WW2 and Cold War

Japan's Invasion of China

Jan 1, 1931

Japanese army invades Manchuria intending to take over the whole provence. One of the causes of WW1.

Gorbachev

May 2, 1931

General secretary/president of the Communist Part of the Soviet Union who tried to democratize and decentrailize the economy,
Won the Nobel Peace Prize.

Germany Invades Poland

Sep 1, 1939

Beginning of WW2.
Adolf Hitler invades Poland on land and from the air to try and regain lost territory.

Battle of Britain

Jul 1, 1940

First all-air battle in history between Britain and German forces. Got its name from Winston Churchill. Britain had the upper hand with more advanced tech and more skilled pilots.

Tripartite Pact

Sep 27, 1940

Germany, Italy, and Japan become allies known as the axis Powers by signing this pact. Thye agree to provide mutual assistance to each other.

Lend-Lease Act

Mar 11, 1941

Act signed by President FDR as a means for the US to provide military aid to foreign countries during WW1.

German Blitzkrieg on Soviet Union

Jun 1, 1941

"Lightning War"-series of short campaigns to avoid log wars.
Failed German attack tactic against Russia.

Germany takes Leningrad

Sep 1, 1941

Three year seige by Germany of one of the intial targets of Operation Barbossa.
632,000 killed and 4.000 starving on Christmas day 1941

Bombing of Peral Harbor

Dec 7, 1941

Japanese air force attacks MAerican naval base near Honolulu, Hawaii. Catalyst for America joining the war.
200 airplanes, 20 naval ships destroyed
2,000+ soldiers killed, another 1,000 wounded

Wannsee Conference

Jan 20, 1942

Gathering of high-ranking Nazis and German government officials to decide the "Final Solution" to the Jewixh Problem they faced.

Battle of Midway

Jun 4, 1942

Equalizing naval fight in Japan's Pacific Ocean War between Japan and the US over a United State's pacific base.

D-Day

Jun 6, 1944

Allies invasion that liberated Western Europe form Nazi Germany's control.
Codename: Operation Overlord

Yalta Conference

Feb 4, 1945

Meeting between leaders of Britain, the US, and Soviet Russia to demand total surrender of Germany and start plans for the post-war economy.

Iwo Jima/Okinawa

Feb 19, 1945

Japanese islands targeted by the US during WW2- caoture was crucial to an invasion and Iwo JIma was attacked first.

Hitler's Suicide

Apr 30, 1945

Hitler takes a cyanide pill and shoots himself in the head shortly before Germay surrenders and his 1,000- year Reich dream ends.

VE Day

May 8, 1945

Victory in Europe Day. Officially announced the end of WW2 in Europe when German general signed an unconditional surrender document.

Potsdam Conference

Jul 17, 1945

Leaders of Britain, United States, and the Soviet Union meet in Potsdam, Germany to negoiate terms of WW2.

Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Aug 6, 1945

America ends WW2 by dropping atomic bombs on Japan and causing the Japanese to surrender.
Nagasaki- killed about 40,000 people.
Hiroshima- killed 80,000 and wiped out 90% opf the city.

VJ Day

Aug 14, 1945

Victory Over Japan Day. Day when Japan surrendered and ended WW2.

Formation of the U.N.

Oct 24, 1945

Internation ogranization of 26 government representatives dedicated to world peace.

Truman Doctrine

Mar 12, 1947

Doctrine by Presdient Truman establishing that the US would provide political, military, and economic assistance to all threatened democratic nations.

Marshall Plan

Mar 1, 1948

Congressed passed a bill to fund money to rebuild war-ravaged Europe.
Raised $12 billion.

NATO

Apr 4, 1949

North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an intergovernmental political and military alliance.

Mao Zedong &People’s Republic of China

Oct 1, 1949

Zedong declared the creation of the People's Republic of China which ended the civil war between the Chinese Communist Party and the Nationalist Party and set off a governmental upheaval.

Korean War

Jun 25, 1950

First act of the Cold War when Soviet-backed North Korea came over the 38th parallel into US-backed South Korea.
5 million soldiers and civilians killed.

Vietnam War

Jan 1, 1954

War between communist North Vietnam with their allies against South Vietnam and their ally the, United States.
Two years later Vietnam was unfied under communist control and over 3 million people were killed.

Warsaw Pact

May 14, 1955

Treaty signed by the Soviet Union that focused on creating a coordinated defense organization to deter any future attacks.

Sputnik

Oct 4, 1957

First artificial Earth satellite launched by the Soviet Union into a low orbit.

Stalin's Death; Khrushchev

Jan 1, 1958

Stalin died March 5, 1953 and Khrushchev took over as the leader of the Soviet Union. Khrushchev iniated de-stalinization in Russia to make it less repressive and instigated the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Bay of Pigs

Apr 17, 1961

CIA trained American force sent by Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy into to Cuba to topple the communist government and Fidel Castro. (failed)

Berlin Wall

Aug 13, 1961

Barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic to separate West Berlin form East Berlin and surrounding Germany.

Cuban Missile Crisis

Oct 22, 1962

Stand off between Russia and the US when Russia placed nuclear missiles in Cuba only 90 miles from Florida.

Soviet Union Falls

Dec 25, 1991

Eleven representatives from Soviet republics announce they won't be part of the Soviet Union anymore.