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Japan Inavdes Manchuria
Before the official onset of World War II and the uniting of the Axis Powers, Japan had just started to grow in power from its new fascist government. Since they were an island, though, they did not have many of the resources in their home country that would allow for conquest. Manchuria, a region in Northern China, was rich in iron and oil among other resources. The Japanese the invaded mainland China, seizing land and resources for their empire along the way. -
Implementation of the Nuremberg Laws
Once Adolf Hitler became chancellor of Germany, he implemented laws that stripped the rights of Jewish people, eventually, revoking their citizenship entirely. -
Creation of the Axis Powers
Japan, Italy, and Germany had, at the time, recently overhauled their governments and converted to a fascist rule. In order to preserve their fascist states and expand the empires, they forged a pact between each other to ensure survival of fascism. -
Kristallnacht
When anti-semitism was being promoted by the new Nazi Regime, people rampaged cities across Germany, including Berlin, destroying many Jewish-owned businesses and committing heinous crimes against the Jewish people. -
German Invasion of Poland
With Germany growing in strength and nationalism on the rise, Adolf Hitler ordered for the invasion of the neighboring country of Poland, using the tactic of Blitzkrieg to swiftly demolish any allied forces in the region. -
Soviet Union Invaded East Poland
Having a non-aggression pact with Germany, the invasion of Poland by the Germans prompted Joseph Stalin to seize the oppurtunity and invade the other side of Poland, reclaiming land from before the first World War and expanding their communist empire. -
Surrender of France
Using the efficient tactic of Blitzkrieg, Germany swiftly invaded France after the fall of Poland, Denmark, Holland, and other countries. Paris was quickly taken, and the southern region of Vichy was established as a French puppet to the German empire. -
Lend Lease Act
A legal document with the United States, this act allowed the country to send arms and other materials to the warring countries of Europe without directly being involved in the war. -
The Battle of Britian
In order to knock the allies out in a swift manner, Hitler attempted several invasions of mainland Britian. The German boats were defeated by the British navy, and the battle was mostly oriented in the air. "Dogfighting" between the British and German planes produced many ruined and destroyed buildings throughout the citites of Britian. -
German Invasion of the Soviet Union
A year after the surrender of France, the Germans had already expanded into almost every other region of Europe. Declaring war on the Soviet Union, they invaded the country using Blitzkrieg and were able to take large chunks of land until several stalemates occured in towns outside of Moscow. -
The Atlantic Charter
The Atlantic Charter was a meeting between Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill to discuss allied aims for the war effort. -
The Bombing of Pearl Harbor
At the time, Japan had been invading various countries throughout the Pacific Ocean to expand its empire and fuel the war machine. In order to keep the United States from interfering with its plans of domination, they "stealthily" sent bombers and destroyers to the naval base of Pearl Harbor on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. There, they bombareded and utterly decimated the infrastructure and U.S forces stationed there, catching them by surprise on a normally peaceful Sunday afternoon. -
Start of Japanese Internment in the United States
After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, people of Japanese descent living in the United States started being persecuted against, and were accused of conspiring with the enemy. For "national safety", the president at the time ordered for the internment of Japanese American citizens into camps with brutal living conditions. -
The Battle of Midway
Six months after the events of Pearl Harbor, the Japanese wanted to crush the remaining American naval forces that had evaded attack. Through an American intelligence breakthrough, the United States was able to position their ships in key positions, and when the Japenese fleet moved in, was able to decimate their forces and win a decisive victory. -
Allied Invasion of Italy
One of the two attacks by the allies to invade Nazi-occupied Europe, the British, Canadians, and Americans invaded through Sicily and were able to push into mainland Italy, dethroning the dictator Benito Mussolini. -
D-Day
One of the two invasions of Nazi-occupied Europe, the allies laucnhed a massive amount of troops onto Normandy, France, and from there were able to push south and recapture the capital of Paris. -
Surrender of Germany
After the allies were able to take Berlin, Hitler committed suicide. Thus, with no Fuhrer left, the country surrendered and Berlin was broken up into east and west. -
The Bombing of Hiroshima
After leveling the city of Nagasaki failed to force the Japanese to surrdender, the United States tried a second time, dropping an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima next. Leveling yet another city, the Japanese finally surrendered, officially ending World War II. -
Bombing of Nagasaki
After the defeat of the other two Axis Powers in Europe, Japan would still not surrender to the Allies, relentlessly attacking while they practically had no power left. To quell the Japanese forces, the United States was faced with a choice - attempt a land invasion, which would no doubt result in incomprehensible casulties - or use their newly invented atomic bomb, originally intended for use on the Germans. After bombing Nagasaki, the Japanese still would not surrender. -
The Japanese Surrender
After the United States had dropped atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Japanese had finally given up, signing a treaty with the Allies and ending World War II.
