-
Battle of Rancagua
In early October of 1814, royalist and Spanish troops under the command of Spanish General Mariano Osorio drove the Chilean patriot army, led by Bernardo O'Higgins and Juan José Carrera, back into the town of Rancagua. Although the patriots made a valiant stand in the center of the town, superior royalist numbers and arms led to a resounding victory for the Spanish. This is important b/c the defeat at Rancagua led to the fall of Santiago and three more years of Spanish rule in Chile. -
Argentinian Independence
In 1810, tensions between creoles and peninsulars for control of the region's trade increased. A series of revolutionary groups found an excuse in the capture of the Spanish king Fernando VII, and the French occupation of Spain during the Peninsular War, to call an open cabildo with the hopes of discussing the political situation. This is important b/c they wouldn't need to depose Viceroy Cisneros from his post, instead they created a junta in which the Viceroy would play an active role. -
Independence of Guatemala
Captain General Jose de Bustamante ruled the Kingdom of Guatemala from 1811 to 1818 and repressed all moves toward independence, maintaining the region’s loyalty to Spain. After the French were defeated in Spain in 1814, King Ferdinand VII was restored to the throne and tried to reassert absolute royal power. In 1820, a revolt in Spain restored the constitution. This is important b/c it openned a period of intense political rivalry between emerging liberal and conservative factions of the elite. -
Brazilian Independence
In September 1821, the provincial governments of Brazil were put in political subordination to Portugal, which left Pedro nothing more than the Governor of Rio de Janeiro, which was just a province. The Brazilian inhabitants had become completely outraged by the Cortes’ actions. This resulted in the uprising of the Bonificans and the Liberals. This is important b/c tese two groups were united only by the fact that they wanted to keep Brazil united with Portugal as a sovereign monarchy. -
Spanish-American War
Spain declared war on the United States on April 24, followed by a U.S. declaration of war on the 25th, which was made retroactive to April 21. pain’s defeat decisively turned the nation’s attention away from its overseas colonial adventures and inward upon its domestic needs, a process that led to both a cultural and a literary renaissance. This is important b/c it resulted in U.S. acquisition of territories in the western Pacific and Latin America. -
Japan invades Manchuria
The ramifications were huge. The Japanese invasion led to the US boycott of raw materials to Japan. This showed the warlords that the US was not a political wimp and that they would have to look elsewhere to get raw materials. Their eyes pointed to the south Pacific for oil and natural rubber. In oder to take those possessions, they would have to knock out the US and British military power in the area. This led to the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Philippines, Hong Kong and Wake Island. -
Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany
In the early 1930s, the mood in Germany was grim. The worldwide economic depression had hit the country especially hard, and millions of people were out of work. Still fresh in the minds of many was Germany's humiliating defeat fifteen years earlier during World War I, and Germans lacked confidence in their weak government, known as the Weimar Republic. Hitler was a powerful and spellbinding speaker who attracted a wide following of Germans desperate for change. -
Jewish people banned from having health insurance
Antisemitism and the persecution of Jews represented a central tenet of Nazi ideology. In their 25-point Party Program, published in 1920, Nazi party members publicly declared their intention to segregate Jews from "Aryan" society and to abrogate Jews' political, legal, and civil rights. Nazi leaders began to make good on their pledge to persecute German Jews soon after their assumption of power. -
The Nuremburg Laws are passed
The Nuremberg Laws, as they became known, did not define a "Jew" as someone with particular religious beliefs. Instead, anyone who had three or four Jewish grandparents was defined as a Jew, regardless of whether that individual identified himself or herself as a Jew or belonged to the Jewish religious community. This is important because many Germans who had not practiced Judaism for years found themselves caught in the grip of Nazi terror. -
Jews banned from all ‘professional’ jobs
Hitler himself spent 48 hours trying to formulate an adequate racial and legal definition for a Jew. He was unable to make up his mind, so left the matter to his officials. On September 15th, Hitler addressed the Reichstag, then temporarily convened in Nuremberg. He announced two new laws to clarify and define racial identity in Germany. This is important because he would draft a legislation that would also outline and restrict the relationship between Jews and Aryan Germans. -
Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan sign the Anti-Comintern Pact
The origins of the Anti-Comintern Pact go back to the autumn of 1935, when various German officials both within and outside the Foreign Ministry were attempting to balance the competing demands upon the Reich's foreign policy by its traditional alliance with China versus Hitler's desire for friendship with China's archenemy, Japan. This is important b/c here begins the growth of the Axis powers. -
Japan invades China
