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#4 The Lend-Lease program is introduced to congress
The Lend-Lease program was basically the US leasing aid to Britain for the war before the US got into the war. We gave Britain guns, tanks, and various other things. Britain was supposed to pay back for them at the end of the war, but they never did. -
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WWII Events of 1941
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#15 First All Black Air Force Unit Flies
They were called the Tuskegee Airmen. This was the first air force unit that was all black. At the time, the US army was still segregated, and still was a long time after World War ll. -
#12 Russia and Japan sign a neutrality pact
Now, Russia and Japan wouldn’t attack each other. This forced the USA and Great Britain to have to deal with them. This really fueled the race to get the atomic bomb. -
#6 The Blitz of Britain ends
It was the continuous bombing of Britain. The Blitz of Britain was the name for when the German’s continuously bombed Britain in order to make them surrender. The bombing went on for almost a year, and many people died during it. The tactic didn’t work and in the end Germany gave up and stopped. 32,000 citizens died -
#13 United States freeze German and Italian assets in the US
This cuts of trade and everything else for Germany and Italy. This causes them to be left very poor, it especially hurts Germany. As the war goes on Germany gets poorer and poorer, and towards the end Germany can’t even feed its citizens. -
#5 Germany unleashed the Barbarossa plan
It is where Germany invades the Soviet Union. It is where Germany invades the Soviet Union. Barbarossa was the largest military attack of WW2. It was very devastating for the Russian people, but it was stopped in the battle of Stalingrad. 800,000 Soviets Germany 775,000 died. -
#14 Roosevelt signs executive order 8802
This challenges discrimination against African-Americans in defense jobs. It was the first action by the government that attempted to get rid of discrimination in army jobs. -
#11 FDR warns Japan
FDR warns Japan to cease all aggression toward neighboring countries or else face the wrath of the USA. This of course didn’t work, because Japan later on in the year sneak attack the US at Pearl Harbor killing lots of Americans. -
#7 Nazi siege of Leningrad begins
Nazi Germany sieges Leningrad, and the Soviet Union attempted to stop them, but in the end it failed. Hitler continued to push into Russia until Stalin was able to stop him in the battle of Stalingrad. 800,000 people starved to death. -
# 10 Einsatzgruppen
Einsatzgruppen (mobile killing unit) shoot about 34,000 at Babi Yar, outside Kiev. This was considered the largest single massacre in the holocaust. Local police and killing units brutally murdered Jews at Babi Yar. -
#1 Japan bombs Pearl Harbor
Japan bombs Pearl Harbor, a US navy base on Hawaii. It was a sneak attack by the Japanese, and many American’s died during it. The US had 8 battleships at the base, and 4 of them sank. The Japanese also sank a variety of other ships killing many Americans. 2403 people died. -
#2 U.S. declares war on Japan
This happened almost immediately after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. It was the day after. This was the US’s official entry into World War ll. -
#3 Germany and Italy declare war on U.S.
Germany and Italy declare war on U.S. Germany and Italy were allies of Japan, so this is why they declared war on the US. Germany and Italy had already declared war on Great Britain and the Soviet Union. -
#9 40,000 Japanese troops storm Manila
40,000 Japanese troops storm Manila, and US General McArthur retreats to Bataan. Lots of American lives were lost during this. It was a major win for the Japanese army. Although this was a big win, the US in the end prevailed. -
#8 Battle of Wake Island
December 7-23. The Marines and Wake Island citizens attempted to hold off the Japanese. Just over 100 people died
