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Great Depression
o Great Depression begins 1929-1940 The Stock Market Crash of 1929 marked the beginning of the Great Depression. There was mass unemployment. The First New Deal started in 1933-1935 and was designed to fight the depression (second new deal 1935-1937). The greatest law passed was the Social Security Act. Black Tuesday was on October 29 which was the worst day of the crash. -
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World War 2
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Japan conquers Manchuria in nothern China
On September 18/19, 1931Japan launched an attack on Manchuria and just within a few days the Japanese armed forced had occupied several strategic points in South Manchuria -
Hitler becomes the Chancellor of Germany
o Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany- He led the fascist National Socialist German Workers’ Party, or Nazi Party. They attracted supporters by German racial superiority after election in 1932, Hitler was appointed chancellor of Germany and overthrew the constitution and took over. He was only appointed because of the power struggle between the president and Hitler He also wrote a book called Mein Kampf. -
Roosevelt first elected as President
Roosevelt first elected president- During the Novmeber 1932 presidential he offered few specifics about how he would try to solve the nation’s problems. He also created the two New Deals. He focused his programs on relief, recovery, and reform in America. FDR also created the Social Security Act which helped the disabled and low- income elder. -
Nuremberg Laws
September 15, 1935. Many of those laws were national ones that had been issued by the German administration and affected all Jews. They enforced and supported anti-Jewish legislation. They limited participated of Jews in German public life. These laws limited the things Jewish people could do. -
Hitler & Mussolini form Rome-Berlin Axis
Hitler & Mussolini form the Rome-Berlin Axis- Italy, Germany, and Japan sought new territory and in 1936, Hitler and Mussolini formed an alliance called Rome-Berlin Axis, which became known as the Axis. -
Japan invades China
Japan invaded China for several reasons. The first was for their resources. China was also unprepared for war. The two countires has fought intermittenly since 1931. -
Germany invades Austira
Germany invades Austria- Germany invades Austria ‘Anschluss” on March 12, 1938. Hitler was welcomed with great enthusiasm by the Austrian people and he announced that Austria had become part of the German Reich. The laws of Germany and its anti-Semitic acts were applied in Austria. -
Britain's appeasement of Germany
Britain’s appeasement of Germany-Meeting demands of a hostile power in order to avoid war. British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain met with Hitler in Munich, Germany and made an agreement. Germany would gain control of Sudetenland and Hitler promised to stop seeking more territory. The Munich Agreement was part of the British and French policy of appeasement. -
Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht- November 9/10, 1938 it was a nationwide pogrom in Germany. It literally means “Night of Crystal” and often referred to as the “Night of Broken Glass.” It refers to the wave of violent anti-Jewish pogroms. It erupted as a spontaneous outburst of public sentiment in response to the assassination of Ernst vom Rath. He was killed by a 17-year-old Jew. -
Germany and Soviet Union have a nonaggression pact
On August 23, 1939 representative from Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union met and signed the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact which guaranteed that the two countries would not attack each together for ten years. Another part of this agreement was an economic agreement, signed on August 19, 1939. Germany would exchange manufacture goods for Soviet raw materials. Signing this pact gave Germany a chance to protect itself from fighting a two-front war in the soon-to-begin WWII. The Soviet Union was aw -
Germany invades Poland
Germany invades Poland - blitzkrieg (start of WWII)- Germany invades Poland on September 1, 1939 and German forces drove deep into Poland using a new method of warfare called Blitzkrieg or “lighting war” In less than a month Poland fell. -
Nazi implement "Final Solution"
o The Nazis implement the “Final Solution” (picture & description)- Nazis used the term “Final Solution” to refer to their plan to annihilate the Jewish people. After the Nazi party got power in Germany in 1933 its state-sponsored racism led to anti-Jewish legislation, economic boycotts, and the violence of the Kristallnach. Ghettos were established near September 1939 and after June 1941 SS and police units began massive killing operations aimed at entire Jewish communities. -
Germany invades Denmark, Norway, Belgium and France
Germany invades Denmark, Norway, Belgium, and France (Vichy France)- On April 1940 Hitler conquered Denmark and overran Norway, then Germany launched blitzkrieg against Belgium and the Netherlands. In June 1940 Germany invaded France. -
German air force bombs London and other civillian targets
