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Mussolini Becomes Prime Minister of Italy
Benito Mussolini established a totalitarian regime in Italy, unemployment and inflation caused strikes, established the Fascist Party which stressed nationalism and put interests of state above individuals. -
Stalin Comes to Power
He instantly came to power in 1924 following Lenin's death. He wanted a Communist State. -
Adolf Hitler Becomes Chancellor of Germany
Hitler dismantled Germany's democratic Weimar Republic but established the "Third Reich" (Third German Empire) that would last one thousand years. -
Holocaust
Adolf Hitler killed millions of Jews because he thought they were weren't superior. He used gas chambers, concentration camps and other means of torture/killing. -
Non-Aggression Pact
Stalin signed this pact with Hitler. This pact states Germany and communist Russia agree to never attack each other. -
Invasion of Poland
German air force invaded Poland, dropping bombs, They used the tactic "blitzkrieg" (lightning war). Germany/Soviet Union came out victorious. -
Phony War "Sitzkrieg"
German failed blitzkrieg attack on Poland. There was no significant outcome. -
Battle of the Atlantic
This was the longest military campaign of World War II running from 1939 until the defeat of Germany in 1945. -
Battle of Britain
German and British air forces fought in the United Kingdom. The German Luftwaffe (German Air Force) failed to gain superiority over Britain's Royal Air Force. Britain wins the battle. -
Lend-Lease Act Gets Passed in US
Lend/lease arms and other supplies to "any country whose defense was vital to the US". -
Hitler Invades the Soviet Union
Operation "Barbarossa", Nazis invade Soviet Union. This is Germany's largest military operation of World War II. This operation fails. -
Pearl Harbor Attack
Japanese fighter planes attack the naval base in Hawaii, This lead the US's involvement in World War II. -
America Declares War on Japan/Enters World War II
After Pearl Harbor, the US declares war on Japan and ultimately ends in their entry into World War II. -
War Production Board Created
Agency of the US government that supervised war production during World War II. Franklin D. Roosevelt established the WPB with Executive order 9042. It's purpose was to regulate production and distribution of materials and fuel. -
Executive Order 9066
Roosevelt signed off on this order to relocate Japanese Americans outside of military areas -
Battle of Coral Sea
It was the first air and sea battle in history. This battle lasted 4 days. The Japanese wanted to control Coral Sea but failed because allied powers interrupted their plans. -
Battle of Midway
This battle was a major turning point in World War II. The US Navy defeated a Japanese attack. -
Battle of Stalingrad
This was a major battle between Germany and the Soviet Union. It resulted in the surrender of the Germany Army. This was also a major turning point for the allied powers. -
Operation Torch (North Africa)
The British America invasion of French North Africa during North Africa campaign of World War II. -
Office of War Mobilization
US Government agency formed during World War II to coordinate all government agencies involved in war effort. -
Invasion of Italy/ Sicily
This was also referred to as "Operation Husky". This was a major campaign where the allied powers took the island of Sicily from the axis powers. -
D-Day
This was the largest seaborne invasion in history. Code-named "Operation Overlord," the allied powers began taking over German-occupied Europe. Invasions included the beaches of Normandy, France. -
Iwo Jima
US Marine Corps invaded the Japanese island of Iwo Jima and captured it. -
Okinawa
This was the last and biggest battle of the pacific in World War II. The US attacked Japan's air bases. This battle was also referred to as "Operation Iceberg" -
Battle of Berlin
This was the final major battle of the battles taking place in Europe. -
Hitler Commits Suicide
He committed suicide in an underground bunker so he wouldn't have to explain himself or his plans of world domination. He shot himself with a pistol. -
V-E Day
Allied victory in Europe. -
Dropping of the Atomic Bombs
the US dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during the final stages of World War II. The explosion from the bombs wiped out about 90% of the cities. Albert Einstein helped make the plans for the building of the bombs. -
End of World War II
There was an unconditional surrender of the axis powers and a formal surrender of Japan after the dropping of atomic bombs.
