-
Japan becomes more democratic
During the 1920s, the Japanese government became more democratic. However, their parliamentary systems had several weaknesses. The Japanese constitution put strict limits on the powers of the prime minister and the cabinet, while civilian leaders had little control over armed forces.
<Photo: http://viewlinerltd.blogspot.com/2008/03/1945-reproductions-of-japanese.html> -
Militarists take control of Japan
After the Great Depression stuck, many blamed the government. With chaos all over the nation, the military leaders gained support and soon won control of the country. They wanted to restore traditional control of the government to the military and made the emperor (who was a puppet leader) the symbol of state power. The militarists were extreme nationalists, and wanted to solve the economic problems through foreign expansion. <Photo: http://www.japanfocus.org/-Vladimir-Tikhonov/3087> -
Period: to
Japan invades Manchuria
Despite objections from the Japanese parliament, Japan took control of Manchuria, China’s northeast province in which Japanese businesses had invested heavily on. Japanese engineers and technicians began building mines and factories. This was Japan’s first direct challenge to the League of Nations, in which members highly opposed, but the Japanese ignored.
<Photo:http://www.holocaustresearchproject.org/survivor/brichta1.html> -
Hitler Becomes Chancellor
As Nazis became the largest political party, President Paul von Hindenburg named Hitler chancellor. This action have legal power to Hitler, and with his success in winning a majority power of the parliament, he used his power to turn Germany into a totalitarian state. <Photo: http://collectiondiscovery.blogspot.com/2012/04/hitler-become-chancellor-of-germany.html> -
Hitler declares himself Führer
By becoming Germany’s absolute leader of Germany, Hitler was capable of totally ruling his nation, and therefore began eradicating all of his enemies, take command of the economy, and eradicate all other political threats. <Photo: http://hitlertriumphant.wordpress.com/hitler-becomes-fuhrer/> -
German Jews stripped of rights by Nuremberg Race Laws
The Nuremberg Laws took away the German Jews their rights of citizenship and also made rules on their marriages and sexual relations with Aryans. Charts were created in order to distinguish Jews from Mischlinge (Germans of mixed race) and Aryans. They were soon followed my several other laws that eventually completely deprived the Jews from any rights within Germany. <Photo: http://www.ushmm.org/propaganda/archive/teacher-nuremberg-laws/> -
Reintroduces the draft and rearms Germany
Long wanting to undo the Treaty of Versailles because it limited the size of Germany’s army, Hitler announced that Germany would not obey these restrictions. The League of Nations gave the nation only a small punishment, which encouraged him to take further actions. <Photo: http://wn.com/No_conscription_league> -
German troops occupy the Rhineland
Hitler ignored the Treaty of Versailles once again, moving his troops into the Rhineland, land between Germany and France that was an important industrial area. The British urged appeasement. Appeasing Hitler only further encouraged him, leading him to continue his actions on expanding his nation. <Photo: http://www.art.com/products/p4171314950-sa-i4800549/robert-hunt-german-re-occupation-of-rhineland-1936.htm> -
Period: to
Spanish Civil War
Francisco Franco, favoring a Fascist-style government, rose in a revolt in Spain, beginning a civil war within the nation. Franco received the support of Hitler and Mussolini, while the Allies remained neutral and not intervening. The Republican resistance collapsed and Franco became Spain’s Fascist dictator. <Photo: http://www.rjgeib.com/heroes/unamuno/franco.html> -
Japan invades China
A border incident created a full-scale war between Japan and China. Despite the size in Chinese troops, they were no match for the better equipped and trained Japanese, therefore falling into their hands through the fall of Beijing, Nanjing (capital), and other northern cities.
