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The Rise of Fascist Dictators in Europe
The first fascist dictator was Benito Mussolini, from Italy. Mussolini rose to power during the economic crisis after World War I. He organized rallies and the King basically gave Mussolini all the power he wanted without a fight. After Mussolini, HItler came to power in Germany, making himself the leader instead of the failing Weimar Republic. -
Japanese Aggression in Asia
While China was in a Civil War, the Japanese invaded it. They first annexed Manchuria, and after several years they attacked again at Beijing and Guangzhou, important Chinese cities. Finally, in 1937 the Japanese demolished China's cultural center, Nanjing. Some of the danage included massacres of civilians and soldiers alike, among other brutalities. This event has become known as 'the rape of Nanjing". -
Munich Conference
Hitler increased his demands, but Britain and France wanted a peaceful solution to his greed. To avoid war, the appeased Hitler and gave Germany more land. Hilter promised he would be satisfied with this annexation, and told them "that he had no further plans to expand his territory". -
Annexation of Austria
Hitler unified Germany and Austria in 1939. He forced Nazis into the Austrian cabinet, and swiftly silenced opposition. He easliy got his own way, and Austria was now Nazi territory. -
Battle of the Atlantic
From 1939 until 1945, the Allies tried to stop the Axis from stopping the supply flow to England. In the beginning, it was the Allies who formed a blockade of Germany, and as a result, Germany created a counter-blockade. The battle ocnsisted of u-boats and other German ships against the British and Canadian navy, as well as other Allied merchant ships protected by warships (convoys). In 1940, Italy joined the battle, and in 1941 the US joined in on the Allies' side. In the end, the Allies won. -
Nazi-Soviet Pact
Hitler formed a peace treaty with the Soviet Union. In secret, they both devised a plan to 1) keep peace between each other, and 2) divide Poland back to its state before the Treaty of Versailles. -
Phony War
The French prepared for war behind the Maginot line, but Hitler did not attack for months. Finally, in April, the Nazis attacked Denmark and Norway full on with their Blitzkreig war tactics. -
Miracle at Dunkirk
German forces poured into France. British troops stationed in France from the 'Phony War' quickly retreated and found they were trapped between the English Channel and the approaching Nazis. Taking a chance, England ordered as many boats as possible across the Channel to bring the soldiers back home. Over 300,000 soldiers were safely brought to England's shores, despite German air attacks. -
The Fall of France
German troops invaded Paris, and meanwhile Italy declared war on France. In a matter of days, France surrendered and became Nazi territory. A few French officials secretly went to Britain where "they set up a "government-in-exile" which attempted to liberate France from German occupation. -
Battle of Britain
When Britain, now the sole European voice against the Nazis, refused to surrender, Hitler launched "Operation Sea Lion". This was a massive series of air attacks and bombings that Hitler was sure would break the English morale. First, the Nazis attacked the southern English coast and then quickly changed its focus to the daily bombings of London and other cities. Unfortunately for Hitler, the British morale stayed strong and actually increased as its citizens knit closer together. -
Operation Barbarossa
Hitler decided to launch his plan to conquer the Soviet Union. His motives: 1) resource-rich land, and 2) to defeat his long time nemesis, Joseph Stalin. After a sucessful initial suprise attack, the Germans were forced to stall as the harsh Russian winter claimed thousands of troops. Russians also suffered their own consequences, but managed to keep ocntrol of Leningrad. As a result of Operation Barbarossa, the Soviet Union and England formed an Alliance. -
Nazi Genocide (1)
Hitler's worst policy was to eliminate the racially inferior. This included: Slavs, Gypsies, the mentally ill, and, most importantly, the Jews. Hitler tried to accomplish by forcing these people into ghettos and concentration camps. Going a step further, Hitler established "death camps" in Poland, where Jews from all over Europe were shipped in and systematically killed in the most "efficient" way possible. This usually meant being sent to a gas chamber. -
Attack on Pearl Harbor
When America refused to sell war materials to Japan, the Japanese began to get angry with the United States. Despite the talks to ease tension, on December 7, 1941, Japan suprise-attacked Pearl Harbor, an American Naval Base. Ships and airplanes were destroyed, and over 2,400 people lost their lives. President Roosevelt declared war on Japan on December 11th, 1941. -
The Battle of El Almein
