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Mao Zedong Begins the Long March
With the Nationalist forces (under the command of Chiang Kai-Shek) right at their backs, the Communist forces under the leadership of Mao Zedong, marched from Southeast China towards North China, suffering through much hardship along the way. The Long March as it would be come to known, also gained the Communists many supporters among mostly low-income peasants. -
Germany Invades Poland
With Europe inching towards war, Hitler decided to sign a non-aggression pact with the Soviet Union, which also stated that they would split up Poland. On September 1, Adolf Hitler invaded Poland, an event which many history professors consider to be the start of the Second World War. Within days, the United Kingdom and France declared war on Germany and its allies, thus making World War II a truly global war. -
"A Date Which Will Live in Infamy"
In the name of Japanese Admiral Yamamoto, the American fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii was a "dagger pointed at Japan's throat". Hoping to discourge the United States from entering World War II on the side of the Allies, the Japanese Imperial Air Force bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. An enraged Franklin Roosevelt called on Congress to declare war on Japan, and a declaration of war on Japan's allies soon followed. -
Germany Surrenders
After 6 hard fought years, Nazi Germany finally surrendered. With the Soviet Army advancing from the East and the Americans and British advancing from the West, Germany had no choice but to surrender. With its beloved fuhrer dead after comitting suicide, the German people were abandoned by their government. Once Germany surrendered all eyes turned to the Pacific, where the Americans were rapidly advancing towards Japan... -
The Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
In the midst of World War II, Albert Einstein wrote a letter to US President Franklin D. Roosevelt. In it, he described a weapon that Nazi Germany was developing. This weapon would unleash the power of the atom in a purst of light and heat. By 1945, the Americans were ready to use this weapon on the nation of Japan. In both Hiroshima and Nagasaki, thousands of people were killed instantly, bringing the country of Japan to their knees. Two weeks later, Japan surrendered to the Allies. -
The United Nations is Formed
After World War I, American president Woodrow Wilson decided to form a coalition of nations called the League of Nations. However this international group was ineffective with no real power. By the end of World War II however, the Allies decided to esatblish a more powerful organization called the United Nations. With a General Assembly consisting of most countries of the world and a Security Council consisting of the victors of World War II, the United Nations expressed the world's opinions.
