-
Japan invades China
In July 1937, Japanese troops invaded China and took over Beijing and the capital Nanjing. For about a six week period, Japanese troops committed mass murder, rape, and looted the two cities. Over 200,000 Chinese civilians were murdered and violated by the Japanese soldiers. -
Germany invades Poland
Hitler told to the Poles to return the former German port of Danzing to Germany, but the Poles refuse because it was their only link to the sea. They then seek help from Britain and France, who tells the Soviet Union to help the Poles. The Soviet Union decides to sign a non-aggressive pact with Germany, and helps the Germans invade Poland on September 1, 1939. -
The Battle of Britain
In July 1940, an air battle between German and British air forces began over the United Kingdom. Basically the Germans targeted British military posts and air bases, but could not manage to defeat the British and invade via land. In the end, the Battle of Britain proved that air power is a very keen strategy that could possibly win a lot of battles in the future. -
Tripartite Pact
On September 27, 1940 the Tripartite Pact was signed by all of the Axis powers in Berlin, Germany. The Axis powers consisted of Germany, Italy, and Japan, at the time, and the pact stated that if any of the Axis countries were attacked by another country then the other Axis countries would fight with/for them. The pact was also a strategy on the side of the Axis powers to try and convince neutral-America to join their side. -
Lend-Lease Act
The Lend-Lease Act was passed in March 1941. The bill stated that the United States could provide military assistance to other nations and provide them with proper supplies/weapons without actually being involved in the war itself. -
German Blitzkrieg on Soviet Union
Blitzkrieg is the German word for "lightning war." It is also a military tactic used by the Germans to create disorder among enemy forces. In June 1941, the Germans used "lightning war" on the Soviet Union. This resulted in the Soviet Union joining the Allied powers and ultimately defeating Germany and the Axis powers in the war. -
Leningrad Blockade
German soldiers began taking over Leningrad, the USSR’s second largest city, on September 8, 1941. The siege of Leningrad is also known as the 900-Day Siege, and resulted in over one million deaths of civilians and troops. -
The Bombing of Pearl Harbor
December 7, 1941, Japanese fighter planes attacked the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The attack lasted about two hours, but an immense amount of damage was done. Over 2,000 American soldiers were killed and over 1,000 were wounded. The next day President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Congress declared war on Japan, and the United States officially entered World War II. -
Wannsee Conference begins
The Wannsee Conference was held for Nazi officials, including Hitler, to discuss the “solution” to the “Jewish question.” Oddly enough there were many gruesome suggestions, but the word ‘exterminate’ was not used a single time. The SS general, Reinhard Heydrich, proposed the idea of concentration camps and that idea obviously caught on quickly. -
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway took place six months after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Due to advanced code breaking, the United States was able to figure out Japan’s plan and counter attack. This battle was one of the most decisive naval battles of World War II. -
D-Day
On June 6, 1944 the Battle of Normandy began, and over 150,000 American, British, and Canadian troops arrived on the coast of Normandy, France. This battle lasted about a month and is considered the beginning of the end of the Second World War. -
The Yalta Conference
The Yalta Conference was the second meeting of the “Big Three,” also known as President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Joseph Stalin, and Winston Churchill. During this meeting the three leaders decided to demand Germany’s surrender and began making plans for when the war ended. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
In February 1945, three U.S. marine divisions invaded Iwo Jima wiping out 23,000 Japanese troops. The battle lasted roughly a month and the Americans came out victorious. The battle is now highly recognized due to the iconic photograph of U.S. soldiers raising the American flag in victory. -
Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa was the last and biggest Pacific island battle. It lasted 82 days, and over 90,000 Japanese and Allied soldiers were killed. The battle was won by the Americans, and unfortunately thousands of Japanese civilians died. -
Hitler’s suicide
On April 30, 1945, Adolf Hitler, and his new wife Eva, commit suicide in his air-raid shelter beneath Berlin. -
V-E Day
“V-E Day” or “Victory in Europe Day” is the day that Great Britain and the United States celebrate their victories over the Nazis. May 8th signifies the day that German troops laid down their weapons in defeat. -
The Potsdam Conference
The Potsdam Conference was the last World War II meetings between the “Big Three” leaders, it was held near Berlin on July 17, 1945. The leaders present were President Harry Truman, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin. In this meeting the three leaders discussed the punishments for the Axis powers, mainly Germany and Japan. -
The Bombing of Hiroshima
