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Hitler invades
Hitler took Austria and Czechoslovakia without the world stopping it. Instead, they favored a policy of appeasement. Europe was afraid of another WWI. Hitler signed an agreement to not go after other lands after Czech. -
Euthanasia Program
Hitler signed a secret order to selectively “kill” all children under the age of 5 that showed signs of mental or physical disabilities. The program was so successful that it was expanded to older teens and adults. The program was to “cleanse” the race in order to create a productive society. It’s estimated that over 200,000 people died in this program. -
Hitler Attacks Poland
Hitler attacks Poland. Germany and Russia agreed to split up Poland. Germany invaded first. 2 weeks later Russia met the retreating Polish army and Poland was lost. France and England declared war. -
Auschwitz
Auschwitz I, the main camp, was the first camp established near Oswiecim. Construction began in April 1940 in an abandoned Polish army barracks in a suburb of the city. SS authorities continuously used prisoners for forced labor to expand the camp. -
Hitler Invades Russia 1941-1942
Plan takes longer than expected; winter starts and soldiers die.c85,000 Germans died in 6 weeks. In Moscow, the civilians dug miles of traps. Civilians were willing to fight. -
Japan attacked Pearl Harbor Dec. 7-11
180 U.S. aircraft sunk and 18 U.S. naval vessels sunk or destroyed. 2,403 Americans were killed in the attack. On December 8th, FDR asks Congress to declare war on Japan. On December 11, Germany and Italy declare war on the US. -
War Production Board
American companies starting making war goods. They organized national drives for scrap metal, paper, cooking fat, cloth, and anything that could make war goods. During its three-year existence the WPB supervised the production of $185 billion worth of weapons and supplies. -
The Manhattan Project
The Manhattan Project was a secret military project. The purpose was to create the first US nuclear weapon. Fears that Nazi Germany would build and use a nuclear weapon during World War II triggered the start of the Manhattan Project, which was originally based in Manhattan, New York. -
Double V Campaign
Double V campaign was created for victory overseas and victory over discrimination at home. African Americans were hired to do unskilled work, both at home and in the military. However, the Tuskegee Flyers became the first, all black, WWII fighter pilots. The Tuskegee Airmen flew more than 15,000 sorties. They had one of the lowest loss records of any escort fighter group. -
Women in WWII
Women made up one third of all factory workers. Women made 60% of what a man made. The military accepted women for noncombat assignments. -
Wartime Consumers
People had jobs and money and nothing to buy. Things were being produced for war. Americans bought War Bonds to ‘lend’ money to the government. Office of Price Administration controlled prices and rationed goods. People needed ‘coupons’ to buy coffee, meat, sugar, leather, clothes. -
Battle of Stalingrad
This was Germany’s second attempt to take Russia. Russia was a main reason Germany lost the war. Germany was undersupplied, the length of the battle was too long, and the Russian civilians were willing to fight. Hitler wanted to kill as many Russians as possible. Russia was going to be used as ‘living space. More than 20 million Russians died. Hitler’s obsession with Russia, allowed the Americans to invade with less resistance. -
Rosie the Riveter
“Rosie the Riveter,” star of a government campaign aimed at recruiting female workers for the munitions industry. She became perhaps the most iconic image of working women during the war. The female percentage of the U.S. workforce increased from 27 percent to nearly 37 percent. -
Jewish Question
15 Nazi officials met to discuss the “Jewish Question.” They agreed the emigration of Jews was necessary, but expensive. They discussed a “Final Solution”, but never used the words death camps. -
Executive Order 9066 Signed
FDR ordered that all people of Japanese descent be removed and placed in internment camp. Camps were in deserts, they were dirty, and had no running water. Families lost all previous belongings. -
D-Day
Operation Overlord. It was the invasion of the German occupied beaches of Normandy. It was and is still, the largest sea, land and air overtake ever. Allied forces won. Eisenhower was the General. -
Battle of the Bulge December 16 - January 25 1945
Germans tried to take Antwerp, a Belgian city. They successfully misled Americans, and the battle was chaotic. Americans ‘won’ or tied, but at a cost of over 81,000 lives. -
Liberation
As Soviet troops approached Auschwitz in January 1945. Most of its population was evacuated and sent on a death march. The prisoners remaining at the camp were liberated on January 27, 1945, a day now commemorated as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. -
Near the End
German soldiers were met by Soviet and Americans troops - Germany was almost done. By April 18, more than 325,000 German prisoners filled the overflowing Allied POW camps. Hitler committed suicide on April 30th. -
Presidents
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt died in his sleep from a cerebral hemorrhage. His successor, Harry S. Truman, then became president. He continued with the Manhattan Project. -
Little Boy
The bomb, Little Boy, was dropped on Hiroshima. 80,000 people died instantly. Another 120,000 people followed throughout the years. -
Fat Boy
The bomb, Fat Boy, was dropped on Nagasaki. More than 70,000 people died instantly. 60-80 thousand died within the first few months. -
Hirohito Surrendered
At noon that day, Emperor Hirohito went on national radio for the first time to announce the Japanese surrender. In his unfamiliar court language, he told his subjects, “we have resolved to pave the way for a grand peace for all the generations to come by enduring the unendurable and suffering what is insufferable.” The United States immediately accepted Japan’s surrender.
