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Treaty of Versailles
At the end of WWI Germany was forced to sign this treaty of which severely hurt their pride and economy. Some of the biggest blows was the 33 million dollars Germany had to pay as reprimand, the second would be the land loss, which turned into disputed territories, and finally they were no longer able to have a military. -
Mussolini assumes power in Italy
Mussolini allied Italy with Germany and Japan and entered them into WWII. He established a totalitarian dictatorship in Italy. His reign lasted until he was ousted in 1945. -
Stalin assumes power in the Soviet Union
Came into power after Lenin died. He lead the USSR during WWII. Killed many Russians during his reign. -
Hitler assumes power in Germany
Hitler becomes chancellor of Germany. He established a totalitarian government. He lead Germany during WWII. -
Nuremberg Laws
Racial laws against Jewish people in Germany. Imposed restrictions on their daily lives. Also forced them to wear an identifying mark. -
Rape of Nanking
Japan invaded a small town in China. Because the Japanese viewed the Chinese as inferior, they committed many atrocities when they invaded. These atrocities included immoral acts such as rape and mass killings. -
Munich Conference (Appeasement)
Leaders of the League of Nations met to decide what to do with Germany. They decided to give in to Hitler's demands to prevent a war. This ended up leading to WWII. -
Kristallnacht
Means "Night of Broken Glass" in German. It was a night of controlled violence against Jews in Germany. This violence included physical assault and destruction of property and businesses. -
Hitler and Stalin sign a non-aggressive pact.
Hitler and Stalin agreed to not attack one another. This agreement was made in secret. The final provision of the agreement was that the two leaders would divide Poland between the two. -
WWII begins with the invasion of Poland
Hitler decides to invade Poland. He is quickly joined by Italy, with support from Japan. He is reassured by the non-aggression pact, and Stalin joined the invasion soon after. -
France surrenders to Germany
France is invaded by Germany. Hitler uses the tactic of Blitzkrieg, or "Lightning War". France surrenders in roughly one month. -
Tripartite Pact / Berlin pact
Germany, Japan and Italy sign a pact. The pact includes mutual protection and furthering of ideals. The countries shared their goal of world domination. -
Battle of Britian
Germany attacks Britain by air. Hitler attempts to gain air superiority over Britain before invading. The Battle lasts roughly one year before Hitler abandoned the attack. -
Lend Lease act
FDR allows Allied countries in Europe to lease military equipment. This begins to bring America out of the Great Depression. America gave equipment to Allied countries on loans for future payment. -
Attack on Pearl Harbor
Japan attacks a naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Japan attacked with both sea and air attacks. This prompted America to enter WWII. -
Bataan Death March
American forces surrendered to the Japanese at Bataan. 75,000 allied soldiers were then forced to march approximately 65 miles. Their destination was prison camps, and many died along the march. -
Battle of Midway
Naval battle in the Pacific between mostly America and Japan. Japanese and American naval forces clashed roughly six months after the attack on Pearl Harbor. This battle crippled the Japanese fleet later in the war. -
Battle of Stalingrad
Long battle in Russia between Germany and Russia. One of the last battles in the German invasion of Russia, in which the invasion stalled at Stalingrad. This battle was the first major battle lost by the Germans. -
D-Day
Allied forces invade Normandy, France. The attack was very costly for the Allies, and countless lives were lost in an all-out attack on the beach. The success of the invasion allowed the Allies to begin to liberate France. -
Battle of Leyte Gulf
Largest naval battle in WWII. Allied forces began to invade the Philippines. They were met with strong resistance from the Japanese. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
US Marine Corps landed at the island of Iwo Jima. They were able to successfully take the island from the Japanese. The island became a crucial holding for the remainder of the war. -
V-E Day
Victory in Europe day. The day when Germany and Italy surrendered. Signified an end to the war in Europe and a shift in focus to the Pacific Theatre. -
Battle of Okinawa
Invasion of islands in Japan codenamed Operation Iceberg. American forces invaded islands in Japan that centered around the island of Okinawa. One of the largest amphibious invasions in history. -
Bombing of Hiroshima
First atomic bomb dropped. The bomb missed its target by 800 feet and was incredibly inefficient by nuclear bomb standards. Despite this, it still killed between 70,000 and 80,000. -
Bombing of Nagasaki
Second and last use of a nuclear weapon in the history of the world. The bomb killed between 30,000 and 45,000. Lead to Japanese surrender. -
V-J Day
Victory over Japan Day. Marks the day when Japan surrendered. Also marks the end of WWII. -
Manhattan Project
Secret research project started by FDR to develop an atomic bomb. First tested at Los Alamos, NM. Lead to the bombs used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. -
Japan Internment Camps
Executive Order by FDR required Japanese Americans to be moved form their homes. It placed them in camps in the interior of the US. Relocated between 110,000 and 120,000 US citizens. -
Numberg Trials
Trials that took place after WWII. These trials were concerning war crimes committed by the Nazis during the war. Resulted in the execution of 24 Nazi officials and incarceration for many others.
