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Japan's invasion of China
Japan's invasion of China was the beginning of WWII as a worldwide conflict. Japan did this in order to obtain natural resources such as oil and iron ore as well as land control. -
Germany's Invasion of Poland
In 1939, germany invaded Poland in order to bring into theever-growing German empire. This violate th agreement Germany made with Britain and France at the Munich Conference. -
Blitzkrieg
Blitzkrieg was a German war tactic used during Germany's occupation of other countries. The term means "lighting war" and it is called this because their victory was almost instantaneous. It was first used on Poland in1939,and lateron other countries suchas Yugoslavia and Greece. -
Battle of Britain
During the Battle of Britain, the German airforce, Luftwaffe, attempted to defeat Britain through a series on air strikes alone. -
Tripartite pact
It was a pact between Germany, Italy, and Japan that later resulted in the formation of (?) the Axis Powers. -
Siege of Leningrad begins
At the beginnings of the Second Red Scare ( McCarthyism) the Axis Powers decided to lay seige on Russia which was Communist, but nonetheless part of the Allied nations. It was one of the longest and most destructive (in terms of civilian casualites) seiges in history. -
Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor
About halfway through the war,Japan decided to the weaken U.S. and create a Japanese defense perimeter in the Pacific by attacking Pearl Harbor, This event caused the use to enter the war. -
Lend-Lease Act
This was a deal between the U.S, and Great Britain that the U.S. would supply materials and troops to Britain in exchange for naval bases. -
UN creation
The term "United Nations" was first used by Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1942 when the defeat of the Axis Powers became apparent. At this time, the 26 Allied nations pledged their governments to the cause of continuing to fight the Axis powers and created the League of Nations. The League of Nations was the forerunner to the United Nations whose ultimate goal is similar to that of the League of Nations whose goal was to promote international cooperation and achieve peace and security. -
Wansee Conference
A conference in which Hitler and his Nazi Party proposed the Final Solution, a planned massacre of the entire European Jewish population. -
Battle of Midway
One of the most important naval battles in the WWII between US and Japan.It was first naval defeat for Japan since 1893. -
D-Day
The invasion of Nazi occupied France by first entirely airborne forces and then amphibious forces by the Allied forces under the dierction of General Dwight D. Eisenhower. -
Yalta Conference
By the end of the WWII Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin, heads of UK, US and USSR met to discuss future of Europe. -
Iwo Jima battle
19 Feb - 26 March 1945 - major battle for teh island in Pacific where US forces fought Japanese army and defeated it. -
Battle of Okinawa
1 April - June 22 1945. The island was important as a future air base for the United States. -
Hitler's suicide
Adolf Hitler comitted suicide by the end of the WWII along with his wife Eva Braun in the bunnker they lived in during the war. His remains were afterwards burned according to his instructions. -
VE Day
A public holiday celebrated on May 8, 1945 to mark the end of World Wat II and Germany's surrender. -
Potsdam Conference
It was held by Stalin, Curchhill, and Truman in July of 1945 to punish Germany for its actions during WWII, to draw up plans for post-war order, and counter the effects of the war, -
Period: to
Potsdam Conference
A confernce held by Stalin, Churchill, and Truman (leaders of Allied Nations that won WWII) to punish Germany for its actions during the war and to draw up plans for post-war reformations. -
Atomic bombing of Hiroshima
At the end of the WWII Unitesd States used nuclear weapons and bombed Japanes city of Hiroshima.This, and bombing of Nagasaki led Japan to surrender on September 2nd 1945. -
Atomic bombing of Nagasaki
At the end of the WWII Unitesd States used nuclear weapons and bombed Japanes city of Nagasaki.This, and bombing of Hiroshima led Japan to surrender on September 2nd 1945. -
VJ-Day
Stands for Victory over Japan day. Japan announced its surrender on August 14th (US time) and has signed the documents on September 2nd aboard the battleship USS Missouri. -
Truman Doctrine
US international policy to support Greece and Turkey economically and militarily to not to fall under Soviet influence. Considered as a beginning of the cold war. -
Marshall Plan
The rebuilding of Germany after WWII intiated by U.S. Secratary of State George Marshall. The idea was to rebuild western Euope (particulary western Germany) and in so doing to prevent the spread of Communism. -
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was formed by capitalist Western countries because of a fear of the spread of Communism. It is a military and political organization orginally consisting of 12 original allied countries. -
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong becomes Chairman of China in 1949. He was in power until his death in 1976. In October of 1949, Mao proclaimed the formation of the People's Republic of China.He performed Land Reforms in China and unched a widespread campaign against counter-revolutionaries. -
Korean war
The Korean war broke out after the US. and Soviet Union split up Korea along the 38th parallel. The division created a communist North Korea and capitalist South Korea, which increased tensions and a later led to armed combat. -
Stalin's Death
Preceding Stalin's death,Nikita Khrushchev came to power and eased ristrictions Stalin had place on art, lterature,media and other aspects of communist life. However, Khrushchev's regime remain firmly communist and depised the western capitalist countries.
On another note, stalin acquired room temperature floowing his death:D -
Warsaw Pact
It was formed as Russia's reponse two weeks after Western Germany joined NATO. -
Khruschchev comes to power
Khrushchev was the leader in the Soviet Union from 1958 - 1964 during most of the cold war period. He has started the process of de-Stalinization and supported the Soviet space program. -
Vietnam War
It started as a civil war in Vietnam between the Communist-oriented North Vietnam and Capitalist-oriented South Vietnam. The U.S. came to back the South Vietnamese and the Russia came to back the North Vietnamese. Saigon was captured by the North in 1975 and America disengaged from the war in 1973. -
Sputnik
First artificial Earth satelite launched by Russians. It triggered the space race between USSR and US. -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
Failed attempt by Cuban exiles to invade Cuba. -
Cuban Missile Crisis begins
13- day crisis when world came close to a nuclear conflict. After US tried to invade Cuba and to remove Castro's regime, Soviet leader Nikita Khruschev helped Cubans install nuclear missiles in Cuba . The Crisis ended by US removing its missiles from Turkey and USSR removing them from Cuba. -
Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Gorbachev becomes president of the USSR. -
Berlin Wall fall
Berlin wall construction started in 1961 and divided the German capital, Berlin, into its eastern and western part. Eastern Berlin was part of the Democratic Reublic of Germany and western to belonged West Germany. Its fall symbolized end of the cold war. -
Soviet Union fall
Gorbachev started going against the ideals of the Communist Party ant there was an attempt to aust him in August of 1991 which led to the fall of the Soviet Union and Communism.
