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Mussolini takes over Italy's Government
Mussolini desired to stage a fascist coup of the Italian government, as 20,000 fascists marched on Rome. Italian King Victor Emanuel II decided not to oppose them fearing a civil war, and instead appointed Mussolini as Prime Minister.
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Beer Hall Putsch
Hitler devised a plan to use famous German WWI general Erich Ludendorff to inspire a Nazi revolution. He first took control of a large beer hall. The plan disintegrated when military personnel stopped an attempted takeover of Weimar government buildings by Hitler's followers.
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Kellogg-Briand Pact
Signed in Paris by 15 countries, such as the US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan (and later by another 47 nations), this pact essentially made the act of war illegal. The pact eventually fell apart after enforcement of its policies was nonexistent.
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U.S. Stock Market Crash
The U.S. Stock Market grew swiftly during the 1920s, causing an economic bubble. During Sep. and Oct. of 1929, stock prices began declining. Uneasiness caused almost 13 million shares to be traded in one day. Then, mass panic ensued as 16 million stocks were traded and stock prices crashed.
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Japan invades Manchuria
Imperial Japan exerted military force by breaking the Kelogg-Briand Pact and invading northern China. A growing Japanese population caused the empire to seek for more land, and Manchuria was the first to be targeted. The Japanese pushed deeper into China and thus began the conflicts of WWII.
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Hitler becomes Germany's Chancellor
On this day, Hitler was appointed as Chancellor of Germany by German President Paul von Hindenburg. Initially, Hindenburg attempted to elect a general to sway support of the Nazi party from Hitler. This did not work and Hitler gained the title of Chancellor.
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Japan withdraws from the League of Nations
After a report constructed by the League of Nations, Japan seceded from the union of countries. This report, voted on with a ratio of 42:1, condemned Japan's invasion of Manchuria and recommended that its troops by withdrawn from China.
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Nazi's reach a political majority in Germany
In order to gain absolute power within the German pariliament, Hitler pushed through a bill that would allow Hitler to enact laws without passing them through the Reichstag. This "Enabling Act" bill passed, but not before the arrests of much of the political opposition.
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First anti-Semitic law is passed in Germany
Hitler wanted to strip the powers and rights of the Jewish populations within Germany. In order to do this, legislation was passed. The first on April 7, 1933, restricted Jewish citizens from state service.
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The Night of the Long Knives (Rohm Purge)
Over 80 "Storm Trooper" leaders and other opponents of Hitler were executed on this night. Ernest Rohm, leader of the SA, was convicted of plotting an overthrow of the German government and replacement of the German army. Thus, Hitler gained support after removal of Rohm.
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Hitler openly announces to his cabinet that he will defy the Treaty of Versailles
Hitler called a meeting with his Cabinet and other military officials. During this meeting, he told of his new decision: Germany will break the military restrictions set by the Treaty and introduce a conscription to build a bigger military force.
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Creation of the Nuremberg Laws
The Nuremberg Laws were a famous group of legislation that banned marriage and intercourse between Jews and non-Jews and stripped the Jewish population of German citizenship. These laws interpreted Jews by race rather than religion.
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Italy invades Ethiopia
Mussolini followed the policies of Hitler in regards to expansion of German territory. A history of Italian defeat in Ethiopia persuaded Mussolini to takeover the country. In this act, he hoped to boost Italy's morale and collect resources to boost the Italian economy.
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Hitler militarizes the Rhineland
The Treaty of Versailles selected the Rhineland to act as a buffer zone between Germany and France. Hitler defied the clauses set by this treaty and sent military troops, equipment, and other munitions into the area.
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Rape of Nanking
Following the Japanese initial invasion of China, General Matsui Iwane wanted to crush all Chinese resistance. The general ordered the destruction of the city of Nanking. 20,000 women and girls were raped and killed along with the massacre of 200,000 men.
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Germany annexes Austria
Austrian Chancellor Schuschnigg met with Hitler after learning of a plot to seize Austria and unite it with Germany. This backfired, and he later resigned and told Austrian forces not to fight against a German occupation. German troops then came in, met with Austrian support.
