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Japan's invasion of China
The battle at the Marco Polo Bridge was the beginning of the war between the Chinese and Japanese which then led to bombings of Shanghai and the Rape of Nanjing. -
Germany invades Poland
Germany wished to invade Poland so that the Germans would have more living space for the "racially superior" and also for the Jews who would be enslaved. -
Battle of Britain
Great Britain defended air raids led by the German Air force and eventually won in September by the Royal Air Force preventing Germany from invading. -
Tripartite Pact
Pact signed in Berlin by Germany, Italy, and Japan that created what we call the Axis Powers. -
Lend-Lease Act
President Roosevelt proposed this act that said the U.S. could aid any country whose defense was believed to be vital to them. This act was passed later that year in March. -
Blitzkrieg
Also known as lightening war which consisted of tanks and planes along a narrow front, the Blitzkrieg against the Soviet Union almost succeded but USSR pulled a counteroffensive -
Siege of Leningrad
Beginning of the war, Germany invaded the Soviet Union and began encircling Leningrad and tried to take it but the Soviet's pushed through and pushed the Germans out. -
Bombing of Pearl Harbor
An air raid attack led by the Japanese that resulted in the United States entering the war. -
Wannsee Conference
Fifteen Nazi bureaucrats gathered and agreed on moving all Jews to Poland in what are known as concentraion camps. -
Battle of Midway
An air and naval war in WWII where American planes that reduced the Japanese navy threat. -
D-Day
When the U.S. invaded northern France by landing on the beaches in Normandy who wanted to liberate Europe from Nazi occupation. -
Yalta Conference
Conference of the Allied leaders Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin who were planning the final defeat of Nazi Germany. -
Iwo Jima/Okinawa
Islands under Japanese rule where the United States invaded trying to bring them under their control for military purposes. -
Hitler commits suicide
Hitler killed himself by a gunshot because he knew that they were defeated and so he did not want to take the consquences. -
VE Day
Stands for Victory in Europe and this day announced the end of WW2 when Hitler and Germany were finally defeated. -
Potsdam Conference
An Allied conference consisting of U.S. President Harry S. Truman, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin who discussed peaces settlements mainly dealinging with what to do with the defeated Germans. -
Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
The U.S. bombed Japan because they refused to surrender even though Germany had been defeated and that they had little chance of winning. Eventually led to Japan surrendering. -
VJ Day
Japan finally surrendered to the Allies ending World War II became known as Victory over Japan Day. -
Formation of United Nations
An international organization meant to maintain peace and security throughout the world and also to have friendly relations with countries. -
Truman Doctrine
U.S. sent aid to Greece and Turkey who were threatened by the Soviets and then aided the Mediterranean countires when Great Britain could no longer afford to. -
Marshall Plan
A program by the United States intended to try to revitalize European countires economies so that democratic institutions could survive. -
NATO
Formed in Washington, D.C., with nations from the Atlantic for collective purposes and led to the making of the Warsaw Pact. -
Mao Zedong & People's Republic of China
Mao Zedong led the communist revolution, was leader of the Chinese Communist Party, and declared himself chairman of the People's Republic of China. -
Korean War
A conflict between the Democratic Peopl's Republic of Korea (North) and the Republic of Korea (South) that brought in the United Nations when North Korea began invading South Korea. -
Stalin's Death
Stalin had not commited suicide like Hitler but instead suffered a cerebral hemorrhage. -
Warsaw Pact
The military alliance of the communist nations and was organized in response to NATO. -
Vietnam War
Military conflict between North Vietnam who was communist and aided by China and Soviet Union against South Vietnam who was aided by the U.S. -
Sputnik
Earth satellites that the Soviet Union launched beginning on this day. -
Bay of Pigs
Invasion that was financed and led by the United States into Cuba of people who opposed Fidel Castro. -
Berlin Wall
A barrier that surrounded West Berlin and kept East Berlin or other parts of East Germany from entering. -
Cuban Missle Crisis
Soviet Union began entering Cuba to aid them with military and began placing missiles in Cuba. This incident almost brought the U.S. and USSR to war. -
Gorbachev
After Chernenko died, Gorbachev became general security of Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) and his primary goal was to revitalize their economy. -
Soviet Union Falls
The main reason for the fall of the Soviet Union was because of all the radical reforms that Gorbachev had done during his reign.
