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Period: to
World War II Era
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Hiter Becomes Leader of Nazi Party
On January 30th, 1921, Aldof Hitler became the leader of the Nazi party. -
Benito Mussolini appointed Prime Minister
In 1922 Benito Mussolini was appointed Prime Minister of Italy after threatening to overthrow Italy's elected government. -
Josef Stalin: Sole Leader
By 1921 Josef Stalin was the sole dictator of the Soviet union (USSR). Josef turned the Soviet Union into a totalitarian state. He took harsh and brutal measures to control and modernize industry and agriculture. -
Japan seizes Manchuria, China.
In 1931, without the authorization of Japan's elected government, the Japanese army seized Manchuria, located in northeastern China. -
Hitler named Chancellor
On March 21st, 1933 Aldof Hitler was name Chancellor of Germany (leader of the German parliment). After he was named Chancellor he turned Germany into a totalitarian state. -
Neutrality Act passed by U.S. Congress
On August 31st 1935, the U.S. Congress passed a Neutrality Act. This act imposed a general embargo on trading in arms and war materials with all parties in a war. It also declared that American citizens travelling on warring ships travelled at their own risk. The act was set to expire after six months. -
Italian Army invades Ethiopia
In October of 1935 the Italian Army invaded the African country of Ethiopia. This started the "Second Italo-Ethiopian War". The war lasted until May of 1936. -
Militarist take control of Japanese Government
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Hitler sends troops into Rhineland of Germany
Hitler sent Nazi troops in the Rhineland of Germany. This was done in violation of the Treaty of Versailles. -
Japan’s army pillages Nanjing, China
(Also referred to as the Nanking Massacre.) This was a mass murder that followed the 6 week period following the Japanese capture of the city of Nanjing. About a quarter of a million people were massacred. -
Nazis begin gathering Jews
In 1938 the Nazis began gathering Jews to put in labor camps. -
Munich Pact signed
In 1938, Munich Pact was signed. The Munich Pact gave the Sudetenland of Czechoslovakia to Germany. -
Nazi-Soviet Pact signed
On August 23, 1939 Hitler and Stalin signed the Nazi-Soviet Non-Agression Pact. This agreed that the two countries would not attack each other. By signing this pact, Germany protected itself from having to fight a two-front war in WWII. The Soviet Union was awarded land, including parts of Poland and the Baltic States.The pact was broken when Nazi Germany attacked the Soviet Union, on June 22, 1941. -
Nazis invade Poland; Britain and France declare war on Germany
The Nazis invaded Poland, and this invasion caused Britain and France to declare war on Germany. War was declared on September 1, 1939. -
Nazis take control
In 1940 the Nazis invaded Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, and The Netherlands and took control. -
Nazis invade France
On May 10, 1940 the Nazis invaded France and forced them to surrender. -
Battle of Britain
The Royal Air Force defeats German Air Force to prevent invasion of their island. Ended on October 31, 1940. Lasted 3 months and 3 weeks. -
First-time Peacetime Draft in U.S.
This Selective Service Act required that men between the ages of 21 and 35 register with local draft boards. Later, when the U.S. entered World War II, all men aged 18 to 45 were made subject to military service, and all men aged 18 to 65 were required to register. -
Japanese invade French Indochina
This included Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. -
Hitler breaks Nazi-Soviet Pact
1941 Hitler breaks Pact with Stalin’s Russia and invades USSR The USSR now joins England in fighting the Germans. -
Churchill and F. Roosevelt issue the Atlantic Charter
This was a pivitol policy statement issued early in WWII that defined the Allied goals for the post-war world. -
Japanese attack Pearl Harbor
On December, 7 1941, Japanese air forces atacked Pearl Harbor. Later that day, US Congress declared war on Japan and the US entered WWII. Two days later Germany and Italy declared war on the US. -
Japanese Americans intern at isolated camps
The intense anti-Japanese fears led President F. Roosevelt to issue Executive Order 9066. The order was to intern (temporarily imprison) some 110,000 Japanese Americans for the duration of the war. -
Bataan Death March - Philipines fall to Japanese
Hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japan attacked the Phillipines. Two weeks later, a Japanese invasion force landed on Luzon, there General Douglas MacArthur commanded a Filipino-American force. On the nearby island of Bataan, the Filipino-American force was holding up a heroic defense but finally surrendered on April 9th, 1942. The Japanese captured nearly 70,000 soldiers and forced the already weary troops to walk 65 miles to a Japanese prison camp. -
Battle of Midway
Japanese sought to take the island of Midway; home to a key American military base. But the Americans sank 41 Japanese carriers and destroyed 322 Japanese aircrafts. After the Battle of Midway, Japan no longer ruled the Pacific. -
Battle of Stalingrad
This battle was fought between the Nazis and the USSR in the city of Stalingrad. Started on August 23, 1942 and ended on February 2, 1943 when the Nazis surrendered. -
Nazi and Italian armies defeated in North Africa
Under the command of General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the US and British troops occupied Morocco and Algeria. Rommel surrendered in May of 1943 -
Zoot Suit Riots
On June of 1943, in Los Angeles California, some white sailors attacked some Mexican-American youth, clubbing them and beating them on the streets. The incident caused several days of rioting throughout the city. -
Italy surrenders
The king of Italy dissmissed Mussolini from his role of Prime Minister. On September 8, 1943 the new governmen surrendered to the Allies. -
D-Day invasion at Normandy
On June 6, 1944 (also known as D-Day) more than 155,000 American, British, and Canadian troops crossed the English Channel. They landed on the beaches in Normandy, France and overcame the Nazi forces. -
Paris retaken by Allies
The Allied forces enter France after it was under Nazi rule for 4 years. -
Battle of the Bulge
As the Allies pushed eastward, the Germans tried to counter-attack in Belgium but failed due to shortages in supplies and fuel. -
US forces recapture the Phillipines
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Franklin D. Roosevelt dies
Roosevelt suffered a massive stroke and died. HIs death shocked everyone. Vice president Truman takes office. -
V-E Day - War ends in Europe
A week after Hitler commited suicide, Germany surrendered. -
First atomic bomb dropped
The first ever atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan by the US. 3 days later another one was dropped on the city of Nagasaki -
V-J Day - Japan surrenders to the Allies
The emperor of Japan announced that the nation would surrender on August, 14 1945. On September 2, 1945 Japan's surrender was formally accepted on the battleship USS Missouri. -
War Crime Trials
For the first time in history, victors in a war prosecuted leaders of the losing side for war crimes. The trials were held in Tokyo, Manila, and Nuremburg.
