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Period: to
World War II
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Rape of Nanking
Japan viewed China as hopeless backwards, weak, disunified, and needing Japanese direction. After invading Shanghai in August 1937, the Japanese captured the Chinese capital of Nanjing (Nanking). The Japanese promised good treatment for all citizens, but Japanese soldiers embarked, with full approval from their commanders, on a 7-week campaign of terror that is known as the Rape of Nanjing. Looting and arson left Nanjing in ruins. -
Nazi Soviet Non-Aggression Pact
Hitler from Germany and Stalin from USSR agreed to never attack each other and to remain neutral if the other went to war. They also agreed to split up many countries in Eastern Europe among themselves such as Poland. This removed the threat of a two-front war for the Germans. -
Germany Invades Poland
In September of 1939, Germany invades Poland using its strategy of Blitzkrieg because Germany wanted back the Polish Corridor, but the Poles refused. On September 3, Great Britain and France declared war on Germany. Great Britain and France were unable to mobilize fast enough to help Poland and soon Germany defeated Poland. While Germany was invading western Poland, the USSR moved forces into eastern Poland and into Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. The USSR also declared war on Finland. -
The Miracle at Dunkirk
During the Battle of France, Belgian, British, and French troops began trapped in Dunkirk, France and their only way of escape was by sea. 850 vessels from naval destroyers to yachts and fishing boats left England and sailed to Dunkirk. Over the next 9 days while under air and ground attacks, the makeshift fleet rescued about 300,000 Allied soldiers. -
The Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain started in July of 1940 and ended at the end of October. During the Battle, Hitler destroyed British airfields and vital industries. In July, the Luftwaffe (German air force) began bombing ships along the coast. The Luftwaffe also attacked the Royal Air Force for 4 months. From Sept. 7, 1940-May 11, 1941, the Germans blitzed London and other civilian targets. This gave the Royal Air Force time to rebuild and, as a result, the RAF became air dominant and stopped the Germans. -
Tripartite/Berlin Pact
Germany, Italy, and Japan became known as the Axis powers when they signed the Tripartite Pact. Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, and Croatia later joined this alliance. -
Axis powers defeat Allies in Libya
In Dec. 1940, British troops were victorious at attacking Italian troops in Libya. After the loss, the Germans, because they were part of the axis powers, sent General Erwin Rommel, an experienced military commander, to take over forces in Libya. In April 1941, the Rommel and the Axis powers are successful and expel the British from Libya. Rommel was also successful in 1942 when he pushed the British 2/3 of the way back to Egypt. However, he was defeated in the Battle of El Alamein. -
Hitler attacks Russia
Hitler attacked Russia with a plan called Operation Barbarossa and destroyed and captured the USSR air force, troops, and tanks. Soon Stalin initiated a policy where the Soviets destroyed anything the Germans could use before they pulled out of an area. Despite this, the Germans reached Moscow with the help of the Finnish and attacked Kiev. This sparked the Siege of Leningrad. Soon, the Germans began an attack on Moscow, but the Soviets strike back, and the Germans were forced to flee Moscow. -
Attack on Pearl Harbor
In 1936, the U.S placed an embargo on the sale of oil to Japan and in 1940, they placed an embargo on the sale of scrap iron to Japan. On Dec. 7, the Japanese surprisingly attacked the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor. The U.S. did not predict the attack to be on Pearl Harbor. The U.S Pacific Fleet sitting in the harbor and the planes on the airfield were easy targets for the Japanese. The next day, the U.S. declared war on Japan. Italy and Germany then declared war on the U.S. -
Attack on Sicily and invasion of the Italian Peninsula
In 1943, the U.S. and England met up to invade Italy. In July 1943, began a combined air and sea attack on Sicily and it soon fell to the allies. When Mussolini is executed, the new leader of Italy controls only southern Italy. (North Italy and Rome is given to the Germans).Between 1943-1944, Allied forces fought their way up the Italian peninsula. On June 4, 1944, Allied forces entered Rome and the city was liberated (freed from the Germans) on June 5, 1944 -
D-Day (DAY OF INVASION)
D-Day was a plan by the allies to open up a 2nd front by launching an invasion of France (Operation Overload). It involved soldiers and paratroopers, ships, and planes. After heavy fighting and casualties, the invasion was a success, and the allies began their drive against the Germans in France. By July 1944, more than 1 million troops and massive amounts of supplies poured into Northern France. They had defeated the Germans from further conquest. In the end, they also liberated Paris. -
Yalta Conference/ Crimea Conference
The allied leaders (Churchill, Stalin, Roosevelt) discuss plans for ending the war with Germany. They concluded:
-To divide Germany into 4 zones that the British, French, Soviets, and Americans would each occupy and administer a zone.
-to disband and disarm German forces-
-to create a United Nations
The USSR (Stalin) also agreed to join the war in the Pacific against Japan in a few months. -
The Surrender of the Japanese in the Pacific (End of the War).
In 1939, a bomb was being atomic formed in the U.S (Manhattan Project). In 1945, two key victories in the Pacific meant that the Allies controlled airbases within hopping distances with Japan. On July 20, 1945, the U.S. demands Japan to surrender, but they refuse. Therefore, the U.S. president uses the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki (August 1945). Japan is forced to surrender on August 14, 1945. August 15, 1945, is VJ (Victory Japan). -
Creation of the United Nations
The United Nations was created to preserve peace after the war, maintain security, and bring countries together to solve problems such as economy. It had more power than the League of Nations. It has control over a peace-keeping military force. It also agencies that help with a wide range of world issues including disease protection, refugees, economic development, children’s health.