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Japan Invades Manchuria
Manchuria is weak from civil war. Japan sees it as an oppurtunity to invade and gain natural resources. -
Italy Invades Ethiopia
At the time, Ethiopia is one of the only African countries that is not already controlled by a European power. Mussolini takes control of Ethiopia easily due to Ethiopian's weak and unmodernized military. The League of Nations condemned Mussolini's attack on Ethiopia but do not take action against him. -
Rhineland
Germany takes control of the demilitarized zone called the Rhineland, which is the only piece of land seperating them from France. This invasion was against the Treaty of Versaille and Hitler was gambling that the Allies would not pose any resistance. -
Spanish Civil War
Spanish rebels, lead by Francisco Franco, fought against the Republicans who were loyal to the Spanish democratic government. Francisco Franco and the rebels received a lot of aid from Hitler and Mussolini; while, the republican government of Spain received almost no aid from the United States because of the neutrality legislation. However, a small group of American men and women, called the Abraham Lincoln Brigade, went to Spain to voluntarily fight. -
Quarantine Speech
The Quarantine Speech was Roosevelt's first discussion of keeping the situation of the aggressing countries under control. He mostly refered to setting embargos, but the public worried that even small involvment in the war would soon turn into a full out war -
Anschluss
Hitler takes control of Austria with the justification that they are a German-speaking country and should be united with Germany -
Munich Conference
The Munich Conference was a meeting amoung the major world leaders: Hitler, Mussolini, Chamberlain, Daladier. The Munich Conference ultimately agreed to give Hitler the Sudentenland in hopes that he would stop invading countries -
Invasion of Poland
At this point, Germany has already taken control of Czechoslovakia and is setting sights for Poland. Britain and Frace, allies of Poland, warn Germany that if they invade Poland they will declare war. Germany disregards their warning and invades Poland on September 7, 1941. Thus, causing the allies to declare war. -
Invasion of North Africa- Operation Torch
Operation Torch was one of the first Allied offensive, which aimed to defeat German General Erwin Rommel's forces and take control of North Africa. After having control of North Africa, the Allies would have the Germans surrounded and have control over the Mediterranean Sea. -
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise attack from the Japanese military, which was intended to keep the United States from interfering with the Japanese war efforts in Southeast Asia. However, the Attack on Pearl Harbor actually resulted in the United States entry into the war. -
Battle of Coral Sea
As the Japanese continued to move south, they set their sights for Southern Islands such as New Guinea and Tulagi. The Allies then created a strategy of stopping the Japanese from conquering anymore territory so that they could not grow more powerful as we fought in Germany. The Allies used mostly aircraft carriers and came out with a victory. -
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was very long and among the most bloody battles. The German offensive held strong until they began to run out of supplies and were unprepared for the cold winter. The battle resulted in an Alied Victory and was one of the last German offensives on the Eastern front. -
Invasion of Italy
The Allied generals felt that invading Italy would be the best location to start the European offensive, because the idea of the war was becoming unpopular along with their leader, Benito Mussolini. However, battling up the Italian pennisula will be more difficult than anticipated. -
D-Day: Invasion of Normandy
The Invasion of Normandy, or D-Day, required a lot of preparation and creative thinking. By using many methods of trickery, the Allies managed to deceive the Nazis into believing the attack would occur somewhere else. D-Day required many preparations and special training, but resulted in breaking the German line, regaining control of Paris, and a major Allies victory -
Leyte Gulf
Leyte Gulf was the biggest naval battle of World War II. The Allies were able to severly damage the ships and aircraft of the Japanese. Therefore, the Japanese did not pose a major threat -
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a surprise German offensive that caught the Allied forces off guard. However, the battle ended in an Allied victory and severly depleted German resources. The battle marked the final German offensive. -
Yalta Conference
The Yalta Conference took place in the Livadia Palace, which is near Yalta, Crimea. The conference was a meeting of the "Big Three": Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin; who were discussing the plan for postwar. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima was almost inevitably a victory for the Allies due to superior numbers and weapons, but the victory was forced to wait 6 long weeks. The Japanese were difficult to conquer because of their extensive tunnels, foxholes, and their strong will to never surrender. However at the end of the battle, the Allies gained valuable air strips for the bombings of main land Japan. -
V-E Day (Victory in Europe Day)
The day that is accepted as Germany's formal surrender to the Allies. Therefore, V-E Day signifies the end of WWII in Europe. -
Potsdam Conference
Potsdam Conference was a meeting between major powers Truman, Stalin, and Churchill after Germany agrees to surrender. The conference resulted in dividing Germany -
Dropping the Atomic Bombs
The atomic bombs were dropped on August 6, 1945 in Hiroshima and on August 9, 1945 in Nagasaki. The United States resulted in dropping the atomic bomb, because they realized the Japanese would not surrender and were hoping to prevent an endless war. -
V-J Day (Surrender of Japan)
The Japanese military was running out of resources and weapons due to the Allied advancement in the Pacific. After the two atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Japanese had no other option than to surrender.
