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MaoZedong heads Long March
By 1930, the Nationalists and Communists were fighting a civil war. In 1933, Jiang Jieshi's Nationalist army surrounded the Communists' mountain stronghold. The Communists were outnumbered and, realizing that they were defeated, began a 6,000 mile retreat. MaoZedong led this retreat, riding on a horse amongst the Communist soldiers to show that he "was one of them". Thousands died from hunger, cold, exposure, and battle wounds. -
Germany invades Poland; France and Great Britain declare war on Germany
After the signing of the ten-year nonaggression pact,the Soviet Union and Germany secretly planned to divide Poland.The invasion was the first test of Germany's newest military strategy called the blitzkreig,meaning "lightning war".The blitzkreig involved fast-moving airplanes,tanks,and massive infantry forces.Germany took over western Poland and Soviet Union took over the eastern half.France and Britain declared war on Germany on Sept. 3,but they were too late to respond to counter the invasion -
Japan attacks Pearl Harbor
Admiral Yamamoto called the U.S. fleet in Hawaii "a dagger pointed at [Japan's] throat" and must be destroyed.Although U.S. military leaders knew an attack was on the way from decoding a Japanese message,they didn't know when or where it would occur.The Japanese launched their surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.More than 2,300 Americans were killed.The next day, Roosevelt declared it "a date which will live in infamy" and declared war on Japan and its allies. -
Germany surrenders
Following the amphibious invasion of Normandy and the German counterattack of the Battle of the Bulge,the war in Europe rapidly came to a close.3 million Allied soldiers approached Berlin from the southwest and 6 million Soviet troops came from the east. Soon, the Soviets surrounded Berlin and began pounding the city with artillery fire. After Hitler's suicide, American General Eisenhower accepted the unconditional surrender of the Third Reich from the German military. -
Allies use atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
From Aug.-Sept. 1945, Allies used atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. President Truman's advisors urged him to drop atomic bombs on Japan instead of invading.They blieved this would be the fastest way to end the war. Although Truman sent a warning to Japan that if they didn't surrender,they could expect a "rain of ruin from the air",the Japanese ignored it.In response,Allies dropped the first bomb in Hiroshima,then 3 days later,on Nagasaki.Each bomb killed 70,000-80,000 people. -
United Nations formed
The United Nations was created on Oct. 24, 1945 following the end of World War II to replace the ineffective League of Nations.The organization was created to prevent another conflict like World War II, and to promote international cooperation.The forerunner of United Nations,League of Nations,proved to be ineffective throughout the war and unsupported by world powers.For example,the League of Nations wasn't able to stop the Japanese invasion of Manchuria,nor the Italian invasion of Ethiopia.
