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Period: to
WorldWar2
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Adolf Hitler becomes the leader of the Nazi Party
Germans were anrgy over their defeat in WorldWar1 and the heavy reparation payments forced on them by the allies. 1921 Hitler became leader of a small group known as National Socialist or Nazi Party.
Racism was the core of nazi belief. Hitler told the Germans they were the master race to rule over Slavs Gypsies and others considered inferior. Hatered of jews was part of Hitlers racial theories and claiming the Germany had not lost WorldWar1 And was betrayed by Jews and others. -
Benito Mussolini appointed Prime Minister of Italy
Italy after WorldWar1 was in economic problems Benito Mussolini promised to restore order through strong leadership and october 1922 he and his followers threatened to overthrow the government and was appointed prime minister by the king in response.
Mussolini turned Italy to the worlds first fascist state saying Itally was superior with glorius destiny arguing that a superior nation had rights to conquer inferior nations. Mussolini end freedom of press and banned all other political parties. -
Josef Stalin sole dictator of the Soviet Union (USSR)
1929 Josef Stalin was dictator of the Soviet Union and turned it into totalitarian state. He took brutal measures to modernize industry and agriculture ordering peasants to give government run farms crops animals and land. Millions who protested were exicuted or sent to labor camps. estimated 4 million soviets were killed or imprisoned on false charges of disloyalty to the state. -
Japan’s Army seizes Manchuria, China
without approval of japans government and the army seixed manchuria in northeast china the league of nations protested -
Hitler is named Chancellor of Germany
Jitlers popularity increased from the great depression and was named chancellor leader of german parliament. once in power created a totalitarian state and other parties were outlawed. Hitlers secret police enforced strict loyalty. Germany banned jews from poblic schools and from rpofessions such as medicine and law jewish communities were attacked. -
Neutrality Acts passed by US Congress
Neutrality act was passed in 1935 first of serveral laws designed to keep the US at peace. It forbaded the president from selling arms loans and anything else but assistance to any nation in war. -
Italian Army invades Ethiopia in Africa
Mussolinis armies invaded the african country ethiopia thay fought bravely their cavalry and outdated rifles were no match for italys modern tanks and airplanes. Emperor haile selassie of ethiopia asked the league of nations for aid but responed weakly. britain france were weary or war and caught up in their own economic crises. Ethiopia fell to the invaders. -
Militarist take control of Japanese Government
The great Depression reached japan military leaders pressured the civilian government to take nearby countries. Saying that there island nation needed more space as well as raw materials. Militarists were in control of the government and preached racism saying they were superior. -
Hitler sends troops into Rhineland of Germany in violation of the Versailles Treaty
Hitler vowed to make a empire of all german speaking people. he began to rebuild Germanys armed forces indefiance of the treaty of versailles. Defied it futher by sending troops into Rhineland region of west germany in 1936 and occupied Astria 2 years later. The European democracies did nothing. -
Japan’s army pillages Nanjing, China; massacre a quarter of a million people.
japan steped agression in china and treated the chinese brutally. For 6 weeks japanese pillaged the chinese city of nanjing. In the assault more than a quarter of a million civilians and prisoners of war were massacred. -
Nazis begin rounding up Jews for labor camps
Germany passed anti Semitic laws baning jews from public schools and professions. Jewish communites were attacked and troops began rounding them up and sending to slave labor camps. -
Munich Pact signed giving the Sudetenland of Czechoslovakia to Germany
France and britian protested when hitler threatened to invade Czechoslovakia. European leaders met in German city of Munich hoping to apease Hitler. Munich pact agreed to let the german leader occupy the Sudentenland portion of Czechoslovakia largely populated by people who German. Hitler promised he would seek no further terretory. -
Nazi-Soviet Pact signed by Hitler and Stalin
Hitler and Stalin had signed a nonaggression agreement the pact promised not to attack one another and secretly divide poland. -
Sept 1st - Nazis invade Poland; Britain and France declare war on Germany
Nazi troops invaded poland 16 days later the Soviet union seized eastern poland also invaded Finland and later annexed Estonia Lithuania and Latvia. 2 days later Britain and France declared war on Germany and the war begun. -
Nazis invade Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Belgium – take control
Early war Hitlers armies seemed unstoppable they moved north seizing Denmark and Norway. In May marched west to conquer the Netherlands Luxemburg and belgium then moved to france. -
Battle of Britain – Royal Air Force defeats German Air Force to prevent invasion of their island
Britian stood alone against the Nazi war machine few thought stood a chance. Hitler ordered an air assault on Britian attacked cities for days 10s of thousands died but spirit never broke. London people slept in subway stationsand cleared wreckage buried dead and tried to carry on. British fought invading planes continued through summer into fall then hitler abandoned further plans. -
Germany invades France and forces it to surrender
Britain sent troops to help France resist assault however quickly over powered. By May the Germans had forced them to retreat to Dunkrik a French port on the English Channel.The British sent every ship and boat across the channel to rescue the trapped soldiers. German armies entered france and marched on paris litile then 6 weeks later France surrendered to hitler. -
First time Peacetime Draft in US
US took steps to prepare for possible war congress aproved greater spendingfor army and navy. Passed the first peacetime draft in american history. he ordered the army air corps to organize an african american unit under black officer command flight training set up at tuskegee army air field in alabama and later compile a super combat record. -
Japanese invade French Indochina (Viet. Laos, Cambodia)
Japan invaded French colony of Indochia FDR banned exports of iron and steel scrap and restrictedthe sale of oil to Japan. Shortage of fuel for their Navy and decided on war and attack on the USwere soon underway. -
Churchill and FDR issue the Atlantic Charter
