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Mussoli becomes Prime Minister of Italy
(Jan 1 is default; only the year is known)
Mussoli abandoned the Socialist Party in order to advocate Italian inervention in WWI. He believed his destiny was to rule Italy as a modern Caesar and soon forged the Fascist movment and became Prime Minister of Italy before forming a totalitatian government. -
Stalin comes to power
(Jan 1 is default; only year is known) After Lenin's death, Stalin began a power struggle against his rivals. He soon gained control of the communist party and by the late 1920's, became the dictator of the soviet union. -
Hitler becomes chancellor of Germany
Hitler becoming the chancellor was a result of trying to keep communists out, and believing that Hitler was the only one who could manage to create a stable governement since several before him had failed. Many were opposed and worried of what this would bring/cause, but viewed it as necessary and a last resort. -
Holocaust
The Holocaust was the systematic, bureaucratic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of six million Jews by the Nazi regime and its collaborators. Holocaust is a word of Greek origin meaning "sacrifice by fire." The Nazis, who came to power in Germany in January 1933, believed that Germans were "racially superior" and that the Jews, deemed "inferior," were an alien threat to the so-called German racial community. -
Non-aggression pact
A non-aggression pact is a pact of neutrality between two or more states/countries where a promise to refrain from engaging in military action against each other is made. This pact was signed between Germany and the Soviet Union to protect Germany from having to fight a two front war while trying to capture Poland. -
Invasion of Poland and start of WWI
A fake invasion against Germany was set up by Hitler to create warrant for the attack and capture of Poland. To do this, Hitler dressed Nazi soldiers in Polish uniforms and damaged German property. Then, he blamed Poland and called the attack an "unforgivable act of aggression". On September 2nd Britain and France demanded that Germany retreat by September 2rd or risk entering war. 15 minutes after the ultimatum experied, a declaration of war from Britain to Germany was made via radio. -
Phony War "Sitzkreig"
"The sitting war" was an eight month period during the onset of WWI where there were no military land operations of major standing on the Western Front. War had been declared and Poland was in trouble, but nothing had really been done yet, specifically by the Western Powers. This period began on September 3rd of 1939 and ended on May 8th of 1940. -
Battle of the Atlantic
September 3,1939-May 8,1945.
Germany used submarine warfare-u boats,Allies used convoy system to secure trade routes and transfer troops. Both Battle to control the Atlantic. -
Battle of Britain
Lasting from July 10th to October 31st of 1940, the first campaign fought completely by air forces was initiated by Nazi Germany. Germany's intention was to force Britain to agree to a negotiated peace settlement. The battle included bombings known as "the blitz" and caused large amounts of damage. However, Germany was unable to destroy British air defenses or obtain the peace settlement they wanted (largely due to Winston Churchill) and so, Hitler suspended the battle. -
Land-lease Act passed in US
(1 is default; only month and year are known) This act allowed the U.S to participate in the war effort without actually involving themselves in battle. It authorized the president to provide U.S military aid and to transfer arms to any foreign nations whose defense was deemed linkable to the defense of the U.S. -
Hitler invades Soviet Union
"Operation Barbarossa* was the codename for Hitler's plan to destroy the Soviet Union (using military force), sieze prime land within the Union's borders, and to destroy the Communist threat once and for all. This invasion was a direct violation of the non-aggression pact previously signed by Germany and the Soviet Union but Hitler didn't care since he always viewed this as a temporary pact. Hitler wanted to wage a war of annihiliation and also to go after the Jews in the Union. (tb contined) -
Hitler Invades Soviet Union
(continued) However, the Union was not defeated as Hitler thought it would be. The Nazi army was unprepared for a harsh winter, especially when they started running out of resources. Stalin launched a counterattack and drove the Germans back from Moscow. Ultimately, this was a success for the Soviet Union. -
Pearl Harbor
Japan air forces bombed the American naval base, Pearl Harbor, near Honolulu, Hawaii. The Japanese used the codename "Operation Hawaii" for the attack on Pearl Harbor. This later changed to "Operation Z." Less than 2 hours the Japanese killed more than 2,000 American soldiers, destroy 20 naval vessels, and more than 3,000 airplanes. The following day, FDR requested a declaration of war on Japan as a reaction to the unsuspescted attack. -
America declares war on Japan
The following day of the attack on Pearl Harbor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Congress declared war and signed a declaration. FDR said in his speech "No matter how long... the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory" -
War Production Board created
Agency established by FDR during WWI to increase efficiency and discourage waste in war-related industries. Three years in existence the WPB supervised the production of $185 billion worth of weapon and supplies. -
Executive Order 9066