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Hitler demands the Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia
The Sudetenland is an area between Germany and former Czechoslovakia that contained over 3 million Germans, along with numerous resources such as coal, lignite, and lumber. Hitler demanded that this portion of the country be handed over to Germany. Eventually, the Czechs complied.
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Munich Conference
Officials from Germany, Britain, France, and Italy met during a meeting to dicuss Hitler's demands against Czechoslovakia, whom was not represented. These four powers agreed that the Sudetenland be given to Germany, along with large portions of the Czech's coal, iron, and steel.
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Kristallnacht
Hitler progressed to violence during this "Night of Broken Glass". The Nazis sent over 30,000 Jewish men to concentration camps, along with the destruction of Jewish homes, synagogues, schools, and businesses. Almost 100 Jews were killed in the process.
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Einstein's letter to FDR, "The Manhattan Project"
Hungarian-American Physicist Leo Szilard feared of Nazi Germany using atomic bombs during WWII. Szilard needed credibility to back his research into creating an atomic bomb before the Germans. He asked his friend, Albert Einstein, to sign a letter requesting aid from the American government, to which he agreed.
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Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact
On this date, Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin signed this non-aggression pact. Secret terms were also agreed upon within the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. These terms decided how Poland would be divided between Germany and the USSR along with the control of other nations within the area.
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Nazi invasion of Poland
Early on in the morning of September 1st, 1939, a full-scale attack was launched on Poland. 1.5 million German troops stormed in, along with Luftwaffe bombing raids and U-boats striking Polish naval forces in the Baltic Sea. Britain and France then declared war on Germany on Sep. 3.
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Evacuation of Dunkirk
338,000 Allied troops were saved during a massive evacuation process at Dunkirk, located on the Belgian coast. Germany had the Allies pinned at the beach, but Hitler intervened and decided that the Luftwaffe should finish the job, which the British Royal Air Force fought against.
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France surrenders
French WWI war hero Marshal Henri Peatin was appointed as prime minister to boost morale during the fall of France against Germany. Petain almost immediately signed an armistice with Germany. Half of France became occupied as Petain headed a Nazi-backed government in southern Vichy.
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Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain began after Hitler conquered the great majority of Europe. He turned his focus towards England and began performing bombing raids. Although the Luftwaffe outnumbered the RAF in numbers, the British had superior aircraft along with an advanced radar system.
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The Tripartite Pact
The Tripartite Pact established a formal alliance between Germany, Italy, and Japan. From this pact, Germany and Italy were recognized as leaders of "a new order in Europe" as was Japan with "Greater East Asia".
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Lend-Lease Act
The Lend-Lease act allowed President Franklin D. Roosevelt to transfer military aid to "the government of any country whose defense the President deems vital to the defense of the United States." This granted the US to play a part in World War II without officially entering the war.
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Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was a daring attempt by Hitler to invade the Soviet Union. Even at the peak of the German army, fatal flaws hindered the Nazis campaign. Germany's infrastructure wasn't built to sustain a long, two-sided war. The harsh climate also aided the Soviets.
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Bombing of Pearl Harbor
On the morning of Dec. 7, 1941, Japanese fighter planes began a premeditated assault on the American state of Hawaii. Japan's plan: destroy the Pacific Fleet. This plan, killing over 2,000 men and destroying naval ships and hundreds of aircraft, was unsuccessful. The US was in WWII.
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The Wannsee Conference and the "Final Solution"
The Wannsee Conference was a meeting between high-ranking Nazi officials to discuss the ¨Final Solution¨. This Final Solution was the genocide of millions of Jews, i.e. the Holocaust. They discussed the implementation of the Solution, decided beforehand by Hitler himself.
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Bataan Death March
The Bataan Death March occurred after 75,000 Filipino and American troops were trapped on the Bataan Peninsula. Prior, Japan invaded the Philippines. These captured troops began a forced march to a Japanese prison camp near Cabanatuan. Thousands of prisoners died in the process.
