-
Second Sino-Japanese War (picture)
-
Period: to
Second Sino-Japanese War
Considered the beginning of the Pacific Theatre of World War II in which Japan invaded the north of China. -
Germany Invades Poland
In a lightning war or “blitzkrieg,” Poland is attacked by German forces. -
Battle of Britain (picture)
-
Period: to
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the first major military campaign waged entirely by air, as the main arm of the German military could not cross the channel separating the United Kingdom from the rest of Europe. This forced the battle to be waged by bombing runs and air combat. -
Tripartite Pact
The agreement signed in Berlin between Germany (represented by Adolf Hitler), Italy (represented by Galeazzo Ciano), and Japan (Saburo Kurusu). -
Lend-Lease Act (picture)
-
Period: to
Lend-Lease Act
Program which allowed the U.S. to “lend” the Allied nations ships and food supplies and was given leases on bases in Allied territory during the war in return. -
German Blitzkrieg on Soviet Union
The attack strategy that had worked so well for Germany stalled in Russia. Although it seemed to work at first, a counter offensive by the Red Army and the onset of winter without supplies forced the Germans to retreat. -
Leningrad Blockade (picture)
-
Period: to
Leningrad Blockade
Purported as one of the longest sieges in history, the Leningrad Blockade occurred when the German Army Group attempted to starve the city into surrender. Total losses were approximately 5 million lives for the 3 year duration of the siege. -
Bombing of Pearl Harbor
The Japanese surprise attack on the American naval base of Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. Coined as “an event that will live in infamy,” the bombing precipitated the United States’ joining the war. -
Wannsee Conference
Conference of high-ranking members of the Nazi party to discuss the “Final Solution of the Jewish Question.” -
Battle of Midway
Decisive military battle in the Pacific Theatre of World War II between Japan and the United States. -
Iwo Jima/Okinawa
Islands to the south of Japan that were deemed crucial points for any attempted invasion of Japan. However both locations were strongholds of the Japanese forces and the fighting accrued horrific costs on both sides. -
Hitler's Suicide
Hitler commits suicide ten days after his birthday. -
Potsdam Conference
Conference between the Soviet Union, United Kingdom, and the United States following the end of World War II. -
Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima & Nagasaki
The use of the United States’ experimental weapon, the Atomic Bomb. Used on two Japanese cities in an attempt to force the Empire of Japan to surrender. The two cities were almost completely destroyed. -
Formation of the U.N.
The United Nations was created to prevent another World War. -
Truman Doctrine
Anti-Soviet Doctrine created by President Truman establishing that the U.S. would provide political, Military, and economic assistance to all democratic nations under threat from external or internal authoritarian forces. -
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was created to be the counter to the Communist Warsaw Pact. -
Mao Zedong & People’s Republic of China (picture)
-
Period: to
Mao Zedong & People’s Republic of China
Mao Zedong was a Chinese Communist revolutionary who founded the People’s Republic of China, the current ruling government of China. -
Period: to
Korean War
War between Communist North Korea and Republican South Korea where the U.S. fought for South Korea, and China and the Soviet Union fought for the North. -
Stalin's Death
Death of Soviet Union leader Stalin. -
Khrushchev
The Soviet Union leader after Stalin’s death rises to power. -
Korean War (picture)
-
Vietnam War (picture)
-
Period: to
Vietnam War
War fought between the North, supported by the Soviet Union, and the South, supported by the U.S. and other anti-communist countries. -
Sputnik
First satellite launched into orbit by the Soviet Union. -
Bay of Pigs
Invasion of Cuba sponsored by the U.S. to overthrow the country from the rule of Fidel Castro. Not only did the invasion failed, it also solidified Castro’s power in Cuba and led to the country becoming Communist. -
Berlin Wall (picture)
-
Period: to
Berlin Wall
Barrier that divided Berlin between Communist and Democratic sides. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
Crisis in which the Soviet Union set up missile launching stations in Cuba, almost leading to a war between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. -
Gorbachev
Final leader of the Soviet Union. Implemented plans to keep the USSR alive, but in doing so ensured its downfall. -
Soviet Union Falls
The official fall of the Soviet Union.
