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Adolf Hitlar becomes the leader of the Nazi party
extreme nationalist and facsist -
Benito Mussolini appointed Prime Minister of Italy
After WWI, economic problems in Italy had led to unrest. Benito Mussolini promised to restore order through strong leadership. -
Joseph Stalin -- sole dictator of the Soviet Union
Communist; General Secretary of the Soviet Union's Central Committee until his death in 1953. -
Japan's Army seizes Manchuria, China
-
Hitler is named Chancellor of Germany
his plan was to make Germany a powerful, unified, one-party state -
Neutrality Act passed by US Congress
The US wanted to ensure that they would not become involved in foreign conflicts again. The Neutrality act was designed to guarantee peace in the United States while the rest of the world was at war. -
Italian Army invades Ethiopia in Africa
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Hitler sends troops into Rhineland of Germany in violation of the Versailles Treaty
This was the first time since the end of World War I that German troops had been in this region. -
Militarist take control of Japanese Government
The Anti-Comintern Pact signed -
Japan's invades Nanjing, China
Here they massacre 250,000 people. -
Nazis begin rounding up Jews for labor camps
-
Munich Pact signed giving the Sudentenland of Czechoslovakia to Germany
Hitler promised he would stop asking for land after Germany had control over the Sudentenland region. Not wanting to initiate conflict, Czechoslovakia complied. -
Nazi-Soviet Pact signed by Hitler and Stalin
Everyone was surprised when Hitler and Stalin, bitter enemies, signed the agreement. It was later broken by Hitler. -
Nazis invade Poland; Britain and France declare war on Germany
Britain and France, obliged by a treaty, declare war on Germany. -
Nazis invade Denark, Norway, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Belgium and take control
-
Germany invades France
France is forced to surrender -
First time Peacetime Draft in US
required civilian males between the ages of 18 and 45 to register with local draft boards -
Battle of Britain
Royal Air Force defeats German Air Force to prevent invasion of their island -
Japanese invade French Indochina
French Indochina (Viet. Laos, Cambodia) In response, FDR banned exports such as steel and oil from Japan. The lack of resources made Japan start planning their attack on Pearl Harbor, Oahu. -
Hitler invades Russia
This was breaking the pact with Stalin. USSR joins England in fighting the Germans -
1941 Churchill and FDR issue the Atlantic Charter
stated goals for the world after WWII -
Japanese attack Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, USA
US declares war on Japan. Germany and Italy declare war on the US. -
Japanese Americans interned in isolated camps
-
Philippines fall to Japanese – Bataan Death March
forcible transfer of American and Filipino soldiers by the Japanese -
Battle of Midway
turning point of war in the Pacific -
Battle of Stalingrad
Russians stop Nazi advance at Stalingrad and save Moscow -
Zoot Suit Riots – Los Angeles, CA
between white sailors/marines and latino youth -
British and US forces defeat German and Italian armies in North Africa
-
Italy surrenders
Mussolini expelled as Prime Minister by King Victor Emmanuel III. -
D-Day invasion of France at Normandy
more than 155,000 soldiers took part in the D-Day invasion, made up mostly of American, British and Canadian troops. -
Paris retaken by Allies Forces
-
Battle of the Bulge
last offensive of German Forces -
US forces return to recapture the Philippines
-
Harry S. Truman becomes President when FDR dies
Roosevelt's 3rd vice president and the 33rd president of the United States. -
war ends in Europe
known as "V-E" or "Victory in Europe" Day; when the WWII allies accepted the surrender of Nazi Germany. -
First Atomic Bombs dropped
dropped by the US on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki -
War Crimes Trials
held in Nuremburg Germany; Manila, Philippines and Tokyo, Japan. Those found guilty were hung.
