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Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was the document that declared peace at the end of World War I by the Allied powers and Germany in the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles on June 28, 1919. It took force on January 10, 1920; however, it left Europe with some undissolved tensions still. -
The Great Depression
The Great Depression (1929-39) caused worldwide economic downturn after the stock market collapsed in the United States. It was the most severe depression the industrialized Western world had experienced, causing large changes in economic institutions and theories. It started in the United States, but it caused massive declines in output, severe unemployment, and acute deflation globally. This created economic instability leading up to WWII. -
The Holocaust
The Holocaust was the systematic killing of millions of Jews and other targeted groups by the Nazi Regime before and during World War II. The Holocaust helped Nazi Germany to approach the war and enable similar aggressive conquests. -
The Nazi Party Takes Control of Germany
The Nazi party began to rise in power in the 1930s, using severe economic harship and crises to rapidly spread propaganda and gain electoral succes. This leverage over the harships of Germany led to Hitler officially being appointed as Chancellor on January, 30, 1933. -
Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy form the Rome-Berlin Axis treaty.
Italy's Galeazzo Ciano and Germany's Joachim von Ribbentrop formulated the agreement of the Rome-Berlin Axis treaty. It was formalized by Hitler and Mussolini in the Pact of Steel on May 22, 1939. This was the beginning of the formation of the Axis powers that would participate in World War II. -
Rape of Nanking
The Nanjing Massacre was a mass killing of Chinese citizens and soldiers by the Japanese Imperial Army during the Sino-Japanese war after the Japanese took hold of Nanjing, China. An estimated 100,000 to more than 300,000 Chinese people were killed in the massacre. Japanese aggression in Asia contributed to the growing global conflicts. -
Anschluss (Hitler annexes Austria into Germany)
Anschluss was the political union of Austria with Germany when Hitler annexed Austria in 1938. Austrian Social Democrats actually liked this idea (1919–33); however, Hitler’s rise to power made it much less appealing. This success set Germany up to continue futher annexations and it softened Europe to the idea of Germany starting to gain more power again after the restrictions of the Treaty of Versailles on Germany. -
Germany's Invasion of Poland
Germany's invasion of Poland from September 1 to October 5, 1939 marked the start of World War II. Germany used a strategy called blitzkrieg—which was a strategy that invovled quick, overwhelming force. Out of the initial 1.25 million German troops and 800 thousand Polish troops, Germany would be left with 14 thousand dead or missing and 30 thousand wounded, and Poland would be left with 66 thousand dead, 130 thousand wounded, and 400 thousand captured. -
The Fall of Paris (Battle of France)
The Battle of France was the German invasion of France. In a mere six weeks, German forces overpowered Belgium and the Netherlands, drove the British out of the continent, captured Paris, and forced the French Government to surrender. This was significant because it allowed Germany strategic advantage, leverage over French resources, and helped to spread German propaganda and demoralize the Allies. -
Dunkirk Evacuation
The Dunkirk evacuation was the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force and other Allied troops from the French seaport of Dunkirk to England. About 198,000 British and 140,000 French and Belgian troops had been saved by the time the evacuation ended on June 4. The Dunkirk evacuation saved many Allied troops for future operations and pushed back against German propaganda. -
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain was the successful defense of Great Britain against air raids conducted by the Luftwaffe. The Royal Air Force Fighter Command won the battle, blocking the possibility of invasion by Germany and creating conditions for the eventual defeat of Nazi Germany. -
Operation Barbarossa
"Operation Barbarossa" was the code name for the German invasion of the Soviet Union. German troops failed to defeat Soviet forces, which signaled a turning point in the war. -
Battle of Moscow
The Battle of Moscow fought between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. It was the peak of Germany’s Operation Barbarossa, and it ended didn't allow Germany to capture Moscow—which ultimately led to the doom of the Third Reich. -
Pearl Harbor
The attack on Peal Harbor was a surprise attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii by the Japanese. The strike worsened a decade of bad relations between the United States and Japan, eventually leading to the United States joining the war. -
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway was a naval battle—fought almost entirely with aircraft—in which the United States destroyed some of Japan’s best naval air forces. The Battle of Midway ended the threat of further invasion in the Pacific by the Japanese. -
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was successfully defended Stalingrad in the Soviet Union from Germany advances. This was one of the greatest battles in World War II, stopping the German invasion into the Soviet Union and marking marking a turn in the war in favour of the Allies. -
D-Day (Normandy Invasion)
The Normandy Invasion was the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France. Allied forces simultaneously landed on five separate beachheads in Normandy, France. By the end of August 1944, northern France was liberated and the the Allies reorganized for the drive into Germany. The Allies planned to meet with Soviet forces from the east to bring an end to the Nazi Reich. -
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was the last major German offensive on the West during World War II, They unsuccessfully attempted to push the Allies back from German territory. The “bulge” refers to the shape that Germans drove into Allied lines. This last effort from Germany depleted its remaning resources, reassuring a victory for the Allies in Europe. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima was aconflict between the United States and Japan. The amphibious invasion of Iwo Jima was part of the United States' Pacific campaign against Japan. The battle was one of the bloodiest and was proof of the Japanese military’s willingness to never surrender. -
Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa was fought between U.S. and Japanese forces. The capture was vital to invading Japan. The battle claimed the lives of over 12,000 Americans and 100,000 Japanese. At least 100,000 civilians were killed in combat or commited suicide by order of the Japanese military. -
V-E Day
Victory in Europe Day (May 8, 1945), or V-E Day, marked the formal end of the conflict of World War II in Europe. This also signified the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany. -
Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
In August of 1945, the United States dropped atomic bombs over the Japanese Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This was devastating to Japan, leading to their unconditional surrender and the end of World War II. -
V-J Day
Victory over Japan Day (August 15, 1945), or V-J Day, marked the formal end of the conflict of World War II in Asia. Overwhelming military pressure led to the unconditional surrender of Japan and ended imperial ambitions of Japan in Asia. -
Official Surrender of Japan
Japan officially surrendered on September 2, 1945, marking the end of World War II, and starting the long process of reform globally.