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Mao Zedong heads the Long March
In 1933, Jiang gathered an army of at least 700,000 men, Jiang's amry then surrounded the communists' mountains stronghold. Outnumbered, the Communist party leaders concluded that they would face defeat. In an incredible move, bordering daring, 100,000 communists forces fled and began a hazardous 6,000-mile long journey. Thousands died of hunger, exposure to the envoiroment and battle wounds. IN 1934, Mao and the 7,000 and 8,000 survivors settled in caves in northwestern China. -
Germany Invades Poland; France, and great britain declare war on germany.
At dawn on September 1, 1939, German tanks and troop trucks rumbled across a polish border. At the same time, German aircraft and artillery began blitzkrieg, a merciless bombing of Poland's capital, Warsaw. France and Great Britain declared war on Germany on September 3, but Poland fell some time before those nations could make a military response. After the defeat of Poland, Hilter annexed the western half of Poland. The region had a large german population. -
Japan attacks Pearl Harbor
Early in the morning of December 7, 1941, American sailors and other military personnel at Pearl Harbor, a large naval base in Hawaii awoke to the roar of explosives. A Japanese attack had started and even though, U.S. military leaders had known from a coded Japanese message that an attack might came, they did not know when or where it would occur. Within two hours, the Japanese had sunk or damaged 19 ships, including 8 battleships. More than 2,300 Americans lost their lives. -
Germany surrenders
After the battle of the Bulge, the war in Europe rapidly drew to a close. In late March 1945, the allies rooled across the Rhine River into Germany. By the middle of April, a noose was closing around Berlin. About three million allied soldiers approached Berlin from the Southwest and another 6 million Soviet troops approached from the east. By April 25, 1945, the soviet troops had surronded the capital and were pounding the city with artillery fire. On May 7, 1945, the Germans surrenedered. -
United Nations Formed
In June 1945, the United States and the Soviet Union temporarily set aside their animosities and joined 48 other nations in forming the United Nations. This international organization was intended to protect the members’ against aggression and it was to be based in New York City. -
Allies use atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
On august 6, 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, a Japanese city of nearly 350,00 people. Between 70,000 and 80,000 died in the attack. Three days later on August 9, a second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, a city of 270,000 and more than 70,000 people were killed instantly. Also, the effects of the atomic bombs killed many more.
