-
Period: to
Joef Stalin
Stalin rose to power sometime after Lenin passed. Stalin took complete control over the Soviet Union during his prime years. He made many changes to the government and used fear to stay in power. He had a secret police that would kill or jail anyone that was a threat to Stalin. In 1934, Stalin launched the Great Purge. During this time, Stalin and his police killed anyone they saw as a threat to the government.
(continued on paper) -
Period: to
Benito Mussolini
Mussolini was an Italian socialist, who became the leader of Italy in 1925. During his rule he made many changes. For example, he created the first totalitarian state. Also, in his society the needs of the state overruled the needs of the individual. Not only this, but, he did not allow women to work. They were meant to stay home and have more children. Also, like many other dictators, Mussolini used terror to stay in power. Mussolini was a ruthless leader who used terror to stay in power. -
Period: to
Hitler
When Hitler came to power, Germany was having economic troubles. Hitler promised that if he was in power he would fix Germany’s problems. Hitler was a dictator who controlled a fascist government in Germany. He used terror to stay in power, much like other dictators. Hitler created the Nazi party, which was formed of people who were national socialist German workers. With time the Nazi party grew, and Hitler began killing and jailing people who did not support him.
(continued on paper) -
Italian invasion of Ethiopia
Mussolini decided to invade Ethiopia in 1935. The Ethiopians tried to resist the attack, but their outdated weapons could not compare to Mussolini's tanks, machine guns, poison gas, and airplanes. The Ethiopian king looked to the League of Nations for help. The League appointed sanctions against Italy for violating the law, but did nothing to enforce them. By 1936 Ethiopia was captured by Italy. -
Occupation of the Rhineland
On March 7th, 1936, the Rhineland was taken by Nazi Germany. The Rhineland was land in bordering France that was agreed to be demilitarized under the Treaty of Versailles, which was signed by the Western powers. Therefore, Germany trying to take control of the Rhineland is a violation of the treaty. Even though the Western democracies disapproved of this action, they did not take any action in order to stop Hitler.
(continued on paper) -
The Spanish Civil War
General Francisco Franco led a revolt against Loyalists (communists, socialists, and people who want democracy) because he wanted a fascist government. Other nations soon took sides either against with Franco. In 1939 Franco won the war and created a fascist dictatorship. -
Period: to
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco was a conservative general in Spain. During 1936, he lead a revolt against Loyalists, (communists, socialists, and others who wanted a democracy) in the hopes of creating a fascist society. Finally, he came to power in 1939. Franco created a fascist dictatorship, as he planned, that was similar to Hitler's and Mussolini. Like the other leaders, he got rid of earlier reforms, killed or jailed enemies of the government, and used terror to stay in power. -
Air Raid on Guernica
On this day, German planes dropped bombs on the spanish town, Guernica. After they had bombed the town, they machine-gunned anyone who had survived the attack. The Germans said that the attack was too test what their new planes were capable of. The attack killed about 1,000 civilians. -
Period: to
Neville Chamberlain
During the Munich Conference, Chamberlain was most associated in the appeasement policy. After the appeasement had failed, and Germany took the rest of Czech., he had no choice but to declare war on Germany. Chamberlains time as a prime minister ended when the British military failed in Norway. Many people in parliament did not see him as a strong war leader. The next year Churchill was appointed prime minister. -
Formation of the Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis
In a time of weakness, Germany, Italy, and Japan formed the Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis, or the Axis Powers. The three countries agreed to fight with each other against Soviet Communism. -
The Anschluss
The Anschluss was the name of Hitler's plan to unify Austria and Germany. At first, Austria's chancellor refused to allow Hitler to take over. This led Hitler to sending in his army to maintain order. The Anschluss was also a violation of the Treaty of Versailles. -
Munich Conference
At the conference, France and Britain again chose appeasement, allowing Hitler to invade Czechoslovakia. The powers convinced the Czechs to surrender without a fight, leaving Hitler, once again, getting his way. The agreement allowed Hitler to take over the Sudetenland, which he did on October 10th. -
Annexation of Czechoslovakia
France, Italy and the United Kingdom allowed Germany to take Czechoslovakia. The agreement stated that any Czechs. who wanted to leave before Germany took power, had to leave by October 1st. On October 10th Hitler took over the Sudetenland, and then later, on March 15th, he took over the rest of Czechoslovakia. -
The Nazi-Soviet Pact
In August 1939, Hitler announced that he and Stalin made a nonaggression pact. This stunned all of Europe because the two men were enemies. The pact bound the two to peaceful relations. Also, secretly, Hitler and Stalin agreed to not fight if the other went to war, and to divide Poland and other parts of Europe between the two of them. The reason for this Pact was mutual need.
(continued on paper) -
Invasion of Poland
One week after the Nazi-Soviet Pact was made, Germany invaded Poland. Two days after this, Britain and France declared war on Germany. This was the start of World War II. -
Period: to
The Holocaust
The Holocaust began during World War II. During the war, Nazi Germany set up concentration camps, or death camps, that they sent Jewish people to. There had been 6 main camps that the Jews were sent to. They are, Auschwitz, Belzec, Chelmno, Majdanek, Sobibor, and T.II. At these camps, the Nazis would have the Jews work to the death, beating and brutalizing them. The goal of these camps was to entirely wipe out the Jewish population.
(continued on paper) -
Period: to
Charles DeGaulle
Charles DeGaulle was a French general who led the Free French Forces in World War II. During the war, he received the title brigadier general, for leading a successful counter-attack during the Battle of France. In 1940, he rejected the armistice to Nazi Germany and fled to Britain. There he gave a radio speech telling the French to resist Nazi Germany. In Britain he organized the Free French Forces with French officers also in exile.
