American theater of World War II

American theater
Part of World War II

A United States Coast Guardsman on sentry duty in Alaska during World War II
Date1939–1945
Location
Result

Allied victory


  • Axis objectives failed or did not affect the outcome of the conflict.
Belligerents

Allies:
United States (from 1941)
Canada
 United Kingdom

Free France
Netherlands (from 1940)
Costa Rica (from 1941)
Cuba (from 1941)
Dominican Republic (from 1941)
El Salvador (from 1941)
Guatemala (from 1941)
Haiti (from 1941)
Honduras (from 1941)
Nicaragua (from 1941)
Panama (from 1941)
 Brazil (from 1942)
Mexico (from 1942)
Bolivia (from 1943)
Colombia (from 1943)
Argentina (from 1945)
Chile (from 1945)
Ecuador (from 1945)
Paraguay (from 1945)
Peru (from 1945)
Uruguay (from 1945)
 Venezuela (from 1945)
Axis:
 Germany
 Italy
 Japan
Commanders and leaders

The American theater was a theater of operations during World War II including all continental American territory, and extending 200 miles (320 km) into the ocean. Owing to North and South America's geographical separation from the central theaters of conflict (in Europe, the Mediterranean and Middle East, and the Pacific) the threat of an invasion of the continental U.S. or other areas in the Americas by the Axis powers was negligible and the theater saw relatively little conflict. Military engagements include the Battle of the River Plate, submarine attacks off the East Coast, the Aleutian Islands campaign, the Battle of the St. Lawrence, and the attacks on Newfoundland. Espionage efforts included Operation Bolívar.