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This was the official document that ended World War 1 and established peace terms between the Allied powers and Germany. The treaty outlined harsh penalties against Germany, which left them in extreme economic distress for several years following the war. They were forced to pay reparations to countries destroyed by the war, and their ability to posess a military was expelled. Hitler and the Nazi party were able to gain power during this time by taking advantage of Germany's desperation. -
This day marks the beginning of Hitler's reign as the leader of Nazi Germany. His appointment to chancellor enabled him to launch his plans for future Germany with minimal opposition. Following this day, Hitler enacted a series of laws aimed at withdrawing rights from German citizens in attempt to gain undisputed power. This was a monumental time because without complete power, Hitler would not have been able to begin his conquest of Europe. -
By this time, Hitler had already renounced the Treaty of Versailles and armed the Rhineland in Western Germany; however, his invasion of Austria sent a daunting message to the rest of the world that he intended to occupy greater territory in Europe. Germany's success heightened Hitler's ego and prompted him to continue his conquest of Europe for several years following this date. -
After breaking the Munich pact by invading the rest of Czechoslovakia, Hitler then continued on to invade Poland. These actions solidified distrust between Britian and France and Nazi Germany; as a result, Britian and France declared war on Germany - officially starting World War 2. -
When FDR chose to send support to Britian (and the USSR) through used military equipment without officially declaring war on Germany, he inherently started an economic war with Hitler. As a result, Hitler sank U.S. and British ships in the Atlantic such as the USS Grear, the USS Kearny, and the USS Rueben James. This was important because it amplified tensions between the U.S. and the Axis Powers, bringing us even closer to joining the war in Europe -
As a response to the U.S.'s freezing of Japan's assets in the states and providing monetary support to China, Japanese submarines and bombers attacked Pearl Harbor in Honolulu Hawaii on December 7th, 1941. 34,000 soldiers and citizens were killed and 19 U.S. military ships along with 188 planes were destroyed. This is a significant event that ultimately lead to the U.S.'s declaration of war against Japan on December 8th, 1941, which marked our official entry into WW2. -
After almost 3 years of fighting for territory in Northern Africa, the U.S., who only entered the battle after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, and Britain secured Morocco and Algeria in May of 1943. This was a key element to the Allies' success because it halted Hitler's expansion south, provided the Allies' military with oil and raw supplies from the middle east, and enabled the Allies to establish military bases in those regions. -
In an attempt to drive the German forces back from the West, the Allies launched the largest amphibious invasion in history on the coast of Normandy France on June 6, 1944. Although the Allies'suffered extensive casualties, the campaign was successful and the Allies had liberated France, Luxembourg, and Belgium by August. This was an important event because it signified the beginning to the end of Hitler's control in Europe during WW2. -
The Soviet Union's massive army comprised of 6,300 tanks and 8,500 aircrafts attacked Berlin, Germany and forced Nazi General Wilding to surrender the city. This was the final defeat of Nazi Germany to the Soviet Union and the Allied powers, and it resulted in Hitler's eventual suicide on April 30th, 1945. This was a monumental battle because it marked the end of WW2 in Europe and officially terminated Hitler's rule over Germany. -
With no real end in sight to the war despite years of fighting and U.S. victories in the Pacific Islands, President Truman looked towards atomic power to force Japan's unconditional surrender. The U.S. dropped "Little Boy" or Hiroshima, Japan on August 6th, 1941 followed by another bomb on Nagasaki 3 days later. This was an important event because it officially ended the war between the U.S. and Japan, and allowed the United States to pursue other areas of international affairs besides war.
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