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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 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
Five years prior to the event, the International Olympic Committee gifted Berlin the 1936 Olympics. To camouflage his racism,Hitler held the Summer Olympics for propaganda. He wanted Germany to see the "superior" race was the strongest, fastest, and toughest there was. White men with blonde hair and blue eyes were the only allowed contestants. Europe and the United States started to boycott the Olympics but in time failed, yet it was the first time people had ever done this due to Hitler's bias. -
Rape of Nanking
In the Sino-Japanese War, the capital of China, Nanking, was taken over by the Japanese. The Chinese government had gone to Hankow, leaving the people of Nanking to suffer the consequences of the Japanese soldiers. A general had ordered the troops to destroy the city and what resulted of this was a mass murder and rape. 150,000 "war prisoner" men were killed along with 50,000 male civilians assassinated, and more than 20,000 woman and girls of all ages were raped, some injured or even killed. -
German Invasion of Poland
The German invasion of Poland, had commenced WWll in Europe. Germany had defeated Polish defenses, immediately bombing and shelling. Many Jewish and non-Jewish refugees had fled to Poland, hoping they could fight off Germany. In less than a month of the German's attack, Poland's capital surrendered due to the lives lost and the damage they had taken. Germany occupied western Poland while the Soviet Union had taken over the east side. Days later, France and Britain had declared war on Germany. -
Tripartite Pact
The Tripartite Pact was signed to show that Japan, Germany, and Italy were in an alliance. 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. It's purpose ended when Germany invaded the Soviet Union, who was Japan, sided with the Soviet Union. -
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, and 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 surprise attacked a US naval base, close to Honolulu. Hundreds upon hundreds of Japanese air crafts came, destroying over 300 planes and almost 20 vessels. They bombed US hangars and sent torpedoes toward our harbor. The Japanese had sent a second attack a couple hours later, by the end of it, more than 2,400 people died, many aircraft destroyed, and warships sunk. The Japanese were successful in their attack and the US suffered great damage. -
Japanese Americans Sent to Internment Camps
President Franklin D. Roosevelt had these Internment Camps established to cremate or isolate anyone with Japanese ethnicity despite if they were an American citizen. 1,862 lost their lives to this, due to the fear that they might be Japanese spies. Around 120,000 people in total were sent to the camps although there was no evidence anyone was a spy. Many of these Japanese Americans spent three or more years working in these camps for the US all because of their race. -
Iwo Jima
This battle took place in Iwo Jima, which is southeast of Tokyo. The US wanted the land for emergency landing strips if they bombed Japan or if they invaded. Tadamichi Kuribayashi, the commander of the islands, prepared a layered defense that took a full year, knowing that American victory was bound to happen. He had his men install complex bunkers to avoid a costly fight and had developed an intricate battle plan. More than 29,000 both American and Japanese soldiers died during this warfare. -
Atomic Bombs Dropped on Japan
The end of the war was near, and the Allies needed a way to finish it. They had a conference and concluded that if the war wasn't ended soon, casualties would increase. They dropped the first nuclear bomb in New Mexico and 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.