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Japan attacks China
1937- In 1937, there was a minor incident between Japan and China near the Marco Polo Bridge where shots were fired between both sides. It is said that 300,000 Chinese civilians were murdered, raped, and imprisoned during this time. -
Period: to
World war 2
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Treaty of Munich
September 30 , 1938- Treaty of Munich- Hitler, Chamberlain, and Daladier of France and Mussolini of Italy met in Munich and agreed that Hitler should have the Sudetanland of Czechoslovakia. The Czechs were not present at the meeting and they saw that no country would come to their aid and they were forced to surrender the Sudetenland to Germany. -
Hitler invades Czechoslovakia
March 1939- Hitler invades Czechoslovakia-Despite the assurances given by Hitler in the Treaty of Munich (Sept 1938), he marched into Czechoslovakia and occupied the country. This is what technically started the World War and led to different alliances and several assassinations. -
Hitler invades Poland
September 1-3- Hitler invades Poland and then Britain and France declare war on Germany.-Britain and France declared war on Germany. Neville Chamberlain broadcast the announcement that the country was at war. These countries were technically at war, but there was no actual warfare going on at the time. The months following Britain’s declaration of war are referred to as the ‘phoney war’ because Britain saw no military action. This occurred until May of 1940. -
Blitzkierg
May 10, 1940- Blitzkrieg- Hitler launched his blitzkrieg (lightning war) against Holland and Belgium. Rotterdam was bombed almost to extinction. Both countries were occupied. Hitler did this so that he could have territory next to Britain and France. -
Dunkirk
May 26, 1940 - Dunkirk- The British commander-in-chief, General Gort, had been forced to retreat to the coast at Dunkirk. The troops waited, under fire, to be taken off the beaches. A call went out to all owners of boats to travel to Dunkirk to take the troops off the beaches of Dunkirk. More than 338,000 men were rescued, some 140,000 French who would form the main part of the Free French army under a general, Charles de Gaulle. -
Italy joins axis powers
June 11, 1940- Italy joins the axis powers- Italy entered the war on the side of the Axis powers. Italy’s reason for entering the war was the hope of making lots of profit and gaining more land for themselves. -
Air raids in Britain
July - October 1940- Air raids in Britain- These raids came nightly and Hitler had hoped to tear down the morale of the people and destroy their industrial cities. The British defended them selves and thats why the raids were ended in a short amount of time. -
Hitler invades USSR
June 22, 1941- Hitler attacks USSR- Hitler sent 3 million soldiers and 3,500 tanks into Russia. The Russians were taken by surprise because they had signed a treaty with Germany in 1939. Stalin immediately signed treaty with Britain and launched an Eastern front battle that would claim 20 million casualties. USA also supplied Russia with aid during this front of the war. Many of the deaths were from starvation and people being exposed to the harsh winter. Many of these people were civilians. -
Pearl Harbor
December 7, 1941- Pearl Harbor- The Japanese, who were already waging war against the Chinese, attacked the US pacific fleet at Pearl Harbour, Hawaii, as a beginning to taking British, French and Dutch colonies in South East Asia. The Japanese were with the axis powers, so this made USA join Britain , Russia, Canada, and France against the evil axis powers. -
Japan takes Singapore from the British
February 1942- Japanese take Singapore- The Japanese captured Singapore from the British, taking some 60,000 prisoners. -
Allies fight in Africa
August 1942- Allies in North Africa- General Alexander was given a hand-written letter from Churchill ordering that his main objective was to be the destruction of the German-Italian army commanded by Field-Marshall Rommell together with all its supplies and establishments in Egypt and Libya. As soon as sufficient material had been built up, Alexander handed the campaign over to General Montgomery. -
Italy surrenders
September 3, 1943- Italy Surrenders- Mussolini had been thrown out of office and the new government of Italy surrendered to the British and the USA. They then agreed to join the allies. The Germans took control of the Italian army, freed Mussolini from imprisonment and set him up as head of a puppet government in Northern Italy. The new Italian government had switch sides in the war but the Germans set up Mussolini in northern Italy so the new allies couldn’t advance. -
D Day
June 6, 1944- D Day- The allies launched an attack on Germany’s forces in Normandy, Western France. Thousands of transports carried an invasion army under the supreme command of general Eisenhower to the Normandy beaches. The Germans who had been fed false information about a landing near Calais, rushed troops to the area but were unable to prevent the allies from forming a solid bridgehead. For the allies it was essential to first capture a port. -
Battle of Bulge
December 1944- Battle of Bulge-Germany launched its final defensive through the Ardennes region of Belgium. However, they were beaten back by the allies. This was a big win for the allies because it pushed Germany away from Britain and France. -
President Roosevelt dies
April 1945- President Roosevelt dies- President Roosevelt died. He was succeeded by President Truman. Roosevelt helped the Americans greatly during the war because he was very smart on knowing when to send troops into battle and when not to. -
Hitler commits suicide in his bomb shelter
April 30, 1945- The German leader, Adolf Hitler committed suicide in his bombproof shelter together with his mistress, Eva Braun, who he had, at the last minute, made his wife. This shows how much of a coward Hitler really was. -
Germany surrenders
May 4, 1945- Germany Surrenders- German forces in north west Germany, Holland and Denmark surrendered to Montgomery on Luneburg Heath. Admiral Donitz, who Hitler had nominated as his successor, tried to reach agreement to surrender to the Western allies but to continue to fight the Russians. His request was not allowed. -
USA drops two nukes on Japan August 6th and August 9th
August 6-9 - USA drops two nukes on Japan- The Japanese generals refused to surrender. The US dropped an atomic bomb on the island of Hiroshima. The US dropped an atomic bomb on the island of Nagasaki as the Japanese had not surrendered following Hiroshima. -
Japan surrenders
September 2, 1945- Macarthur accepts Japan’s surrender.- US General, Douglas MacArthur, accepted Japan’s surrender thus formally ending the second world war.