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Doolittle Raid
In retaliation for Pearl Harbor, the U.S. decided to strike the Japanese mainland. This effort, 4 months after Pearl Harbor, was the first joint operation between the Army Air Forces and the Navy, in which a B-25 bomber would take off from an aircraft carrier 500 NM from Tokyo and strike Japan.
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Battle of Midway
From the Doolittle Raid, Japan realized that it needed to expanded control of the Pacific Ocean eastward. The U.S. had prior knowledge of a possible attack through the cracking of Japanese code. The Imperial Fleet came to take the Island of Midway, but American bombers intercepted them and wreaked havoc.
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Battle of Stalingrad
One of the bloodiest battles of the war, the Battle of Stalingrad marked a turning point in WWII. Hitler decided to break the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact and push east into the USSR. After a long attempt at trying to take over the city of Stalingrad, the Soviets forced a German retreat.
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Operation Torch
Operation Torch was an extremely important cooperative effort that guided the Allied takeover of French Northern Africa. Torch paved the way for the Axis defeat, as it gave control of the Mediterranean Sea to the Allies as well as lead to the removal of Italy from the war.
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Island Hopping (Buna-Gona Campaign)
General MacArthur of the United States made a key decision that would aid the U.S. against Japan. Japan had control of many small islands which would have taken a considerably long time to take out individually. Instead, MacArthur decided to only target certain islands and make a path to Japan.
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Operation Overlord and D-Day
Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of northwest Europe, came into full effect on D-Day. Around 156,000 Allied troops landed in Normandy, and by June 11 over 300,000. This brutal battle against the Germans signified the beginning of the end of the war.
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Operation Valkyrie
Operation Valkyrie was an assassination attempt on Hitler by Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg. Stauffenberg placed an explosives-filled briefcase beneath a wooden table during a meeting with Hitler and other Nazi officials. It was a failure and Hitler lived on.
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Discovery of Majdanek
Majdanek was the first major German concentration camp found by the Allies. Before the discovery by the Soviets, the retreating Nazis attempted to burn down the camp, as well as herd prisoners back towards other camps. Following this discovery, the Soviet Union began liberating concentration camps.
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Battle of the Bulge
As an attempt to push back against the Allied Operation Overlord invasion into northwestern Europe, Hitler tried to implement his blitzkrieg and split the Allied armies. But with help from General Patton, the German push into the Ardennes was stifled.
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Hitler's Suicide
During his final days, Hitler remained underground inside of an air-raid shelter-turned-living quarters. This domain was about 55 feet below the Chancellery. Right before the Russians took control of the Chancellery, Hitler committed suicide.
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V-E Day
Victory in Europe Day signified the end of World War II in Europe. German troops across the continent laid down their arms. The Russians took approximately 2 million German soldiers prisoner during this time. On May 9th Joseph Stalin recognized the end of fighting and sent out a broadcast.
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Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
The Manhattan Project led to August 6, 1945, when the world's first deployed atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima by an American B29 bomber. 90% of the city was destroyed. Nagasaki was bombed 3 days later. Japan then surrendered to the U.S.
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The Nuremberg Trials
13 trials were held in Nuremberg, Germany. These trials attempted to bring to justice high-ranking Nazi officials, doctors, lawyers, and others, and to make them pay for the atrocities against peace and humanity committed by the Germans and Nazi party.
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V-J Day
Victory over Japan Day came after the Japanese surrendered to the Allies of WWII. Japan's formal surrender came after the U.S.S. Missouri docked at Tokyo Bay. World War II's conflicts in the Pacific officially ceased on this date.
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Creation of the United Nations
Following WWII, an effective replacement for the League of Nations was needed. Signed by 26 nations originally, the U.N. Charter set out to prevent future conflicts, push for equal rights, and aid in the cooperation of nations internationally.
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The Japanese War Crime Trials
The Japanese War Crime Trials were held against 28 Japanese government and military officials accused of war crimes during WWII. These cases were heard by the International Military Tribunals for the Far East in Tokyo. General Tojo, along with 6 other men, were executed.
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The Beginning of the Cold War
On this date, the Truman Doctrine policy was announced during a speech by President Harry S. Truman, asking for help "to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures" against communism.
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