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Hitler’s Control
Upon achieving power, Hitler smashed the nation’s democratic institutions and transformed Germany into a war state intent on conquering Europe for the benefit of the so-called Aryan race. His invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939, triggered the European phase of World War II. He ruled absolutely until his death by suicide in April 1945. -
When Japan invaded China
Seeking raw materials to fuel its growing industries, Japan invaded the Chinese province of Manchuria in 1931. By 1937 Japan controlled large sections of China, and war crimes against the Chinese became commonplace. -
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The Holocaust
The Holocaust was the systematic murder of Europe's Jews by the Nazis and their collaborators during the Second World War. This program of targeted mass murder was a central part of the Nazis’ broader plans to create a new world order based on their ideology. -
The Anschluss
The Anschluss was the Nazi German regime's first act of territorial aggression and expansion. The Anschluss was widely popular in both Germany and Austria. -
Invasion of Czechoslovakia
On August 20, 1968, the Soviet Union led Warsaw Pact troops in an invasion of Czechoslovakia to crack down on reformist trends in Prague. Although the Soviet Union's action successfully halted the pace of reform in Czechoslovakia, it had unintended consequences for the unity of the communist bloc. -
Invasion of Poland
Germany invaded Poland to regain lost territory and ultimately rule their neighbor to the east. The German invasion of Poland was a primer on how Hitler intended to wage war–what would become the blitzkrieg strategy. -
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World War II
World War II was a brutal total war, where all resources were used to fight the war. Won by the Allied powers of the US, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union against the Axis powers of Nazi Germany, Italy, and Japan. -
The Neutrality Act of 1939
This Act lifted the arms embargo and put all trade with belligerent nations under the terms of “cash-and-carry.” The ban on loans remained in effect, and American ships were barred from transporting goods to belligerent ports. -
The Fall of France
Between 9 May and 22 June 1940, a remarkable German assault on north-west Europe. Known as the Battle of France, resulted in the capture and subjugation of not only France but three other countries Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Belgium. -
The Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain was a major air campaign fought largely over southern England in the summer and autumn of 1940. After the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk and the Fall of France, Germany planned to gain air superiority in preparation for an invasion of Great Britain. -
US Oil Embargo on Japan
Japan relied on oil imports from the United States and Britain for industrial growth. Before Pearl Harbor, the United States froze all exports of oil and steel to Japan. -
The attack on Pearl Harbor
The surprise attack by some 350 Japanese aircraft sunk or badly damaged eighteen US naval vessels, including eight battleships, destroyed or damaged 300 US aircraft, and killed 2,403 men. -
The Bataan Death March
The prisoners of war were forced to march through tropical conditions, enduring heat, humidity, and rain without adequate medical care. They suffered from starvation, having to sleep in the harsh conditions of the Philippines. -
Battle of Midway Island
The U.S. Navy's decisive victory in the air-sea battle and its successful defense of the major base located at Midway Island dashed Japan's hopes of neutralizing the United States as a naval power and effectively turned the tide of World War II in the Pacific. -
Battle of Stalingrad
Stalingrad was one of the most decisive battles on the Eastern Front in the Second World War. The Soviet Union inflicted a catastrophic defeat on the German Army in and around this strategically important city on the Volga river, which bore the name of the Soviet dictator, Josef Stalin. -
D-Day
The D-Day operation of June 6, 1944, brought together the land, air, and sea forces of the allied armies in what became known as the largest amphibious invasion in military history. The operation, given the codename OVERLORD, delivered five naval assault divisions to the beaches of Normandy, France. -
The Yalta Conference
At Yalta, the Big Three agreed that after Germany's unconditional surrender, it would be divided into four post-war occupation zones, controlled by U.S., British, French, and Soviet military forces. -
V-E Day
On Victory in Europe Day, or V-E Day, Germany unconditionally surrendered its military forces to the Allies, including the United States. On May 8, 1945 - known as Victory in Europe Day or V-E Day - celebrations erupted around the world to mark the end of World War II in Europe. -
Atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki
The atomic bomb changed the global power equation significantly. US became a military superpower along with the USSR. The rivalry between the two superpowers led to the Cold War, which in turn led to the nuclear arms race. The Cold War has its origins even before -
Atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima
When they dropped two bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, the world had never experienced anything like it before. The dropping of the device – codenamed 'Little Boy' – on Hiroshima on 6 August 1945, claimed the lives of an estimated 140,000 people.