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Japanese invasion of China
Japanese forces invaded to gain more power and land. The League condemned the action, but Japan quit the League. The dictators in Europe noticed the lack of responce by the League. -
Invasion of Manchuria
The Japanese invasion of a province of China, rich in natural resources. The League of Nations condomned Japan, but Japan just quit the League. It took an entire year to capture the entire province. -
Hitler Takes Power
Hitler joined the National Socialist German Workers' Party, otherwise known as the Nazi Party, in 1919. He was a good public speaker and organizer, and promised to restore the superior race and German empire. The Nazi party gained power and named Hitler as chancellor, when he dismantled the Ruplic in January of 1933 -
Spanish Civil War
1936 to 1939
Fascist rebels attacked the Republic. Hitler and Mussolini backed the fascist rebels, and Mussolini gained control of Italy. -
Munich Agreement
An agreement signed by France, Britain and Germany. It said that the Sudetend land belonged to Germany. -
German Invasion of Czechoslovakia
March until September
Hitler claimed the 3 million Germans living in Czechoslovakia, in Sudetenland, were being abused and massed troops on the border. He met with leaners from France and Britain to say it was the last claim he would make, so they signed the Sudetenland -
Non-Aggression Pact
A pact between Germany and the USSR that they wouldn't go to war. They also secretly agreed to split Poland between the two of them. Germany did this to prevent fighting a two-front war. -
Invasion of Poland
Germans used lightning war, and over whelmed the unexpecting Poland with help from the USSR. France and Britain delcared war on Germany. -
Neutrality Acts
Acts like the Cash and Carry Act. The US did everything short of declaring war to help the war effort. -
Invasion of Denmark and Norway
Hitler's surprised invasion when everyone expected Germany to try and break the Maginot line. He claimed it was to protect freedom in independence, but it was really a military stratagy, to go around the Maginot line and to build airbases on the coast to bomb Britain. -
Fall of France
After the French Maginot line failed, the British and French troops retreated into France and across the English Channel. Italy joined the war on Germany's side, and invaded from the south. It was decided that Norhtern France would be ruled by Germany, and Southern France would have a Nazi party controlled puppet government. -
Battle of Britain
From August to October
The repeated bombing by the Germans of British cities and military bases. Everynight, for two months, the Germans would fly over the cities and drop bombs. But, the British had developed RADAR, so they were able to see the Germans coming and fight back. Germany retreated in defeat -
Lend-Lease Act
Britain ran out of money to buy weapons from the US. The Lend-Lease act would allow the President to lend and lease arms and other supplies to any country whose defense was vital to the US. -
Atlantic Charter
The secret meeting between FDR and Churchill on a battle ship. They had a joint declaration of war aims, and decided on collective security, disarmament, self0determination, economic cooperation, and freedom of the seas -
Battle of Stalingrad
Lasted from late August to early the next year
The turning point of the war in Europe. Hitler wanted to wipe out Stalingrad, a major industrical center of the USSR. The German troops were successful in taking the city, but it look massive resources and a lot of time. The Soviet troops then held the German troops in the city over the long winter. German troops eventually surrendered, but only after losing 1,100,000 troops. -
Pearl Harbor
A surprise bombing of a US marine base from the Japanese in retaliation with the US economic nulification. It brought the US into the war. -
Doolittle's Raid
The American bombing of Tokyo and other Japanese cities. It raised American spirits, and dampened the Japanese spirits. -
Battle of Midway
The Americans, after breaking the Japanese code, learned of their next attack. They stopped the Japanese offence, and 'avenaged Pearl Harbor'. This became a turning point. -
Operation Torch
Lasted from late 1942 to mid 1943
The Allies chased the Axis powers out of Northern Africa. This territorial gain later helped with freeing Italy. -
Battle of the Atlantic
After Pearl Harbor, Hitler ordered for submarine raids of the US east coast, to stop all shipments, so Britain and the USSR would run out of supplies. The US quickly build lots of Liberty Ships and set up the convoy system -
Italian Campain
August of 1943 to May of 1944
Allies invaded Sicily. The government forces Mussolini to resign. The king then had Mussolini arrested. Hitler knew this meant the Allies were close, and concentrated forces near Rome to keep them from advancing. It was the biggest battle in Europe. -
D-Day
The largest land-sea-air operation in military history. American, British, and Canadian forces teamed up. They even set up a false army and false information of an attack 150 miles away. With many casualties, they made it 80 miles through German forces into France. -
Liberation of France
Following D-Day, lead by General Patton, the Allies drove straight into Paris. They overthrew the German control with help from resistence groups. -
Battle of Leyte Gulf
The battle in the pacific, where the Kamikaze technique was first used by the Japanese. Japan used their entire fleet to defend the Gulf, and managed to destroy a majority of American ships and planes, but still lost. -
Battle of the Bulge
When the Americans captured the first German town, a last offence was set forth. Germans drove 60 miles into the Allies line, but it never broke. It was a wasted effort. -
Iwo Jima
A key island south of Okinawa. American forces could build a base to bomb Japan. The island was heavily guarded. 20,700 Japanese troops were stationed there, and only 200 survived. -
Yalta Conference
FDR, Churchill, and Stalin met to discuss the future in the post-war world. They discussed forming the United Nations. -
FDR's Death
Died of a stoke. Vice President Harry Truman became the President. -
Okinawa
The closest island to Japan's mainland. 7,900 Americans were killed, while 110,000 Japanese were killed. It was considered a taste of what invading the Japan mainland would be like. -
V-E Day
Victory in Europe Day. The war in Europe was over! -
Hiroshima
First of the two atomic bombs dropped on Japan. It was dropped on an important military center. The bomb, code named 'Little Boy' blew the entire city to dust. -
Nagasaki
The second atomic bomb. Japan had refused to surrender after the first dropping. The bomb, code named 'Fat Man' destroyed half of Nagasaki. Japan surrendered soon after. -
V-J Day
Victory in Japan Day. Japan surrenders. The war was over! -
Nuremberg Trials
Trials lasted from 1945 to 1949. The Allies put 24 German party officials, government ministers, leaders and powerful industrialists on trial. They were tried for war crimes. 12 of them were sentenced to death. The rest were put in prison for life.
