-
Mao Zedong leads Long March
In 1934, war was raging in China. The nationalists in China had the communist army pinned in the south when they embarked on one of the greatest marches in history. Although Mao Zedong didn't actually take part in the Long March, his army marched 10,000 miles from South China to the mountains in the north. -
Germany invades Poland: France and Great Britain declare war on Germany
In 1939, Germany invaded Poland after having claimed many other lands in Eastern Europe. This is said to be the beginning of World War II by many textbooks and historians, but others claim that the war was started when the Japanese invaded Manchuria. Following the German invasion of Poland, France and Great Britain declared war on Germany. -
Japan attacks Pearl Harbor
On December 7, 1941, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Around 2,000 Americans died in the attack, and it was the first attack on American soil during World War II. Following the attack, the United States declared war on Japan and joined the side of the Allies. -
Germany surrenders
After six years of fighting World War II, Germany finally surrendered. After their final attack on Allied forces failed at the Battle of the Bulge, Germany was surrounded on all sides by the Russians, Americans, French, and British. By this time, Hitler had committed suicide, and the Germans had no choice but to surrender. -
Americans use atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
On August 6, 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. It was the first ever nuclear bomb used in a war, and it killed 70,000 people on impact and hundreds of thousands more later from radiation. A few weeks later, the US dropped another atomic bomb on Nagasaki after Japan ignored their warning. Following these bombings, Japan surrendered to the US. -
United Nations formed
After World War II, the United Nations was formed, with its main priority to stop another world war from occurring after the League of Nations had failed. The UN has five permanent members, CHina, France, the US, the UK, and Russia.
