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Russian Civil War
In Russia, Communist thought was brewing while anger towards the Romanovs grew. The monarchy finally collapsed in March of 1917 when Nicholas II was forced to abdicate, and the Duma declared control over Russia. However, the Bolsheviks began to rival the Duma's power using the Petrograd Soviet. Insurrections continued to empower Communist thought until eventually they attempted a full takeover which began the Civil War. Despite foreign aid, the Communists won in the end, and created the USSR. -
The Treaty of Versailles is Signed
The Treaty of Versailles was the treaty following WWI which declared Germany as guilty, made them pay reparations, limited their military, and stripped them of their territories. This treaty would create discontentment in both Germany and Italy, as the former felt unfairly punished after the war, and the latter felt like they didn't earn enough from it. These base levels of anger would allow for totalitarian regimes to form fast in these countries, setting up WWII. -
Stock Market Crash
In early 1920, Germany was struggling economically. They were experiencing insane inflation while still being expected to pay their reparations. France began to occupy the industrial Ruhr Valley, worsening their issues. However, the Dawes Plan reinspired the economy as Americans invested in them. However, the US stock market crash in 1929 caused the Great Depression, completely eviscerating all hope in the German economy. This allowed for Hitler to rise with his simple solutions. -
Hitler Crowned Chancellor
Germany was scrambling following the Great Depression, and Hitler offered the stability they craved. Hitler couldn't just take power, so he slowly convinced the other parties to give him more power until he legally became Chancellor in 1933. His power sprawled after this as he used the Enabling Act, an act which allowed the leader to do anything without intervention in times of crisis, to enact total control over the country. -
Hitler Moves Troops Into Rhineland
The Treaty of Versailles very directly outlined certain actions which Germany was not allowed to do; Hitler toed the line before as he grew the army to 550,000, while the Treaty dictated they must stay below 100,000, but the allies did nothing, which seemed to inspire him even further. So, in March of 1936, Hitler marched troops into the demilitarized zone of the Rhineland. Once again, the Allies did nothing, reinforcing Hitler's offense. -
Germany Invades Poland
Hitler promised 'lebensraum' for Germany, and he demonstrated this promise by marching into Poland in September of 1939. Hitler used blitzkrieg to force Poland into submission, and the country was split between Germany and the USSR by October. This invasion was the beginning of World War One as Hitler began to enforce his power throughout Europe. -
Fall of Paris
As the war began, Germany kept spreading his control throughout the continent. In May of 1940, he invaded the Netherlands, Belgium, and France, and was able to take control of them all within the month. Hitler had invaded the same way Germany had in WWI instead of advancing through the Maginot Line, making France unprepared for their attack. The rescue at Dunkirk saved 338,000 allied troops from certain death by German soldiers. -
Battle of Britian
Britain was the only holdout in Europe from fascist control. Germany launched an attack using their air force, and attempted to bomb Britain into submission. However, the British held out using radar and the Royal Air Force, resisting Hitler and forcing him to retreat. -
Pearl Harbor
Japan was a colonial streak and planned on claiming all of Southeast Asia for themselves, but the US, their core trading partner, cut off supplies and began shipping to China. Determined to claim more land, they launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor to beat off the USA for roughly 6 months, allowing them to claim almost all of Southeast Asia. Japanese dive bombers destroyed the base and killed more than 2000 Americans. The next day, the USA declared war on Japan and her allies. -
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway was a decisive turning point in the Pacific war. Japanese aircraft carriers attacked the US base on Midway, but American fleets were posed for battle, and reacted fast. US troops at sea continued to fight for the next two days, forcing the Japanese to retreat. This battle showed America's naval superiority and allowed them to gain the offense onto Japan's expansionism. -
Battle of Stalingrad
Stalingrad was a major industrial center in Russia which Hitler decided to attack in August of 1942. However, it was a monumental failure, and the Soviets were able to completely surround the German forces and make them surrender. This battle was the most important turning point for the allied powers as they dominated German forces, and showed that Hitler could not conquer the USSR. -
Allied Invasion of Italy
The Allies needed to break into Germany and her Allies empire, and they decided to do this through the weak underbelly of mainland Europe -- Italy. In 1943 the Allies invaded, and Italy quickly crumbled, just as they hoped. They arrested Mussolini and took him out of the government. However, Hitler did rescue him and placed him in control of Northern Italy. With the fall of Italy, the Allies suddenly had a leg up in the European conflict. -
D-Day
D-Day is one of the most well known battles in history. In June of 1944, Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy in German controlled France. Bad weather had delayed their advancements and their backup landed too far away, but they still managed to break through German defenses and wrestle France away from their occupation in three months. Through France's freedom, and Britain, America, and Russia's refusal to back down, Germany's inevitable loss was within reach. -
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was the last German offense before the end of the war. Desperate for a win, they charged directly into France through the Ardennes Forest, causing a bulge on the map. They were able to charge through, but Eisenhower quickly rushed reinforcements around the shoulders of the bulge. After days of fighting, the Germans were finally forced to surrender. This decisively ended German aggression and set the tide for an unconditional surrender. -
Battle of Okinawa
The island of Okinawa was the last island that stood between the Allies and mainland Japan. US soldiers invaded the island, and Japan fought back tenaciously. The Japanese armies had to begin resorting to Kamikaze attacks, but they were largely unsuccessful, and just caused Japan to lose more soldiers than their small army could afford. Eventually, America came out on top, and the ground was level for an invasion of the mainland. -
VE Day
Hitler committed suicide, the Battle of the Bulge was unsuccessful, and the Soviets were in Berlin. There was no hope for Germany left-- their potential for victory was dead. In early May of 1945, the German Commanders finally surrendered, and victory in Europe was finally declared. All around Europe, people celebrated, and all that was left of the Axis powers were the Japanese in Asia. -
VJ Day
While victory was won in Europe, the Pacific war was still waging. Truman, hyper aware that a full scale invasion of Japan would mean the loss of millions of soldiers, decided to instead drop an atomic bomb on the country. On August 6th, they dropped a bomb on Hiroshima. Then, after Japan still did not surrender, three days later they dropped a bomb on Nagasaki. Finally, Japan surrendered, and victory in Japan was declared.