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Japan's Invasion of China (Second Sino-Japanese War)
Japan's invasion in the interwar period initially began with the conquering of Manchuria using the staged Mukden Incident (1931) as a premise. Tensions between China and Japan escalated into skirmishes, more specifically the Marco Polo Bridge Incident (March 1937) which essentially began the Second Sino-Japanese War. Became practically a one-sided domination by Japanese and provided vital economic buffs to the economy of the world power. -
Germany Invades Poland
Poland succumbed to the massive German forces in less than a month and resulted in both Britain and France declaring war on Germany two days after the attack began. -
The Battle of Britain
Nazi Germany's invasion of Great Britain following the fall of France. Consisted of bombing of major English cities such as London by ferocious Luftwaffe pilots and avian warfare. The British eventually repel the enemy using superior air technology at a high cost of civilian lives. -
Tripartite Pact
Created the Axis powers of WWII in Berlin. Connected Italy, Japan, and Germany together. -
Lend-Lease Act
Roosevelt's decision to send $50.1 billion in total to Allied nations in order to aid in post-WWII repair. -
German Blitzkrieg on Soviet Union
Hitler's formidable Blitzkrieg ("lightning war") tactic consisted of using mobile troops and focused firepower to cause disorganization among enemy troops. Was effective at first in the USSR but Stalin's Scorched Earth policy and Russia's harsh winters caused Allied victory. -
Siege of Leningrad
German encirclement of the large city of Leningrad and the civilian's refusal to submit resulted in this heroic 900 day endurance test. Inhuman conditions led to the deaths of about 641,000 people. -
Bombing of Pearl Harbor
A two-hour assault by the Japanese on the Americans that devastated 20 ships, about 200 airplanes, and 2000 soldiers. Led to the USA joining WWII. -
Wannsee Conference
A meeting of high-ranked Nazis to propose the "Final Solution", a codename for the systematic elimination of an estimated 11 million European Jews. -
Battle of Midway
The turning point of the Pacific scene during WWII. Caused initially by the US interception of a Japanese message and escalated into a swift takedown with a turn to Allied offense using the island-hopping strategy. -
D-Day
Also known as Operation Overlord, D-Day is when approximately 156,000 Americans, British, and Canadian soldiers landed on France's Normandy shores. Resulted in the liberation of Paris from the Germans at the price of heavy casualties. -
Yalta Conference
The second WWII conference of the Allied powers that agreed on the establishment of the United Nations, trying of major war criminals in international court, and most importantly, the fastest creation of free election of governments by the recently-liberated Eastern European countries. -
Iwo Jima/Okinawa
Two valuable islands that were the setting for savage deciding battles between the clever American amphibious strategies and radical patriotism of Japanese soldiers. Kamikaze was introduced here. US wins in the end, leaving Tokyo open for bombing. -
Hitler's Suicide
Hitler's suicide was caused by a bullet through the mouth and the stressful condition of Germany's losing stance.His body was burned afterwards as instructed. Germany surrenders in the following week. -
VE Day
A.k.a. Victory in Europe Day, this event was a month after Allied Powers crossed the Rhine River and conquered Western Germany. -
Potsdam Conference
Postwar meeting to determine what to do with Germany. Total disarming and seperation into four Allied-monitored regions were among the most important agreements. -
Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima
Atomic bomb "Little Boy" absolutely obliterated two-thirds of the previously untouched Hiroshima and murdered an approximate total of 140,000 people. A major reason for Japan's surrender. -
Atomic Bombing of Nagasaki
Atomic bomb "Fat Man", depsite being considered more potent than "Little boy", effaced only two-fifths of Nagasaki due to more obstructive terrain. 70,000 humans died initially and within a year from radiation poisoning. Also, mainly responsible for Japan's capitulation. -
VJ Day
After 6 years of fighting, several months after Germany's surrender, Japan capitulates unconditionally on "Victory over Japan Day". -
Formation of the U.N.
An organization based of the League of Nations established after WWII's conclusion with goals of preventing such conflct from occuring again as well as maintaining human rights, etc. -
Truman Doctrine
Truman's request for $400 million dollars to support Greece and Turkey against communism. Became a guide for US diplomacy during the cold war and declared it must be an US policy to aid "free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation". -
Marshall Plan (Economic Recovery Act)
An idea to help Europe's political and economic instability following WWII. Worked excellently and earned Secretary of State George C. Marshall a Noble Peace Prize. -
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)
Formed in reaction to communist growth, this group consisting of the US and 11 others denoted the capitalist side of the Cold War. -
Mao Zedong and People's Republic of China
After defeating Jiang Jieshi and his Chinese Nationalist party, Mao Zedong and his Chinese Communist Party created the People's Republic of China. Mao was the chairman from 1949 to 1959 and was instrumental to the formation of a new China. -
Korean War
A violent interaction caused by communist North Korea invading capitalist South Korea. Warmed the Cold War and held China, the USSR, and the US in a disturbing stare-off. -
Stalin's Death and Khrushchev
After Stalin's death from cerebral hemorrhage at age 73, Nikita Khrushchev served as the Soviet Union's premier from 1958 to 1964. Aimed for peace with the West and a less repressive Soviet society. -
Warsaw Pact
A reaction against NATO, the Warsaw Pact allied the Soviet Union, Albania, Poland, Romania, Hungary, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, and Bulgaria. These states promised to defend each other when one is to be attacked. -
Vietnam War
A very unpopular conflict between communist North Korea and the Viet Cong and capitalist Southern Korea and the US. A warmer part of the Cold War in which the US were forced to allow communist takeover due to rising disapproval by American citizens, -
Sputnik
The world's first artificial satellite launched by the Soviet Union that began the space race between the US and USSR during the cold war. -
Bay of Pigs
A failed operation of 1400 Cuban exiles supported by the US military that strained realtions between the States and Cuba. -
Berlin Wall
Built initially by the Soviets in a mere two weeks due to Cold War tensions, the Berlin Wall seperated the capitalist Western Germany and the communist East Germany. Prevented the reunification of Germany until it was torn down. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
A critical event during the cold war that nearly unleashed a nuclear war. Was a 13 day standoff caused by Soviet nuclear missiles being discovered in Cuba. Ended when Khrushchev removed them under the condition that the US remove their missiles from Turkey. -
Gorbachev
The first president of the Soviet Union. He desired international peace and was responsible for ending the Cold War, taking down the Berlin Wall to reunify Germany, and break apart the Soviet Union. -
Soviet Union Falls
Marked the end of the Cold War and was hailed as capitalism surpassing communism in westerner eyes. By popular agreement, the Soviet Union disintegrated into 15 independent states.
