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The Death of Lenin and Rise of Stalin
Lenin, the leader of the Soviet Union, had died. This allowed Stalin to take his place and become the new leader of the Soviet Union. This allowed Stalin to turn the country into a dictatorial state led by him alone. He also now had the power to deal with is rival, Trotsky. -
Hitler Becomes the Leader of Germany
Through political manipulation and intimidation of political rivals, Hitler had been given Dictatorial Powers in 1933. This allowed him to secure total control of Germany and outlaw ideologies that are far right. Hitler would go on to start WW2. He also created the Holocaust, which was the mass slaughtering of Jewish, Roma, and other minorities. -
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Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact and Invasion of Poland
The Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, named after the foreign ambassadors of the Soviet Union and Germany, was a non-aggression pact between the nation. The two nations also agreed to split up Poland. The invasion of Poland started World War Two, as Britain then declared war on Germany. This war changed the geopolitical landscape of Europe. -
The Surrender of France
In 1940, Germany was successfully able to invade France via the Argonne Forrest. Cutting off the allied armies into two, the French were forced to capitulate soon after to German forces. This eventually caused D-Day in 1944 to free the French Nation from Nazi Control. Also, in France's colonies, the Free French forces would fight the Axis powers in Africa. -
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Operation Barbarossa
In 1941, Hitler felt confident that he would win against the Allies and started taking aim against the Soviet Union. He invaded Russia, violating the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. The German Army saw some initial success, but Russia's winter ended up slowing the German Army down. Eventually, the invasion, code-named Operation Barbarossa, failed as the Soviets starting pushing the Germans back. -
Pearl Habor
Angered at America for cutting off supplies, the Japanese planned to attack the Naval Base of Pearl Harbor. This attacked killed over 2,000 Americans, bringing the US into World War Two. America, with its large population and industrial base, would prove extremely useful to the Allies. America also participated in D-Day. -
The Surrender of Germany
With D-Day being successful for the allies and the Russians pushing into German territory, Germany was fighting a losing war. The Russians were able to reach Berlin before the other Allied Powers, and started the siege of the city. The Germans lost the battle, with Hitler killing himself. With the Soviets winning the battle, peace was reestablished on the European Front, though the Japanese Empire still remained a threat. -
Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Throughout the war, the US was looking to create the perfect weapon. This weapon was created in the form of the atomic bomb, capable of leveling entire cities with one explosion. The US ended up dropping two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, forcing Japan's surrender. Because of the power and pure destruction capabilities of the atomic bomb, none have been used in armed conflict since World War Two, though many have been created and tested by America and Russia.