<Photo:http://www.talkingproud.us/Military/Banshees/BansheeJapRace/BansheeJapRace.html> -
Germany announces 'Anschluss' with Austria
After Hitler announced his plans to take Austria and Czechoslovakia into the Third Reich or German Empire, he sent his army into Austria and took over, ignoring the Treaty of Versailles’s prohibition on Anschluss, or union between the nations. Many Austrians supported the unity, and France and Britain did not protect Austrian independence. <Photo:http://www.xtimeline.com/error.html?aspxerrorpath=/evt/view.aspx> -
Munich Conference
Proposed by Mussolini, the nations of Germany, France, Britain, and Italy gathered in Munich, Germany. Neville Chamberlain, prime minister of Britain proposed appeasement, allowing Germany to take the Sudetenland while Germany agreed to not invade Czechoslovakia. In the end however, this only further encouraged Hitler, soon after taking over Czechoslovakia. <Photo: http://historyimages.blogspot.com/2008/07/nazi-germany-pictorial-history.html> -
Germany takes over Czechoslovakia
Encouraged by the appeasement at the Munich Conference, Hitler took over Czechoslovakia, ignoring the agreement of respecting the nation’s borders for Sudetenland in which he also conquered. This gained further power for Germany and the other Axis Powers, the nations continuing to expand.
<Photo: http://historyimages.blogspot.com/2009/12/ww2-germany-takes-over-sudetenland.html> -
Germany and Italy signs 'Pact of Steel'
The Pact of Steel was an agreement signed between Italy and Germany that openly declared the continuing trust and cooperation between the two nations, as well as encouraging a union of policies concerning the military and economy. This strengthened the relationship between the two Axis Powers, as well as strengthening their power.
<Photo: http://www.dipity.com/minorities4/World-War-II/> -
Germany and Russia sign Non-Aggression Pact
While Stalin talked with Britain and France, he secretly bargained with Hitler. The two dictators publicly pledged to never attack one another, while also agreeing to divide Poland and territory for the USSR. This strengthened Hitler’s powers because he did not have to worry about Germany’s east, and therefore could focus on expansion towards other directions. <Photo: http://newzar.wordpress.com/category/polish-russian-relations/> -
Germany invades Poland
Ignoring the Allies, Germany invaded Poland, using the nation’s newest military strategy– the blitzkrieg or “lightning war”. Before the Allies could take any action, the nation fell into Hitler’s hands, expanding even more land and power. Attacking Poland was finally where the Allies began taking major responses to the Axis Powers. <Photo:http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/gallery/2009/sep/01/secondworldwar-poland1> -
Britain, France, Australia, and New Zealand declare war on Germany
In response to Germany’s invasion of Poland, the Allies declared war upon Germany, but failed to help Poland because of failing to take any action from Germany’s quick victory. <Photo: http://www.circlecity.co.uk/wartime/history/declared.php> -
British Royal Air Force attacks German Navy
After the Allies declared war on Germany, the British Royal Air Force attacked the German Navy. <Photo: http://www.dipity.com/kaylinhunsaker/World-War-II/> -
United States proclaims its neutrality; German troops cross the Vistula River in Poland
The United States felt that the nation shouldn’t get involved with the war, therefore passing several Neutrality Acts that made it illegal to sell arms or lend money to nations at war. However, after realizing that the fall of the Allies would be bad for the US, the nation began helping. After a series of shooting, the US was now involved in an undeclared naval war with Hitler. <Photo: http://collections.yadvashem.org/photosarchive/en-us/3754303_4028134.html> -
France surrenders to Germany
Germany took over the capital of France, Paris. The French leaders soon surrender to the Germans, Germany taking control of the northern part of the country. With the fall of the major Allie power, this left Britain with very few Allies on their side.
<Photo: http://lostmotorcycles.blogspot.com/2010/09/fall-of-france-1940-explained.html> -
Period: to
Battle of Britain
Germany began attacking Great Britain with their air force, focusing first on airfields and aircraft factories, and then into cities, especially London. Despite the destruction and loss of life, Britain did not give in, using their radar to get ideas of incoming warplanes, and German code-making machine named Enigma to decode secret messages. Through the British resistance, Hitler ended the attacks and focused on other <Photo:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9f/Bombing_of_London.jpg> -
Wannsee Conference
The Wannsee Conference was where the leaders of the Nazi party gathered to develop plans on the Jewish, and how to get rid of all of them. The conference developed the final solution of extermination, or genocide. This led to the opening of the death camps, which ended up in the systematic killing of 11 million people. <Photo:http://learningabouttheholocaust.blogspot.com/2012/01/germany-marks-anniversary-of-wannsee.html> -
Period: to
Battle of Stalingrad
The Germans controlled most of the city of Stalingrad. However the Soviets were able to surround the city and cut off their supplies. This greatly decreased the number of German troops and put them now on the defensive, with the Soviets pushing them westward.
