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Treaty of Versailles
The most important of the peace treaties that brought World War I to an end. -
Mussolini assumes power in Germany
Mussolini allied himself with Hitler, relying on the German dictator to prop up his leadership during World War II, but he was killed shortly after the German surrender in Italy in 1945. -
Stalin assumes power in Germany
Joseph Stalin (1878-1953) was the dictator of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) from 1929 to 1953. Under Stalin, the Soviet Union was transformed from a peasant society into an industrial and military superpower. -
Hitler assumes power in Germany
Hitler's "rise" can be considered to have ended in March 1933, after the Reichstag adopted the Enabling Act of 1933 in that month. President Paul von Hindenburg had already appointed Hitler as Chancellor on 30 January 1933 after a series of parliamentary elections and associated backroom intrigues. -
Nuremberg Laws
The Nuremberg Laws were two laws which excluded the Jews from German life, as well as took away some of their natural rights. They were first declared at the annual Nazi rally held in Nuremberg in 1935. -
Rape of Nanking
The mass murder of approximately 100,000-300,000 Chinese citizens during the months of December and January of 1937-1938. carried out by the Japanese Imperial Army. Many people were either raped or killed, and destroyed over 30% of buildings in nearby cities. -
Munich Conference
The Munich Agreement was a settlement permitting Nazi Germany's annexation of portions of Czechoslovakia along the country's borders mainly inhabited by German speakers, for which a new territorial designation "Sudetenland" was coined. -
Kristallnacht
German authorities looked on without intervening.[1][2] The name Kristallnacht comes from the shards of broken glass that littered the streets after the windows of Jewish-owned stores, buildings, and synagogues were smashed. -
Hitler and Stalin sign a non-aggressive pact
German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact, also called Nazi-Soviet Nonaggression Pact, German-Soviet Treaty of Nonaggression, Hitler-Stalin Pact, Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, (August 23, 1939) -
WWII begins with the invasion of Poland
Hitler responded by negotiating a nonaggression pact with the Soviet Union in the summer of 1939. ... Britain and France, standing by their guarantee of Poland's border, had declared war on Germany on September 3, 1939. The Soviet Union invaded eastern Poland on September 17, 1939. -
France surrendered to Germany
With Paris fallen and the German conquest of France reaching its conclusion, Marshal Henri Petain replaces Paul Reynaud as prime minister and announces his intention to sign an armistice with the Nazis. The next day, French General Charles de Gaulle, not very well known even to the French, made a broadcast to France from England, urging his countrymen to continue the fight against Germany. -
Tripartite Pact
Germany, Japan, and Italy entered into an agreement that they would keep peace between each other. Some of the rules included in helping to maintain this peace were as follows: Japan would respect Germany and Italy in their goal of taking over Europe, Germany and Italy would respect Japan's goal in gaining control in Eastern Asia, and they agreed to help each other in their conquests of the world. -
Battle of Britain
A combat of the Second World War, when the Royal Air Force (RAF) defended the United Kingdom (UK) against the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) attacks from the end of June 1940. It is described as the first major campaign fought entirely by air forces.[14] The British officially recognise its duration as from 10 July until 31 October 1940 -
Lend Lease Act
The United States military would provide aid to the Allied Powers in Europe to help fight in the war. It allowed the United States to support the war effort and resistance against Germany while at the same time, not fighting in the war. This would lead to greater tension between the United States and the Axis Powers, eventually leading to the bombing of Pearl Harbor. -
Pearl Harbor Attack
The Japanese attacked an American naval base called Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. A cause of this is because the United States had been imposing restrictions on Japan. This attack immediately pulled the United States out of silently helping in the war and into launching a complete involvement into the war. -
Executive Order #9066- Japanese Internment Camps
a United States presidential executive order signed and issued during World War II by United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt on February 19, 1942. This order authorized the Secretary of War to prescribe certain areas as military zones, clearing the way for the internment of Japanese Americans, German Americans, and Italian-Americans to concentration camps in the United States. -
Bataan Death March
Japan had gained control of the Bataan Peninsula in the Philippines. Approximately 75,000 Filipinos and Americans were forced to march to their death in extreme heat. -
Battle of Midway
Lasting only 4 days (June 3-June 7), the Battle of Midway took place somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. It was fought between the United States Air Force and Japan's air force. After a short while, the United States won and had ended the threat of further attacks by Japan from the Pacific Ocean -
Battle of Stalingrad
Lasting over half a year, the Battle of Stalingrad was perhaps one of the most significant battles of World War II. The Germans had betrayed the Russians and attempted to conquer the city of Stalingrad, an of the U.S.S.R. at the time. The Russians were able to hold out a defense of the city, and were now on the side of the Allies in helping stop the Axis Powers. Russia's change in alliances would lead to more pressure by Germany. -
D-Day
The United States launched an attack to conquer France by going through the English Channel. Their goal in gaining control of France was successful. The Germans were driven out and power in France was restored. -
Battle of Leyte Gulf
The Battle of Leyte Gulf was a battle fought between Japan and the United States. Despite taking place in the ocean, this battle was fought by both aircraft and warships. Lasting only 3 days, the United States sunk many of Japan's carriers and easily invaded Philippines. -
Battle of the Bulge
Lasting over a month, the Battle of the Bulge was a turning point in World War II. Prior to this, Hitler was seemingly undefeatable, having never lost a battle before. Playing a big part in launching this attack, General Dwight D. Eisenhower helped win the battle and defeat the nearly 200,000 German troops. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima was an offensive battle carried out by the United States on Japan.At first it seemed as if the United States was going to win this battle very easily. However, a couple of officers at the battle had been suspicious of why they were winning so easily.Their suspicious came to be true because it turned out that the Japanese were hiding inside the island, and they had begun launching a mortar attack on the American Army.However despite the element of surprise, they still lost. -
Battle of Okinawa
A series of battles fought in the Japanese Ryukyu Islands, centered on the island of Okinawa, and included the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War during World War II, the 1 April 1945 invasion of Okinawa itself.The 82-day-long battle lasted from 1 April until 22 June 1945. -
V-E Day
It was on this day that the British and Americans had begun celebrating the defeat of Nazi Germany. Hitler had killed himself the month before, and the Nazi regime had crumbled. -
Manhattan Project
The Manhattan Project was a top secret project proposed by the United States government. Thanks to the help of many important scientists such as Robert Oppenheimer and Albert Einstein, and President Truman and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the United States was able to develop 2 atomic bombs which would eventually get dropped on Japan and officially bring an end to World War II. -
Atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima
President Harry S. Truman, warned by some of his advisers that any attempt to invade Japan would result in horrific American casualties, ordered that the new weapon be used to bring the war to a speedy end. On August 6, 1945, the American bomber Enola Gay dropped a five-ton bomb over the Japanese city of Hiroshima. -
Atomic Bomb dropped on Nagasaki
A second atom bomb is dropped on Japan by the United States, at Nagasaki, resulting finally in Japan's unconditional surrender. The devastation wrought at Hiroshima was not sufficient to convince the Japanese War Council to accept the Potsdam Conference's demand for unconditional surrender. -
V-J Day
V-J Day stands for Victory over Japan day. It was the day that Japan officially surrendered the War. -
Nuremberg Trials
The Nuremberg Trials were a series of trials that were brought upon members of the military in the Axis Powers. many were sentenced to death.
