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Mussolini becomes Prime Minister of Italy
Mussolini first came to power in 1922, ruling in a democratic manner, but in 1925 he turned Italy into a totalitarian state, and made himself the sole leader. -
Stalin comes to power
In 1912, Lenin appointed Joseph Stalin to serve on he first Central Committee of the Bolshevik Party. In 1917, the Bolsheviks seized power in Russia. In 1922, the Soviet Union was founded with Lenin as its leader, and when Lenin died in 1924, Stalin became the leader of the Soviet Union. -
Hitler becomes chancellor of Germany
By 1932, the Nazis were the biggest political party, and it was very difficult for the chancellor to get any support. They didn't want to make Hitler chancellor, but there seemed to be no alternative. -
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The Holocaust
The Holocaust was a genocide in which about six thousand Jews were killed by Nazi Germany. They were put in concentration camps and wartime ghettos. They also killed many physically/mentally disabled people, hoping for a "superior race." -
Non-aggression pact
Shortly before World War II broke out, Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union signed a pact that said they would not take military action against each other for the next ten years. -
Invasion of Poland and start of WWII
In 1939, Germany was able to invade Poland without having to worry about Soviet interference. The Polish army was defeated within weeks, but it caused Britain and France to declare war on Germany. -
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Phony War ¨Sitzkreig¨
An eight month period at the beginning on WWII where there were no major military land operations on the Western Front. -
Lend-lease Act passed in US
This act allowed the US to lend weapons or other defense materials to “the government of any country whose defense the President deems vital to the defense of the United States.” -
Pearl Harbor Attack
Many Japanese fighter planes bombed the American naval base near Honolulu, Hawaii. -
America declares war on Japan and enters WWII
“Yesterday, December 7, 1941—a date which will live in infamy—the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan. No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.” -
War Production Board created
The War Production Board was established to direct war production and the procurement of materials in WWII. -
Executive Order 9066
Executive Order 9066 was a presidential executive order signed and issued during WWII. It allowed the Secretary of War to decide which areas were military zones. -
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Operation Torch (North Africa)
Operation Torch was an invasion of North Africa by America and Britain. This invasion was to take the Axis Powers out of North Africa, to improve naval control of the Mediterranean Sea, and to prepare for an invasion of Southern Europe. -
D-Day
Otherwise known as "The Normandy Landings," D-Day was an allied invasion of Normandy, and was the largest seaborne invasion in history. -
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Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima was a major battle where US Marines landed on and captured the island of Iwo Jima. -
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Okinawa
A series of battles fought in Japan, mostly on the island of Okinawa. America planned on using the island as a base for air operations. -
Dropping of the atom bomb on Hiroshima
The first atomic bomb is dropped on Japan. America becomes the first and only country to use atomic weaponry during a war. -
Dropping of the atomic bomb on Nagasaki
The second atomic bomb is dropped on Japan, causing them to surrender and ending WWII. -
End of WWII
This was the day that Japan formally signed the instrument of surrender, meaning that WWII was officially over.