FDR and Cherchill issued the antlantic charter agreed that their nations would seek no territorial gain and right of the people to choose their own governmant. They called for a new international organizationthat might succeed. -
Hitler breaks Pact with Stalin’s Russia and invades - USSR which now joins England in fighting the Germans
Hitler broke his pact with Stalin forces crossed into the soviet union and joined britian in fighting the germans. however in mistrust of each other forced to work together. -
Pearl Harbor in Hawaii attacked by Japanese Naval and Air forces, US declares war on Japan, Germany and Italy declare war on the US
Japan launched a surprise attack on america naval air and ground forces at pearl harbor on the island of Oahu. the attack destroyed nearly half of the islands military aircraft and damage 8 battleships to beyond repair 2400 killed. the assault caught military leaders by surprise though aware of Japanese attack they didnt expect tocome as far east as Hawaii. Congress declared war on Japan along with Germany and Italy. -
Russians stop Nazi advance at Stalingrad save Moscow
Germany controlled most of Western Europe Britian had not fallen but was powerless. The nazis advanced deep into Soviet Territory losses in the millions. A major battle took place in and around the russian city of stlingrad fighting ended in a clear soviet victory and slowly drove the germans back westward. -
Japanese Americans interned in isolated camps
After attack on Pearl Harbor many americans feared of Japanese American spies to help submarines shell military bases or coastal cities. Baseless suspicions not a single documented case of disloyalty. Led FDR to intern 110000 japanese for the rest of the war. Allowed to bring what they could carry the rest had to be sold at a fraction of worth. The US army then transported them from the west coast to small remote internment camps encloseed by barded wire and looked down on by soldiers in towers. -
Battle of Midway, turning point of war in the Pacific
Japanese sought to take the island of Midway Home of a key military base Americans sank 4 aircraft carriers 322 aircraftd and reduced supply of japanese highly trained pilots after japnese navy was no longer. -
Philippines fall to Japanese – Bataan Death March
Hours after attack on pearl harbor Japanese bombed airfeilds in the philippines destroyed most of the planes that could defend the islands against invasion. Japanses forces landed on luzon as the enemy closed in on the capital city manila general MacArthur withdrew his forces onto the Bataan peninsula. He was then ordered to Australia andtake command of all US troops in the region and as he left vowed to return. -
Philippines fall to Japanese – Bataan Death March P2
By early March they were the only major forces in the pacific that had not given to the japanese. Bataan defenders finally surrendered April 9. The Japanese captured 70000 soldier hungry and weak were then forced to walk 65 miles to a prison camp.
Many died from starvation disease or violence. -
Zoot Suit Riots – Los Angeles, CA
Mexicans Americans dressed in Zoot suits setting them apart with clothing and language. bands of sailors attacked the young mexican americans beating and clubing them in the streets and sparked serveral days of rioting. News papers blamed the mexican americans. Eleanor roosevelt argued the results of longstanding discrimination against the mexicans in the southwest. -
Italy surrenders, Mussolini dismissed as Prime Min.
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British and US forces defeat German and Italian armies in North Africa
Germanys most respected general Erwin Rommel won many quick victories then british forces at El Alamein in Egypt defeated german forces slowly drove Rommels tank corps westward into tunisia. The first American ground troops in combat landed in north africa under command of general Dwight D Eisenhower they occupied Morocco and Algeria Rommels army surrenderedin may. -
D-Day invasion of France at Normandy by Allies P2
American met an especially fierce german defense days end 2500 soldiers lay dead on Omaha Beach within a month a million allied troops had stormed ashore. -
D-Day invasion of France at Normandy by Allies
Allied forces were ready to under take the invasion of france carefully planned the landing under command of General Eisenhower a operation involving thousands of ships and aircraft. More tham 550000 US british canadian troops crassed the english channel landed on 5 beaches Normandy and wesern France. Troops at 4 of the beaches quickly over came german opposition. -
Paris retaken by Allies Forces
Allies entered paris august 25 French men women and children greeted their libiratior with joy. -
Battle of the Bulge – last offensive of German Forces P2
Fighting in Europes coldest winter in 40 years American forces won the battle Germany lay wide open from both east and west. -
Battle of the Bulge – last offensive of German Forces
Allied forces pushed eastward Germany conterattackedin belgium hitler poured his remaining reserves into the attack for the first week of battle Allied aircraft were grounded from bad weather. Alowing german troops to make a bulge in the lines and came close to breaking through. In the end attempts to fight off proved futile. Germans short fuel also through each side lost10s tthousands of men germany was runing out of soldiers. -
US forces return to recapture the Philippines
The Allies turned their full attendion to the pacific by spring US bombers were pounding the japanese home islands adn destroyed shipping millions of japanese were short of food japanese leaders still talked of victory. -
FDR dies, Harry S. Truman becomes President
FDR dies of stroke many could not remember anyone else as their leader Harry S Truman was thrust into office and had little experience with important policy issues. -
V-E Day, war ends in Europe
Representatives of Germanys armed forces surrendered at eisenhowers head quarters in france and celebrated V-E Victory in Europe. -
First Atomic Bombs dropped
US plane dropped atomic bomb on the city of hiroshima within minutes the blast and searing heat had killed more than 130000
people but still refused to surrender. A second atomic bomb was dropped on the city Nagasaki.35000 people died instantly more would die slower deaths from radiation. -
V-J Day, Japan surrenders to Allied Forces
The emperor of japan announced they would surrender known as V-J Victory in Japan. -
War Crimes Trials held in Nuremburg, Germany; Manila, Philippines and Tokyo, Japan.
German city of Nuremberg allied judges tried prominent Nazis for plungin ght eworld into war 12 defendants were sentence to death by hanging similar in manila and tokyo to try leaders. -
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