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Japanese Invasion of Manchuria
Occured immediately after the Mukden Incident. The Japanese established a puppet state called Manchukuo that lasted until the end of WWII. -
Germany Invades Poland
A joint invasion along with the Soviet Union. It later led to Britain and France declaring war on Germany. -
Battle of Britain
The first campaign to be fought entirely by air forces -
Tripartite Pact
A military agreement between Germany, Italy, and Japan. -
Lend-Lease Act
This allowed the U.S. to provide military aid to foreign nations during WWII. It also allowed the U.S. to supports its war interests without being overextended in battle. -
German Blitzkrieg on Soviet Union
Codenamed Operation Barbarossa, about 4 million soldiers from the Axis powers invaded the Soviet Union, making it the largest invasion in history. Hitler failed to take over the Soviet Union. -
Leningrad Blockade
An operation carried out by Germany to siege the city of Leningrad. It lasted almost 900 days. -
Bombing of Pearl Harbor
A surprise attack launched by Japan on the U.S. This led to the U.S. entering WWII. -
Wannsee Conference
A meeting where Nazi officials discussed how to exterminate the Jews. -
Battle of Midway
It was a critical and decisive battle between Japan and the U.S. in the Pacific Ocean. It came just 6 months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. -
D-Day
Codenamed Operation Overlord, it was the largest sea-borne invasion in history. About 156,000 Allied troops successfully stormed Normandy's beaches on the first day. -
Yalta Conference
The second meeting between the "Big Three". Agreed to require Germany's unconditional surrender and divided up the country into 4 zones of occupation. -
Iwo Jima/Okinawa
A battle in WWII where the U.S. captured the island of Iwo Jima from Japan. Okinawa was the last of these Pacific battles. -
Hitler's Suicide
He and his wife Eva Braun committed suicide by taking cyanide pills. Hitler took an extra measure by shooting himself with his pistol. -
V-E Day
The day Germany surrendered to the Allied powers. Also known as Victory in Europe Day. -
Potsdam Conference
The last of WWII meetings held by the "Big Three". Discussed punishments for Germany and outlined terms for Japan to surrender. -
V-J Day
The day Japan surrendered to the Allies. Also known as Victory over Japan Day. -
Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Was done by U.S. to ensure the war came to a quick end. Japan surrendered a few days later on August 15 to the Allies. -
Formation of the U.N.
An international organization that was established to promote peace and security. It replaced the League of Nations, which was ineffective. -
Truman Doctrine
A U.S. policy to stop Soviet expansion during the Cold War. This led to the U.S. sending $400 million to assist Greece and Turkey against the Soviet Union. -
Marshall Plan
Also known as the European Recovery Plan, the U.S. gave $17 billion to help rebuild European economies after WWII. -
NATO
It was a military alliance where member states agreed to mutual defense should an external state attack one of them. It rivaled the Warsaw Pact. -
Mao Zedong & People's Republic of China
Mao Zedong was the founding father of the People's Republic of China. He also initiated the Cultural Revolution on May 1966. -
Korean War
A war between North and South Korea. North Korea was supported by the Soviet Union and China, while South Korea was supported by the U.S. and the U.N. -
Stalin's Death, Khrushchev Takes Over
Joseph Stalin died of a heart attack. Khrushchev was named Secretary of the Communist Party in September 1953. -
Warsaw Pact
It was a mutual defense treaty between the 8 communist states of Central and Eastern Europe to set up a unified military command in those states under the Soviet Union during the Cold War. It was also a response to West Germany becoming a member of NATO. -
Vietnam War
The war was fought between North Vietnam and South Vietnam. The U.S. withdrew from the war on August 15, 1973 and North Vietnam captured Saigon, which signaled the end of the war in April 1975. -
Sputnik 1
The world's first artificial satellite launched by the Soviet Union. This triggered the beginning of the "Space Race" between the U.S. and Soviet Union. -
Bay of Pigs
A failed military invasion of Cuba by the U.S. The military was comprised of 1,400 Cuban exiles trained by the CIA. -
Berlin Wall
The purpose of the Berlin Wall was to prevent Fascist influence from undermining the socalist state in East Germany and to prevent mass defections from the East to the West. The Berlin Wall fell on November 9, 1989. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
A 13-day confrontation between the U.S. and the Soviet Union over Soviet missiles deployed in Cuba. The Soviet Union removed their missiles in exchange for the U.S. not invading Cuba. Privately, the U.S, also removed their missiles from Turkey. -
Mikhail Gorbachev
He was the first president of the Soviet Union. He was also the last leader of the Soviet Union. -
Soviet Union Falls
The Soviet Union broke apart when some states decided to declare their independence and establish a Commonwealth of International States.
