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Weimar Republic Established in Germany
After WW1, Germany went through a period of political turmoil that ultimately led to the rise of the Weimar Republic. -
Adolf Hitler Became the Leader of the Nazi Party
Hitler was voted head of the Nazi Party almost unanimously on the wave of his surging popularity. -
Washington Naval Conference
US, Japan, Britain, Belgium, the Netherlands, China, Italy, France, and Portugal met and discussed disarmament in the Pacific Ocean and East Asia. -
5 Power Treaty
It limited the number of naval war vessels that Japan, Italy, America, the UK, and France could build. -
4 Power Treaty
Signed at the Washington Naval Conference, France, Japan, Great Britain, and America agreed to not take another's territory in the Pacific without asking first. -
9 Power Treaty
United States reaffirmed the soveriegnty of China as per Open Door Policy; the treaty was promptly violated by Japan's invasion of Manchuria and World War Two altogether. -
Dawes Plan
It was created to solve the problems following the TReaty of Versailles by outlining how Germany's debt was to be paid. -
Adolf Hitler Wrote Mein Kampf
While in prison for political crimes, Hitler wrote his autobiography in the hopes of selling enough copies to pay his financial debts. -
Benito Mussolini Became the Leader of Italy
Prime Minister Mussolini forgoes his democratic facade for a legal dictatorship. -
Hirohito Became the Emperor of Japan
The first emporer of the Showa era, Hirohito took the throne during a financial crisis and the military's growing power within the government. -
Kellogg-Briand Pact Signed
This was a treaty signed by America, Germany, France, and later a few others that made the countries promise not to use war to solve their problems or they won't recieve the treaty's benefits. -
Stock Market Crashed in the U.S.
Thanks to margin buying, speculation, investment trusts, and overpricing, the Stock Market crashed on what will be forever known as "Black Tuesday". -
Japan Invaded Manchuria
Without orders from the Japanese government, the Imperial Army moved into Manchuria and established is as the puppet-state Manchukuo. -
Stimson Doctrine
America told China and Japan that it would not recognize any territory changes made by force. cough cough Invasion of Manchuria. . . . -
Adolf Hitler Became the Chancellor of Germany
President Hindenburg appointed Hitler as chancellor, which Hitler used to gain power over Germany's police force. -
Adolf Hitler Defied the Treaty of Versailles
Hitler announced to military leaders that he would reclaim all of the land taken from Germany by the Treaty of Versailles and start building an army that breached the Treaty's limits. -
Good Neighbor Policy
FDR promises that the US will not interfere militarily in the affairs of another country, more specifically Latin America. -
Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) became President of the U.S.
FDR began his first term as President grappling with the worst economic situation in American history. -
The New Deal Started
In his first term of office, FDR enacted a series of laws and organizations in order to help America pull out of the Great Depression. -
London Economic Conference
Over 60 nations gathered in London to discuss ways to end the world's economic depression, revive trade, and stabilize currency exchange rates. -
U.S. formally Recognized the Soviet Union
FDR pushed to have the US formally recognize the USSR in order to limit Japanese expansion into Asia and to forge trade agreements that would benefit America. -
Pan-American Conference
These conferences are meant to unite the Western Hemisphere and promote commercial, social, and political cooperation; this particular conference was where FDR announced his "Good Neighbor Policy". -
Tydings-McDuffie Act
The United States so graciously agreed to let the Filipinos govern themselves after a period of ten years. -
Reciprocal Trade Agreement
This gave the President permission to negotiate with other countries to lower tarriffs on both ends. -
The Holocaust Began
The Holocaust began with the passing of the Nuremburg laws, which called for the isolation and extermination of Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals, the disabled, and anyone else who went against the Nazi party. -
Italy Invaded Ethiopia
Italy, resulting from the weakness of the League of Nations, invaded Ethiopia and occupied it for five years before being defeated by the Allied Powers. -
Germany Reoccupied the Rhineland
Hitler moved his military into the section of land by the River Rhine that was taken from Germany by the Treaty of Versailles. -
Francisco Franco Led a Fascist Revolt in Spain
Shocked by the replacement of a monarchy with a democracy, Franco led a revolutionary group called the Nationalists and became the dictator of Spain upon his victory. -
Japan Invaded China
Hoping to expand into China, Japan began an all-out war against the larger country that merged into World War 2 after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. -
Quarantine Speech
