History: Military & Political timeline, 1775-1950

  • American Independence

    American Independence
    America declares their Independence against Britain, which sparked the American Revolution. The Thirteen Colonies defeated the British with the assistance of France, which granted them freedom from Britain. Thus, this established the United States of America.
    Source: Link text
  • Government Foundations

    Government Foundations
    Washington and the Founding Fathers laid down their foundations for the new United States government. The Constitution is written.
  • French Revolution Begins

    French Revolution Begins
    King Charles X tried to strengthen his rule over France by clamping down on things such as the July Ordinances, the newly elected Chamber of Deputies, the Press, and disenfranchised almost three-fourths of those that were able to vote. Parisians attempted to protest against his actions, but it did not change anything. Parisians attack the Bastille, an ancient fortress and symbol of royal authority. Many aristocrats and royal family members were arrested and put in prison. Charles flees.
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    Napoleonic Wars

    Napoleon craved power and glory. Thus, he launched a war to dominate all of Europe. The French seemed successful against it's enemies, with a kill count ranging from 3,250,000 to 6,500,000. Initially, Napoleon was defeated. At first he was exiled to the island of Elba, until he rose up again with temporary success. Finally, he was finally defeated at the Battle of Waterloo. He was finally exiled to the island of Saint Helena.
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    Opium Wars

    China bans Opium from any trade, yet Britains began to sneak it in through other trade routes. This caused China to initially close their trade borders. With gunships, Britains began to reign fire in China. This attack forces China to surrender, and reopen their trade routes.
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    European Revolutions

    Bad harvests and economic depression caused massive discontent throughout Europe. Food riots were common throughout Europe around this time. Unemployment was created due to the major economic crisis. The commonwealth revolted against monarchs. It initially began in Sicily, and began to spread throughout Europe. These revolutions created Austria, Prussia, and Germany.
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    American Civil War

    The American Civil War began due to controversy between the North and the South. The citizens of both sides questioned the economy, federal rights, and abolishing slavery. America split, with the North became the Union, and the South became the Confederacy. Both sides fought due to the long-time controversy of owning black people as slaves. It ended when Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse, with the last fight on May 13.
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    Franco-Prussian War

    Also known as the Franco-German war, this was a conflict between France and Prussia, backed by the North German Confederation and South German states. It initially began as a French invasion to frighten the south German states into joining the North German Confederation. The Treaty of Frankfurt am Main ends the Franco-Prussian war, which also served as the unification of Germany and the surrendering of Napoleon III. It also created the Third French Republic.
  • Triple Alliance

    Triple Alliance
    The Triple Alliance was a secret agreement between Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy. The alliance was formed by Otto von Bismarck. The agreement included that the nations would fight for each other if Russia attacked.
  • Triple Entente Arrives

    Triple Entente Arrives
    Shortly after the formation of the Triple Alliance, the Triple Entente was formed. It formed a powerful counter to the Triple Alliance. However, it was not an alliance of mutual defense. A key part to the Triple Entente was the Franco-Japanese Treaty of 1907. Soon, the Triple Entente would be known as the Allied Powers.
  • Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferninand

    Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferninand
    Austria-Hungry used the assassination as an excuse to crush Serbia. Germany gets into war with Russia, after Russia sends troops to Austria-Hungarian borders. France called in troops to support their ally, Russia. Then, Germany declared war on France, which causes Britain to declare war on Germany. The Great War, also known was World War I, takes off.
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    The Great War

    With around 58.5 million casualties total, the Great War put the world into a pit of despair. It took place across Europe, the Mideast, Africa, Atlantic, Pacific, Medeiterranean, and North America, with many leaders on both sides governing the war. It eventually ended with Germany signing an armistice, which ceased all fighting. The cruel Treaty of Versailles forbid Germany to build up their military, and to gain anymore land.
  • The Rise of Adolf Hitler

    The Rise of Adolf Hitler
    Adolf Hitler becomes the leader of the Nazi Party. Under Hitler's rule, the Nazi Party grew into a mass movement, and ruled Germany from 1933 to 1945. Initially, the Nazi Party expressed their dissatisfaction for the Treaty of Versailles. Hitler rose as a public speaker, that attracted new members by blaming Jews and Marxists for Germany's problems. On this day, he assumed leadership of the organization.
  • The Great Depression

    The Great Depression
    In 1930, the Great Depression hit due to the stock market crash of October 1929. It sent Wall Street into a panic, and wiped out millions of investors. Investment and spending drop, causing companies to fail and declining industrial output. Not only that, but a drought took place as well.
  • Hitler Becomes Fuhrer

    Hitler Becomes Fuhrer
    Following the death of President Hidenburg, Hitler united both chancellorship and presidency under a new title: Fuhrer. The German Army took an oath of allegiance to it's new commander-in-chief. The last traces of Germany's democracy was dismantled, and thus, Hitler's Third Reich was created.
  • WWII Begins in the Far East

    WWII Begins in the Far East
    The Second Sino-Japanese war began on July 7th, 1937, and ended September 2nd, 1945. It was a military conflict fought between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. It began with the Marco Polo Bridge incident in 1937, in which a dispute between Japanese and Chinese troops escalated into battle. This eventually lead into WWII in the East, and other events such as the rape of Nanking.
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    WWII Begins in the West

    World War II begins with the invasion of Poland. The Allied Powers declare war on the Axis Powers.
    1940: Japan joins the Axis Powers.
    1941: Operation Barbarossa & Pearl Harbor occur.
    1942: The Battle of Midway & Stalingrad occur. Russia drives Germany away, while America begisn to win in the Pacific.
    1944: D-Day happens. A surprise attack from the Allied Forces on France's beaches.
    1945: Atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Hitler commits suicide. A peace treaty is signed by Germany.
  • NATO is Founded

    NATO is Founded
    NATO, also known as The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was created in 1949, by the U.S, Canada, and several Western European Nations. They provide collective security against the Soviet Union. NATO was the first peaceful military alliance the U.S entered into that was outside of the Western Hemisphere.