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Japan invades Manchuria
In the 1930s, the Japanese controlled the Manchurian railway. In September 1931, they claimed that Chinese soldiers had sabotaged the railway, and attacked the Chinese army. By February 1932, the Japanese had conquered the whole of Manchuria.Thousands of Chinese soldiers and civilians were killed. China appealed to the League of Nations. -
Italy invades Ethiopia
A border incident between Ethiopia and Italian Somaliland that December gave Benito Mussolini an excuse to intervene. Rejecting all arbitration offers, the Italians invaded Ethiopia on October 3, 1935. -
Olympics Game in Germany
Nazi Germany used the 1936 Olympic Games for propaganda purposes. The Nazis promoted an image of a new, strong, and united Germany while masking the regime’s targeting of Jews and other ethic groups as well as Germany’s growing militarism. -
Anschluss
German troops march into Austria to annex the German nation for the Third Reich.In early 1938, Austrian Nazis conspired for the second time in four years to seize the Austrian government by force and unite their nation with Nazi Germany. -
Germany takes Sudetenland
Great Britain & France give Sudetenland to Hitler in return for peace. Hitler then invades the rest of Czechoslovakia. -
German invades Poland
The German-Soviet Pact of August 1939, which stated that Poland was to be partitioned between the two powers, enabled Germany to attack Poland without the fear of Soviet intervention. On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland. The Polish army was defeated within weeks of the invasion. -
Battle of Britain
1940 aerial attacks on British military and civilian targets by German air forces. Germany unable to defeat Britain. -
Tripartite Pact Signed
This signing made Germany, Italy, and Japan become allies. Took place in Berlin. -
Four Freedom Speech
Roosevelt speaks to Congress, citing the “Four Freedoms” that were threatened by Nazi/Japanese militarism: Speech, worship, freedom from want, freedom from fear. -
Lend Lease
Proposed in late 1940 and passed in March 1941, the Lend-Lease Act was the principal means for providing U.S. military aid to foreign nations during World War II. -
Germany attacks Soviet Union
Adolf Hitler launched his armies eastward in a massive invasion of the Soviet Union: three great army groups with over three million German soldiers, 150 divisions, and three thousand tanks smashed across the frontier into Soviet territory. -
Atlantic Charter
The US secretly meets with England to commit to defeating Germany -
Japan attacks Pearl Harbor
Surprise attack by the Japanese on American forces in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. -
Battle of Midway
The US deals Japan decisive defeat (4 Japanese aircraft carriers sunk, 250 aircraft, pilots) -
Casablanca Conference
Roosevelt and Churchill meet in January 1943, decide to increase bombing of Germany AND invade Italy. ALSO: decide to only accept unconditional surrender. -
Tehran Conference
Roosevelt and Churchill meet face-to-face with Stalin November 1943, agree to invasion of Germany through France. -
Battle of Normandy
The Invasion of Normandy was the invasion by and establishment of Western Allied forces in Normandy, during Operation Overlord in 1944 during World War II; the largest amphibious invasion to ever take place. D-Day, the day of the initial assaults, was Tuesday 6 June 1944. -
Battle of the Bulge
Desperate German attempt to drive the Allies back; almost a success, but eventual failure. -
Yalta Conference
Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin meet February 1945 to discuss final strategy/how to deal with postwar Germany. Stalin agrees to have free elections in key Eastern European countries, later goes back on his promise. Nations agree to create United Nations! -
Battle of Jima
The US Marines face entrenched Japanese fighters on a small island of Iwo Jima; 36 days of fighting & 23,000 American casualties. The Marine got victory. -
Battle of Okinawa
Crucial for planned American invasion of Japan. Then the U.S. forces finally take the island, but only after 50,000 casualties. -
Germany Surrenders
On May 7, 1945, Germany signed an unconditional surrender at Allied headquarters in Reims, France, to take effect the following day, ending the European conflict of World War Il. -
US Drops bomb on Hiroshima
U.S. pilots drop atomic bomb on Japanese city of Hiroshima -
Bombing of Nagaski
After a few days after the bombing of Hiroshima, bombing attacks went off in Nagaski. -
Official Japanese Surrender
Announced that Japan had surrendered unconditionally to the Allies, effectively ending World War II.
