WW2 Timeline

Japan's invasion of China

Jul 7, 1937

After several "incidents"/invasioms between Japan and China-- The Marco Polo Incident being the last-- China and Japan engaged in total warfare called the Second Sino-Japanese War.

Germany invades Poland

Sep 1, 1939

Germany bombards Poland from both land and air, initial use of blitzkrieg tactic, spurring the beginning of WW2.

Battle of Britain

Jul 1, 1940

Britain is on the defensive against German air raids.

Tripartite Pact

Sep 27, 1940

Agreement between Germany, Italy, and Japan in a defensive military act.

Lend-lease act

Mar 11, 1941

United states agrees to supply allies with food, oil, and materials. (This is before the U.S had fully entered the war.

Blitzkrieg (Soviet Union)

Jun 1, 1941

Soviets driven back 600 miles, blitzkreig tactic was very succesfull because of its quick and destructive firepower.

Leningrad blockade

Sep 8, 1941

Military operation undertaken by Germany against Leningrad extremely destructive, and did not subdue the Soviets.

Bombing of pearl harbor

Dec 7, 1941

Japan suprise attack on U.S naval base in Hawaii.

Wannsee Conference

Jan 20, 1942

Meeting held by the Nazi's to decide on the final solution to the Jews. It was decided most Jews would be ecported to Poland to be murdered.

Battle of Midway

Jun 4, 1942

A crucial naval battle in the Pacific sector of WW2, U.S defeats an attack by the Imperial Japanese navy. This vanquished Japan's hopes of eleminating the U.S as a strategic power in the Pacific.

D-Day

Jun 6, 1944

Battle of Normady, allies liberate West Europe from Nazi control.

Iwo Jima

Feb 19, 1945

United States armed force capture the island of Iwo jima from Japan, bringing Japan within range of U.Sbombers.

Yalta Conference

Apr 24, 1945

WW2 conference of the chief allied forces deciding on the defeat and occupation of Nazi Germany.

Hitler's suicide

Apr 30, 1945

Hitler shot imself with a pistol in a underground bunker to avoid defeat/capture as Russians were about to win agains the Nazis.

VE day

May 8, 1945

Day of celebration commemorating Naxzi's unconditional surrender to Allied powers, marking the end of WW2in Europe.

Postdam Conference

Jul 17, 1945

Allied conference of WW2, held at Postdam, discussed matter of peace treaties in Europe, but did not write any (U,S is still fighting in Pacific)

Atomic bombing of Hiroshima/Nagasaki

Aug 6, 1945

World's first atomic bombing experiemnce, killed 10,000's of people forcing the Japanese to surrender.

VJ Day

Sep 2, 1945

Day of celebration for the end of WW2, declared by President Truman.

Formation of the UN

Oct 24, 1945

Created following the conclusion of WW2 to prevent another WW, a replacement for the ineffective Leauge of Nations

Truman Doctrine

Mar 12, 1947

Truman declares immediate economic and and military aid to the government of Greece, hoping to stop the spread of communism.

Sputnik

Oct 4, 1947

First satellite launched by man, initiated by the Soviet Union, marked the beginning of the space age.

Marshall Plan

Apr 1, 1948

American intiative to aid Europe, gave around 13 billion in economic support after WW2 to counter spread of Soviet communism.

NATO

Apr 4, 1949

Established by 12 Western nations, a military alliance, for self defense against Soviet Agression.

Mao Zedong

Oct 1, 1949

After over 2 decades of internal conflict, the communist party was established as the predominant power in China called the People's Republic of China with Mao Zedong as chairman.

Korean War

Jun 25, 1950

war between north and south korea that arose from division of Korea after WW2 and from global tensions after the cold war.

Stalin dies

Mar 5, 1953

Dies from massive heart-attack, Khruschchev struggles for power against Malenkov. Khruschev gained massive support from communist party allowing him to gain power.

Warsaw Pact

May 14, 1955

Made in defense to NATO, collective defensive polocies of seven communist EU nations.

Vietnam War

Nov 1, 1955

This war followed the first Indo-China war, and was fought between North Vietnam (supported by Soviet Union) and South Vietnam (supported by U.S)/

Bay of Pigs

Apr 17, 1961

An invasion of Cuba by exiled Cubans supported by the U.S

Berlin Wall

Aug 13, 1961

Constructed by GDR that cut off West Berlin from ssurrounding East German.

Cuban Missle Crisis

Oct 1, 1962

Also known as October Crisis, U.S blockades cuba in an effort to keep more missles from coming in.

Gorbachev

Oct 1, 1988

Initially general secretary of Communist Party of the Soviet Union, efforts to democratize political system and decentralize economy led to the downfall of communism.

Soviet Union falls

Dec 6, 1991

Gorbachev resigns, declares position extinct and handed power over to president Yeltstin.