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Mao Zedong and the People’s Republic of China
Mao Zedong was the principal Marxist theorist of China. He lead the communist revolution and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). He took over the People's Republic of China. -
Japan’s invasion of China
The Second Sino-Japanese War last from 1937 to 1941. It was fought between Japan and China. The Japanese had two major victories leading up the 1937. They eventually captured the capital of China at Nanking. -
Germany invades Poland
German forces invade Poland in the air and on land. The invasion begins WWII. The Germans used the Blitzkrieg method. -
Battle of Britain
The Germans were attacking Great Britain through extensive air raids. The British were successful in fighting them off. -
Tripartite Pact
The Tripartite Pact was a pact that was signed by Germany, Italy, and Japan in Berlin. The pact was a defensive military alliance and a piece of Propaganda against the Unites states. -
Lend-Lease Act
The Lend-Lease Act was the United States' way of providing their European allies with supplies during World War II. It was passed under Franklin D. Roosevelt. -
Leningrad blockade
Leningrad, currently known at St. Petersburg, was a major industrial hub for the Soviet Union. Germany launched a seige on Leningrad that lasted 872 days and caused the deaths of one million people. -
Bombing of Pearl Harbor
The Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. This caused the U.S. to declare war on Japan the next day. -
Wannsee Conference
The Nazi officials met in Wannsee, a suburb of Berlin, to plan the "Final Solution" to rid the world of Jews. -
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway was fought entirely with aircrafts. The United States defeated the attacking Japanese fleet. -
German Blitzkrieg on Soviet Union
Blitzkrieg, meaning lightening war, was a tactic used by the Germans. They would concentrate heavy weapons on the war front and wipe out the enemy quickly. Germany launched a Blitzkreig on the Soviet Union in 1941 that was semi successful. When a second one was launched in 1942, the Soviet Union launched a counteroffensive and captured the entire German army. The was one of the turning points in the war. -
D-Day
D-Day was the day in which American, British, and Canadian forces all landed in Normandy, France. These troups were able to liberate Northern France by the end of August of that year. -
Yalta Conference
Leaders from the United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union met in Yalta to discuss the final defeat of Nazi Germany. -
Iwo Jima/Okinawa
The United States captured the Japanese island of Iwo Jima to use as a base for U.S. fighter planes. -
Hitler’s suicide
Adolf Hitler swallowed a Cyanide pill and then shot himself in the head in one of his underdground bunkers alongside his wife. -
VE Day
VE Day stands for Victory in Europe day. This was the day that Nazi Germany surrendered tothe European forces. -
Potsdam Conference
The United States (Harry S. Truman), Great Britain (Winston Churchill), and Soviet Union (Joseph Stalin) gathered in Berlin to discuss the peace settlements after the war. -
Atomic bombing of Hiroshima & Nagasaki
The island of Hiroshima became the first city to ever be hit by an atomic bomb. Because it was a military center, it was a potential target for the allies during the war. Hiroshima was hit first by an American plane dropping the bomb. Three days later Nagasaki was hit. -
VJ Day
VJ Day is Victory over Japan Day. Japan surrendered on the 14th. On the 15th the surrender is announced to the world. -
Formation of the U.N.
Representatives from 26 nations met in Washington to sign the Declaration of the Unites Nations at a resolve to keep the peace and work together. -
Truman Doctrine
Harry S. Truman announced economic and military aid to Greece, and other countries in the Mediterranean, to prevent Russian expansion. -
The Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan was program that was sponsored by the United States that aimed to rebuild the economy of 17 countries in Western Europe. The countries to participate were: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and western Germany. -
Korean War
North Korea supported by Russia, invaded South Korea. The United States joined in support of South Korea. Then China joined in Support of the North. The fighting lasted for three years and no real resolutions were made. Over 2.5 million people died. -
Stalin’s death; Khrushchev
When Joseph Stalin died on March 5, 1953, Georgi Malenkov was named premier of the Communist party. Nikita Khruschev had been a completely loyal follower of Stalin for over 30 years. Khruschev then took advantage of Malenkhov as he was an adverage ruler. When Malenkov stepped down from his position, the five man secretariat went into motion and Khruschev gained power. -
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Pact was a pact made by the Soviet Union, Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Romania for a defense treaty. It provided the associated countries with a unified military unit. -
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was fought between Northern Vietnam and Southern Vietnam supported by the United States. The US eventually withdrew support and Vietnam was unified under Communism. -
Sputnik
Sputnik was the first satellite launched by the Soviet Union. It orbited the earth for around a year. -
Bay of Pigs
The Bay of Pigs was a day when around 1500 Cuban exiles invaded Cuba with the help of the United States. The invaders were against Fidel Castro. -
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was built in West Berlin by the authorities from East Berlin to keep out the millions of people from East Berlin that were fleeing to West Berlin from 1949-1961. The amount of people that were leaving the East was threatening the economy. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Soviet Union began to ship missiles to Cuba. In order to protect Cuba, the Unites States announced a naval quarantine of the island to prevent the Soviet Union from sending more missiles to the island. The US leader, President Kennedy, and the Soviet leader, Khrushchev, corresponded and made an agreement that the United States would not invade Cuba if the Soviet Union would return all of the missiles that were in Cuba.
Fidel Castro was angry that the Soviets withdrew, but had no power. -
Gorbachev
Mikhail Gorbachev was the last leader of the Soviet Union. He attempted to decentralize his country's economy and democratize his country's government system. His efforts ultimately lead to the collapse of communism and of the Union. -
Soviet Union falls
A majority of the countries in the Societ Union gathered together and announced that they were all backing out the Union. The amount of counties that left the Union powerless. -
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation was established as a counterweight to the forces of the Soviet Union. It is a military alliance that is based on the North Atlantic treaty.