Nazi troops taking territory in the Middle East under the command of Erwin Rommel were finally stopped in 1942-1943, during the long Battle of El Almein. The Allies forced them off of Aftica and later, they were able to trap Rommel's army. They forced him to surrender in May 1943. -
The Battle of Midway
After a series of wins by Japan in the Pacific, the United States damaged two Japanese fleets. This severely damaged Japan's power, and their advance was terminated. After this battle, the US began their "island-hopping" war tactic, and captured some Japanese-held islands and used these islands as steppingstones toward Japan. By 1944, America had formed a blockade around Japan and was also bombing cities. -
Battle of Stalingrad
One of the most deadly battles in World War Two was when Hitler decided he wanted to claim Stalingrad, a major city in the Soviet Union. However, Russians were equally determined to defend their precious city. First, German soldiers surrounded the city and then the Russians surrounded them. A bitter struggle in the streets of the city happened during the winter, and bodies lay everywhere. German troops could not get any food, ammunition, or rescue, so they surrendered in early 1943. -
Invasion of Italy
After the Allies defeated the Axis in Africa, they decided to invade Italy. They started in Sicily and later in southern Italy, and in one month had the forces in those areas defeated. The Italian people overthrew Mussolini, and the new government signed an agreement to stop fighting, but it continued. Hitler sent in new troops, and the Allies suffered significant losses. However, in the long run it was a good decision because it made Hitler weaker because he had to fight on another front. -
D-Day
The Allies decided to open up a second European front and invade France. Eisenhower was the official Allied commander, and in preparation for the invasion, constantly sent aircraft over to destroy aircraft that could damage their mission. On June 6th, countless troops were sent over to France. They successfully broke through the German defenses and continued toward Paris. In Paris, resistance forces threatened the German occupation. Germany surrendered and France was free within a month. -
Battle of Berlin
After Hitler's last success at the Battle of th Bulge, his support was declining. Germany was being incessantly bombed, and raids killing innocent civilians took place. In March, the Allies had entered western Germany and the Soviets were closing in on Berlin. Axis powers began to surrender. -
Nazi Genocide (2)
By 1945, about 6,000,000 Jews, and even more "undesirables" had been killed. Jews sometimes showed resistance in the camps, though their efforts were easily thwarted by Nazi officials. Outside of the camps, some people worked in secret to keep Jews from capture. Jews hid in the homes of family, and friends. Unfortunatley, there were more people who chose to ignore the wrong deeds of the Nazis and still others who took it upon themselves to report Jews and have them deported to death camps. -
Battle of Okinawa
This and other battles made the United States realize that the Japanese were willing to die when they fought. They still had a very strong army, and experts estimated that invading Japan would cause millions of casualties. An example of the Japanese wanting to fight to the death rather than surrender is show in their kamikaze airplane pilots. Scientists scrambled to come up with another way to end the war then invasion. -
The United Nations
Like the League of Nations at the end of WWI, the United Nations was created to keep peace. However, the UN was given more power and influence. There is a General Assembly in which each member nation has one vote and then a smaller assembly with more power could veto any decisions that the larger body makes. Today, the UN dosn't just stop at peacekeeping. This organization prevents pandemics, improces education, and helps other nations develop their economies all around the world. -
The Nazis Defeated
When the Soviet troops closing in on Berlin began to fight their way in, Hitler committed suicide in his bunker. Germany surrendered, and the next day, the war in Europe was over. -
Use of Atomic Weapons
The first atomic bomb was tested in Alamogordo, New Mexico. President Truman realized that this powerful, powerful weapon would be key to ending the war. He told the Japanese to surrender or face "utter and complete destruction". The Japanese paid the warning no mind, and the United States launched the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima. -
Surrender of Japan
The damage done by the atomic bombs was horrible. Four square miles were flatened and over 70,000 prople were killed, not including the thousands that would die after from radiation exposure. On August 8th, the Soviet Union declared war on Japan. THey still did not respond, and so the United States dropped another bomb on the city of Nagasaki. The Japanese cabinet could not come to a conclusion, so the emperor intervened and forced them to surrender. A formal treaty was signed on September 2nd.
