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Pan-American Conference
A series of conferences starting in 1889 consisting of America and various Latin-American countries attempting to improve their economic and political relations -
Weimar Republic Established
Weimar was chosen as a safe place to draft a new consitution for the republic. -
Hitler becomes leader of Nazi Party
The small, Munich-based National Socialist German Workers Party assigned a new chairman, Adolf Hitler, effectively changing the course of history forever. -
Washington Naval Conference
The first international conference held in the U.S., the Washington Naval Conference gathered together nine countries- United States, Japan, China, France, Britain, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, and Portugal- excluding Soviet Russia to discuss interests in the Pacific Ocean and East Asia. Went through February 1922. -
Five Power Treaty
As a part of the Washington Naval Treaty,established this ratio of capital ships to each nation: 5 for the United Kingdom, 5 for the United States, 3 for Japan, 1.67 for France, and 1.67 for Italy. -
Nine Power Treaty
The treaty affirmed the sovereignty and territorial integrity of China as per the Open Door Policy. -
Stalin becomes leader of USSR
Stalin ruled under the concept of "socialism in one country" and established a command economy in Russia and ruled until 1953. -
Mussolini becomes leader of Italy
Mussolini, formerly a socialist journalist, founded the Fascist party, took over Italy, and allied with Nazi Germany during WWII. -
Dawes Plan
An attempt by the Triple Entente to get Germany to pay war reparitions- consisted of these guidelines:
1. The Ruhr area was to be evacuated by Allied occupation troops.
2. Reparation payments would begin at “one billion marks the first year, increasing to two and a half billion marks annually after five years"
3. The Reichsbank would be reorganized under Allied supervision.
4. The sources for the reparation money would include transportation, excise, and custom taxes. -
Mein Kampf (publish date)
Mein Kampf was Hitler's plan for the Third Reich and what he planned for Europe in the 1930's and 40's. -
Hirohito Became the Emperor of Japan
Hirohitor was the longest ruling monarch in Japan's history and the first to travel abroad. -
Kellogg-Briand Pact
Pact signed in order to outlaw war, sometimes called the Pact of Paris, this was another effort to stop another World War before it started. -
Stock Market Crash
The most devastating stock market crash the U.S. has ever experienced, resulting in the beginning of the 10-year Great Depression that affected all Western industrialized countries. -
Japanese Invasion of Manchuria
Following the Mukden incident, the Kwantung Army of Japan invaded Manchuria. -
Stimson Doctrine
The U.S.'s policy of non-recognition of forced international territorial changes by Japan and china. -
Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) became President of the U.S
Roosevelt beat out Hoover in his first of four terms, and would go on to institute the Good Neighbor Policy, te New Deal, and the first 100 days would be very significant. -
The Holocaust Begins
The Holocaust really began when Hitler became chancellor of Germany in 1933, and ultimately led to the mass extermination of not only Jews but also gypsies, homosexuals, political prisoners, "asocials" and other groups the Nazis deemed unpure, resulting in over 12 million deaths. -
Hitler named chancellor of Germany
President Paul von Hindenburg named Hitler the chancellor of Germany, effectively beginning World War II and the Holocaust. -
New Deal Started
A series of domestic programs started in the US between 1933 and 1936 by FDR. -
London Economic Conference
Meeting of representatives of 66 nations to discuss measures to fight global depression, revive international trade, and stabilize currency equilvalency rates. -
U.S. formally Recognized the Soviet Union
After 16 years of non-recognition and following a series of negotiations in Washington, D.C. with the Soviet Commissar for Foreign Affairs, Maxim Litvinov, Roosevelt recognized the USSR. -
Tydings-McDuffie Act
A US federal law that gave the Phillipines independence after ten years and provided them a self government. -
Reciprocal Trade Agreement
Gave Roosevelt the power to levy tariffs and negotiate bilateral trade agreements without approval from Congress. -
Neutrality Acts
When newly installed fascist governments were starting to really erupt in Europe, FDR signed the Neutrality Acts meant to keep the United States out of the war- acts that would soon be broken. -
Italy invades Ethiopia
This event it noteworthy because it emphasized the ineffectiveness of the league of nations- despite Italy and Ethiopia oth being members, the league could do nothing to stop Italy or protect Ethiopia, despite the fact that Italy was violating terms of the league. -
Hitler defies the Treaty of Versailles
German military forces entered and remilitarized the Rhineland on this date, significant because it violated the Treaty of Versailles. -
Germany Re-Occupies the Rhineland
On this day, Hitler violated the Treaty of Versailles and the Locarno Pacts and re-occupied the Rhineland. -
Francisco Franco Led a Fascist Revolt in Spain
Franco led a Fascist revolt in Spain, resulting in a Spanish civil war, and America's non-involvement basically paved the way for Franco to take over. -
Rome Berlin Axis
Coalition formed between Italy and Germany, linking the two fascist countries. -
Japan Invaded China
What was originally not supposed to be a long conflict became one when Japan invaded China and eventually led to a Sino-Japanese War. -
Quarantine Speech
Speech given by president Roosevelt, calling for "quarantine of the aggressor nations" as opposed to America's current policy of non-intervention and neutrality. -
Rape of Nanking
Massacre of rape and murder by the Japanese to the citizens of Nanking (Nanjing) during the second Sino-Japanese war. -
Anschluss
Anschluss was the union and annexation of Austria into Germany. -
Hitler Hosted Munich Conference
This conference, consisting of Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and Italy, granted Hitler the Sudetenland- Czechoslovakia was not included in the conference and considered themselves betrayed. -