FDR asked that America "quarantine the agressor" instead of staying neutral. -
Rape of Nanking
Japan captured the Chinese capital in a six-week long battle, during which tens of thousands of Chinese citizens were slaughtered; also known as the Nanking Massacre. -
Anschluss
Nazi Germany annexed Austria, Hitler's homeland. -
Hitler Hosted Munich Conference
Nazi Germany and a few others got together and agreed to gice Germany the German-speaking portions of Czechoslovakia. Guess who wasn't invited? That's right: Czechoslovakia! -
Hitler took the Sudetenland
With the permission of France and Britain in the Munich Conference, Germany took possession of the German-speaking parts of Czechoslovakia; these parts were called the Sudetenland. -
Kristallnacht
Thousands of Jewish synagogues, homes, and business were vandalized by Nazis in Germany and parts of Austria and thousands more Jews were sent to concentration camps; also called "The Night of Broken Glass". -
Hitler took Czechoslovakia
Unsatisfied with taking the Sudetenland, Hitler marched into and annexed the entirety of Czechoslovakia. -
Rome-Berlin Axis
This was the name of the Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany military partnership under the Pact of Steel; also the name of a book published in 1949. -
Nazi-Soviet Pact Signed
A non-agression pact, also known as the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, was signed by Foriegn Ministers of Germany and Russia outlining the invasion and division of Poland. -
Germany Invaded Poland (Blitzkrieg)
Germany quickly and efficiently invaded Poland by attaking from three sides, with the fourth side being the German-Polish border. -
Sitzkrieg Began
Sitzkrieg, meaning "sitting war", refers to the period of WW2 where the Allies (mainly Britain and France) declared war on the Axis, yet didn't do anything. -
Neutrality Act
This Act was passed in 1939 then repealed after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor and the German submarines attacked US ships. -
Winston Churchill Became the Prime Minister of GB
After proving himself a capable military leader, Churchill was appointed Prime Minister after the last guy failed to stop Hitler from taking Norway, Holland, Belgium, and the Netherlands. -
Auschwitz Death Camp Opened
Stationed in a captured Polish city, Auschwitz became the largest concentration/extermination camp used by the Nazis. -
Allies Evacuate Dunkirk
During the Battle of Dunkirk, France, the Allies decided to evacuate the British troops from the city and then evacuate the French a few days after the British were gone. -
Battle of Britain
The Axis Powers attacked the United Kingdom in the first major air force campaign of World War 2. -
Vichy Government Established in France
After the Battle of France, Germany took part of France and set up a new government there while the other part stayed with the Allies. -
Destroyers for Bases Deal
US traded 50 destroyers to Britain in exchange for land rights on British possessions. -
Tripartite Pact Signed
the leaders of Japan, Nazi Germany, and Italy came together and formed the Axis Powers. -
Election of 1940
President Roosevelt won his third term, despite its controversy, on the wave of fear of Nazi Germany and the "successes" of the New Deal. -
Four Freedoms
Presented by FDR in the 1941 State of the Union Address, they are freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. -
Lend-Lease Act
America lended weapons to the Allies so that they could help beat down the Axis without breaking their vow of neutrality. -
Operation Barbarossa
This was the codename for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union. -
Atlantic Charter
Drafted by Britain and the US and later approced by the other Allies, this charter outlined the Allies's intentions for after the war. -
Office of Price Administration
This organization was created to control prices and rations when WW2 broke out. -
Shoot-on-Sight Orders
After the USS Greer was fired upon by a German submarine, Roosevelt ordered that all naval ships and aircrafts destroy any German or Italian "vessel of war" that "enters the waters". -
Japanese Attacked Pearl Harbor
Japan dropped bombs on a US naval base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii to prevent American military intervention in Japanese imperialistic affairs. -
The U.S. Declared War on Japan
After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the US decides to enter World War 2 by declaring war on Japan. -
Washington/ARCADIA Conference
American and British military leaders met to decide what was to be done during the war, draft the United Nations, and established the Combined Chiefs of Staff. -
War Production Board
This was a wartime agency that supervised production of war materials, stopped the production of unnecessary items, and encouraged people to preserve certain materials. -
Double V
Standing for "victory at home and abroad", Double V was a campaign led by African Americans against the Axis overseas and racial discrimination in the US. -
Nisei were Interned in Relocation Centers in the U.S.
