-
Mussolini takes over Italy's Government
Benito Mussolini took over the government in Italy by creating an organization known as the Fascist Party in a corrupt and chaotic Italy. The Fascist Party grew in power, marched on Rome, and Mussolini became Prime Minister, marking the start of an eventual dictatorship.
Click here for more info.
References -
Period: to
WWII
-
Beer Hall Putsch
The Beer hall Putsch was an attempt by Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party to overthrow the government in Bavaria, a state in Germany. His hopes were to then initiate a larger plan to overthrow the Weimar Republic. The attempt failed, due to local military and Hitler was then imprisoned for treason.
Click here for more info.
References -
Kellogg-Briand Pact
The Kellog-Briand Pact was a pact to not use war as a means of international problem solving. It was a large step in peacekeeping efforts to prevent future agression from countries. The pact was never succcessful due to lack of enforcement of the terms.
Click here for more info.
References -
U.S. Stock Market Crash
The US Stock Market Crash caused a great spiral downward of the US economy as well as the global economy. It caused many banks to go out of business and caused the US to go into a the Great Depression era, the worst economic state of the US ever.
Click here for more info.
References -
Japan Invades Manchuria
Japan invaded Manchuria, China for land to hold an ever increasing Japanese population, rich agricultual land, and vast forestry.The League of Nations did nothing to stop or punish the invasion, which led other countries to believe they wouldn't be stopped either. Click here for more info.
References -
Nazi's reach a political majority in Germany
When the Nazi Party became the political majority, Germany eventually fell under the police state of Hitler. Other political parties were forced under Nazi leadership, and eventually the only political party allowed was the Nazi Party. Germany was now being totally ruled by Hitler.
Click here for more info.
References -
Hitler becomes Germany's Chancellor
As Hitler is appointed chancellor of Germany, his Nazi Party grows in power with almost the whole German population as support. This event marks a turning point for Hitler's plan to unify the country, vanquish opposition, and make Germany very powerful.
Click here for more info.
References -
Japan Withdraws from the League of Nations
The League of Nations, upset with Japan for invading Manchuria, votes that Japan withdraw its troops from Manchuria and leave China alone. The vote was 42 to 1 with Japan being the only one to vote against it. Japan then angrily withdraws from the League. Click here for more info.
References -
First Anti-Semitic Law is passed in Germany
The first anti-semitic law passed in Germany had to with the right of the Jewish people to participation public organizations and ultimately public and civil life. Laws like these paved the way for support on the anti-semitic ideology of the Nazi Party. Things only got worse from here. Click here for more info.
References -
The Night of the Long Knives (Rohm Purge)
The Night of the Long Knives was an action by Hitler to destory and purge his political opponents to proclaim his power once more as the one true Fuhrer(leader). The purge was mostly justified by Hitler's own nationalism. The action lead Germany deeper in total Nazi control. Click here for more info.
References -
Hitler openly announces to his cabinet he will defy the Treaty of Versailles
Hitler decided to openly defy the Treaty of Versailles by militarizing Germany. It was a gamble with France and Britain, but Hitler won. They did nothing about it, which only fueled Hitler's future reason for other international crimes he will commit. Click here for more info.
References -
Creation of the Nuremberg Laws
The Nuremberg Laws were anti-semitic laws that defined the Jewish people. If you had 4 Jewish grandparents, you were Jewish, regardless. It ended being a jew as a religious entity, but now as a ancestral entity. These laws were another step in aiding Hitler's anti-semtic ideology. Click here for more info.
References -
Italy invades Ethiopia
Italy invaded Ethiopia because of a past failure in doing the same thing. Italy successfully conquered Ethiopia without intervention of the League of Nations, even after the Ethiopian government appealed for help. This event further devoloped the League's ineffectiveness.
Click here for more info.
References -
Hitler Militarizes the Rhineland
Hitler sent three batallions into the Rhineland in an act of defiance that went against the Treaty of Versailles. The Rhineland was an area between France and Germany, marked as a demilitarized "buffer zone". This act carried out Hitler's earlier promise to defy the Treaty. Click here for more info.
References -
Rape of Nanking
The Rape of Nanking was the events that ensued after Japan successfully invaded China's captial city, Nanking. After a unexpected resistance from the Chinese, the Japanese were angered. They raped, killed over 300,000 civilians without mercy, and committed other atrocities.
Click here for more info.
