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League of Nations
Formed by the Treaty of Versailles, the Lague of Nations lacked military power to stop the eventual aggressive territorial conquests by Germany, Italy, and Japan. -
Josef Stalin
Josef Stalin was the Communist leader of the Soviet Union who killed anyone that posed a threat to his leadership. Under Stalin's rule the Soviet Union fought on the side of the Allied forces in World War Two after being betrayed by their former ally Germany. -
Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini was the fascits leader of Italy during World War Two who seeked territorial expansion in Africa. Mussolini used a private army called the Black Shirts who attacked Socialists, and also recognized the Vatican as an independent state through the Lateran Agrrement of 1929. -
Mein Kampf
Mein Kampf is a book written by Adolf Hitler explaining his beliefs. In this book he stresses themes of antisemitism, territorial expansion to obtain "living space", and a all powerful leader called the "Fuhrer". -
Five-Year Plan
To improve the Soviet Unions's economy, ruler Josef Stalin inplemented the Five-Year Plan. The goals of this plan were to increase industry and agriculture, and force peasants to give up private land. -
Kulaks
Starting in 1929, well-ff peasants known as "Kulaks" were targeted by Stalin with the goal of relinquishing them as a class. Stalin ordered for their land and livestock to be taken which cause many Kulaks to starve to death or forced to work at labor camps. -
Adolf Hitler
President Hindenburg declares Adolf HItler chancellor of Germany. Hitler is the leader of the Nazi party, the largest party in the German Reichstag. -
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Franklin Roosevelt was the President of The United States of America during a majority of World War Two until his death in early 1945. Roosevelt was an important Allied leader who was part of the "Big Three", following FDR's death, Vice President Harry Truman took Roosevelt's place as President. -
Enabling Act
The Nazi Party,The largest party in the German parliament force the Enabling Act through the Reichstag. This act gives Nazi Party Leader, and chancellor of Germany Adolf Hitler complete power of Germany. -
Luftwaffe
The Luftwaffe was the German air force founded in between World War One and World War Two. This piece of the Germman military was used for air battles against Breat Britain's Royal Air Force and during blitzkriegs to bomb enemy building and bridges before being followed up by tanks. -
Nuremburg Laws
The Nuremburg Laws were a severe attack towards German Jews. These antisemitic laws were meant to strip Jews of rights including the ban of marriage between a Jew and a non Jew. -
Popular Front
With fascism growing in popularity throughout Europe, Communists, Socialists, and Radicals formed an alliance called the Popular Front in France to prevent fascists from winning seats in the French parliament. -
Axis Powers
Both with interest in territorial expansion, fascist Germany and Italy agree to cooperate in what is reffered to as the Rome-Berlin Axis. Japan later joins what is called the "Axis Powers", and together these three aggressive countries fight against the Allied Forces in World War Two. -
Munich Conference
French and British leaders agree to let Germany have the Czech controlled Sudentenland to prevent a possible war. Despite giving in to Hitler, German aggression continued and let to greater territorial expansion by Germany. -
Lebenstraum
Lebenstraum was one of Germany's reasons for territorial pre-WW2. To acquire more "living space" for the German master race Adolf Hitler seeked to take the Czech Sudentenland before turning his sights on other countries like Poland. -
Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht was a night in which Germn Jews were targets for organized violence. Examples of this violence include the smashing of windows, looting of shops, and destroying of Jewish houses and synagouges. -
Blitzkrieg
Using a large amount of tanks, planes, and foot soldiers Germany quickly curshed Poland in just four weeks. This "lightning war" later conquered many other countries including Denmark, Norway, Holland, Belgium, and several Baltic countries. -
Winston Churchill
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill rallied Britain through the duration of World War Two. Churchill proposed the American policy of Europe First declaring that the United States of America and other Allied powers should focus on defeating Germany and Italy first before turning attention towards Japan. -
Maginot Line
Preparing for a possible German attack in the future, the Maginot line was a long line of defensive bunkers constructed by France starting in the early 1930's. These bunkers were ineefective to stop a German invasion because they were immobile, and when Germany attacked France through Belgium rather than the direct border between Germany and France, the bunkers were rendered useless. -
Battle of Dunkirk
The Battle of Dunkirk was a battle fought between Allied and German troops at the French town of Dunkirk. After being defeated by Germany, British and French troops were not targeted by the Germans for three days and had time to evacuate a very large amount of troops back to England. -
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain was the first all air battle in history and was fought between Great Britain and Germany. Britain was able to stop a possible invasion despite the German bombings of British cities attempting to break the morale of the British people. -
Atlantic Charter
Meeting of the coast of Newfoundland, American President Franklin Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill sign the Atlantic Charter. The Atlantic Charter contained many points including the foundation of the United Nations, disarming of aggressive countries, free trade, no territorial expansion, etc. -
Pearl Harbor
After refusing to sell Japan resources due to Japan's occupation of French Indochina, the United States of America's naval base of Pearl Harbor is attacked by Japan. The Axis Powers declare war on the United States leading to America's entrance into World War Two. -
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway showed America's dominance over Japan's navy and who was in control of the fight in the Pacific. This air battle resulted in American planes sinking all four of Japan's aircraft carriers and a further advancement of American ships in the Pacific. -
Red Army
After being pushed far inland by German troops, the Soviet Unions's Red Army turned on the offensive in November 1942. After defeating the German Sixth Army the Red Army continued to push further west in the summer of 1943 before eventually making their way to the German capitol of Berlin. -
Casablanca Conference
The Casablanca Conference was a meeting between American President Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill. At this conference Roosevelt and Churchill agreed to accept nothing but an unconditional surrender from the Axis Powers to end World War Two. -
D-Day Invasion
American and British troops attack Germany on the French beaches of Normandy. Germany's unsuccessful attempt to stop the Americans and British allowed Allied troops to push through Western Europe all the way to Germany's capitol Berlin. -
Yalta Conference
Allied leaders Josef Stalin of the Soviet Union, Franklin Roosevelt of the United States of America, and Winston Churchill of Great Britain meet to discuss postwar actions anticipating to be victorius in World War Two. They agree to divide Germany into four occupied zones, give the Big Five nations (Great Britain, USA, USSR, China, France) veto power in the United Nations, hold war crime trials postwar, give land to the USSR, and the USSR agrees to hold free elections. -
Iron Curtain
At the Yalta conference the Soviet Union was allowed to keep all the countries it had conquered in Eastern Europe providing that they hold free elections which is not a promise they end up fullfilling. Where the now completely communist Eastern Europe meets the democratic Western Europe is reffered to as the "iron curtain". -
Atomic Bomb
After warning Japan who refused to surrender, American president Harry Truman orders an atomic bomb to be dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. With Japan still refusing to an unconditional surrender, The United States of America drops a second bomd three days later on the city Nagasaki causing Japan to finally surrender just a few days later.
