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Nazi Germany Invades Poland
Nazi Germany invades Poland, sparking WWII and prompting Britain and France to declare war on Germany. -
Sitkrieg
A period of WWII where there were no major military engagements by any faction, but France and Britain did wage an economic war with Germany and was mainly use as a planning period for offensives. -
France Fell to Germany
Germany occupies France, afterwards Germany would commence air attacks on Britain -
Battle of Britain
Germany launched an aerial campaign against Britain, which ended when the Luftwaffe failed to gain superiority over the Royal Air Force. -
Destroyers-for-Bases Deal
In an effort to support Britain by giving battle ships despite isolationist resistance, FDR negotiated a deal where Great Britain would receive 50 older destroyers, the US would be giving rights to build bases in the British controlled Caribbean -
America First Committee
Created due to the alarm of Roosevelt's pro-British policies, the committee was formed in order to spread isolationist ideals and influence the public in opposition to reengaging in Europe. -
Congress Instituted the Draft
Congress instituted the first peacetime draft with the Selective Training and Service Act, which required all men between the ages of 19 and 25 -
Four Freedoms
FDR spoke before Congress in order to propose that they lend money to Great Britain so that they could purchase US War Materials, and his reasoning was the the US must help defend the freedoms of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from want, and freedom from fear -
Lend-Lease
With the Lend-Lease Act, Great Britain could attain any US arms it needed on credit, and the passage of this act signified a major opinion shift to support Britain -
Battle of Midway
Decisive naval and air battle that resulted in Allied forces repelling a Japanese fleet and proving the advantage of aircraft carriers over destroyers -
USS Kearny Attacked
While still officially neutral, US ships, including the USS Kearny, were dispatched to help protect British convoys and began dropping depth charges before being attacked by German U boats, who would go on to use the incident to declare war on the US. -
Reuben James Sunk
The first US sunken ship during WWII, sunk with 7 officers and over 130 men drowning. -
Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor
Japan bombed Pearl Harbor in an unprovoked attack, which would lead to the US officially entering WWII. -
Battle of Bataan
During the most intense phase of Japan's invasion of the Philippines, this battle would result in the Bataan Death March. -
Bataan Death March
Japan captured over 76,000 American and Filipino soldiers and forced them to march from Bataan to Pampanga, resulting with a large portion of prisoners dying. -
Island Hopping Campaign Begins
The US would take key islands near japan in a bloody campaign with the intention to get bombers within range of Japan. -
Battle of Coral Sea
US forces halted the Japanese movement to Australia, but at the cost of heavy losses -
Manhattan Project Began
Led by Oppenheimer, this project was meant to research and produce nuclear weapons and began out of fear that Germany may be doing the same thing. -
Battle of Stalingrad
The Germans laid siege to Stalingrad in hopes of defeating the Soviet Union, however the Soviets pushed back the Germans and marked the turning point in the war where Germany would slowly start losing territory on the eastern front. -
Battle of El Alamein
The culminating battle of the North African campaign, resulted in Rommel withdrawing German Troops to Tunisia -
Casablanca Conference
FDR and Churchill met to plan future campaigns and to announce that they would accept nothing less than Germany's complete and unconditional surrender. -
Tehran Conference
First major conference between the Big Three, they would plan future offensives into France and planned how Germany would be partitioned following the end of the war. -
D-Day
Allied troops invaded France and began the final main push against the German lines, D-Day itself would result in over 10,000 casualties. -
MacArthur Returned to the Philippines
MacArthur returned to push out the Japanese and give the Philippines it's freedom. -
FDR Elected to 4th Term
Unprecedented, FDR himself would push for amendment limiting the number of terms a president can serve, and his reasoning was that no man should hold power for that long, effectively making him a monarch. -
Battle of the Bulge
Final German offensive in WWII, The Germans made a 30 mile dent in Allied lines just outside the borders of Germany. -
Yalta Conference
The Big Three met to convince Russia declare war on Japan after Germany's surrender, and in return FDR and Churchill promised territory in Manchuria and any territory lost during the Russo-Japanese War. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
US forces laid siege and eventually captured the island of Iwo Jima, resulting in major losses for the US. -
Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa was the last major conflict during WWII and considered the sixth deadliest battle in American history with the death of over 14,000 Americans. -
FDR Died/ Harry Truman Became President
With the death of FDR, Truman is entrusted with the presidency during the rest of WWII and would eventually authorize the use of the atomic bomb on Japan. -
VE Day
The Allies formally accept Germany's unconditional surrender, ending the war in Europe. -
Potsdam Conference
The final wartime meaning between Stalin, Truman, and Churchill, and failures in negotiations led to the onset of the Cold War -
Little Boy Dropped on Hiroshima
The first of two nuclear weapons ever used, the use of nuclear solutions was authorized by Truman in an attempt to save american lives by avoiding a full scale invasion of Japan. -
Fat Man Dropped on Nagasaki
The second of two nuclear weapons ever used, the use of nuclear solutions was authorized by Truman in an attempt to save american lives by avoiding a full scale invasion of Japan. -
VJ Day
Japan surrendered to Allied forces. -
Nuremberg Trials
A series of trials designed to indict war criminals and members of the Nazi Party, and established what was considered a war crime and what was considered a crime against humanity. -
Japanese War Crime Trials
Japanese war criminals were tried and received various sentences.
