 1934?

Answer: To finance and facilitate U.S. exports. Promoted American economic interests abroad.

Flashcard 28: Which 1924 plan aimed to restructure Germany's World War I reparations?

Answer: The Dawes Plan. Provided American loans to help Germany pay reparations.

Flashcard 29: What was the primary focus of the Tydings-McDuffie Act of 1934?

Answer: Philippine independence. Established timeline for complete independence by 1946.

Flashcard 30: Identify the main goal of the Hoover Moratorium of 1931.

Answer: To postpone international debt payments. Responded to economic crisis of the Great Depression.

Flashcard 31: Identify the main goal of the Ludlow Amendment proposal.

Answer: To require a national referendum for U.S. entry into war. Reflected deep isolationist sentiment but never passed.

Flashcard 32: What did the Neutrality Act of 1935 prohibit?

Answer: The sale of arms to belligerent nations. First major isolationist legislation of the decade.

Flashcard 33: What was the primary focus of the Tydings-McDuffie Act of 1934?

Answer: Philippine independence. Established timeline for complete independence by 1946.

Flashcard 34: What was the primary goal of the U.S. in the Treaty of Versailles negotiations?

Answer: To establish the League of Nations. Wilson's Fourteen Points emphasized international organization.

Flashcard 35: What was the main aim of the U.S. isolationist policy in the interwar period?

Answer: To avoid involvement in European conflicts. Sought to avoid repeating WWI entanglement mistakes.

Flashcard 36: What was the economic strategy behind the Dawes Plan?

Answer: To stabilize the German economy with American loans. Created circular flow of American investment and reparations.

Flashcard 37: Identify the purpose of the Pan-American Conferences during the 1930s.

Answer: To promote cooperation among American states. Strengthened inter-American diplomatic relations.

Flashcard 38: Which treaty sought to resolve U.S.-Mexican disputes through arbitration?

Answer: The Bucareli Treaty. Resolved oil and property disputes from Mexican Revolution.

Flashcard 39: Which act allowed the U.S. to sell arms to Allied nations in 1939?

Answer: The Neutrality Act of 1939. Modified earlier acts to help Britain and France.

Flashcard 40: Which policy did the U.S. adopt in response to Japanese aggression in Asia?

Answer: Non-recognition of territorial changes. Known as the Stimson Doctrine of non-recognition.

Flashcard 41: What was the purpose of the Clark Memorandum of 1930?

Answer: To reassert the Monroe Doctrine without military intervention. Clarified that Monroe Doctrine didn't justify intervention.

Flashcard 42: What was the main outcome of the London Naval Treaty of 1930?

Answer: Further naval disarmament agreements. Extended limitations to additional naval vessel types.

Flashcard 43: Which doctrine asserted U.S. opposition to Japanese expansion in China?

Answer: The Stimson Doctrine. Refused to recognize territorial gains made by force.

Flashcard 44: What was the purpose of the U.S. 'Good Neighbor' policy toward Latin America?

Answer: To foster mutual respect and non-intervention. Abandoned military intervention for diplomatic cooperation.