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Japan's Invasion of China
Japanese invaded Manchuria and captured city of Mukden. Then Japanese invaded all of Manchuria and established Manchukuo. League of Nations asked Japan to leave but Japan just left the league. -
Germany invades Poland
Polish army defeated within weeks. Germans came from the north and south and encircled Warsaw. This invasion led to Britain and France declaring war on France. -
Battle of Britain
Successful defense of Great Britain against air raids by Germany after fall of France
From July to September in 1940 -
Tripartite Pact
Pact signed by Germany, Italy, and Japan that established the Axis Powers in Berlin. The pact called for assistance if any of the counties in the pact were to be attacked by some other country not in the war. -
Lend-lease act
The United States aided its allies with war materials, food, and other raw materials. Effort mostly for Great Britain. -
Bombing of Pearl Harbor
A surprise aerial attack on US naval base by Japanese. Japanese anticipated USA entrance in war. US naval power is devastated. USA declares war on Japan and Germany and Italy declare war on USA. -
German Blitzkrieg on Soviet Union
German forces invaded and it seemed successful at first. A second German attack led to Soviet counterattack and defeat of German army. Hitler underestimated Soviet industrial capacity. -
Germany takes Leningrad
Siege of Leningrad by German and Finnish forces that lasted 872 days. Germans approached from west and south and Finnish approached from north. -
Wannsee Conference
Meeting of Nazi officials to plan "final solution" for Jews -
Battle of Midway
Naval battle fought mostly with aircrafts. US destroyed Japan's first-line carrier strength and most of its best pilots. Battle ended the threat of Japanese invasion into the Pacific. -
D-Day
The Allied invasion of Western Europe by British, American, and Canadian forces on 5 beachheads in Normandy. Eventually led up to liberation of Northern France. -
Yalta Conference
Conference of 3 Allied leaders (Stalin, Churchill, Roosevelt) at Yalta to plan final defeat and occupation of Nazi Germany. -
Iwo Jima/Okinawa
Fierce battles between US and Japan for control over two islands. Japanese used kamikazes and had hard defense. Cost a lot of lives. -
Hitler's Suicide
Germany's surrender causes Hitler to commit suicide in his underground bunker. He consumes cyanide and shoots himself with a pistol. -
VE Day
Germany surrendered and ended the war in Europe. -
Potsdam Conference
Allied conference for WWII in suburb of Berlin. Chief participants: Truman, Churchill, and Stalin. The conference discussed procedures for peace in Europe but didn't make any treaties. -
Atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
American B-29 bomber dropped atomic bomb over Hiroshima. Three days later, American B-29 bomber dropped a-bomb over Nagasaki. After bombing, emperor announted surrender of Japan. -
VJ Day
Japanese surrendered and ended WWII. -
Formation of the U.N.
Established to maintain international peace and security. -
Truman Doctrine
Doctrine was pronounced by Harry Truman and declared immediate economic and military aid to Greece and Turkey because of communism and Soviet expansion. -
Marshall Plan
Ended in December 1951. US-sponsored program designed to rehabilitate the economies of 17 European countries in order to create stable conditions for democratic institutions. -
NATO
Military alliance established by North Atlantic Treaty to create a balance to Soviet armies after WWII. The original members were Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and the United States. -
Mao Zedong & People’s Republic of China
Chairman of People's Republic of China from 1949-1959. He founded the People's Republic of China. -
Korean War
Conflict between North (backed by Soviet Union) and South Korea (backed by Western powers). War ended in July 1953 and division of Korean peninsula -
Stalin's Death; Khrushchev
After Stalin dies, peaceful coexistence is somewhat improved between Soviet Union and USA. Khrushchev decreases censorship slightly and visited USA. -
Vietnam War
Communist North Vietnam against South Vietnam and United States. Also part of larger regional conflict. Lots of deaths. -
Warsaw Pact
Treaty establishing a mutual-defense organization between Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and the Soviet Union. -
Sputnik
10 satellites launched by the Soviet Union that initiated the space age. -
Bay of Pigs
Invasion of Cuba at the Bahía de Cochino by Cuban exiles against Fidel Castro. Invasion was directed by US government. -
Berlin Wall
Barrier that surrounded West Berlin and prevented East Berlin access to the West. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
Crisis that brought USA and Soviet Union close to war because of missile presence of Soviet Union in Cuba. -
Gorbachev
President of Soviet Union. Tried to democratize the political system and decentralize its economy. Led Sovet Union to break-up and downfall of communism. -
Soviet Union Falls
The Soviet Union breaks up into 15 separate countries
