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Invasion of Manchuria
The invasion of Manchuria was the result of Japanese aggression and their desire for more natural resources. The invasion of Manchuria lasted until February 27, 1932, when Japan successfully claimed Manchuria as part of their empire. -
Hitler Becomes Chancellor of Germany
Hitler began to really gain power after he wrote his book Mein Kampf, which was an anti-Semitic piece of literature. He grew the Nazi Party and eliminated all opposition in his way. -
Invasion of Ethiopia
Benito Mussolini invaded Ethiopia to "restore the previous glory of Rome." He also wanted to gain land in Africa, just as many other European countries had done. -
Munich Conference
The Munich Conference was between France, Britain, Italy, and Germany. The Sudetenland was annexed from Czechoslovakia and given to Germany due to the willingness for appeasement. -
Kristallnacht
After the death of a German high official was blamed on a Jew, anti-Semitism reached the boiling point. During the night of November 9, 1938, Jewish synagogues, shops, and homes were raided and destroyed. -
German/Soviet Non-Aggression Pact
The German/Soviet Non-Aggression Pact was created for a specific reason other than simple non-aggression. Both countries would invade Poland and agree to split half of it, although this later changed when Germany invaded the Soviet Union. -
Invasion of Poland
The German invasion of Poland began WWII. The Germans used a strategy known as blitzkrieg, which involved heavy aerial and land bombardment to quickly take over Poland. -
Invasion of France
The Fench believed that Germany would not attack the dense Ardennes Forest: the only place that was not fortified. However, German tanks plowed through the forest and they swarmed in from the unfortified area. -
Battle of Britain
After the fall of France, Britain was the only Ally left. Germany began aerial raids of London. The constant bombardment lasted almost three and a half months, however, the British air force destroyed many German planes: enough to make them cancel plans to invade Britain. -
Pearl Harbor
The Japanese attack of Pearl Harbor greatly damaged the American naval fleet, although their fleet replenished quickly. This is also what brought the US into the war. -
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was the largest and deadliest battle of WWII. It halted the German invasion of the Soviet Union and was the turning point on the eastern front. -
Allied Invasion of Normandy
The invasion of Normandy began with D-Day, which was the storming of the beach of Normandy from the English Channel. This was the beginning of the turning point on the western front. -
V.E. Day
V.E. Day marked the end of the war in Europe. After the invasion of Berlin and the death of Hitler, Germany officially surrendered to the Allies. -
Bombing of Hiroshima
The bombing of Hiroshima was the first use of an atomic bomb and killed tens of thousands of people. Japan did not surrender after this attack due to their stubbornness. -
Bombing of Nagasaki
When Japan did not surrender after the first atomic bomb was dropped, another one was dropped in Nagasaki three days later. This once again killed a very large amount of people, and Japan finally surrendered. -
V.J. Day
The Japanese officially announced their unconditional surrender on August 14, 1945. This marked the end of WWII in its entirety, as the last Axis Power had surrendered.
