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Germany Invades Poland
Hitler had stated that Poland must return lands to Germany or it will be invaded. He broke his promise from the Munich Conference (he wouldn't ask for more land). That resulted in a blitzkrieg, lightning war. -
Battle of Britain
Since Britain is an island, it was very difficult to invade. Hitler started using air attacks to hit them, hoping to have them surrender. British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, stated that "we'll never surrender." -
Germany Invades the Soviet Union
Hitler broke the Nazi-Soviet Pact, peace between the two countries. He broke the promise and ordered the Nazi-German army to attack the Soviet Union. Soviets weren't ready for this attack and suffered heavy losses. The cold Russian winter stopped a quick German victory. -
Japan Attacks US Navy @ Pearl Harbor
Japanese Navy launched a "sneak attack" on the US Navy stationed in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. President Franklin Roosevelt declared war on Japan, ending "isolationism." Dec. 7, 1941 is "a date which will live in infamy." -
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Battle of Stalingrad
This is the battle where the Soviets started to finally beat the Germans. Germans and Soviets fought for 10 months, Soviet army slowly pushed Germans out of the Soviet Union. Russia had its worst winter in 100 years which also slowed the Germans. -
Island Hopping
The US Army couldn't directly attack Japan, so they adopted a plan to "island hop." It was a very slow process. America ended up getting caught in two battles along the way; Jima and Okinawa. From these islands, the US prepared to bomb and invade Japan. -
D-Day (Invasion of Normandy)
The British, Canadians, and Americans were prepared to attack the Germans by crossing the English Channel into Normandy. The three armies made the Germans retreat out of France, back to Germany. The Germans were getting attacked from all sides with help from the Soviet Union. -
Yalta Conference
As the war in Europe was ending, leaders of the United States, England, and the Soviet Union met in the city of Yalta in the Soviet Union. They wanted to plan how to shape Europe after the war ended. Stalin, Soviet Union, agreed to allow democratic elections in his conquered European countries. -
Potsdam Conference
Leader met again in Potsdam Germany. Stalin broke his promise from the Yalta Conference. He would NOT allow democratic elections, those countries would have communist governments. Truman and Churchill couldn't trust Stalin anymore, this lead to a "Cold War" after WWII. -
Nuremburg Trials
After the war ended, the Allied Powers agreed to put Nazi leaders and soldiers for war crimes. Crimes were considered "crimes against humanity." This was the first time the winners of a war have held trials against the leaders of the losing nation. -
US Drops Atomic Bombs on Japan
President Harry Truman demanded that Japan "unconditionally surrender," but the Japanese ignored the demand. Truman used an atomic bomb in Hiroshima to force the Japan to surrender without invading the country. Truman dropped a second atomic bomb in Nagasaki. The two atomic bombs convinced Japan to surrender. -
Rebuilding Japan
After Japan's "unconditional surrender" to the United States, the U.S. Military controlled Japan. General Douglas MacArthur created the Constitution of 1947. To this day, the U.S. still has troops and military bases in Japan to protect the nation. -
United Nations
President Franklin Roosevelt had an idea to create an international organization to maintain peace after WWII. The United Nations would have authority to enforce its decisions. The winning nations of WWII- United States, Soviet Union, England, France, and China would create the United Nations. -
V-E (Victory in Europe) Day
Germany formally surrendered to the nations of England, France, United States, and Soviet Union. Hitler had killed himself because he did not want to be captured by the Allied Nations, especially the Soviet Union. He wouldn't be alive to be at trial for his crimes, but the war in Europe was over. -
Division of Germany
After Germany surrendered, the four victorious nations- England, France, United States, and the Soviet Union divided Germany into four zones that each nation could govern. While the nations were installing democracy in their sections, the Soviets put a communist government in their section. England, France, and the U.S. united their sections of Germany and made it into a democratic nation, West Germany. Soviet sections became East Germany. West Berlin was Democratic and East Berlin was communist