The first German attack occurred by accident. On the night of August 24, 1940, Luftwaffe bombers aiming for the military targets on the outskirts of London went off course and dropped their bombs on the center of London which destroyed several homes and killing civilians. Prime Minister Churchill believed that it was a deliberate attack ordered berlin to be bombed the next evening. Hitler was outraged and declared to raze London’s cities. Beginning on September 7, 1940 for a total of 57 consecut -
Japan joins Axis Powers
Japan joins the Axis Powers- Japan signed the Tripartite Pact with Germany and Italy on September 27, 1940 in Berlin. Japan is now fully going against America. -
Lend-Lease Act
Lend-Lease Act-In March 11,1941 Congress approved this act which Roosevelt also supported. The act allowed United States to lend or lease resources and equipment to the Allies. The United States sent Great Britain, the Soviet Union, and other Allies about $50 billion worth of goods. -
Tuskegee Airmen
-Due to racial discrimination African American service men were not allowed to learn to fly until 1941. The squadron quickly dubbed the Tuskegee Airmen and was activated on March 22, 1941. It was redesignated as the 99th Fighter Squadron on May 15, 1942. In June 1943 the airmen entered combat over North Africa. They exemplified courage, skill, and dedication in combat. They completed over 1,500 missions during the war and never lost an escorted bomber to enemy fighters. The Tuskegee Airmen retur -
Germany invades Soviet Union
Hitler wanted Soviet wheat and oil fields to help sustain his military machine. In June 22, 1941 his forces invaded the Soviet Union. -
Pearl Harbor
o Pearl Harbor- In 1940 Japan had joined the Axis alliance and then when Hideki Tojo came to power in 1941 Japan became even more warlike. On December 7, 1941 Japanese warplanes bombed the huge American naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. About 2,400 Americans died. Many war planes and ships were destroyed. Roosevelt called December 7, 1941 “a date that will live in infamy”. On December 11, Japan’s allies Germany and Italy declared war on the U.S. -
Japanese-American incarceration
Japanese-American incarceration- President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 in February 1942. The order allowed for the removal of Japanese and Japanese Americans from the Pacific Coast. They were forced to sell their homes, possessions, leave their jobs, and move to prison-like camps. -
Bataan Death March
Bataan Death March-In April 9, 1942 more than 70,000 Filipino and American troops surrendered to the Japanese on the Bataan Peninsula in the Philippines. The Japanese marched the soldiers over 65 miles to a prison camp. While they were marching about 10,000 prisoners died from shootings, beatings, or starvation and this was known to be the Bataan Death March. -
Manhattan Project
On May 12, 1942 President Roosevelt signed an order creating the secret project to develop the nuclear weapon. It was a top-secret program to build an atomic bomb and was led by American physicist J. Robert Oppenhiemer. It took the project team 3 years to construct this weapon. After a successful testing the president Truman warned Japan that if it did not surrender it faced destruction. This bomb was dropped by B-29 bomber Enola Gay on August 6+9, 1945 on the industrial city of Hiroshima. -
British foces stop German advance at El Alamein
British forces stop the German advance at El Alamein- General Erwin Rommel was a skilled and had a nickname of “The Desert Fox”. In June 1942 Rommel’s tanks pushed British lines to the Egyptian town of El Alamein, but the British stopped Rommel’s advance at El Alamein and then forced the Germans to retreat. -
Battle of Midway
Battle of Midway- In June 4-7 of 1942 the Allies began to turn the tide against the Japanese. The opposing navies clashed again in June off the island of Midway in central Pacific. The U.S. Navy destroyed four Japanese carriers and at least 250 planes. America only lost one carrier and about 150 planes. The Battle of Midway in June 1942 was a turning point in the war. -
German forces surrender at Stalingrad
German forces surrender at Stalingrad- In September 1942 German forces attacked the Russian city of Stalingrad, a very important industrial center. The battle of Stalingrad was fought on July 17, 1942 to February 2, 1943. The Soviet army fiercely defended their land and when winter approached the German commander begged Hitler to let him retreat but Hitler refused. On February 2, 1943 the German forces surrender at Stalingrad, most of the German troops has died. -
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal- Allies gained their first major land victory against the Japanese on the island of Guadalcanal. U.S. Marines marched on the shore in August 7, 1942. In February 1943 the Americans finally won the battle. This victory included a group of Navajo Indians. U.S. military used the Navajo language to transmit important messages and recruited over 400 Navajos to be Code Talkers. -
Rosie the Riveter
Rosie the Riveter- An image of a strong woman hard at work at an arms factory-as its symbol for its new group of wage earners. Women worked in munitions factories, shipyards, and offices. ‘Rosie the Riveter” convinced women that they had a patrotic duty to enter the workforce. More than 300,000 women served in the U.S. armed forces. Women working in the wartime were also paid less than men. Many women also enjoyed working in factories. “Rosie” appeared on the cover of the May 29th, 1943 editi -
