-
Mussolini Takes Over Italy's Government
Benito Mussolini created the Fascist Party in Italy in 1919, eventually making himself dictator prior to World War II. He was killed in 1945. More Info. Reference : mgkid.com,. 'Images For > Mussolini Propaganda'. N.p., 2015. Web. 12 Feb. 2015.
Biography.com,. N.p., 2015. Web. 23 Feb. 2015. -
Beer Hall Putsch
On November 8–9, 1923, Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party led a coalition group in an attempted coup d'état which came to be known as the Beer Hall Putsch. The Beer Hall Putsch was aiming to take control of the state government. More Info References : "Adolf Hitler (Deutschland Siegt)." Alternative History. Accessed February 15, 2015. 'Beer Hall Putsch (Munich Putsch)'. N.p., 2015. Web. 23 Feb. 2015. -
Kellogg-Briand Pact
An Agreement to outlaw war, sometimes called the Pact of Paris. It was signed by 15 nations, including Australia, Belgium, Canada, Czechoslovakia, France, Germany, Great Britain, and India, etc. More Info. References : "Kellogg-Briand Pact." -- Kids Encyclopedia. Accessed February 15, 2015. -
U.S Stock Market Crash
This marked the end of the Roaring Twenties. It was spread over a two-week period. More Info. References : "Chapter 22 - The Great Depression Begins." PNDUSHistory -. Accessed February 15, 2015. -
First Anti-Semitic Law is Passed in Germany
On this date, the first Anti-Semitic Law was passed in Germany, and it was a law against Jews. More Info. References : "Nuremberg Laws." Learn and Talk about , 1935 in Germany, 1935 in Law, Antisemitism, History of Nuremberg. Accessed February 15, 2015. -
Hitler Becomes Germany's Chancellor
Adolf Hitler became the official chancellor of Germany, which means that he was in charge of the Germany Army. More Info. References : Accessed February 15, 2015. -
Nazi's Reach a Political Majority in Germany
Nazi Germany under the leadership of HItler soon became a dictatorship. A dictatorship requires one person and one party to be in control of a nation and a climate of fear. More Info. References : "The Holocaust." The Holocaust. Accessed February 15, 2015. http://grossmanproject.net/the_holocaust.htm. -
The Night of the Long Knives (Rohm Purge)
Hitler order his elite SS guards to murder the organizations leaders of the paramilitary SA because they had become too powerful. More Info. References : "Night of the Long Knives." Accessed February 17, 2015. -
Hitler Openly Announces to his Cabinet He Will Defy the Treaty of Versailles
Hitler broke the Treaty of Versailles many times, but the first time was on the date above. More Info. References : "Official Documents Question 5." Official Documents Question 5. Accessed February 17, 2015. -
Creation of the Nuremberg Laws
The Nuremberg Laws were anti-Jewish statues enacted by Germany, marking a major step in clarifying racial policy More Info. References : "The Nuremberg Laws: Background & Overview." Background & Overview of the Nuremberg Laws. Accessed February 17, 2015. -
Italy Invades Ethiopia
Benito Mussolini wanted to expand his territory in a manner reminiscent of the Roman Empire from 2000 years earlier. More Info. References : "Italy Invades Ethiopia." Italy Invades Ethiopia. Accessed February 17, 2015. http://www.historycentral.com/Europe/ItalyInvadesEthiopia.html. -
Hitler Militarizes the Rhineland
On this day, Hitler broke the Treaty of Versailles by sending German military forces into the Rhineland, a demilitarized zone along the Rhine River in Western Germany. More Info. References : "War and Social Upheaval: World War II --NAZI Rearmament/Aufrüstung." War and Social Upheaval : World War II. Accessed February 17, 2015. -
Rape of Nanking
An episode of mass murder and mass rape committed by Japanese troops against the residents of Nanking during the Second Sino-Japanese War. More Info. References : "The History Place - Genocide in the 20th Century: Rape of Nanking 1937-38." The History Place - Genocide in the 20th Century: Rape of Nanking 1937-38. Accessed February 17, 2015. -
Germany Annexed Austria
German troops march into Austria to annex the nation. More Info. References : "Debunking the Annexation Myth - The Reunion of Austria with Germany Was the Greatest Example of Democracy in History." Justice for Germans. August 27, 2013. Accessed February 17, 2015. -
Munich Conference
An agreement between Britian and Germany. in which Germany is allowed to move into some parts of Czechoslovakia where the German-speaking people live. More Info. References ; "Munich Conference (Munich Goes Sour)." Alternative History. Accessed February 17, 2015. -
Hitler Demands the Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia
This began with the Nazi annexation of Czechoslovakia's Northern and Western border regions. When Hitler demands the Sudentenland from Czechoslovakia, its terms were outlined by Hitler. More Info. References : "• England in 1939 •." History. Accessed February 17, 2015. -
Kristallnacht
The Nazis coordinated an attack on Jewish people and their property in Germany, Austria, and the Sudetenland. More Info. References : "Kristallnacht: The November 1938 Pogroms." United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Accessed February 17, 2015. http://www.ushmm.org/information/exhibitions/online-features/special-focus/kristallnacht. -
Japan Withdraws From the League of Nations