References -
Germany Annexes Austria
For a while the Nazis wanted to annex Austira and conspired to do so. Once it finally became reality, Hitler marched his troops into Austria and was greeted happily and with celebration. This annexation of Austria only added to the growing Third Reich.
Click here for more info.
References -
Hitler demands the Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia
In Czechoslovakia, there was a almost completely German speaking area called the Sudetenland. Germans within this area began talking about joining Germany under one Reich. Hitler finally adressed this by demanding this area be returned to the Germans. This issue will be resolved later.
Click here for more info.
References -
Munich Conference
Hitler demand for the Sudetenland was satisifed here at the Munich conference. This conference, between Britain, France, Germany, and Italy, allowed Germany to annex the Sudetenland. Hitler then wanted all of Czechoslovakia, and war with Britain and France seemed inevitable.
Click here for more info.
References -
Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht was a Nazi state approve anti-Jewish riot. People burned Jewish synagogues, destroyed Jewish businesses and killed Jewish people all throughout German territories. This event was a foundation for the upcoming "Final Solution".
Click here for more info.
References -
Einstein’s letter to FDR, “The Manhattan Project”
When uranium fission was discovered and the US did nothing to study or experiment with it, a scientist named Leo Szilard and Einstein got worried. If atomic bombs were a thing, the Germans could be getting a head start on research and production. They sent this letter to inform FDR and to get funding to reasearch.
Click here for more info.
References -
Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact
The Molotov Ribbentrop Pact was a non-agression pact signed between Germany and Russia. This was a relief for Hitler, because now he could invade Poland without the fear of the Soviets trying to stop him. This is another great step for Germany, which effectively leads into the start of WWII
Click here for more info.
References -
Nazi invasion of Poland
After the non aggression pact with the Soviets, the the Nazis invaded Poland and it fell quickly. Germany got the north half of Poland, while Russia got the south half. Britain and France promised to protect Poland's borders, so they declared war on Germany, marking the start of WWII.
Click here for more info.
References -
Evacuation of Dunkirk
The Allies were being pushed through France by the Germans. The Allies started retreating, and got to the port city of Dunkirk where they were able to evacuate over 300,000 troops into Britian. Civilians helped out too, using any boat they had to rescue the troops that would now defend Britain.
Click here for more info.
References -
France Surrenders
Hitler's blitzkrieg swept through France fast and hard. The Germans took Paris, and shortly after the French surrendered. Two thirds of France would go to Germany, the other third to WWI hero Henry Petain. France surrendering only englargened Hitler's power and ultimately his greed. Click here for more info.
References -
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain was a major turning point in the war that proved Germany could be stopped. In this bombing campaign, the Royal Air Force went against the German Luftwaffe in a massive air battle. The RAF won, and saved Britain from a possible ground invasion.
Click here for more info.
References -
The Tripartite Pact
The Tripartite Pact was the signing that made Japan, Germany, and Italy official allies. This three powers were called the Axis Powers. This only led to a greater, now offically unified power that was ravaging the world.
Click here for more info.
References -
Lend Lease Act
The Lend-Lease Act was the act signed by the US to send aid to any nation that seemed esssential to the defense of the US. This act made the US become more involved with WWII and closely tied them with Britain, the Soviet Union, and China.
Click here for more info.
References -
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the operation launched by Germany to invade Russia. The German army was at its peak, but the operation eventually failed. This was the crucial turning point in the war, forcing Germany to fight on two fronts against the more powerful Allies
Click here for more info.
References -
Bombing of Pearl Harbor
The bombing of Pearl Harbor was a delibrate attack on the US naval base in Hawaii. Three days after the devastating bomb hit, the US declared war on Japan, thus also declaring war with Germany and Italy. The US was finally in WWII, and on the side of the Allies.
Click here for more info.
References -
Creation of the United Nations
The United Nations was created to try to unify a force to stop the Axis powers. The group was another attempt at a peace making organization of countries after the League of Nations failed to stop WWII. The UN is still existing today.
Click here for more info.
References -
The Wannsee Conference and the “Final Solution”
The Wannsee Conference was the official conference that put the "Final Solution" into effect. The "Final Solution" was the mass genocide committed against the Jews in Europe. This cost millions of lives and lead the Nazis and Germany to commit atrocities beyond imagination.
Click here for more info.