Due to post-Pearl Harbor suspicions against any Japanese person in America, "nisei" (the children of Japanese people who immigrated to a foriegn country) were sent to "relocation" camps. -
MacArthur’s “I shall return” speech
When things got rough in the Philipines, Washington ordered General MacArthur to go to Australia; MacArthur told his troops that he "shall return". -
Bataan Death March
After the Battle of Bataan, the Imperial Army forced Filipino and American prisoners of war on an 80-mile death-march. -
Cost-Plus System
In order to speed up the production of war materials, he government pays the cost of production plus extra so the company made a profit. -
Doolittle Raids Over Japan
Japan was air-raided for the first time by the American air force. -
Battle of the Coral Sea
A major battle between the Imperial Navy and the air forces and navies of America and Australia, this was the first time aircraft carriers fought each other. -
Battle of Midway
As the most important naval battle of the war, the Battle of Midway was the turning point of the fighting on the Pacific and Japan's first naval defeat since 1863. -
Battle of El Alamein
A two-part battle that took place in/around a railway stop in Egypt. -
Battle of Guadalcanal
The Allies attacked the southern Solomon Islands of Guadalcanal, Florida, and Tulagi to prevent Japan from threatening their supply and communication lines. -
Island Hopping Campaign
The Allies attacked Japan and its holdings by attacking small yet important islands while avoiding stronger Japanese positions. -
Battle of Stalingrad
This Nazi-German attack on Stalingrad was the turning point in the European theatre and is one of the bloodiest battles in history. -
Manhattan Project Began
This was the commity that created and produced the two nuclear bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. -
Operation Torch
Britain and America invaded North Africa so the invasion of Italy would go smoother. -
Rosie the Riveter
Based on a song, Rosie represented all of the women who took over factory jobs, mainly those that produced war materials, while the men were off fighting. -
Casablanca Conference
Roosevelt, Stalin, de Gaulle, Henri Giraud, and Churchill got together and made the Casablanca Declaration, which called for the "unconditional surrender" of the Axis Powers. -
Smith-Connally Anti-Strike Act
This allowed the government to take over industries threatened by or under strikes that would interfere with war production, and prohibited unions from participating in federal elections. -
Allies Landed in Sicily
Codenamed "Operation Husky", the airborne and amphibious invasion made by the Allies on Sicily lasted six weeks and paved the way for the invasion of Italy. -
Hitler enacted the Final Solution
Hilter knew he was going to lose the war, so he ordered the systemeatic killing of as many Jews and other undesirables as possible. -
Tehran Conference
Held in Soviet-held Iran, this was the first meeting between the "Big Three" as they discuss opening a second front in Europe. -
Operation Overlord (D Day)
The Allied landed on the beaches in Normandy in the largest amphibious invasion in history and created a second European front. -
Kamikaze Pilots Appear in the Pacific
Certain Japanese pilots were specially trained to crash their planes into Allied naval ships as a more effective way to take the ship out. -
Gen. MacArthur Returned to the Philippines (Leyte Gulf)
Holding true to his promise, General MacArthur returned to the Philipines to lead the attack in the Leyte Gulf. -
FDR’s 4th Term
Despite his declining health, President Roosevelt ran for an unprecedented fourth term in order to see the War to its end. -
Battle of the Bulge
Germany launched a major offensive attack in Belgium, which effectively led to an Allies victory and the defeat of Germany. -
Yalta Conference
Confrence held between President Roosevelt, Prime Minister Churchill, and Premier Stalin to discuss Europe's post-war reorganization. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
In this costly battle, the United States captured the island of Iwo Jima. -
Battle of Okinawa
In the largest Pacific amphibious battle of the war, the Allies attacked the islands of Okinawa in the hopes of making it an Allied air base. -
Mussolini was Executed
His execution discouraged another Fascist uprising. -
Hitler Committed Suicide
With his defeat inevitable, Hitler and his wife took their lives, leaving Nazi Germany to fall apart on its own. -
V-E Day
"Victory in Europe Day" was the national holiday celebrating the Allies' formal acceptance of Germany's unconditional surrender. -
Germany Surrendered
After all of the German armies surrendered, the German leaders officially accepted unconditional surrender. -
United Nations Charter
After seeing the results of World War 2 due to the failings of the League of Nations, almost all countries signed this agreement which bound the countries to certain obligations and overode any other treaty. -
Potsdam Conference
The heads of the US, UK, and USSR--Truman, Churchill (later Attlee), and Stalin--got together to decide how Nazi Germany was to be punished. -
Atomic Bomb Dropped on Hiroshima
Dubbed "Little Boy", this was the first atomic bombed ever to be dropped in history. -
Atomic Bomb Dropped on Nagasaki
Dubbed "Fat Man", this was the second and last nuclear weapon to ever be dropped in history. -
Japan Surrendered
After America bombed two major Japanese cities and Russia invaded Manchuria, Japan finally surrendered and ended World War 2. -
V-J Day
"Victory over Japan" Day celebrates the surrender of Japan to the Allies. -
Nuremberg Trials
The Allied powers tried most of the surviving Nazi leaders and officials after the war ended.