FDR issued a presidential executive order that authorized Japanese-Americans and resident foreigners from Japan - transporting citizens to assembly centers that were set up by the military including California, Arizona, Washington state, and Oregon. It allowed the Secretary of war "to prescribe military areas in such places and of such extent as he or the appropriate Military Commander may determine, from which any or all persons may be excluded.” -
Battle of the Coral Sea
Major naval battle in the Pacific Theather between the Imperial Japanese Navy and naval and air forces from the U.S. and Australia. A four day air-sea battle. Japan were planning to control the Coral Sea with an invasion of Port Moresby in New Guinea, lead by Vice Admiral Takagi Takao. Aircraft planes of American forces ambused the Japanese. Both suffering damages, the Japanese planes weren't enough to cover. The outnumbered Allied forces gained victory. -
Battle of Midway
One of the most decisive U.S. victories against Japan. Yamamoto schemed to destroy U.S. resistance to Japanese imperial designs by invading Midway with a surprise attack. Aware of the invasion, the U.S. Pacific fleets arrived at the island and caught JP forces, destroying their carries. Only one managed to escape, the Hiryu which was later air bombed by the U.S. Japan suffered an estimated 2,500 casualties while the U.S. suffered 300. -
Battle of Stalingrad
July 17, 1942-Feb. 2, 1943. The Nazi Army bombs the Soviet city of Stalingrad,launching one the bloodiest battles in history. The Battle of Stalingrad was the successful Soviet city defense. It stopped the German advance into the Soviet Union. The Soviet victory was a humiliation to Hitler. -
Operation Torch
The invasion of North Africa.Push to gain full control of the Mediterranean Sea and precursor to invading S.Europe (Italy).Relieves Pressure on Allied forces already in North African Campaign. -
Office of War Mobilization Created
An angency (independent) of the U.S. government that was created to arrange all of the government angencies involved in the war effort and to coordinate supplies during WWII. It was formed by FDR under Executive Order 9347 and was lead by James F. Byrnes (a former U.S. Senator and Supreme Court Justice). -
Invasion of Sicily
When the Allies won the North African Campaign on May 13, 1943, a quarter-million German and Italian troops surrendered at Tunisia, on the north coast of Africa.There forces were north for the impending invasion of Europe from the English Channel, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill (1874-1965) called “the soft underbelly of Europe.” the Allies, after some dissension, decided to press north into Italy. The landings progressed with Lieutenant General Patton and General Montgomery -
D-Day
General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the supreme commander of Allied forces in Europe gave the go-ahead for Operation Overlord, the largest amphibious military operation in history. By late August 1944 all Northern France had been liberated and defeated the Germans -
Iwo Jima
The U.S. invasion of Iwo Jima came from the need for a base near the Japanese coast. Following elaborate preparatory air and naval bombardment, three U.S. marine divisions landed on the island in February 1945. Iwo Jima was defended by 23,000 Japanese army and navy troops. Although it was difficult, the U.S. marines were able to successfully destroy the Japanese forces after a month of fighting. -
Okinawa
April 1 - June 22, 1945 the last and biggest battle of the Pacific islands. Also known as Operation Iceberg. Lieutenant General Simon Bolivar Buckner, launched the invasion of Okinawa. Resulted in the largest casualites including over 100,000 Japanese casualities and 50,000 Allies. As a tactic, the Japanese navy and army mounted mass air attacks by planes on one-way “suicide” missions. The Allies won and occupied Okinawa. It's possesion provided America a large army base. -
Battle of Berlin
The designated the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation by the Soviet Union, was the final major offensive of the European theatre of World War II. The battle was primarily fought between the German Army and the Soviet Army. The Soviet army vastly outnumbered the Germans. he battle began on April 16 when the Soviets attacked along the Oder River near Berlin. They quickly defeated the German forces outside Berlin and advanced on the city. The Germans surrendered -
Hitler commits suicide
On april 30, 1945, holed up in a bunker under his headquarters in Berlin, Adolf Hitler commits suicide by swallowing a cyanide capsule and shooting himself in the head. Soon after, Germany unconditionally surrendered to the Allied forces, ending Hitler’s dreams of a “1,000-year” Reich. -
End of WW2
World War 2 ended with the unconditional surrender of the Axis powers. The Allies accepted Germany’s surrender, about a week after Adolf Hitler had committed suicide.
Winston Churchill announced VE Day - Victory in Europe. This day marks the end of WW2 in Europe.
15 August 1945 - Japan surrenders to the Allies V-J Day (Victory in Japan)
2 September 1945 - Having agreed in principle to unconditional surrender on 15 August 1945, Japan formally surrenders, ending World War II -
V-E Day
Public holiday celebrated on 8 May 1945 to mark the formal acceptance by the Allies of the WW2 of Nazi Germany’s unconditional surrender of its arm forces.It thus mark the end of WW2vin Europe. -
Dropping of the Atomic bombs
United States dropped two Atomic bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The explosion wiped out 90 percent of the city and immediately killed 80,000 people; tens of thousands more would later die of radiation exposure. Three days later, a second B-29 dropped another A-bomb on Nagasaki, killing an estimated 40,000 people. Japan’s Emperor Hirohito announced his country’s unconditional surrender in World War II in a radio address on August 15