References -
Bataan Death March
The Bataan Death March was a 65 mile march that surrendered US soldiers took to prisoner of war camps. More than 75,000 soldiers made the march in the Bataan Peninsula, and thousands died because of intense heat, starvation, and mistreatment by Japan soldiers.
Click here for more info.
References -
Doolittle Raid
The Doolittle Raid was America's way of striking back after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Airplanes swooped over and dropped bombs on Toyko, Nagoya, Osaka, and Kobe. This gave America a huge moral boost, and sent that message that Japan was not invincible.
Click here for more info.
References -
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway was a major victory for the US against Japan in the Pacific. The US destroyed many of Japan's first line of defense, which weakened them. That then gave the US the upper hand, and negated the fear of Japan continuing its invasions in the Pacific.
Click here for more info.
References -
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was the Russian victory that stopped the German invasion into Russia. It cost over 2 million lives, but the battle turned the advantage of the war to the Allies. With Germany now fighting on two fronts, the war did not look good for the Nazis.
Click here for more info.
References -
Operation Torch
Operation Torch was the name for the invasion plan of North Africa. Executed by the US and the British, the plan was to take areas in North Africa and then eventually be able to get into position to invade Italy. This Operation was a key event in the war for this reason.
Click here for more info.
References -
Island Hopping (Buna-Gona Campaign)
Island hopping was a strategy used by the US to capture island after island to push back the Japanese. The US would establish base after base on islands in the Pacific deemed important to get closer to bombing Japanese. The success of this campaign assisted the US in the pursuit of Japanese surrender.
Click here for more info.
References -
Operation Overlord and D-Day
Operation Overlord was the codename for the invasion to liberate western Europe. D-day was the day when the operation commenced, and Allied invasion forces landed on France's beaches near Normandy. This lead to the eventual liberation of northern France, and was the start of the end of the war.
Click here for more info.
References -
Operation Valkyrie
Operation Valkyrie was the codename for the plot of the assassination of Hitler. Claus von Stauffenberg met with Hitler and planned to kill him using a briefcase bomb. The plan failed, and Hitler continued his reign as dictator.
Click here for more info.
References -
Discovery of Majdanek
Majdanjek was a Nazi concentration camp used for Jewish slave labor, and also mass killing of Jews. Soviet troops discovered this camp when taking over Germany, and they found it was burned by Germans in an attempt to cover the atrocities done there. More horrible camps will be uncovered later.
Click here for more info.
References -
Battle of the Bulge
Germany launched a blitzkrieg to separate the Allied forces in northwest Europe. The Allies, thanks to George S. Patton and his troops, were able to defend against the counter attack. The Allied line when defending this looked like a bulge, hence the battle's name.
Click here for more info.
References -
Hitler’s Suicide
As Germany was being overtaken by the Soviets, Hitler retreated to a bunker in Berlin. When informed by officers that Berlin would soon be taken over, he and his wife committed suicide. This marked the official end of Hitler's dominant reign.
Click here for more info.
References -
V-E Day
V-E Day(Victory in Europe Day) was the day after the Germans unconditionally surrendered to the Allies, ending the war in Europe. Allied citizens paraded in streets in celebration. They were happy the war with Germany and Italy was over, but Japan was still fighting in the Pacific.
Click here for more info.
References -
Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
America dropped two atomic bombs on Japan, one on Hiroshima, killing 80,000+ people, and one on Nagasaki, killing 40,000+ people. This devasting power was too much for Japan. This forced them to surrender, ending the war in the pacific, and effectively WWII.
Click here for more info.
References -
V-J Day
V-J Day(Victory over Japan Day) was the day Japan unconditionally surrendered to the Allies, following the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Americans celebrated and rejoiced now that WWII was finally, and officially, over.
Click here for more info.
References -
The Nuremberg Trials
The Nuremberg Trials were a series of trials held against Nazi war criminals for the purpose of bringing them to justice. It tried against high ranking German officers, and Nazi party members. This was a big step in making an international court and having international crimes justified
Click here for more info.
References -
The Japanese War Crime Trials
The Japanese War Crime Trials were a series of court hearings in which Japanese war criminals were prosecuted because they were deemed to have committed crimes against humanity. The hearings purpose was to bring the 28 Japanese defendants to justice.
Click here for more info.
References -
The beginning of the Cold War (Truman Doctrine Speech)
The Cold War is the tensions created between the US and Soviet Russia after WWII. This lasted until 1991, and was because the US was weary of Soviet expansion and plans to take over Europe.
Click here for more info.
References
