-
The Invasion of Poland
demonstrated Germany's ability to combine air power and armor in a new kind of mobile warfare. -
Great Britain and France Declare War on Nazi Germany
to defend the balance of power in Europe and safeguard Britain's position in the world. -
The Invasion of Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands & France
They wanted to bypass the French defence line at the eastern border by going through the Netherlands and Belgium. -
The Battle & Great Escape at Dunkirk
The evacuation boosted morale
If the BEF had been captured, it would have meant the loss of Britain's only trained troops and the collapse of the Allied cause. The successful evacuation was a great boost to civilian morale, and created the 'Dunkirk spirit' which helped Britain to fight on in the summer of 1940. -
Period: to
The Battle of Britain
it kept Nazi materials of war focused on Britain, steeled the will of the British people to find the war to the end, and demonstrated that the Nazis were not invincible. -
Selective Service & Training Act
required all men between the ages of 21 and 45 to register for the draft. -
Lend-Lease Assistance Act
it enabled Roosevelt to send material support to the anti-Nazi allies while allowing the U.S. to avoid direct involvement in the widening war. -
The Attack on Pearl Harbor
brought the United States into World War II, as it immediately declared war on Japan. -
America Enters World War 2
America led the world in arms production, making more than enough to fill its military needs. -
Germany and Italy Declare War on the United States
Hitler’s announcement of war with the United States marked the end of years of careful maneuvering on the part of the Nazi leader to secure Germany’s objectives, while also avoiding war with America. -
Period: to
The Battle of the Coral Sea
It was the world's first carrier-vs. -carrier battle, and the first naval battle in which neither side's ships sighted the others. -
Period: to
The Battle of Midway Island
stopped the growth of Japan in the Pacific and put the United States in a position to begin shrinking the Japanese empire -
Period: to
The Invasion of North Africa
designed to take pressure off of the besieged Soviet Union by opening a second front in the Mediterranean to divert German attention. -
Period: to
The Invasion of Sicily & Italy
Operation Torch turned the tide of the war, allowing the Allies to gain the offensive for the first time in three years.. Operation Avalanche gave the Allies an important foothold for which they could expand into Italy. -
The D-Day Invasion of France
the successful Allied landing in France was a psychological blow to the German occupation of Europe. -
Nazi Concentration Camps Discovered
The German concentration camp in Lublin, called Majdanek, was initiated by Heinrich Himmler's decision. -
Period: to
The Battle of the Bulge
marked the last German offense on the Western Front. -
Period: to
The Yalta Conference
in exchange for potentially crucial Soviet participation in the Pacific theater, the Soviets would be granted a sphere of influence in Manchuria following. -
V-E (Victory in Europe) Day
to mark the end of World War II in Europe. -
The Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima
forced Japan to surrender to the United States. The war was finally over. -
The Atomic Bomb on Nagasaki
The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki ended World War II. There can be no doubt of that. While they brought death and destruction on a horrifying scale, they averted even greater losses – American, English, and Japanese. -
V-J (Victory over Japan) Day
V-J Day, or Victory over Japan Day, marks the end of World War II, one of the deadliest and most destructive wars in history. When President Harry S. Truman announced on Aug. 14, 1945, that Japan had surrendered unconditionally, war-weary citizens around the world erupted in celebration.