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Great Depression Begins
The great depression was a time when almost everyone broke due to the stock market crash on Wall-Street. People where living on the streets, families couldn’t afford food, and the depression not only affected us, but people all over the world. -
Japan conquers Manchuria in Northern China
Japan conquers Manchuria to try and gain control over the province. They wanted to gain control of all of East Asia. This was one of the essential causes of World War 2. -
Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany
Hitler was elected chancellor. After he was elected he overthrew the constitution and took control over the government. He called himself the leader. -
Roosevelt first elected president
He was elected president and won majority of the votes in the US. He promised to create new laws that helped people still struggling with the Great Depression, and he did, the New Deal. -
Nuremberg Laws
The Nuremberg laws were laws that affected mostly the Jews. They prohibited the Jews from going out past a certain time, didn’t allow them privileges such as going to the movies, and made them wear a star on their shirt that symbolized that they were Jewish. -
Hitler & Mussolini form the Rome-Berlin Axis
Italy and Germany form and alliance to work together to take over parts of Europe, Africa, and Asia. This alliance was formed in 1936 and lasted to the end of the war. -
Japan joins the Axis Powers
Japan joined the axis powers because they were at war with us and they had lethal weapons that Germany needed. This was important to the war because they helped Germany give us a run for our money and they supplied Germany with weapons. -
Japan invades China
Since japan was a poor country at the time they wanted China’s resources. That is also the reason for the Pearl Harbor invasion. -
Germany invades Austria
In February Hitler gave the leader of Austria a list of 10 demands and some of them could not be done. Hitler, out of anger, invaded Austria and two days later gained control of Austria. -
Britain’s appeasement of Germany
The prime minister of Britain met up with Hitler to reach an agreement that Germany would take control over Sudetenland and Hitler would stop looking for more territory. -
Kristallnacht
It means crystal night in English. It is a nationwide violent program that destroyed Jewish homes, hospitals, and schools. 91 Jews were killed and over 30,000 Jewish people were taken to concentration camps. -
Germany invades Poland
Using new German war tactics, they invade Poland from the north, south and west. -
Germany & Soviet Union have a nonaggression pact
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Germany invades Denmark, Norway, Belgium, and France
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o German air force (Luftwaffe) bombs London and other civilian targets in the Battle of Britain
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Lend-Lease Act
Roosevelt approved the act that allowed the United States to lend or lease resources and equipment to the allies. The Unites States sent Great Britain, the Soviet Union and other allies about $50 billion dollars in goods. -
Tuskegee Airmen
A group of African American pilots that were in the US Army in World War 2. They didn’t actually fly in World War 2 but they were well trained. It was a big step for Americans because people were very racist and black people were frowned upon. -
Germany invades the Soviet Union
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Pearl Harbor
Japan attacked an American War base in Hawaii, Pearl Harbor. Ships were damaged, sunk, and over 2000 soldier were killed. The US ended up declaring war on Japan. -
Japanese-American incarceration
About 110,000 people of Japanese heritage were taken to “relocation” facilities and the ones that were American citizens were allowed to fight in the war. The Japanese people went willingly unlike the Jewish that were forced, sometimes with violence out of their homes. -
The Nazis implement the “Final Solution”
The Nazi’s final step for the Jewish people during the holocaust. Over 1 million Jews were killed before they set up the camps and then another 1 million came after that. -
Bataan Death March
It was a transfer that was forced upon the Filipinos by the Japanese. Over 60,000 people were transferred and it was called the death march because the prisoners were told to march to Balanga. -
Rosie the Riveter
Women had to fill in for men’s jobs during the war because all the men were off fighting. Rosie was the image for how women felt during the war. Once the men returned little jobs were left for the women and most of them went back to being housewives. -
Battle of Midway
It was one of the most destructive battles in history. Japan gained many of its resources from different countries in Asia. -
British forces stop the German advance at El Alamein
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Guadalcanal
It was the first American offensive operation of World War 2. It was a surprise attack on the Japanese. -
Manhattan Project
It was a project funded by the United States that created and researched the first atomic bombs in World War 2. It cost 2 billion dollars at the time, which would be 26 billion dollars now. -
German forces surrender at Stalingrad
It was a battle in which Germany fought the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union surrendered when they realized they were under a time constraint and they weren’t going to win the battle. -
D- Day
The allied forces went head to head with the Axis forces. Although the German’s had a hard fight, the allies were able to overcome that and win the battle. -
Battle of the Bulge
It was one of the major battles in the war. The Allies ultimately won and the German’s lost. -
Yalta Conference
It was a meeting held that would talk about some key things that started the war in the first place. One of the key points that was discussed was that Germany and Berlin would spilt into 4 different zones after the war. -
Iwo Jima
It was a battle in which US forces fought against the Japanese for the island if Iwo Jima. They won and captured the island. -
Okinawa
It was fought on Okinawa and the allies won the battle. Tens of thousands of people were killed and many committed suicide -
o Roosevelt dies, Truman becomes president
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Allied forces advance on Berlin, Germany surrenders
Allies force an advance on Berlin. Germany surrendered because they knew they wouldn’t win. -
Formation of the United Nations
50 nations met in San Francisco to discuss a new peacekeeping organization to replace the weak and ineffective League of Nations. President Roosevelt urged Americans not to turn their backs on the war and now we are one of the major members of United Nations. -
Potsdam Conference
Allies held the Potsdam conference to plan the wars end. A decision was made to put the Nazi war criminals on trial. -
Atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima & Nagasaki
Atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima first killing almost 75,000 people, Japan didn’t surrender. Then they bombed Nagasaki killing 40,000 people and then finally Japan surrendered. -
Japanese officials sign an official letter of surrender on the U.S.S. Missouri, ending World War II
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o Nuremburg Laws
24 defendants, including some of Hitler’s officials. They charged with crimes against humanity. 19 were found guilty and 12 were sentenced to death. -
Marshall Plan
The congress approved the secretary of state George Marshall’s plan to help Europeans economies and help them get back on their feet. We gave them over $13 billion dollars