Hitler takes the Sudetenland
Britain and France, desperate to avoid war, granted Hitler this area of Czechoslovakia hoping it would suppress his hunger for power. -
Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht, meaning "the night of broken glass," the night where Nazi vandalized and attacked Jewish businesses and synagogues, kicking off a perod of prejudice towards the people and the beginning of the Holocaust. -
Hitler took Czechoslovakia
Hitler threatened a bombing of Prague if German troops weren't granted free passage over Czech borders from Czech President Emil Hacha- he got it. -
Navi Soviet Pact signed
Germany protected itself from having to fight a war on two fronts when it signed this non-aggression pact with Russia. -
Germany invades Poland
On September 1, 1939, the German blitzkrieg tore through Poland, and by the end of the month the territory was occupied by the Germans. -
Sitzkrieg Began
The sitzkrieg, a play on blitzkrieg, was a time early in WWII where there was little aggressive moves by the Western Allies, this was also called the "phony war." -
Winston Churchill Became the Prime Minister of GB
Churchill was elected prime minister and was a huge part in the war for the British and was and still is commended for his efforts. -
Auschwitz Death Camp Opened
Auschwitz was the largest concentration camp and consisted of three sub-camps, Stammlager, Birkenau, the extermination camp, and Monowitz, the work camp. -
Allies Evacuate Dunkirk
After large numbers of Allied troops were surrounded by German forces at Dunkirk, they were evacuated- an operation codenamed Operation Dynamo. -
Vichy government established in France
the French state during World War II from the German victory in the Battle of France to the Allied liberation in August 1944. -
Battle of Britain
German bombers and fighters attacked a British shipping convoy on the Channel, as other German forces attacked Wales, launching the 3 month long battle of Britain. -
Destroyers for Bases Agreement
This agreement between the US and Britain gave Britain fifty destroyers in exchange for land rights on British posessions for the U.S. -
Tripartite Pact Signed
The signing of the pact by Germany, Italy, and Japan established the Axis powers and was aimed directly at "neutral" America. -
Election of 1940
Roosevelt ran against Republican candidate Wendell Willkie for a third term, and promised that there would be no more U.S. involvement in foreign wars if he was elected. -
Operation Barbarossa
Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II. -
Four Freedoms
In his speech, FDR revealed the "four freedoms" that everyone in the world should have, including
Freedom of speech
Freedom of worship
Freedom from want
Freedom from fear -
Lend-Lease Act
Program under which the U.S. supplied Britain and other Allies with equipment, effectively ended the US's neutrality in WWII. -
The Final Solution
Nazi Germany's plan during WWII to systematically murder the Jews, resulting in the largest mass murder of all time. -
Atlantic Charter
Drafted by Britain and the US and later approved by the other allied forces, this document outlines the Allies's post war world goals. -
Shoot on Sight Orders
In direct response to a German torpedo attack, FDR orders the Navy to shoot German ships on sight. -
Japanese Attack Pearl Harbor
This attack by the Imperial Japanese Navy on the American Navy base led to the US's involvement in World War II. -
US declares war on Japan
The day after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, FDR announced the U.S. declaring war on Japan, greeted with only one opposing vote from Congress. -
Four-Power Treaty
Treaty signed by the US, Britain, France and Japan in which all parties agreed to maintain the status quo in the Pacific Ocean. Termination of the Anglo-Japanese alliance of 1902. -
Office of Price Administration
Roosevelt established this administration and the Civilian Supply to "stabilize prices and rents and prevent unwarranted increases in them; to prevent profiteering, hoarding and speculation; to assure that defense appropriations were not dissipated by excessive prices; to protect those with fixed incomes from undue impairment of their living standards; to assist in securing adequate production; and to prevent a post-emergency collapse of values." -
War Production Board
US agency that supervised war production during World War II. -
Double V campaign
A campaign organized by the Pittsburgh Courier, this campaign fought for two victories- one at home and one on the battlefield, and focused on helping the war effort and discouraging racism. -
MacArthur's "I will return" speech
After being ordered to break through Japanese lines and go from Corregidor to Australia, MacArthur delivered this speech, and just like MacArthur, it was dramatic and political. -
Bataan Death March
The forced transport of 60,000–80,000 Filipino and American prisoners of war after the Battle of Bataan by the Japanese Army. -
Doolittle Raids Over Japan
The first American air raid to actually strike Japan, proving that Japan could be attacked by the U.S. and was retaliation for the attack on Pearl Harbor. -
Battle of the Coral Sea
Major naval battle on the Pacific Theater of WWII in which the US and Australia against Japan used aircraft carriers in battle for the first time. -
Battle of Midway
One of the most important naval battles of WWII in which the U.S. defeated the Imperial Japanese Navy. -
Second Washington Conference
Conference between Roosevelt and Churchill discussing how Western Allies could best aid the Soviet Union. -
Battle of El Alamein
Thanks to British General Montgomery's time spent building up the army for this battle against the Italians and Germans in the North African desert, the Battle of El Alamein turned the tide in favor of the Allies. -
Battle of Guadalcanal
The first major offensive by Allies against Japan, a military campaign fought until 9 February 1943 in the Pacific theatre of WWII. -
Battle of Stalingrad
One of the bloodiest battles in the history of warfare, this battle in which the Nazis fought the Soviet Union for control of Stalingrad was not only marked by military casualties but also civilian casualties. -
Nisei were Interned in Relocation Centers in the U.S.
