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Events Leading up to World War II
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The United States Stock Market Crash
America's economy went straight into the Great Depression. When the American Stock Market crashed, Germany's economy was already in trouble because of the harsh reparations they had to pay to France and Britian. The German currency of Marks was useless. Unemployment was high, and people were starving.
Picture: The London Herald's headline the day after the stock market crashed. -
German President Paul Von Hindenburg Appoints Adolf Hitler as Chancellor
President Hindenburg appointed several different chancellors to avoid appointing Hitler. He was fearful of the Nazi Party for their dustructive and ruthless ways. He finally gave in and appointed Adolf Hitler. Hindenburg's fears were righ;Hitler convinced Hindenburg to call for a suspension of the constitution, and give Hitler unrestricted power.
Picture: Hindenburg and Hitler shaking hands -
Munich Agreement
Britian, France, and Russia led by British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain made an agreement with Germany. Germany could take over the Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia only if they do not make any more territorial gains in Europe. Hitler wanted to unify the Arian race and give it room to grow, so the Allies thought the agreement would please Germany and prevent them from taking more land.
Picture: Neville Chamberlain holding his part of the Munich Agreement -
The Night of Broken Glass
The Night of Broken Glass was a planned attack of Jewish homes, businesses, and synagoges. It showed the true hatred that the Nazis had against the Jewish people.
Picture: German citizens walking past a vandalized Jewish store the day after the Night of Broken Glass. -
Treaty of Non- Aggression Between Germany and the Soviet Union
The treaty between the Soviet Union and Germany promised that each side would stay nuetral in the event that one of them was attacked. The treaty also secretly divided up the northwestern european countries between the Germans and Soviets.
Picture: Joseph Stalin and the two foreign ministers at the signing of the treaty. -
Germany Invades Poland
Germany, violating the Munich Agreement, invades Poland. Britain and France have a treaty with Poland to protect them. This is the beginning of World War II.
Picture: A Chicago Tribune article about Germany invading Poland. -
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Early World War II
Germany dominated the early part of the war conquering the majority of Europe. -
Final Solution
The Final Solution was implimented by the Nazis at the Wansee Conference. The conference was to inform Nazi leaders about their assignments for the Final Solution.
Picture: The house were the Wansee Conference was held -
Battle of France
The German invasion of France. The German Blitzkrieg overpowered the Allies, and the Germans plowed through France. The Allies were forced to retreat, and Germany took Paris.
Picture: Map of Europe after Germany conquered France -
The Battle of Dunkirk
Germany pushed the Allies into the port city of Dunkirk. They halted their advance to avoid risking an Allied push. Because the Germans stopped their advance, the Allies were able to evacuate the troops and avoid surrender.
Picture: British troops are being rescued at Dunkirk. -
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain was fought for air superiority between the RAF and the Luftwaffe. Germany was preparing for an invasion of the island of Britian and needed Britain's air defenses to be destroyed. The Luftwaffe failed to achieve this goal, so the invasion was cancelled. After the Battle of Britain, Winston Churchill saluted the RAF by saying, "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few."
Picture: RAF planes flying in the Battle of Britain. -
Lend- Lease Act
This act ended the nuetrality of the United States during World War II. The United States sent supplies to the Allies as a lease. The supplies were to be returned at a specific date unless it was destroyed. After the return date, the supplies were sold to the Allies at a discount.
Picture: FDR signing the Lend-Lease Act -
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa is the German invasion of the Soviet Union. The Germans were pushing the Russians back and were in line to take Moscow when Hitler shifted the German troops down to the south. After that the Soviets Union started to make their comeback.
Picture: German troops with a destroyed Soviet tank -
The Attack on Pearl Harbor
Japan was mad at the United States because of the embargo. They thought they only had a chance against America if they took out their Pacific Fleet. The attack brought the Unitied States into the war. In his message to congress, FDR stated, "Dec. 7, 1941 [is] a date which will live in infamy."