Japan withdrew from the league of nations as a result of the Manchurian railway incident in Northern China. The league was feeling pressure from other nations and couldn't support themselves, so Japan withdrew. More Info. References : "Japan Withdraws from the League of Nations." Iconic Photos. June 7, 2009. Accessed February 17, 2015. https://iconicphotos.wordpress.com/2009/06/07/japan-withdraws-from-the-league-of-nations/. -
Einstein's Letter to FDR, "The Manhattan Project"
Einstein wrote to the U.S., that the Nazis were working on a new and powerful weapon; an atomic bomb. More Info. References : "Einstein to Roosevelt, August 2, 1939." Einstein's Letter to Roosevelt, August 2, 1939. Accessed February 17, 2015. http://www.dannen.com/ae-fdr.html. -
Nazi Invasion of Poland
The Polish army was defeated within weeks of the invasion by the German army, led by Hitler. More Info. References : "Invasion of Poland, Fall 1939." United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. June 20, 2014. Accessed February 17, 2015. http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005070. -
Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact
This pact was between Germany and the Soviet Union that was concluded only a few days before the beginning of World War II and which divided eastern Europe into German. More Info. References : "70th Anniversary Of The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact In Prague." Www.czech-netz.com. Accessed February 17, 2015. http://www.czech-netz.com/174/2009-0145/molotov-ribbentrop-pact-anniversary.html. -
Evacuation of Dunkirk
The evacuation of the British Expenditionary Forces and other Allied troops from the French seaport of Dunkirk to England. More Info. References : "Rania - A Dunkirk Little Ship." Rania - A Dunkirk Little Ship. Accessed February 17, 2015. http://www.rania.co.uk/dunkirk/html/history.htm. -
France Surrenders
On the date above, France surrenders to Hitler's army and defeated the French army. More Info. References ; "Fold3." France Surrenders to Germany.jpg. Accessed February 17, 2015. http://www.fold3.com/document/35812094/. -
Battle of Britain
German and British air forces met in the skies over the United Kingdom, locked in the largest sustained bombing campaign to that date. More Info. References : "RAF - Background to the Battle of BritainBackground to the Battle of Britain." RAF - Background to the Battle of BritainBackground to the Battle of Britain. Accessed February 17, 2015. http://www.raf.mod.uk/history/backgroundtothebattleofbritain.cfm. -
The Tripartite Pact
The Pact provided for mutual assistance, should any of the signatories suffer attack by any nation not already involved in the war. More Info. References : "Thread: The Tripartite Pact." The Apricity Forum: A European Cultural Community. Accessed February 17, 2015. http://www.theapricity.com/forum/showthread.php?42062-The-Tripartite-Pact. -
Lend Lease Act
The main cause for providing U.S. military aid to foreign nations during WWII. More Info. References : "Senate Passed a Supplemental Lend-Lease Bill." Senate Passed a Supplemental Lend-Lease Bill. Accessed February 17, 2015. http://www.americaslibrary.gov/jb/wwii/jb_wwii_lendleas_1.html. -
V-E Day
Great Britain and the United States celebrate victory during Europe Day. On this official day was when German troops in Europe finally laid down their weapons. More Info. References : "Pix For Ve Day Kiss." Pix For Ve Day Kiss. Accessed February 17, 2015. http://pixgood.com/ve-day-kiss.html. -
Operation Barbarossa
Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union, in the largest German military operatio of World War II. More Info. References : "Operation Barbarossa | European History." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Accessed February 17, 2015. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/52772/Operation-Barbarossa. -
Discovery of Majdanek
When the Allies discovered the Nazi German concentration camp. More Info. References : Allan Hall In Berlin for MailOnline. "Fury at Plan for New Crematorium next to the Gas Chambers and Ovens of Nazi Death Camp Where 80,000 Died." Mail Online. September 5, 2012. Accessed February 17, 2015. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2198599/Fury-plan-new-crematorium-gas-chambers-ovens-Nazi-death-camp-80-000-died.html. -
Bombing of Pearl Harbor
A surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base in Hawaii. More Info. Reference : "The History Place - World War II in Europe Timeline: December 7, 1941 - Japanese Bomb Pearl Harbor." The History Place - World War II in Europe Timeline: December 7, 1941 - Japanese Bomb Pearl Harbor. Accessed February 17, 2015. http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/timeline/pearl.htm. -
The Wannsee Conference and the "Final Solution"
High-ranking Nazi Party and German government officials gathered at a villa in the Berlin suburb of Wannsee to discuss and coordinate the implementation. More Info. References : "The Folio Society." The Wannsee Conference and the Final Solution. Accessed February 17, 2015. http://www.foliosociety.com/book/WCF/wannsee-conference-and-the-final-solution. -
Bataan Death March
Approximately 75,000 Filipino and American troops were forced to march 65 miles to prison camps, so they could see what happened during the war. More Info. References : "Factsheets : Imperial Brutality: Bataan Death March." Factsheets : Imperial Brutality: Bataan Death March. Accessed February 17, 2015. http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=3667. -
Doolittle Raid
