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Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was a treaty marking the end of WWI. It limited what Germany can do, and took a lot of their land. It also demanded that Germany pay $33 Billion in reparations. This upset many Germans, which fueled the anger that caused WW2. -
Hitler becomes Chancellor
After losing WWI, Germany's economy was very bad. Looking for someone who would fix their problems, the Germans elected Adolf Hitler. He blamed the Jews for what had happened. He promised to create a country with pure Aryan race that would conquer Europe. This meant getting rid of anyone who was of the Aryan race -
Munich Pact
After Hitler took the southern half of Czechoslovakia, France and Britain decided to do something. They proposed the Munich Pact to Hitler, and he agreed. The Munich pact stated that France and Britain wouldn't oppose Hitler if he stopped taking land. Hitler did agree to this, but ended up breaking the pact a few months later when he took the rest of Czechoslovakia. This showed that Hitler had to be taken seriously and would not stop trying to conquer Europe -
Hitler and the Nazis Invade Poland
The invasion of Poland happened because Hitler wanted to take back the land that they had lost in WWI. The strategy used in this invasion was called a "blitzkrieg." This was the complete bombing and destruction of towns, roads, communication cables, and people. This was Hitlers way of showing the world that they shouldn't mess with him. This resulted in France and Britain declaring war on Germany, marking the official beginning of WWI -
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor was a Japanese attack on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. The attack was meant to push away the US military, since Hawaii is close to Japan compared to the rest of the United States. This event is what pulled the United States into WWII -
Battle of Stalingrad
This was a war fought almost entirely by the Soviet Union. The Soviets won the battle, and this halted the Nazis from advancing East. Since all of Asia is to the East, this severely cut down on how much land Hitler could conquer. This was the beginning of the end of German advancement -
D-Day
This was a surprise attack by the USA that was fought in Normandy on the Omaha beach. The USA and its allies caught the Nazis off guard, leading to a Allie victory. This battle turned the tide of the war, and is when Germany started to lose more battles -
Battle of Berlin
This was the last major battle in WWII. The Allies pushed in so quickly and efficiently and the Germans stood no chance. This battle was lost so bad that Hitler had shot himself before the battle even ended. This ultimately marked the end of the Nazi party and WWII. With no leader, they fell. -
V-E day
Also known as Victory in Europe day, it marked the end to the war with Europe. Germany unconditionally surrendered, signifying the end of the Nazi party and the Axis powers. Victory of the Allies meant that American lives would stop being lost, and life could go back to normal. -
Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Using the most deadly weapon to ever exist, the US dropped two atomic bombs on two different Japanese cities. This was the US's comeback for the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The first bomb, Little Boy, was dropped on Hiroshima. It killed nearly 100,000 people almost instantly. The second, Fat Man, was dropped on Nagasaki, killing around 40,000 people. This put an immediate end to the war between the US and Japan, while losing the least American lives.