-
The Great Depression Begins
The stock market crash led to widespread unemployment and poverty throughout the world. In Germany, many turned to Nazism thinking it would help take them out of the depression. This photo shows a soup kitchen with a long line of men waiting. -
Japan conquers Manchuria in Northern China
-
Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany
Hitler was appointed Chancellor under Paul von Hindenburg. Eventually Hitler assumed total control of the government and therefore set up a Nazi state. In this photo, Hitler greets a parade that is celebrating his appointment. -
Roosevelt first elected President
Roosevelt set up several programs to push the U.S. out of the great depression. During the war, he helped set up programs to aid the war effort, such as the War Production Board and rationing. He also became known as one of the Big Three, consisting of Churchill, Stalin, and himself. -
Nuremberg Laws
This was the first step towards the Holocaust. These laws restricted the rights granted to the Jewish people under Hitler’s regime. This photo is of a chart concerning genetics and its effect on the rights of citizenship in Nazi Germany. -
Hitler and Mussolini form the Rome-Berlin Axis
This was an alliance between the two nations of Germany and Italy. -
Japan joins the Axis Powers
-
Japan invades China
-
Germany invades Austria
Most Austrians, who spoke German, accepted this unification with Germany. This started the beginning of Germany’s grab for power. After Austria, came the Sudetenland and eventually Poland, which started the war. -
Britain's Appeasement of Germany
The British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, met with Hitler to come up with an agreement over the Sudetenland in order to avoid war in a way called appeasement. They concluded that Hitler could take the Sudetenland if he promised to not continue his pursuits. Some predicted that, although they had agreed, Hitler would still grab for more land. Here is a map of the appeasement and related areas. -
Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht means “night of broken glass” in the German language. This was a widespread pogrom by the Nazi Party. This was one of the first times that people realized the Nazi Party was really a very strong organization. -
Germany invade Poland- Blitzkrieg
Germany invaded Poland and sparked the war by a tactic known as a blitzkrieg, in which speed is a key. Via this they were able to take a large amount of land in little time. This sparked the war, with France and Britain declaring war on Germany. German troops march in Warsaw, as seen by the photo. -
Germany invade Denmark, Norway, Belguim and France
-
The German Air Force (Luftwaffe) bombs and other civilian targets in the Battle of Britain
-
Lend-Lease Act
An act set about by the U.S. government allowed said-nation to give supplies to the Allies, such as Britain and the Soviet Union. In all, they lent or leased about 50 billion dollars worth of goods. Roosevelt is seen signing the Act in the photo. -
Germany invades the Soviet Union
-
The Nazis implement the "Final Solution"
Nazi Germany started rounded up all the Jews in lands under its control. They were then sent to concentration camps to either be worked to death or gassed in large numbers. This became what we call the Holocaust today. In the photo, Jews are seen being taken to Chelmno. -
Germany and Soviet Union have a nonaggression pact
-
Pearl Harbor
The Japanese led a surprise air strike on the naval base at Pearl Harbor. The U.S. fleet was strongly weakened because of this. Due to this event, the U.S. entered World War II on December 8. The photo depicts the U.S.S. West Virginia. -
Tuskegee Airmen
Roughly one million African-Americans served in World War II, but they were in segregated units throughout the war. One of these was called the Tuskegee Airmen, who honorably served in North Africa and Europe. Those who didn’t serve often found jobs due to the large amount of them needed for the war effort, but, just as before, they face discrimination. -
Rosie the Riveter
Due to the amount of men off at war, many jobs weren’t filled. Luckily, many women took this role and worked to aid the war effort. This changed views on women in the workplace after the war in a positive way. Rosie the Riveter was an image used to encourage women to work in factories and shown here. -
Japanese- Americans Incarceration
Roughly 110,000 people were incarcerated by the U.S. at this time. Fear of an attack led by Japanese living in the U.S. was the primarily reason for the act. Japanese-Americans are waiting in a line for vaccinations as part of the incarceration process as seen in the photo. -
Bataan Death March
U.S. troops in the Philippines were forced by the Japanese to walk to a Prisoner-of-War camp. Roughly 70,000 did so and roughly 10,000 died on the way either by starvation or by Japanese troops. -
Battle of Midway
This was a significant turning point in the war in the Pacific. The battle took place off the coast of Midway island with the Japanese suffering a loss of approximately 4 carriers and 250 planes. One carrier and approximately 150 U.S. planes were lost in the battle. This picture depicts the U.S.S. Yorkton after it was hit by Japanese bombs. -
