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Manhattan Project Began
Secret research and development project of the U.S to develop the atomic bomb- success granted the U.S the bombs that ended the war with Japan -
Nazi Germany Invaded Poland
After signing the non-aggression pact Hitler had a surprise attack, Germany invaded, breaking their agreement, so Britain and France declared war, starting World War II -
Sitzkrieg
AKA: Phoney War- "sitting war" Germany gives Europe time to back down -
France Fell to Germany
France is forced to surrender to Germany- America realizes England was all that stood between Hitler controlling all of Europe -
Battle of Britain
Hitler launches a series of air attacks on Britain shortly after French surrender- air battle lasts several months -
Destroyers-for-Bases Deal
Roosevelt's compromise for helping Britain as he could not sell Britain US destroyers without defying the Neutrality Act; Britain received 50 old but still serviceable US destroyers in exchange for giving the US the right to build military bases on British Islands in the Caribbean. -
America First Committee Launched
Foremost U.S. non-interventionist pressure group against the American entry into WW ll- largest anti-war organization in American history -
Congress Instituted the Draft
Placed soon after the German and Soviet invasion of Poland prompted Britain and France to declare war against Nazi Germany- men 21-30 yrs old -
Four Freedoms
4 points proposed by Roosevelt- fundamental freedoms humans "everywhere in the world" ought to enjoy: speech and expression, religion, want, fear -
Lend-Lease
Gave Roosevelt the powers to sell, transfer, exchange, lend equipment to any country to help it defend itself -
USS Kearny Attacked
US destroyer sunk by German U-boats off the coast of Iceland -
Reuben James Sank
American destroyer sunk by German U-boat, killed many American sailors- Congress now allows US to arm its merchant vessels and sail to belligerent ports -
Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor
Japanese planes bombed almost all American fleets and ships at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Dec. 8, U.S. declares war against Japan (Italy and Germany allies with Japan) -
Battle of Stalingrad
Germans vs soviets- Stalin gained about 2/3 of land back from Germany -
Battle of Bataan
Represented the most intense phase of Imperial Japan's invasion of the Philippines during WW 2 -
Bataan Death March
After the Japanese landed in the Philippines in May 1942, nearly 75,000 American and Filipino prisoners were forced to endure a 60-mile forced march -
Battle of Coral Sea
Major naval battle between the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) and naval and air forces from the United States and Australia -
Battle of Midway
US, despite great losses was clearly victorious- US navy destroyed 4 Japanese aircraft carriers & only lost one; the action regained control of the central Pacific for the US. -
Battle of El Alamein
British general Montgomery attacked El Alamein with help of american tanks which drove enemy back to Tunisia -
Casablanca Conference
Meeting between FDR and Churchill in which the two agreed to step up the Pacific war, invade Sicily, and insist on unconditional surrender -
Tehran Conference
First meeting of FDR, Churchill, and Stalin- agreed on an opening of a second front, and that the Soviet Union should enter the war against Japan -
D-Day
Invasion of France- Eisenhower commanded more than 1.5 million American, British, and Canadian soldiers across the channel- to help to liberate Paris, had driven the Germans out of most of France and Belgium by September -
MacArthur Returned to the Philippines
Philippines invaded- U.S. forces forced to leave, and most were taken prisoner and forced into participation of the Bataan Death March- U.S. forces returned and kicked the Japanese out -
FDR Elected to a 4th Term
FDR vs. Tomas E. Dewey (Republican) -
Battle of the Bulge
Germany staged a massive counterattack in Belgium and Luxembourg which pushed "bulge" into the Allied lines- Allies stopped the German advance and threw them back across the Rhine -
Island Hopping Campaign Begins
Americans would bypass heavily fortified islands and starve and bomb the smaller surrounding ones to push the Japanese back -
Yalta Conference
Russia agreed to declare war on Japan after the surrender of Germany- FDR and Churchill promised the USSR concession and territories that it had lost in the Russo-Japanese War -
Battle of Iwo Jima
several thousand marines, and more than 20,000 Japanese soldiers were killed-this battle is also notable for the famous photograph of US marines lifting the American flag to a standpoint -
Battle of Okinawa
Army in Pacific had been "island-hopping", moving north from Australia to Japan & invaded Okinawa, Japan -
FDR Died/ Harry Truman Became President
Truman took the oath of office on January 20, 1945 and served as vice president just 82 days before Roosevelt died of a massive stroke, and then he was sworn in as president -
VE Day
Victory in Europe (when the Germans surrendered) -
Potsdam Conference
Post WW 2- Each side would take reparations from its own occupation zone, divided up GER, created Council of Foreign Ministers; marked the end of wartime alliance -
Little Boy Dropped on Hiroshima
First atomic bomb dropped by America on Hiroshima, Japan -
Fat Man Dropped on Nagasaki
Second atomic bomb dropped by America on Nagasaki, Japan -
VJ Day
Victory over Japan Day- emperor of Japan announced he would surrender to avoid more nuclear attacks because his nation had nearly been destroyed -
Nuremberg Trials
Series of trials conducted by an international military tribunal in which former Nazi leaders were charged with crimes against peace, crimes against humanity, and war crimes -
Japanese War Crime Trials
International Military Tribunals for the Far East begins hearing the case against 28 Japanese military and gov. officials accused of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity during WW 2