D-Day
D-Day-Allied invasion of France on June 6, 1944. It was the largest seaborne invasion in history. The plan was commanded by General Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe. In early morning more than 5,000 ships and landing craft carried more than 150,000 American, British, and Canadian solders the Channel to Normandy. The attack surprised German forced positioned along the beach. At the end of the day the Allies secured the beaches. D-Day was also one of the very important attacks. -
Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge- Final German assault in December 16, 1944 in Ardennes region of Belgium and Luxembourg. German troops pushed back Allied forces in the Ardennes region of Belgium and Luxembourg before U.S. forces regrouped and defeated them. The battle was over in January 25, 1945. The battle’s human toll was costly. 120,000 German casualties and about 80,000 Americans casualties. -
Yalta Conference
Yalta Conference- In February 4-11, 1945, Allied leaders met in the Soviet resort of Yalta. Attending the Yalta Conference were the “Big Three” as they were called- Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin. The purpose was for the leaders to make plans for the end of the war and the future of Europe. Stalin promised to declare war on Japan after Germany surrendered. Also the three leaders agreed on establishing a postwar international peacekeeping organization and discussed the type of governments after -
Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima-In 19, February 1945, U.S. Marines invaded Iwo Jima, and after desperate fighting it was finally conquered in March 16. The capture of Iwo Jima would provide an emergency landing strip for crippled B-29s returning from bombing runs also it would allow for sea and air blockades. -
Okinawa
Okinawa- In April 1, 1945 they invaded Okinawa and the battle ended on June 22, 1945. Americans planned to use this island for base for air operations since it was only 340 mi 9550 km) away from mainland Japan. The battle usually is referred to as the ‘typhoon of steel” the nicknames refer to the ferocity of fighting, the intensity of kamikaze (suicide planes that carry bombs and plans on hitting enemy’s ships or anything and explode) attacks from the Japanese defenders. -
Roosevelt dies and Truman becomes the president
Roosevelt dies, Truman becomes president- In April 1945, just after months of being sworn in for fourth term, and Roosevelt died. Harry S. Truman which was his vice-president succeeded him and continued the war effort. -
Allied forces advance on Berlin, Germany surrenders
Allied forces advance on Berlin, Germany surrenders-In 15-23 April 1945 the Russians reached berlin. Adolf Hitler had sensed that the end was near. On April 30, he committed suicide. On May 2, 1945 the Soviet army captured Berlin and five days later the German leaders officially signed an unconditional surrender at General Eisenhower’s headquarters in France. May 8, is known as V-E Day, or Victory in Europe Day. -
Formation of the United Nations
• April 25, 1945- 50 nations met in San Francisco to discuss a new peacekeeping organization to replace the weak and ineffective League of Nations.
• June 26, 1945- All 50 nations ratified the charter creating a new international peacekeeping body known as the United Nations.
• President Roosevelt had urged Americans not to turn their backs on the world again.
• Unlike the League of Nations, the United States is a member of the United Nations. -
Postdam Conference
Postdam Conference- July 17- August 2, 1945. Allies held the Postdam conference to plan the war’s end. Decision was made to put Nazi war criminals on trial. -
Atomic bombs dropped on Nagasaki @ Hiroshima
o Atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima & Nagasaki- Since the Japanese refused to surrender the first atomic bomb was dropped on August 6, 1945 by the B-29 bomber Enola Gay on the industrial city of Hiroshima and killed more than 75,000 people. 5 square miles was turned into wasteland. Then the Japanese still refused to surrender, on August 9, 1945 the second one was dropped on Nagasaki, and killed another 40,000. On August 14, 1945 Japan surrender. -
Japanese officals sign the letter of surrender
Japanese officials sign an official letter of surrender on the U.S.S. Missouri, ending World War II- On September 2, 1945 Japanese and Allied leaders met aboard the U.S. battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay. There the Japanese officials signed an official letter of surrender. The war is now over. -
Nuremberg trials
Nuremberg trials- November 20, 1945- October 1, 1946. 24 defendants, including some of Hitler’s top officials. Herman Goering was the creator& head of Gestapo (secret police). Charged with crimes against humanity. 19 found guilty, 12 sentenced to death. People are responsible for their actions, even wartime. -
Marshall Plan
In January 1, 1948, Congress approved Secretary of state George Marshall’s plan to help boost European economies. The U.S. gave more than $13 billion to help the nations of Europe get back on their feet.
