-
Japan Invades Manchuria
Japan invaded Manchuria because they were in need of materials. By invading Manchuria, they obtained coal and iron which were both vital resourses. By invading the region, Japan could now begin to take over other parts of Asia. Japan needed more land because of their rapidly growing population. Because Japan took over Manchuria, the League of Nations became upset causing Japan to leave the league. -
Hitler becomes chancellor
President Hindenburg names Adolf Hitler the chancellor of the Nazi party. Hitler was later appointed as the sole leader (Fuhrer). This was a big turning point for Germany because it gave Hitler the authority to make Nazi Germany a unified state. He started as soon as he was appointed and no one would be able to stop him. -
U.S. signs the Neutrality Act
The Neutrality Act kept the U.S. out of the war for a long time. The laws were past to keep America out of foreign conflict. The law required American vessels to have a license to carry arms as well as an embargo on the sale of weapons. Over time the act was revised so that America could supply Britain with supplies. Obviously, the act was abolished and America went to war. -
Germany forms Alliance with Austria
Germany invaded Austria and demanded that Germany have a greater presence in Austria. Bullied by Hitler, the chancellor agreed. Hitler announced his anschluss and a vote to join Germany was held. Out of mostly fear of the Nazi army, 99.7% of Austrians voted yes for a German-Austrian Alliance. After they joined, Austria could do nothing against the ruthlessness of Hitler. -
German invades Czechoslovakia
After Hitler saw that the League of Nations would do nothing against the expansion of Nazi Germany, he took the next step. There were many germans in the country so Hitler took over the country and promised Britain that he wouldn't expand any further. By expanding into Czechoslovakia, Germany would have more room for people as well as industry and farms. Czechoslovakia also had a ton of minerals. Hitler secretly had no intentions on stopping there. -
Nonaggression Pact passed
This pact was past between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. In the pact, Eastern Europe was divided between the Soviet Union and Germany called the Spheres of Influence. Stalin actually tried to reach an agreement with Britain and France but was unable to. In the end, he decided to side with the germans. Germany wanted to pass the act because this would allow them to take over Poland without any opposition. After that, they would focus on Britain and France. -
Germany incades Poland
After signing the Nonaggression Pact with the Soviet Union, Germany was ready to start the biggest war the world had ever seen. Britain saw what was coming and began to prepare to protect Poland. Sure enough, within days of signing the pact, Germany invaded Poland and WWII began. Poland tried to fight back but made serveral mistakes when planning for war. Three days later, Britain began to bomb Germany and WWII was underway. -
France falls to Germany
After Germany began its attack on France, they quickly fought their way to the capital city. Once they surrounded Paris, France could do nothing but quit. The war up to that point had not been filled with action and lacked fighting. This got the war the name "the Phonney War". France surrendered to german forces and Britain was left fighting alone. -
Japan bombes Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor VideoJapan needed more resources and after the invasion of Manchuria, the U.S. said that it would no longer give Japan scrap metal and oil need for military and other uses. Because of this, they decided to bomb a base in Pearl Harbor. After just the 2 hour attack, 2,000 american sailers were killed and another 1,000 injured. A day after, FDR declared war on Japan. This officially brought the U.S. in to the second World War. -
Allied troops take over Italy (Jul.-Sept.)
Britain and America begin the invasion on the Italian peninsula (the "toe" of Italy). The same day as the invasion, Italy's government secretly agreed to surrender. After many WWII losses, people overthrew Mussolini. This helped Italy make peace with the Allies. Unfortunately, German forces were abundant in Italy and opposed the agreement between the Allies and Italy. -
Allied forces land on Normandy (D-Day)
The Allies unleashed a full out attack on the beaches of Normany. Many Americans were lost in the fight but by the end of the fight, the Allies had a firm hold on Normandy. Within a few weeks, more than 1 million troops have landed on the shore. They struck from sea and air. The Allied invasion on Europe began. -
Germany surrenders to the Allies
After Hitler's death, Germany was left in shambles. After many meeting with the Allies leaders, Germany surrendered. At first, the Germans wanted to only partly surrender (on the easter front). But the allies threatened to push the Germans into unfriendly Soviet territory. After they surrendered, many German leaders were put on trial for murder and other war crimes. -
Japan surrenders to the Allies
After the Germans dropped out months earlier, Japan was left to fight the Allies on their own. The Allies could now easily attack Japan from the western front without having to worry about eastern europe. The Japanese were left defensless after 2 atomic bombs were dropped. Japan was told to surrender before the bombs were dropped but did not listen. Soon after the massive bombing, they signed a treaty ending the war.
