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Japan Joins the Axis
the Anti-Comintern Pact was a pact between Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan, negotiated by Japanese ambassador to Germany, Viscount Kintomo Mushakoji and Foreign Minister of Germany, Joachim von Ribbentrop. It showed opposition to the Communist International, or Comintern, a communist organization of the Soviet Union. On 6 November 1937, Italy joined the pact, forming what we know as the Axis Powers -
Battle for Britain
10 Jul 1940-31 October 1940
A air campaign by Germany against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940, in order to gain superiority over the Royal Air Force. The name is taken from a speech by Prime Minister Winston Churchill that went “The Battle of France is over. I expect the Battle of Britain is about to begin…” The Battle was the first major campaign to be fought entirely by air forces. -
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Vichy France
Vichy France describes the government in France that allied with the Axis Powers for industrial purposes. -
Hitler breaks Non-Aggression agreement and invades the Soviet Union
Code named Operation Barbrossa, over 4.5 million Axis troops invaded the USSR. -
Shoot on Sight
FDR approved "Shoot on Sight" in response to German U-Boats attacking the U.S.S. Greer. -
Pearl Harbor Attack
“A Date Which Will Live In Infamy”, the day Pearl Harbor, a U.S. Naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, was attacked by the Imperial Japanese Navy. The Japanese’s plan was to stop the U.S. Pacific Fleet from interfering with Japanese military actions. The next day, FDR called a joint session of Congress and gave an address which would become famous: the Infamy Speech, where FDR explained the situation to Congress and asked for a declaration of war against Japan, which was passed within an hour of t -
Germany and Italy Declare War on USA
Germany and Italy declared war on U.S., days after the U.S. declared war on Japan for the Attack on Pearl Harbor. -
U.S. Forced to Leave the Philippines
Considered to be the most intense phase of Imperial Japan’s invasion of the Philippines in WWII, a move that was very important to Japanese strategies, especially in defending it’s Southeast Asian flank. The surrender was the largest in American History since the American Revolution. -
Bataan Death March
A forced transfer of 75000 American and Filipino POWs, that was characterized by murder and abuse of civilians and military types alike. -
Battle of the Coral Sea
4-8 May 1942
A naval battle in te Pacific Theater between Imperial Japan and the Allied Naval forces from the U.S. and Australia. It was an attempt by Japan to strengthen their imperial control of the area. Though Japan technically won, it is considered a strategic victory for the Allies. -
General Eisenhower land in North Africa
Allied war efforts were dominated by the British Commonwealth and exiles from German occupied Europe, and, after America joined the war, American efforts in North Africa began on 11 May 1942. Axis powers in the North Arican Campaign were ruled mostly by Italian forces and Italian controlled forces. -
Battle of Midway
4-7 Jun 1942
Considered to be the most important battle in the Pacific Campaign, it was fought in June of 1942 between the U.S. Navy and the Imperial Japanese Navy, with the U.S. Navy successfully defeating a Japanese attack against Midway Atoll, and largely damaging their fleet. -
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Battle of Stalingrad
A seige by Nazi Germany on the Soviet capitol Stalingrad, modern day Valgograd. It ended with the Red Army launching Operation Uranus, a two pronged attack on the Italian and Romanian forces that were defending German flanks. -
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Guadalcanal Campaign
Code named Operation Watchtower, it was a major offensive attack made by the Allied forces against the Empire of Japan. It marked a turn from defensive to strategic offencive in dealing with Japan by the Allies. -
Rome Falls
Rome falls to the Allies, the first Axis capitol to fall. -
D-Day
The landing operation of the Normandy invasion, known as Operation Overlord and Operation Neptune, happened today. They started at 0630 and it’s usually called D-Day. The attack happened in two phases, an airborne assault of twenty four thousand Allied airborne troops followed by an amphibious landing of infantry and armored divisions. They also used a diversion tactic by having decoy operations happen at the same time to outwit the German forces from the real areas of attack. -
MacArthur Returns to the Philippines
After failure of the Battle of Bataan, MacArthur promised to return to the Philippines, which he did and accepted Japan’s surrender on 2 September 1945 and oversaw the occupation of Japan from 1945 to 1951. -
Battle of the Bulge
16 Dec '44-25 Jan '45
A major offensive German attack towards the end of WWII through the Ardennes Moutains region of Wallonia, Belgium and France and Luxembourg on the Western Front. The German goal was to split the British and American Allied line in half, capturing Antwerp, Belgium and encircle and destroy the four Allied armies. Allied reinforcement, including George Patton’s Third Army, and improving weather conditions that allowed for aerial attacks, ensured the failure of Germans’ attack. -
U.S. flag raised on Mt. Suribachi
19 February 1945-26 March 1945
A battle were the U.S. Fought for and captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Empire of Japan.The Japanese defeat was assured from the start, as the Americans had an overwhelming superiority in arms and numbers and the Japanese had no way to regroup or retreat. The unforgettable image of five Marines and one Navy corpsman raising the U.S. Flag atop Mount Suribachi was taken by Joe Rosenthal during the Battle. -
Truman becomes president
A mere three months after FDR started his legendary fourth term as president, he died from complications to his polio, leaving Vice-President Truman to become president. -
Hitler Commits Suicide
Hitler commited suicide by gunshot in the head, along with his wife, who took poison. -
V-E Day
Victory in Europe Day, the day the Allies accepted the Unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany. -
Hiroshima
The first Japanese city the U.S. bombed after Truman issued the ultimatum. The nuclear bomb "Little Boy" was dropped on them, it killed 90,000–166,00 in the first four months, about half of hem the first day. -
Nagasaki
The second Japanese city the U.S. bombed after Truman issued the ultimatum. The nuclear bomb "Fat Man" was dropped on them, it killed 60,000–80,000 in the first four months, about half of hem the first day. -
V-J Day
Victory in Japan (sometimes, the Pacific) Day. The day of the surrender of Japan to the Allied nations. -
Formal surrender of Japan
The Japanese Instrument of Surrender is agreeed upon, enabling the Surrender of Japan at the end of WWII. The agreement was signed on the USS Missouri. -
Japanese Ambassadors Arrive in D.C.
The ambassadors arrive to discuss the violations in the Pacific during the War, and how to deal with them.
