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Japan Seizes Manchuria
Japan claimed the Chinese soldiers had sabotaged the Japanese-controlled Manchurian railway, and used this as an excuse to attack the Chinese army. By early 1932, Japan had conquered Manchuria entirely. League of Nations did nothing because they feared war. and Japan continued to invade other regions. -
Nuremburg Laws
The Nuremburg Laws were antisemitic laws introduced in Germany by the Nazi Party. The laws excluded German Jews from Reich citizenship and from marrying/having sexual relations with a German. This was significant as normalized Jewish hatred in Germany and paved the way for the Holocaust. -
The Rape of Nanking
Over a span of six weeks, the Imperial Japanese Army forces murdered hundreds of thousands of people in the Chinese city of Nanking. Tens of thousands of women would be sexually assaulted then killed. -
The Munich Pact
The Munich Pact was a failed act of appeasement towards Germany. It was a settlement which permit Germany to occupy portions of Czechoslovakia, renamed Sudetenland. This was done in an attempt to avoid war, as the other country leaders who signed the agreement believed Hitler would be satisfied with the Sudetenland. However, this only marked Germany's rise to power once more. -
Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht, or the Night of Broken Glass, refers to the massive coordinated attack on Jews throughout the German Reich. It is significant because it begins the anti-Jew campaign and violence towards Jews became more prevalent after this time. -
Hitler seizes all of Czechoslovakia
Hitler's first invasion of foreign land, which marked the end of appeasement and broke the Munich Agreement. -
Canada declares war on Germany
Canada was now a more independent nation and the Parliament and people of Canada felt that entering the war was the right thing to do. Canada waited a week after Britain declared war on Germany to prove that it was its own master. Entering the war transformed Canada from a quiet, less involved country to a larger player in global affairs. -
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain was an air battle between the British RAF and the German Luftwaffe, with Germany attempting to occupy the United Kingdom. This was the first air-only battle in history and marked the first defeat of Hitler's military forces. -
Operation Barbarossa begins
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union. It was the largest military operation in history, and Hitler's goal was to expand into the east. -
Pearl Harbor
The Attack at Pearl Harbor was a surprise attack by the Japanese on the US. Planes came in waves and launched bombardments which claimed 2,403 lives and destroyed American planes and ships. This cemented the decision for the United Stated to join the war on the Allied side. -
Invasion of Hong Kong
One of the first battles of the Pacific Theatre during WWII, the Battle of Hong Kong was the Japanese invasion for control of the city. It was fought on land with on ground troops, using artillery bombardments. Canadians sent troops to Hong Kong for the battle, which lasted less than three weeks before the Japaneses' victory, -
Final Solution
The German plan for the systematic extermination of Jews, the Final Solution was formed in January 1942 at the Wannsee Conference. Its significance is that it lead up to the Holocaust. -
D-Day
D-Day, also known as the Battle of Normandy, was the battle that resulted in the Allied liberation of Europe from the control of Nazi Germany. It was an amphibious battle that required complex, large-scale planning, as it was fought on air, water, and land. There was a massive deception operation to fool the Germans a few weeks prior to the attack. This battle was considered the "beginning of the end" of WWII in Europe. -
Canadian soldiers liberate Netherlands
Canada was tasked with liberating the Netherlands from occupation of the Nazis during the final months of the WW2. From September 1944 until April 1945, the First Candian army fought against Germany. This is significant because it strengthened Canada's and Netherland's ties, freed Netherlands from years of Nazi oppression and occupation, and Netherlands still celebrates Liberation Day (May 5th) today. -
Hiroshima
Hiroshima was one of the two Japanese cities which were atomic bombed by the United States nearing the end of WWII. The bombing of Hiroshima killed 90,000-146,000 people, roughly half of which occurred on the first day. Although it was not guaranteed, the reason for the dropping of the bombs were to end the war.
