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Germany Invades Poland
Hitler came to power in 1933 and immediately began to strengthen the military. His invasion in Poland on September 1, 1939 marked the start of WWII. The French and British declared war, later becoming allies with the US. The US would later become involved in this war being fought in Europe. -
US Draft
The US began preparing for its possible involvement in the war. They began a draft on September 16, 1940. This was the first ever peace-time draft in the US. This was declared by Franklin Roosevelt. A lend-lease program was started in 1941 which allowed the president to lend or lease supplies to countries in need. The US would later join the allied forces of France, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union. -
Pearl Harbor Attack
On December 7, 1941, the Japanese carried out a surprise attack on the US Naval Base in Hawaii, Pearl Harbor. This attack sunk 19 ships, wrecked 350 planes, and killed more than 2,000 people. This attack united the people of the United States. Instead of completely destroying their spirits, the came together for the support of the war. They came back stronger, even after such devastation. -
Midway
Midway occurred on June 4-7 in 1942 in the Pacific. It was between Hawaii and Japan at the place of an important US base. The US sunk four Japanese aircraft carriers and won a decisive victory. The US cracked Japanese codes. This was the turning point of the war in the Pacific. -
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad began in August 1942 and concluded in January 1943. This fight occurred between Russia and Germany. Russia experienced a tremendous amount of death. However, Russian forces were still able to overtake German forces, causing them to retreat. This war was a major turning point. The war took place adjacent to Russia's oil reserves. If German forces would've defeated Russia, it would have damaged their ability to fight along with the allies. -
D-Day
D-Day occurred on June 6, 1944. 200,000 troops, 11,000 aircrafts, and 4,000 vessels from the allied forces of Canada, the US, Great Britain, and France were involved. Dwight Eisenhower lethe allied attack in western France. The attack took place in Normandy, France. This was the main and most important allied invasion in WWII. This began the decline of the German Army and Hitler himself. The Germans would now have to fight another two front war. This gave an advantage to the allies. -
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge occurred in Belgium when German forces tried to stop supplies from reaching the Allies. German forces retreated. This battle was significant in that the end of the war come quicker and that many lives of the Allies, which included the US, were spared. -
Yalta Conference
The Yalta Conference occurred on February 4-11, 1945. It was the most important conference involving the Big Three. The allied countries determined what would occur when Germany was defeated. The allies would occupy Germany and take part in the UN. The Soviet Union would enter war against Japan. -
Death of a President
FDR died on April 12, 1945. His VP Truman took over the presidency. Truman was unaware of the secret Manhattan Project to build an atomic bomb. The bomb was built and the US threatened Japan to surrender or have the bomb dropped. -
Hitler's Suicide
On April 30, 1945, Hitler committed suicide. Germany surrendered on May 8th,1945. The war was coming to an end; Japan still needed to be defeated. -
Atomic Warfare
An atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 killing and injuring over 100,000 people. Three days later on August 9, 1945, another atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki killing over 60,000 people. This led to Japan's surrender on August 14,1945 and the end of WWII. The allies would be victorious.
