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Gorbachev
He was the eighth and last leader of the Soviet Union, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. -
Japan’s invasion of China
The Japanese launched a full-scale invasion of China using the conquered Manchuria as a launching base for their troops -
Germany invades Poland
1.5 million German troops invade Poland all along its 1,750-mile border with German-controlled territory -
Battle of Britain
The German Luftwaffe's attempt to gain superiority over the RAF was called the Battle of Britain -
Tripartite pact
It was a defensive military alliance that was signed by Germany, Italy and Japan. -
Lend-Lease Act
Lend-Lease Act was the main way for providing U.S. military aid to foreign nations during World War II -
Leningrad Blockade
The Leningrad Blockade was a prolonged military operation undertaken by the German Army Group North against Saint Petersburg in the Eastern Front of World War II -
Bombing of Pearl Harbor
Hundreds of Japanese fighter planes attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor near Honolulu, Hawaii in order to pull the U.s into WWII. -
Wannsee Conference
On this day, Nazi officials meet to discuss the details of the “Final Solution” of the “Jewish question.” -
Battle of Midway
United States Military was able to decode a Japanese message and counter attack Japan's naval fleet. -
German Blitzkrieg on Soviet Union
Considered by historians as a decisive turning point of World War II, German forces were defeated after five months of combat in the Soviet Union. -
D-Day
The beginning of the Battle of Normandy in which some 156,000 troops landed on French beaches in order to defeat the Germans. -
Yalta Conference
The second wartime meeting between Churchill, Stalin, and Roosevelt to discuss the demand of Germany's unconditional surrender. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
Major battle in which the United States captured a major island that previously belonged to the Japanse Imperial Army. -
Hitler's Suicide
Adolf Hitler burrowed away in a refurbished air-raid shelter, consumes a cyanide capsule, then shot himself with a pistol. -
VE Day
Known as Victory in Europe day, the Allies celebrate the defeat of the Nazi war machine. -
Potsdam Conference
The Potsdam Conference was a meeting between the big three to discuss terms for the end of WWII. -
Atomic bombing of Hiroshima & Nagasaki
2 massive atomic bombs were dropped onto Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan in order to confirm an unconditional surrender from Japan. -
Formation of U.N.
The Senate approved the UN Charter on July 28, 1945, by a vote of 89 to 2. -
Truman Doctrine
President Truman's decision to provide major assitance to all democratic countries that are under authoritarian attack. -
Marshall Plan
Marshall Plan was an American plan to aid Europe, in which the United States gave $17 billion to help rebuild European economies after the end of World War II. -
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an intergovernmental military alliance based on the North Atlantic Treaty -
Mao Zedong & People’s Republic of China
Naming himself head of state, communist revolutionary Mao Zedong officially proclaims the existence of the People’s Republic of China -
Korean War
The Korean War began when some 75,000 soldiers from the North Korean People’s Army poured across the 38th parallel. -
Stalin’s death; Khrushchev
The Soviet government announces that Nikita Khrushchev has been selected as one of five men named to the new office of Secretariat of the Communist Party. -
Warsaw Pact
Mutual defense organization that put the Soviets in command of the armed forces of any member states -
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a conflict between the communist regime of North Vietnam against South Vietnam. -
Sputnik
The first man-made object to be launched into space was called Sputnik, and it was made by the Soviets. -
Bay of Pigs
The Bay of Pigs invasion begins when a trained group of Cuban refugees lands in Cuba and attempts to topple the communist government. The attack was an utter failure. -
Berlin Wall
The Communist government of the German Democratic Republic began to build a barbed wire and concrete wall between East and West Berlin. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
Leaders of the U.S. and the Soviet Union engaged in a tense, 13-day political and military standoff over the installation of nuclear-armed Soviet missiles on Cuba -
Soviet Union Falls
Representatives from 11 Soviet republics met in the Kazakh city of Alma-Ata and announced that they would no longer be part of the Soviet Union.