On August 6, 1945, an American B-29 bomber dropped the first atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The explosion extinguished 90 percent of the city and killed 80,000 people instantly. Thousands more people died later due to the radiation exposure as well. -
The Bombing of Nagasaki
On August 9, 1945, a second B-29 bomber dropped the second atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Nagasaki. This explosion killed 40,000 people instantly. This bombing pushed the Japanese emperor to finally surrender on August 15, 1945. -
V-J Day
“V-J Day” or “Victory over Japan Day” was the day that Japan finally surrendered, marking the end of the Second World War. The date was August 14, 1945 and it was a worldwide celebratory day for all the soldiers who fought in the war and the worried families at home. -
Formation of the United Nations
The United Nations was formed on October 24, 1945, and was established to solve international problems and to preserve world peace. -
The Truman Doctrine
President Harry Truman spoke to Congress about intervening in democratic countries that are being taken over by communists. It was later referred to as the Truman Doctrine. In 1947, the United States sent large amounts of money to Greece and Turkey to fight communism and provide military/economic aid. -
Marshall Plan signed
The Marshall Plan gave billions of dollars to Europe between 1948 and 1951 to finance their economic recovery. The plan is named after Secretary of State George C. Marshall, who originally announced the plan. -
Formation of NATO
NATO was formed by the United States and eleven other Western nations as a rival to the Warsaw Pact. It was to prevent the expansion of communism throughout Europe and other parts of the world. NATO stands for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. -
Mao Zedong proclaims People's Republic of China
Mao Zedong made himself head of state and proclaimed the existence of the People’s Republic of China in October 1949. His rise to power came after years of battle between his communist forces and Chiang Kai-Shek’s nationalist party. Mao Zedong came out victorious and the nationalists fled to Taiwan. -
Korean War
The Korean War was fought between North Korea and South Korea and lasted roughly three years. In 1950, the North Korean People’s Army crossed the 38th parallel and invaded South Korea without warning. By the end of the war 5 million soldiers and civilians had lost their lives, and the Korean peninsula is still divided today. -
Stalin's Death
On March 5, 1953, Joseph Stalin, leader of the Soviet Union since 1924, dies in Moscow. -
Warsaw Pact established
The Warsaw Pact was a treaty signed by the Soviet Union, Albania, Poland, Romania, Hungary, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, and Bulgaria, which stated that the Soviet Union had control of the armed forces of each country that signed. The treaty is called the Warsaw pact because it was signed in Warsaw. -
Vietnam War begins
The Vietnam War started on November 1, 1955. It was a conflict between communist North Vietnam, and South Vietnam, ally to the United States. More than 3 million soldiers and civilians died, including 58,000 Americans. The war was very unsuccessful for the United States because Vietnam still became a communist state. -
The Launch of Sputnik
On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched "Sputnik," the first ever artificial satellite. The word “sputnik” means satellite in Russian. The launch of this spacecraft was during a time period known as the “space race” between the United States and the Soviet Union. -
Khrushchev becomes leader of USSR
On March 27, 1958, Nikita Khrushchev becomes Soviet premier. He was first secretary to Joseph Stalin, and is the second leader to hold the USSR’s two top positions. -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
Bay of Pigs was an attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro, a Cuban nationalist who forced himself into power in Cuba. In April 1961, the U.S. CIA invaded Cuba in order to push Castro out of power. Unfortunately, the Americans were highly outnumbered by Cuban troops and surrendered after only a few hours. -
Berlin Wall is built
On August 13, 1961, East Germany began building the Berlin Wall. The purpose of the wall was to keep Western “fascists” from corrupting the socialist state. Finally, in 1989 the head of the East German Communist Party announced that citizens could cross the wall whenever they pleased. The Berlin Wall remains an iconic symbol of the Cold War to this day. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a tense standoff between the United States and the Soviet Union over the installation of Soviet missiles on Cuba. The crisis ended shortly after with an agreement between the United States President John F. Kennedy and Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, which stated that the U.S. could not invade Cuba if the Soviets removed their missiles. -
Gorbachev Elected President of Soviet Union
Gorbachev was elected president just one year before the fall of the Soviet Union. He was not particularly a strong leader, and he was criticized by both reformers and communists. He was overthrown in December 1991 and that was also the official fall of the Soviet Union. -
Soviet Union falls
On December 25, 1991, representatives from eleven Soviet republics announced they would no longer be part of the Soviet Union. Due to this announcement, Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev resigned on Christmas Day 1991.