Picture: USS Arizona sinking after the attack -
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Late World War II
The United States enters the war, and the Allies take control. -
Battle of Midway
The Japanesse Navy wanted to get a decisive victory over the Americans, and take Midway Island to further control the Pacific. The United States found out about the attack, and sent carriers to suprise the Japanesse. The American forces won decisively because they sunk four of the Japanesse carriers, and the Japanesse could never have the superior navy they once had.
Picture: American torpedo plane at Midway -
The Battle of El Alamein
The Allies have a defensive perimeter around Alamein. The Germans led by Rommel try to push the Allied forces back. The Allies stand strong and keep the city. Rommel tries to push the Allied forces back, but it backfires. The failed attack leads to the Allies moving and pushing the Germans right out of Africa. This is a major victory for the Allies because German forces could never regain Africa again.
Picture: A destroyed tank at El Alamein -
The Battle of Stalingrad
The German army needed to capture the city of Stalingrad in order to further its advance into the Soviet Union and gain strategic resources. The German Army took the majority of the city, but the Russian army launched a counter attack and surrounded the Germans. The soviet army finally took back control of Stalingrad. The battle weakened the German army severely. This was the last major offensive for the Germans in the east.
Picture: The city of Stalingrad after the battle -
Operation Torch
The operation is the Allied invasion of French North Africa. The Allies needed to open up an eastern front in order to draw troops away from the Soviet Union. They wanted to invade Sicily and attack the Axis through Italy.
Picture: Troops storming the Morocco Coast -
Battle of Anzio
British and American troops landed on the beaches of Anzio in order to attack the German line from the rear. The battle was a stalemate for much of the winter. Then the Allies planned two offensives one to attack the enamy lines to the south or to advance towards Rome to the North. The offensive towards the south was going well, but the orders were changed. The force was to advance towards Rome. The Allies took the city three days later.
Picture: Allied artillery at the Battle of Anzio -
D- Day
D- Day or Operation Overlord was the Allied invasion of Normandy. It was the largest land invasion in military history. The invasion was the first step of pushing German forces out of France and the rest of Europe. There were five landing points: Omaha, Utah, Sword, Juno, and Gold. The attack was postponed for a day due to weather.
Picture: Soldiers on landing craft headed towards the Normandy Coast. -
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was Germany's last major offensive. It attacked a weak point in the Allied line by the Ardennes Forest. The Germans suprised the Allies with the attack, but when reinforcements came, the Germans were overpowered and forced to retreat.
Picture: Allied troops marching towards the Ardennes Forest -
Iwo Jima
The first American attack on the Japanesse Home Islands. The Americans wanted control of the airfield on Iwo Jima. Japanesse defenses were heavily fortified. The Americans won the battle by sheer firepower and numbers.
Picture: The United States flag being raised by US Marines on Mount Suribachi. -
V-E Day
Victory in Europe Day is when the Allies accepted the surrender of Germany. This ended the war in Europe and was the end of Nazi rule in Germany.
Picture: Nottingham Evening Post lets Britain know of the German surrender -
Germany Split into Four Zones
At the Potsdam Conference, Germany is divided into four zones to be occupied by the four major Allied powers. The occupation of Germany was to help keep the peace and slowly bring life in Germany back to normal.
Picture: A map of the occupied zones in Germany -
Hiroshima
The United States wanted to avoid invading Japan, so it asked Japan to surrender or suffer the consequences. When Japan refused, the atomic bomb Little Boy was dropped on Japanesse city of Hiroshima. After dropping the bomb, Captain Robert Lewis wrote in his diary, "My God, what have we done?"
Picture: The mushroom cloud that Little Boy made over Hiroshima. -
V-J Day
The day that Japan surrendered to the Allies and accepted the Potsdam Declaration. After the atomic bombings at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan did not want the bombing to continue, so they accepted the Allies plan.
Picture: American and Japanesse Generals signing the surrender on the USS Missouri -
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Post World War II
The aftermath of the war -
Nuremburg Trials
The leaders of the Nazi party were tried in military trials for all the war crimes that the Nazis did during the Holocaust. The trials were formally known as the International Military Tribunial.
Picture: Nuremburg Trial defendants