In 1931, Japan invaded and conquered Manchuria. For several years Chiang's army spent more time fighting the Communists than it did fighting the Japanese. Japan, fearing Chinese unity, attacked China in full force near Peiping in 1937. The Chinese retreated inland and in 1938 moved their capital to Chongqing. With most of the coast in Japanese hands, supplies to the beleaguered Chinese had to come by air. This is important b/c this allowed for the unristricted expansion of Japan. -
Jews banned from working any political or Government role
Antisemitism and the persecution of Jews were central tenets of Nazi ideology. In their 25-point party program published in 1920, Nazi party members publicly declared their intention to segregate Jews from “Aryan” society and to abrogate their political, legal, and civil rights. This is important because now the Jews had no say in what went on in Germany. -
Austria unites with Germany
Austrian Nazis conspired for the second time in four years to seize the Austrian government by force and unite their nation with Nazi Germany. Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg, learning of the conspiracy, met with Nazi leader Adolf Hitler in the hopes of reasserting his country’s independence but was instead bullied into naming several top Austrian Nazis to his cabinet. This is important b/c the Anschluss would be proclaimed. -
Germany occupation of Czechoslovakia begins
The German occupation of Czechoslovakia began with the Nazi annexation of Czechoslovakia's northern and western border regions, known collectively as the Sudetenland, under terms outlined by the Munich Agreement. German leader Adolf Hitler's pretext for this effort was the alleged privations suffered by the ethnic German population living in those regions. This is important b/c Germany's power and borders were expanding rapidly. -
Germany invades Poland
German forces bombard Poland on land and from the air, as Adolf Hitler seeks to regain lost territory and ultimately rule Poland. The German invasion of Poland was a primer on how Hitler intended to wage war–what would become the “blitzkrieg” strategy. This was characterized by extensive bombing early on to destroy the enemy’s air capacity, railroads, communication lines, and munitions dumps. This is important b/c this caused WWII to start. -
Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union sign a nonaggression agreement
With Europe on the brink of another major war, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin viewed the pact as a way to keep his nation on peaceful terms with Germany, while giving him time to build up the Soviet military. Hitler used the pact to make sure Germany was able to invade Poland unopposed. This is important b/c this caused Russia to becom vulnerable to Germany's invasion. -
Great Britain and France declare war on Germany
Britain’s response, it was initially no more than the dropping of anti-Nazi propaganda leaflets—13 tons of them—over Germany. They would begin bombing German ships on September 4, suffering significant losses. They were also working under orders not to harm German civilians. This is important b/c this officially started WWII -
Germany invades Holland and Denmark, Belgium and Norway
The Germans used parachutists and gliders not used in Poland. With this the leaped over rivers, forts and enemy lines. And after a deadline that Germany had offered for the Netherlands' surrender, the Germans bombed military targets at Rotterdam. Germany conquered the Netherlands after five days of fighting. Belgium capitulated within two weeks. This is important b/c Germany was gaining more and more territory roaming very close to Paris and the Soviet Union. -
Japan bombs Pearl Harbor
December 7, 1941, hundreds of Japanese fighter planes attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor near Honolulu, Hawaii. The barrage lasted just two hours, but it was devastating: The Japanese managed to destroy nearly 20 American naval vessels, including eight enormous battleships, and almost 200 airplanes. More than 2,000 Americans soldiers and sailors died in the attack, and another 1,000 were wounded. This important b/c this forced the US into WWII. -
Nazi Germany and its Axis partners declare war on the United States
On December 8, Japanese Ambassador Oshima went to German Foreign Minister von Ribbentrop to nail the Germans down on a formal declaration of war against America. Von Ribbentrop stalled for time; he knew that Germany was under no obligation to do this under the terms of the Tripartite Pact which promised help if Japan was attacked, but not if Japan was the aggressor. Von Ribbentrop feared that the addition of the US to the war. This is important b/c America now had to face a battle on two fronts. -
Germany surrenders
On May 7, 1945, Germany signed an unconditional surrender at Allied headquarters in Reims, France, to take effect the following day, ending the European conflict of World War II. This is important b/c now there was only one enemy left in the Axis powers. -
Allied troops conquer Okinawa
Japanese forces changed their typical tactics of resisting at the water’s edge to a defense in depth, designed to gain time. In conjunction with this, the Japanese navy and army mounted mass air attacks by planes on one-way “suicide” missions; the Japanese also sent their last big battleship, the Yamato, on a similar mission with a few escorts. This is important b/c the US became more and more desperate to end the war. -
The United States drops an atomic bomb on Hiroshima