<Photo: http://hitler.asia/the-battle-of-stalingrad/> -
Period: to
Battle of El Alamein
The Germans had taken over the Egyptian village El Alamein, which left the British unable to go around them. This led to a massive frontal attack. German forces eventually fell back. This showed how the Germans’ power was falling more and more, forcing them to continuously retreat from their conquered territories. One of the first successful defeats of the Germans.
<Photo: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:El_Alamein_1942_-_British_infantry.jpg> -
Operation Torch
As German troops retreated west, the Allied forces, mostly Americans, put troops in Morocco and Algeria (Americans), putting the Germans between their enemies. This plan led to the end of Rommel’s troops in North Africa, which further caused them to retreat, closer to Germany.
<Photo: http://www.defensemedianetwork.com/stories/operation-torch-ybsob-decoded/> -
Period: to
Invasion of Italy
Ignoring Stalin’s encouragement to continuously invade France, the British and Americans captured Sicily from the Italians and Germans. Mussolini fell from power, and Italy surrendered to the Allies. Mussolini was found disguised as a German soldier, but soon discovered and killed. With a major Axis Power fallen, this continuously forced the Germans to retreat northward.
<Photo: https://mouatspage.wikispaces.com/I-15.%29+Summarize+events+that+led+to+the+unconditional+surrender+of+Germany.> -
Period: to
D-Day Invasion
The Allies planned to launch an attack on German held France across the English Channel. In Operation Overlord, attacked on the coast of Normandy, northwestern France, facing major casualties. They finally won German defenses and captured Paris, liberating France, Belgium, and Luxembourg. This greatly weakened German’s forces, leaving the Allies with only Germany. <Photo: http://www.historylink101.com/wwII_b-w/d-day/practice/IMG_4160.html> -
Period: to
Battle of Leyte Gulf
The Allies landed on Leyte in the Philippines, where the Japanese planned to destroy the American fleet to prevent them from resupplying their group troops. The Japanese navy lost, weakening them drastically.
<Photo:http://mustardseedbudget.wordpress.com/2012/02/22/battle-of-leyte/> -
Battle of the Bulge
Hitler now faced a war on two fronts with Allied forces to Germany’s west, and the Soviet army to its east. German tanks broke through American defenses, but the Allies eventually pushed the Germans back, forcing them to retreat with no reinforcements available. After the battle, the war in Europe rapidly ended with the capture of Berlin and suicide of Hitler.
<Photo: http://www.britannica.com/blogs/2009/06/the-battle-of-the-bulge-revisited-small-hills-larger-than-life-soldiers/> -
Period: to
Battle of Okinawa
American troops entered the island of Okinawa, where the Japanese put up a desperate fight. The Japanese lost over 100,000 troops, and the Americans 12,000. The Japanese were left with very little power, and the Allies closer to Japan.
<Photo: http://mrbruns.ning.com/profiles/blogs/blog-assignment-13-us-wwii> -
Bombing of Hiroshima
The Allies, with the new weapon of the atomic bomb, warned the Japanese of attack unless they surrendered. With no reply in return, the US dropped the two bombs in the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing many immediately and from the radiation fallout. This led to the Japanese surrendering, ending the war.
<Photo: http://www.andyworthington.co.uk/2009/08/06/never-forget-the-bombing-of-hiroshima-64-years-ago-today/> -
Bombing of Nagasaki
The Allies, with the new weapon of the atomic bomb, warned the Japanese of attack unless they surrendered. With no reply in return, the US dropped the two bombs in the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing many immediately and from the radiation fallout. This led to the Japanese surrendering, ending the war.
<Photo: http://www.andyworthington.co.uk/2009/08/06/never-forget-the-bombing-of-hiroshima-64-years-ago-today/>