(continued on paper) -
Period: to
Winston Chruchill
Winston Churchill was a British prime minister and a statesman. He became prime minister on May 10th 1940. Churchill was the most dominant figure in British politics and he gave outstanding speeches. He fought against Germany with the USA, and was the cause of many victories for the British. For example, Churchill was the cause for the commando units that were sent to disrupt the German military. During World War II, Winston Churchill carried Britain to victory. -
Fall of France
On this day, France surrendered from attacks against Germany and Italy. Both countries went to attack France from the south, and France, hopeless and overrun, surrendered. This then lead to Germany occupying Northern France, turning it into a puppet state. -
Formation of the Vichy France
After the French surrendered to Germany, Hitler took some of northern France, and created a puppet state, with Vichy as its capital. -
Period: to
Battle of Britain
After France had surrendered to Germany, Hitler soon began planning ways to take over Britain. At first, he was sure that Britain would ask for peace, but British prime minister Winston Churchill did not have that in mind. So in August, Hitler began the daily bombing of Britain’s southern coast. Then, what is known as the Blitz began on September 7th. The Blitz was a daily and continuous bombing of London. The bombing stopped in May, when Hitler knew that he would not be able to defeat Britan -
Period: to
The Holocaust
The Holocaust began during World War II. During the war, Nazi Germany set up concentration camps, or death camps, that they sent Jewish people to. There had been 6 main camps that the Jews were sent to. They are, Auschwitz, Belzec, Chelmno, Majdanek, Sobibor, and T.II. At these camps, the Nazis would have the Jews work to the death, beating and brutalizing them. The goal of these camps was to entirely wipe out the Jewish population. (continued on paper) -
Operation Barbarossa
The attack on the Soviet Union was names Operation Barbarossa. This attack was led by German controlled countries, such as Finland, Romania, and Poland. The Soviet Union was unprepared for the surprise blitzkrieg attacks. Eventually by the winter, Hitler's army came to a stop because of the harsh conditions, and lost many of their soldiers. With the Soviet and Germans at a loss, the attacks ended. -
Attack on Pearl Harbor
On December 7th 1941, the Japanese bombed the American fleet at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. General Tojo Hideki ordered the surprise attack on the Americans. He wanted to expand Japan’s empire and the United States was in the way. The bombing killed about 2,400 people and ruined battleships and aircraft. President Roosevelt declared that December 7th would be a day that will live in infamy, and he ordered congress to declare a war on Japan. (continued on paper) -
Period: to
General Tojo Hideki (military leader)
While researching, General Tojo Hideki seemed very significant to the war. This is because he made a very important decision on December 7th 1941, when he decided to bomb Pearl Harbor. During World War II, Tojo wanted to expand Japan's empire, but knew that the US was in the way. So, Tojo ordered a surprise attack on America. The attack took 2,400 lives. Also, the attack led to Japan's allies, Germany and Italy, declaring war on the US. Tojo caused thousands of deaths, and created another war. -
Battle of Midway
The Japanese soon realized that their homeland was not immune to air attack after the Doolittle Raid. This made Japan want to expand their defense line, which they did. They expanded east toward Midway, an island near Hawaii. Then, Japan sent aircraft to Midway in preparation for any air attacks. Americans soon realized what the Japanese were doing, and went to battle against them. From then on in World War II, Japan remained on defense. -
El Alamein
El Alamein was a city in northern Egypt where two major battles took place between the British and the Axis Powers. Both the British and Germany wanted to take the Suez Canal and battled in El Alamein for it. Eventually, by mid-July, the British gave up trying to take the canal -
Period: to
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was fought between the Germans and the Soviet Union. Hitler wanted to take over the Stalingrad city, and so the Battle began on July 17th. By the winter the Germans took 90% of the city, but, the Soviet Union launched a counter attack, leaving the Germans to surrender. The Battle was a success for the Soviets and a failure for the Germans. -
Formation of the "Free French"
This committee was formed in order to re-establish French liberties and the laws of the Republic. The committee eventually expanded its members, and created an organized representative government within itself. -
D-day
D-day is the day that the Allies invaded France. On June 6th, the Allies began bombing France. The Allied troops made their way through Normandy. In August, British and American forces joined together to break through German defenses and advance toward Paris. Finally, the Germans retreated, and within a month, France was free. -
Battle of Bulge
Hitler believed that the Alliance between Britain, France, and America was not strong, and could be broken with a major attack. So, he ordered a massive attack on mainly the American Forces. His plan was to use three armies on the Allies, in the hopes of destabilizing their alliance. Finally by mid-January, the Germans had to retreat, again failing their mission. -
Period: to
Iwo Jima
American forces wanted to capture the small Pacific island Iwo Jima, in 1945. During this time and before, the "island-hoping" campaign began. The goal of the campaign was to reduce the amount of islands Japan controlled. The US also wanted Iwo Jima because of the two airfields on the island, which were under Japanese control. The Japanese, knowing its importance, wanted to keep control of it. The battle began, and finally after a month, America took control of the island. -
V-E Day
V-E day officially announced the end of World War II in Europe (Victory in Europe day). German General Jodl signed the unconditional surrender document that formally ended war in Europe. -
Decision to use atomic weapons
Soon after the USA took the island of Iwo Jima from Japan, Japan sent kamikaze pilots to crash their planes into American warships. After this occurred, America wanted to get back at Japan for their actions. This is when the USA decided to bomb Japan. Scientists understood that splitting an atom would cause an enormous and destructive explosion. So, President Truman decided to use the weapon, because he knew it would save American lives.
(continued on paper) -
V-J Day
V-J day, or Victory over Japan, is the day that Japan surrendered to the Allies. This day officially ended the total war.