Shortly after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese citizens and immigrants were ordered to be relocated to internment camps- ironically, many of these people were nisei, or "second-generation Japanese." -
Operation Torch
The British American invasion of French North Africa during World War II. -
Casablanca Conference
Conference held in Morocco consisting of American, British and French representatives discussing the next plan of action during the war, from which came the historically provocative statement of purpose, "unconditional surrender." -
Cost Plus System
A system where a nation is payed for all of its expenses plus more to provide profit for that nation. -
Rosie the Riveter
A Norman Rockwell work first appearing on the May 29th 1943 edition of the Saturday Evening Post, Rosie the Riveter was a propaganda used to recruit women into factory work during the war. -
Smith-Connally Anti-Strike Act
This act allowed government interference with companies or industries whose striking employees interfered with war production. -
Allies Landed in Sicily
A battle consisting of land, air, and water combat in which the Allies took Sicily back from the Axis powers- codenamed Operation Husky. -
Island Hopping Campaign
Military strategy used by the Allies in the Pacific War against Japan and the Axis powers to bypass Japan's strengths and concentrate on their limited resources. -
Teheren Conference
The main thing that came from this conference was the opening of a second front in the war, -
Operation Overlord (D-Day)
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy in which the German-occupied area was invaded by Allied forces. -
Kamikaze Pilots Appear in the Pacific
These occurences were suicide attacks by Japanese aviators against Allied forces in the last stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II. -
Gen. Macarthur Returned to the Philippines (Leyte Gulf)
This battle was the amphibious invasion of the gulf of Leyte by Filipino and American forces, and the fufillment of MacArthur's "I Will Return" speech. -
Battle of the Bulge
Battle fought in Belgium, France and Luxenbourg in which the Germans were majorly offensive and caused this battle to be costliest for America in terms of casualties. -
FDR's Fourth Term
FDR was one of the nation's most revered presidents and remains the only president to have served a fourth term. -
Yalta Conference
Churchill, Stalin and Roosevelt's meeting to discuss post-war actions in Germany, this confeence came to be considered controversial during the Cold War. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
Operation Detachment- the battle in which the United States seized Iwo Jima from the Japanese. -
Battle of Okinawa
Last battle in the Allies' island hopping technique; the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War of World War II. -
Mussolini Executed
Mussolini along with his mistress were shot as they tried to flee Italy to Switzerland, trying to avoid prosecution as a war criminal. -
Hitler Commits Suicide
As his "thousand year" Reich fell above him, Hitler consumed cyanide and then shot himself along with his lover, hiding in a bunker. -
Germany Surrenders
Although Germany didn't plan on unconditionally surrendering, Eisenhower demanded complete surrender of all German forces. -
V E Day
Victory in Europe day, or V E day was the official end of World War II, when the unconditional surrender was signed. -
United Nations Charter
This document was the foundation of the establishment of the new international organization. -
The Manhattan Project
The American effort in the 1940's to create an atomic bomb, fearing that the Nazis would do it first -
Potsdam Conference
Goals of this conference held in Cecilienhof and consisting of the Soviet Union, the US, and the UK were to establish post-war order, peace treaties issues, and countering the effects of the war. -
Bombing of Hiroshima
On this day the first ever atomic bomb was dropped onto Hiroshima by American bombers which wiped out 90 percent of the city and immediately killed 80,000 people and caused radiation which would eventually caused tens of thousands more to die. -
Atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki
The devastation at Hiroshima wasn't enough to cause it, but the second bomb dropped on Japan caused their unconditional surrender and the end of WWII. -
V-J Day
The day Japan surrendured, officially ending World War II. -
Japan Surrenders
After the two atom bomb attacks, the Imperial Japanese Army was incapable of fighting, so the nation surrendered, ending World War II. -
Nuremburg Trials
The US, French, and Soviet militaries launched a series of trials against accused Nazi war criminals, 24 to be exact, and by the end of the trials half of the accussed were executed by hanging. -
Good Neighbor Policy
The non-intervention and non-interference policies of FDR towards Latin America during WWII.