British forces stop the German advance at El Alamein
-
Guadalcanal
On Guadalcanal, the U.S. fought for about six months against the Japanese. They won in February and it became the first major land victory against the Japanese. Throughout the battle, Native Americans spoke in Navajo for some messages in order to avoid being deciphered by the Japanese. Troops are shown resting on the island in the photo. -
Manhattan Project
The U.S. allowed for a completely secret project to develop the first atomic weapon. At the end of the war, the first atomic weapon was produced and dropped on Hiroshima. Soon after the second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki Japan surrendered. The photo depicts a group of scientists who participated in the project. -
German forces surrender at Stalingrad
German forces were defeated by the Russian troops and cold in the long and deadly campaign. The Germans had little cover because Russia troops destroyed places as the retreated towards Stalingrad. Eventually, Germany was defeated and Russia led a massive push from the east into German-occupied areas. In the photo, German prisoners of war are shown marching. -
D-Day
One of the most impressive invasions in human history, D-Day was an invasion on 5 beaches in occupied France, Gold, Silver, Juno, Utah, and Omaha. Most beaches were easily taken besides Omaha which was the hardest to take. Once taken, this land served as a powerful entrance to move troops from the west into German-occupied areas. Troops are approaching the Omaha beach in the photo. -
Battle of the Bulge
With troops surrounding Germany on nearly all sides, Germany made a final push into a region of Belgium and Luxemburg called the Ardennes. U.S. troops crushed the Germans with heavy casualties on both sides. In the photo, German troops are passing abandoned equipment. -
Yalta Conference
Three leaders of three of the Allied countries, Roosevelt, Stalin, and Churchill, met to discuss what the world would be after the war. They discussed such things as international peace organizations and other governmental issues. The so-called Big Three, Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin, are shown sitting at the Yalta Conference in this photo. -
Iwo Jima
When U.S. troops landed on Iwo Jima, they met fierce resistance, especially from nearby Mount Suribuchi. On February 23, 1945, Mount Suribuchi was taken by U.S. troops in a fierce attack. Iwo Jima was under U.S. control about a month later, giving the U.S. a powerful base near the Japanese mainland. In this iconic photo, soldiers raise a flag on Mount Suribuchi. -
Okinawa
On April 4th, the island of Okinawa was invaded. U.S. troops met little resistance in the beginning but met more as the battle progressed. Eventually, with the battle and island won by the U.S., Japanese supply lines were cut and a U.S. foothold near the Japanese mainland was established. Troops on the beach of Okinawa are shown in the photo. -
Roosevelt dies, Turman becomes President
-
Allies forces advance on Berlin, Germany surrenders
Russian troops from the east advanced upon the German capital of Berlin. Hitler, before the Russians arrived, killed himself. This was the end of World War II and the Nazi Regime. In the photo, Russian troops are seen raising a flag in Berlin. -
Postdam Conference
Allies held the Postdam Conference to plan the war’s end. Here the decision was made to put Nazi war criminals on trial. In the photo, Churchill, Stalin, and Truman are shown. -
Atomic Bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Through the efforts of the Manhattan Project, an atomic bomb was able to be dropped on Japanese cities. One was dropped on Hiroshima and the other on Nagasaki. This saved thousands of U.S. lives an invasion would have caused and led to the Japanese surrender. -
Japanese officals sign and offical letter of surrender on the U.S.S. Missouri, ending World War II
-
Formation of the United Nations
The United Nations was ratified in June 26, 1945 by 50 nations. This created an international peacekeeping organization known as the United Nations. Unlike the League of Nations, the U.S. was a member, with Roosevelt calling for Americans not to turn their backs on the world again, and the United Nations had some amount of military power. -
Nuremberg Trials
The trials consisted of 24 defendants who were charged with crimes against humanity. Defendants included some of Hitler’s top officials, like Hermann Goring who was the creator and head of the Gestapo. 19 found guilty, 12 sentenced to death. It was accepted that the people were responsible for their actions, even though it was during wartime. Hermann Goering on the stand, is shown in the photo. -
Marshall Plan
The economies in Europe were devastated along with many major cities. The Secretary of State George Marshall made a plan to boost these economies. Therefore, the U.S. gave more than $13 billion to help these nations recover. In the photo, Truman is seen signing the Marshall Plan.
