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Japanese invasion of Manchuria
Japan begins the invasion of Manchuria. This marks the beginning of the militarists control of the Japanese Government. Japan did this to frighten the Soviets and to begin expanding their empire. They believed controlling East Asia would create a Great East Asian Co-Prosperity sphere. -
Hitler made Chancellor of Germany
President Paul von Hindenburg names Adolf Hitler as Chancellor who rapidly tried to expand Germany's territory and power, and killed many civilians such as Jews and Communists. -
The Munich Pact
An appeasement signed by the British and French prime ministers Neville Chamberlain and Edouard Daladier with Adolf Hitler to avoid war but gave Czechoslovakia away to German territory. These appeasements didn't do anything but tell Germany that they need to stop attacking countries but no one would do anything because they didn't want to go to war so Germany kept attacking and conquering to obtain power and territory. -
Kristallnacht
Wave of anti-Jewish pogroms throughout Germany, annexed Austria, and in areas of the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia recently occupied by German troops. -
Invasion of Poland
Germany invades Poland and two days later France and Britain declare war on Germany because they had a treaty with Poland starting World War II. -
Dunkirk
A massive retreat across France as Germany pushes further into France. A total of 340,000 soldiers were saved and transported to England while the rest were left to become POW's. -
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor by Japanese forces brought the U.S. into World War II. -
Bataan Death March
Americans surrender the Philippines to Japanese forces leading to 75,000, hungry and tired, American and Filipino soldiers on a 65 mile march to prison camps causing 10,000 casualties. Douglas MacArthur fled the Philippines and promised to return back and take it back which he did. -
Battle of Midway
Naval battle on Midway atoll and a decisive American History -
D-Day
The invasion of all northern France beaches under control of all the Germans. Longest military engagement ever in history. -
Battle of the Bulge
This was the Germans last offensive to split allied forces which led to a major loss in German to the point where they couldn't launch another attack. -
Yalta Conference
War time meeting of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin for the purpose of discussing Europe's post war reorganization. -
VE Day
The public holiday celebrated on 8 May 1945 to mark the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Nazi Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces. -
The Bombing of Hiroshima
The U.S. built and dropped the first atomic bomb (nuke) on Hiroshima which ended World War II when Japan surrendered after another bomb on Nagasaki, and is the only use of nuclear weapons in war. -
VJ Day
Victory over Japan Day is a name chosen for the day on which Japan surrendered, in effect ending World War II, and subsequent anniversary of that event.