An air raid by the United States on the Japanese capital, Tokoyo, and other places on Honshu island. More Info. References : "Factsheets : Doolittle Raid." Factsheets : Doolittle Raid. Accessed February 17, 2015. http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=1514. -
Battle of Midway
A crucial and decisive naval battle in the Pacific Theatre of WWII. More Info. References : "Battle of Midway 70th Anniversary." Circle Cinema RSS2. Accessed February 17, 2015. http://www.circlecinema.com/archive/battle-of-midway-70th-anniversary. -
Battle of Stalingrad
A major battle of World War II in which Nazi Germany and it's allies, fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad in the southwestern Soviet Union. More Info. References : "Battle of Stalingrad." ElginHistory12 -. Accessed February 17, 2015. https://elginhistory12.wikispaces.com/Battle of Stalingrad. -
Operation Torch
The British-American invasion of French North Africa during the North African Campaign of the Second World War. More Info. References : "El Alamein and Operation Torch: The Road to Berlin Began in Africa - WAR HISTORY ONLINE." WAR HISTORY ONLINE. Accessed February 17, 2015. http://www.warhistoryonline.com/war-articles/el-alamein-and-operation-torch-the-road-to-berlin-began-in-africa.html. -
Island Hopping (Date for Buna-Gona Campaign)
A military strategy employed by the Allies in the Pacific War against Japan and the Axis powers. More Info. References : "Island Hopping." Island Hopping. Accessed February 17, 2015. http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1671.html. -
Operation Overlord and D-Day
A code name given to the Allied invasion of france scheduled for June 1944. More Info. References : "Geraint Woolford, Meet Geraint Woolford..." The Telegraph. Accessed February 17, 2015. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/nigelfarndale/6797963/Geraint-Woolford-meet-Geraint-Woolford....html. -
Operation Valkyrie
A German World War II emergency continuity of government operations plan issued to the Territorial Reserve Army of Germany to execute and implement in case of a general breakdown in civil order of the nation. More Info. References : "Newsletter." Operation Valkyrie. Accessed February 17, 2015. https://www.beyondbandofbrothers.com/operationvalkyrie/. -
Battle of the Bulge
A German offensive campaign launched through the densely forested Ardennes region of Wallonia in Belgiun, France, and Luxembourg on the Western Front toward the end of WWII. More Info. Reference : "Battle of the Bulge: Rare Photos From Hitler’s Last Gamble, 1944-1945 | LIFE | TIME.com." LIFE. Accessed February 17, 2015. http://life.time.com/history/battle-of-the-bulge-rare-photos-from-hitlers-last-gamble-1944-1945/. -
Hitler's Suicide
Hitler commited suicide when Germany's defeat was imminent. More Info. References : "1940-1949." Pinterest. Accessed February 17, 2015. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/452822937504522775/. -
Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Hiroshima was almost completely destroyed by the first atomic bomb ever dropped on a populated area, followed by the bombing of Nagasaki on the 9th. More Info. References : "Teaching History.org, Home of the National History Education Clearinghouse." The Atomic Bomb: Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Accessed February 17, 2015. http://teachinghistory.org/history-content/beyond-the-textbook/25485. -
Japan Invades Manchuria
When the Kwantung Army of the Empire of Japan invaded Manchuria immediately following the Mukden incident. More Info. References : "Today in History: 19 September 1931: Japan Invades Manchuria, Will Occupy Region Until End of WW II." Skepticism. Accessed February 17, 2015. http://skepticism.org/timeline/september-history/8669-japan-invades-manchuria-will-occupy-region-until-end-wwii.html. -
V-J Day
Japan ceased fighting in World War II, or the day when Japan formally surrendered. More Info. References : "VE and VJ Day." « Screaming Ducks Living History Association. Accessed February 17, 2015. http://screamingducks.com/the-division/101st-airborne/victory-in-europe-ve-and-victory-over-japan-vj/. -
Creation of the United Nations
An international organization formed to increase political and economical cooperation among member countries. More Info. References : "Dag Hammarskjöld Library Research Guides." 1941-1945 (Preparatory Years). Accessed February 17, 2015. http://research.un.org/en/UN70/1941-1945. -
The Nuremberg Trials
A series of military tribunals, held by the Allied forces after WWII, most notable for the prosecution of prominent members. More Info. References : "Nazi War Crimes Trials: The Nuremberg Trials." The Nuremberg Trials. Accessed February 17, 2015. http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/nurtrialtoc.html. -
The Beginning of the Cold War
The period of distrust between the Soviet Union and United States was know as the Cold war. More Info. References : "Cold War Middle School Lessons." Cold War for Kids & Students. Accessed February 17, 2015. http://www.coldwar.me/coldwarforkids.html. -
The Japanese War Crime Trials
Occured in many Asian and Pacific countries during the period of Japanese imperalism. More Info. References : "Michael Bess." Michael Bess. Accessed February 17, 2015. https://my.vanderbilt.edu/michaelbess/books/choices-under-fire/gallery/chapter-11-justice-for-the-unspeakable-the-enduring-legacy-of-the-war-crimes-trials-at-nuremberg-and-tokyo/.