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Treaty of Versailles
After World War 1, the Treaty of Versailles was signed. It ensured peace and that Germany would limit their army and navy, stop maintaining an air force, and take full responsibility for the effects of World War 1. The treaty made Germany very upset because they believed they were not fully responsible for the war. Germany would soon disrupt the peace that was promised. -
Hitler Voted to Power in Germany
On January 30, 1933 Hitler was elected as the chancellor of Germany by the president. He gained power and reputation through the Nazi Party. He did not have the highest position, so he went great lengths to get the most power he could. For example, he blamed the Burning of Reichstag on his enemy, the communists, and used this event to convince the president to give him more power. -
Hitler's Olympics
The Olympics were to be held in Berlin, Germany. Hitler took advantage of this to spread antisemitism and his racist ideals. He wanted to prove that the white race was the strongest, and only allowed Germany to have white men compete. For the first time ever, Europe and America attempted to boycott the Olympics but failed. -
Rape of Nanking
In the Sino-Japanese War, the capital of China, Nanking, was taken over by the Japanese. The Chinese government left their citizens for dead. With no protection, mass murder and rape followed. Hundreds of thousands of Chinese citizens died and more than 20,000 woman and girls were raped, injured, or killed. -
German Invasion of Poland
The German invasion of Poland commenced WW2 in Europe. Germany, out of fear that Poland was planning an alliance with France and Britain, attacked Poland in 1939. There were many people seeking refuge in Poland. Poland, enduring severe loss during the battle, surrendered to Germany. Germany and the Soviet Union took control of Poland, causing Britain and France to declare war on Germany. -
Tripartite Pact
The Tripartite Pact was signed to show that Italy, Germany, and Japan were in an alliance. There were also many other countries involved. Prior to it being signed, all countries had alliances with each other, but they were not strong. The Pact was a warning to the US not to get involved in the war. -
Nazi's Establish Gas Chambers in Aushwitz
In 1941, the Nazis began experimenting with the gas Zyklon B, and decided it was most efficient for gas chambers. At Auschwitz, there were many prisoners deemed unable to work. Since they were of no use to the Nazis, the Nazis chose to kill them. Most victims of the gas chambers were Jewish and in bad condition. -
Operation Barbarossa
Germany had just signed a non-aggression treaty with the Soviet Union. Hitler, wanting more power, used the treaty to benefit himself. Hungry for the land to the East of Germany, he invaded Russia on June 22, 1941. Although Germany's unsuspecting strategies allowed them to have the upper-hand, they eventually failed due to weather and poor planning. -
Pearl Harbor
On December 7th, 1941, Japan attacked a US naval base in Hawaii. Japan needed a last-resort effort to buy them time. They also wanted to warn America that Japan was still powerful. Bombs were drops on American hangars, ships were blown up, and more than thousands of people were killed. America faced a great amount of loss and Japan left victorious. -
Japanese American Sent to Internment Camps
President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Internment Camps out of fear that people of Japanese ethnicity were able to give American information to the Japanese. 120,000 people were sent to these camps and thousands died, even though they were not proven spies. People spent years working in these camps because of their race. -
Iwo Jima
This battle took place on Iwo Jima, an island in Japan. The US saw that the land had many strategic advantages. It ended in an American victory, but it was very costly. More than 29,000 both American and Japanese soldiers died during this warfare. It also influences our idea to bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki. -
Atomic Bombs Dropped on Japan
The end of the war was near, and the Allies needed a way to finish it. Invading Japan was not the best idea, since Japan had a very strong army. They concluded a bomb would be best. They dropped the first every nuclear bomb in New Mexico as an experiment and it was highly destructive. The Allies used this knowledge to create and drop two atomic bombs, "Fat Man" and "Little Boy" on two Japanese cities, Nagasaki and Hiroshima. In the end, the bombing resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths. -
Axis Power Surrender
The first country to surrender was Italy, on September 8, 1943. Their Fascist leader and friend of Germany, Benito Mussolini, had been overthrown. Germany proceeded to invade Italy, forcing them to surrender. Germany was no longer an Axis partner after the death of Hitler on April 30, 1945. With no more allies, Japan was the last to surrender on September 2, 1945.