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Attack of Manchuria
On August 8, 1931, Japan decided to invade china's northern east province, Manchuria for its area of richness in iron and coal. This attack that was launched created a challenge for the League of Nations, and many members vigorously protested. Japan ignored all protests claimed by the League and withdrew from it in 1933. -
Nuremberg Laws
These were a set of laws that deprived Jews of their rights to German citizenship, jobs, and property. It was basically a way for Nazis to discard German jews from their right to be apart of Germany. -
Alliance with Italy and Germany
Because of Hitler;s growing power, Mussolini thought he should seeking the formation of an alliance with Germany. The two dictators came to an agreement that became known as the Rome-Berlin Axis. One month later Germany also formed an alliance with Japan, and the three countries became known as the Axis Powers. -
Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht, known as the "Night of Broken Glass," was a day in early November where Nazi troops attacked Jewish homes, businesses and synagogues throughout Germany causing much commotion. As a result, 100 Jews had been murdered and the Nazi policy of Jewish persecution became strongly enforced. -
Invasion of Poland
Because of the 10-year nonagression pact between Germany and the Soviet Union, Hitler was then able to launch an attack on Poland without having to worry about threats of bombards from the east. On September 1, 1939 Germany invaded Polish territory using planes, tanks and troops and bombing Poland's capital, Warsaw. The city and country of Poland crumbled under the sudden assualt. -
Soviet Union invades East Poland
Because of the secret agreement formed between Hitler and Stalin, in September of 1939, Stalin sent troops to occupy the eastern half of Poland and also began weakening the regions of Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia and Finland. Though Finland put of much resisitance, by March 1940, the Finns had finally given in to Stalins terms. -
France Surrenders
On June 22, 1940, after a series of defeats including Dunkirk, France surrendered. The Germans then siezed and occupied the northern part of France while Henri Pétain took control of the southern part of France. -
Battle of Britain
Germany invaded Britain as part of one of his plans named "Operation Sea Lion." The bombing began on this day, but the battle did not end until May of 1941, when Germany gave up on fighting the very resistant Britain. This was important beacuse the allies learned that they could hold off Hitler's forces. -
Lend Lease Act
The Lend Lease Act, passed in 1941, allowed the president to lend or lease arms and other supplies to countries relating to the U.S. As a result, Hitler ordered his navy to sink any cargo ship they might encounter. -
German Invasion of the Soviet Union
Hitler's final plan was to conquer his original ally which was the Soviet Union. He went through his plan on this day, which he named, "Operation Barbarossa." The Soviet Union was very unprepared for this scenario of the surprise blitzreig attack. However after 2 years of the Soviet Union being in very critical condition the Germans eventually retreated because of the harsh, cold weather. Many of their equiment froze so they could not fight back. -
Atlantic Charter
The Atlantic Charter was a joint that was created by Roosevelt (President of U.S) and Churchhill (British Prime Minister) which allowed free trade between nations and the right for people to be able to choose the government they wanted. -
Pearl Harbor
In early December of 1941, the Japanese led an attack on a harbor in Hawaii, known as Pearl Harbor. The United States had expected an attack from a recent decoded message, but did not know when. Early that morning, people awoke to much commotion and the roar of explosives. Within the span of 2 hours, the Japanese damaged 18 ships (nearly the whole U.S fleet), wounded 1000 people, and killed 2,400. Congress declarerd war on Japan the very next day. -
Japanese Internment
On Febuary 19, 1942 President Roosevelt created a program of internment camps because of the threats Japanese Americans posed to the U.S. The military rounded up these people and relocated them to designated areas. From 1941-1946, the U.S imprisoned about 31,275 of Americans with Japanese descent. -
Battle of Midway
On June 3, 1942 the Japanese launched a strike on the Island of Midway , an island west of Hawaii. The fleet had been the largest assembled navy ever, outnumbering the Americans 4-1 in ships and planes. Despite this the Americans were able to use a tactic which allowed them to attack Japanese ships and destroy their planes simultaneously. The Americans sucessfully "avenged Pearl Harbor" and turned the tide of the war in the Pacific against the Japanese. -
Allied Invasion of Italy
After the successful invasion of Sicily, Italy surrendered to the allied forces of Great Britain and the United States. -
D-Day
D-Day was the day in which the invasion of Normandy occured. It was considered the greatest land and sea attack in the world. British, American, French, and Canadan troops were apart of this plan called "Operation Overlord." A month later 1 million other troops joined the fight which sucesfully pushed the Germans out, allowing the allies to takeover. -
Germans Surrender
The surrender of Germany was accepted by General Eisenhower and signed in Berlin just days after Hitler killed himself. Millions of troops of Allies surrounded Berlina months before the surrender, and it was quite obvious the city was going to crumble and become defeated. -
Bombing of Hiroshima
At the time, atomic bombs had recently been discovered in Germany as a result of scientists succeeding in splitting the nucleus of a uranium atom. President Roosevelt wanted to be the first one to develop this bomb, and on the morning of August 6, 1945, a plane by the name of Enola Gay, took off from Tinian Island and at precisely 8:16 A.M the atomic bomb exploded above Hiroshima. -
Bombing of Nagasaki
After the first bombing up Hiroshima, a second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki 3 days later, a city with 200,000 people. It killed around 37,500 and its lingering Radiation killed many more. -
Japanese Surrender
On September 2, 1945, the Japanese surrendered to General Douglas MacArther. The actual surrendering of the Japanese took place on the U.S battleship "Missouri" in Tokyo Bay. The war had officially ended and countries were now looking to mend a damaged and war-torn world.