On August 6, 1945, the American bomber Enola Gay dropped a five-ton bomb over the Japanese city of Hiroshima. A blast equivalent to the power of 15,000 tons of TNT reduced four square miles of the city to ruins and immediately killed 80,000 people. Tens of thousands more died in the following weeks from wounds and radiation poisoning. This is important b/c it showed that the US was the most powerful country due to their nuclear weapons. -
The United States drops an atomic bomb on Nagasaki
The devastation wrought at Hiroshima was not sufficient to convince the Japanese War Council to accept the Potsdam Conference’s demand for unconditional surrender. Three days after the Hiroshima event, another bomb was dropped on the city of Nagasaki, killing nearly 40,000 more people. This is important b/c this forced Japan to surrender. -
Japan formally surrenders
On Sunday, September 2, more than 250 Allied warships lay at anchor in Tokyo Bay. The flags of the United States, Britain, the Soviet Union, and China fluttered above the deck of the Missouri. Just after 9 a.m. Tokyo time, Japanese Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu signed on behalf of the Japanese government. General Yoshijiro Umezu then signed for the Japanese armed forces, and his aides wept as he made his signature. This is important b/c this was the oficial end of WWII. -
Iron Curtain Speech
Churchill, who had been defeated for re-election as prime minister in 1945, was invited to Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri where he gave this speech. President Harry S. Truman joined Churchill on the platform and listened intently to his speech. Churchill began by praising the United States, which he declared stood “at the pinnacle of world power.” This is important b/c the Allies were drawing the battle lines of the Cold War. -
Truman Doctrine
The Truman Doctrine was the American policy in 1947 of providing economic and military aid to Greece and Turkey because they were threatened by communism. It was the start of the containment policy to stop Soviet expansion; it was also a major step in beginning the Cold War.This is important b/c it sparked the Cold War to begin. -
Marshall Plan
After World War 2, much of Europe was in ruins from being bombed. The Marshall Plan gave assistance for the rebuilding of factories to provide people with jobs to get people back to work. The factories were rebuilt in Western Europe and that area became prosperous. This is important b/c it officaially showed that the U.S was practicing the policy of containment. -
Berlin Airlift
In June 1948, the Russians–who wanted Berlin all for themselves–closed all highways, railroads and canals from western-occupied Germany into western-occupied Berlin. This, they believed, would make it impossible for the people who lived there to get food or any other supplies and would eventually drive Britain, France and the U.S. out of the city for good. Instead they decided to drop supplies by air. This is important b/b it showed the people of West Berlin that the Allies were there to help. -
Korean War Start
The Korean War (1950-1953) began when the North Korean Communist army crossed the 38th Parallel and invaded non-Communist South Korea. As Kim Il-sung's North Korean army, armed with Soviet tanks, quickly overran South Korea, the United States came to South Korea's aid. This is important b/c North Korea wanted to unite both Koreas into one communist led Korea. -
NATO and Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Pact was the Soviet Union’s response to West Germany joining NATOand came into being in May 1955. The Warsaw Pact, named after the meeting to create it was held in Warsaw, was based throughout the Soviet Bloc and troops in it were used in the ending of the 1968 Czech Revolt. This is important b/c The Soviet Union had gained a massive military monster waiting its chance to attack Western Europe. -
Vietnam War Starts
The separation of Vietnam into North and South made a huge impact towards revolutions. Once more the US and Soviet Union supported sides. Eventually A new 3rd side help support North Vietnam, the 3rd side wasnamed Vietcong. This is important b/c this threw the US into a battle that was not only pointless, but also had nothing to do with the USA. -
The Soviet Union Launches Sputnik
The successful launch of the unmanned satellite Sputnik I by the Soviet Union in October 1957 shocks and frightens many Americans. As the tiny satellite orbited the earth, Americans reacted with dismay that the Soviets could have gotten so far ahead of the supposedly technologically superior United States. There was also fear that with their new invention, the Soviets had gained the upper hand in the arms race. This is important b/c this was the first ever rocket succesfully launched into space. -
Cuban Missle Crisis
During the Cuban Missile Crisis, leaders of the U.S. and the Soviet Union engaged in a tense, 13-day political and military standoff in October 1962 over the installation of nuclear-armed Soviet missiles on Cuba, just 90 miles from U.S. shores. This is important b/c this pushed the US into a state of emergency, as it was under threat of a nuclear attack from The Soviet Union. -
President Kennedy Assassinated
President John F. Kennedy is assassinated during a visit to Dallas, Texas. His death caused intense mourning in the United States and brought Vice President Lyndon Johnson to the presidency. Kennedy’s untimely death also left future generations with a great many “what if” questions concerning the subsequent history of the Cold War. This is important b/c till this day, the case hasn't been solved, and this sparked a permanent distrust in Federal Government.