-
Invasion of Manchuria
The Japanese launched a surprise attack on Manchuria. Within several months, Japanese troops controlled the entire province that was rich in natural resources. -
Hitler takes power
Adolf Hitler is appointed German chancellor and sets up Dachau conentration camp. He persecutes against anyone who he believes is not part of the Aryan race. -
Neutrality Acts
This was an effort to keep the United States out of future wars. The first two acts outlawed arms sales or loans to nations at war. The third act exteneded the ban on arms sales and loans to nations engaged in civil fighting. -
Spanish Civil War
A group of Spanish army officers, led by Fransico Franco, rebelled against the Spanish Republic. Around 3,000 Americans traveld to Spain to fight Franco. Franco won the battle and was established as Spain's facist dictator. -
Japanese invasion of China
The Japanese methodically moved south, seizing control of most of eastern China and all of the major ports by the time war broke out in Europe. -
Munich Agreement
An agreement that handed Sudentenland over to Germany without a single shot being fired. This agreement was between Neville Chamberlain and Hitler. -
German Invasion of Czechoslovakia
Hitler wanted to annex Czechoslovakia so he could provide more living space for Germany and control its natural resources. He began sending troops on the Czech border. They then signed the Munich Agreement and handed Sudetenland over to Germany. -
Non-agression Pact
Fascist Germany and communist Russia committed to never attack each other. Germany and the Soviet Union also signed a second, secret pact, agreeing to divide Poland between them. -
Invasion of Poland
Germans invaded Poland and this was the first time they used their newest strategy, blitzkrieg. This forced Britain and France to declare war on Germany. The Soviet Union was able to win some territoty and Germany annexed the other two thirds. After that, Poland ceased to exist. -
Invasion of Denmark/Norway
Norway was invaded by Nazi Germany on April 9th 1940. Hitler had issued the order for the invasion of Norway on March 1st under the code word “Weserübung”. The order also included the invasion and occupation of Denmark. It was the start of war in Western Europe - and an end to the Phoney War. -
Fall of France
Italy entered the war on the side of Germany and invaded France from the south as the Germans closed in on Paris from the north. On June 22, Hitler handed France his terms of surrender. Germans occupied northern France while a nazi-controlled puppet government would control southern France. -
Battle of Britain
Germany began to assemble an invasion fleet along the French coast. They began bombing over Britain and wanted to destroy their air force. With the help of radar technology, Britain was able to track German planes which helped them win the battle. -
Lend-Lease Act
Britain didn't have any more cash to spend in the arsenal of democracy so Roosevelt tried to help by setting up the Lend-Lease Act. Under this plan, the president would lend or lease arms and other supplies to "any country whose defense was vital to the United States." -
Atlantic Charter
This was a joint declaration of war aims which Roosevelt and CHurchill agreed on. Both countries pledged collective security, disarment, self-determination, economic cooperation, and freedom of the seas. -
Pearl Harbor
There was a Japanese bomber follwed by 180 Japanese warplanes that launched at Pearl Harbor. In less then 2 hours, the Japanese killed 2,403 Americans and wounded 1,178 more. -
Battle of Atlantic
After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hitler ordered submarine raids against ships along America's east coast. The Germans' aim was to prevent food war materials from reaching Great Britain and Soviet Union. -
Doolittle's Raid
Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle led 16 bombers in the raid on Tokyo and other Japanese cities. This raised American spirits and dampered Japanese spirits. -
Battle of Midway
This was the turning point in the Pacific War. The Allies began "island hopping" and winning back territory from the Japanese. -
Battle of Stalingrad
Hitler wanted to wipe out Stalingrad, a major industrial center on the Volga River. For weeks the Germans pressed and conquered house by house. The Soviet army then surrounded the Germans and cut off their supply of war goods. The Soviets were able to win this battle. -
Operation Torch/North African Front
This was an invasion of Axis-controlled North Africa led by Dwight D Eisenhower. After months of fighting, the Afrika Korps eventually surrendered. -
Liberation of France
The liberation of Paris, in theory, was only a matter of time after the success of D-Day in June 1944. The taking of Paris and its liberation would have been a massive morale boost not to just those who lived in Paris but to French people in general, but it did not seem to be a high priority to Allied leaders. -
D-Day
This was the first day of the invasion of Normandy in northern France. This was the largest land-sea-air battle in the army history. -
Italian Campaign
The Allies attacked Italy and captured Sicily. This led to the Italian government forcing Beniot Mussolini to resgin. Italy was not free until Germany was close to collaspe. -
Battle of Leyte Gulf
The Japanese tested their new tactic of kamikaze at this battle. This battle was a disaster for Japan as they lost many battleships and aircraft carriers. -
Battle of Bulge
The German troops responded to teh American capture of Aachen by sending 8 tanks through the American 80-mile front. The tanks frove 60 miles into Allied territrory which created a bulge in the line. -
Yalta Conference
A conference of the Big Three which included Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin. They discussed how Germany would be divided up. -
Iwo Jima
This island was critical to the United States as a base from which heavily loaded bombers might reach Japan. It was the most heavily defended spot on earth and many deaths occured there. -
Okinawa
The Japanese unleashed more than 1,900 kamikaze attacks on the Allies when they invaded. This was a foretaste of what the Allies imagined the invasion of Japan's home islands would be. -
FDR's Death
FDR did not live to see V-E Day. While posing for a portrait in Georgia, he had a stroke and died. That night, vice president Harry S. Truman became the nation's 33rd president. -
V-E Day
General Eisenhower accepted unconditional surrender of the Third Reich. The Allies celebrated victory in Europe and the war was finally over. -
Hiroshima
This was the first atomic bomb dropped by teh United States. It was nicknamed Little Boy, although it was the bigger of the 2 atomic bombs. -
Nagasaki
The second bomb dropped by the United States that was code names Fat Man. It was the smaller of the two atomic bombs and caused an estimated 200,000 deaths. -
V-J Day
In the morning of 2 September 1945, more that two weeks after acceping the Allies terms, Japan formally surrendered. The ceremonies, less than half an hour long, took place on board the battleship USS Missouri, anchored with other United States' and British ships in Tokyo Bay. -
Nuremburg Trials
The Allies put 24 surviving Nazi leaders on trial for crimes against humanity, peace, and war crimes. The defendents included Hitler's party officials, government ministers, millitary leaders, and powerful industrialists.
