-
Benito Mussolini's fascist government in Italy
He played on the fear ofs of economic collapse and communism. 1921, established fascist party - stressed nationalism and placed the interests of the state above those of the individuals. Believed that the nation must rest in a single strong leader and a small devoted party of members. Achieved efficiency through totalitarian rule. 1922 marched on Rome with "Black Shirts" -
Joseph Stalin's totalitarian government in the Soviet Union
Came to power in 1924 when Lenin died. Brought the communist state to be the second largest industrial power. Killed 13 million in the purge. 1939, established a totalitarian govt to exert complete control over its citizens. Individuals had no rights, and the govt supresses all opposition. -
Mein Kampf
Wrote Mein Kampf set up Nazism, German fascism based on extreme nationalism. (My Struggle). Born in Austria, he dreamed of uniting all German-speaking people. "to secure for the German people the land and soil to which they are entitled on this earth. -
Japanese invasion of Manchuria
Ignoring protests from moderate Japanese officials, militarists launched a surprise attack and seized control of Chinese province Manchuria. Several months in, they controlled the entire province. League of Nations sent reps to Manchuria to investigate and Japan left the League. This invasion put militarists in power, -
Storm Troopers
1932, unemployed worked for his private army the storm troopers or brown shirts. 6 million unemployed. German economy made them turn to Hitler. -
Adolf Hitler's rise to power in Germany
1919 joined the National Socialist German Worker's Party, the Nazi Party. Became Der Fuhrer. Wanted superiority of the master Aryan race. 1933 became chancellor and established the Third Reich, or the third German Empire. -
Third Reich
1933 became chancellor and dismantled the democratic Weimar Republic. established the Third Reich, or the third German Empire. The thousand year reich. -
Hitler's military build-up in Germany
1933, Hitler pulled Germ out of thr League. 1935, began military build up in violation of Treaty of Versailles. -
Mussolini's invasion of Ethiopia
Africa's few remaining independent country. By fall 1935, tens of thousands of Italian soldiers ready to advance. "collective resistance to all acts of unprovoked aggression" - League. Boycott was useless. 1936, Ethiopia fell. Selassie turned to League but they did nothing. -
Hitler invades the Rhineland
Sent troops to the German region bordering France and Belgium that was demilitarized from the Treaty. League did nothing -
Francisco Franco
A group of Spanish army officers led by General FF rebelled against the Spanish Republic. Spanish Civil War began. America's Abraham Lincoln Battalion fought against FF. Also African Americans. Victory in 1939 and became Spain's dictator -
Rome-Berlin Axis
Western democracies remained neutral. Although Soviet Union sent equipment, Hitler and Muss backed Franco with troops. Forged a relationship with Germ and Italy. Signed this formal alliance. -
Hitler's Anschluss
Austria was Hitler's first targer. Austria had 6 million Germans who favored unification. Marched into Austria unopposed. Hitler announced the Ansch, or union, and the world did nothing. -
Munich Agreement
Next to Czecho- 3 million in western border, the Sudetenland. Mountains were best defense against Germ. Charged that Czechs were taking advantage of Sudeten Germans and sent in troops. France and Britain to protects Czech but Edouard Daladier and Neville Chamberlain were decieved in that it was the "last territorial demand." -
Blitzkrieg
Invading the Polish countryside, blitzkrieg was the newest military strategy. Lightning war, used fast tanks and more powerful aircraft to take the enemy by surprise and quickly crush any opposition. -
Nonaggression pact
Poland also had "mistreated Germans" but an attack might bring Germ into conflict with the Soviet Union. Poland was allied with France and Britain. Stalin signed the pact with Hitler. Another pact signed to divide Poland. No more danger of a two front war for Germ. -
Britain and France declare war on Germany
Two days after the terror in Poland it was overwhelmed. Soviet Union attacked from the east, taking some territory. Germ annexed some in west and contained two thirds of the Poland population. -
Phony War
After the fall of Poland, French and British troops sat on the Maginot Line along France's esatern border. Germ sat on the Siegfrried line line staring back and started calling it the sitzkrieg, the sitting war. -
Hitler's invasion of Denmark and Norway
Launched a surprise invasion in order to "protect freedom and independence". Build bases along coast to attack Great Britain. -
Hitler's invasion of the Netherlands
Turned against the Nether, Belgium, and Luxembourg, which were overrun by the end of May. Phony War ends. -
Germany and Italy's invasion of France
France's Maginot line failed. Germ toward Paris through Ardennes. Trapped almost 400,000 British and French as they fled to Dunkirk. Majority carried to safety through the English Channel. Italy invaded from the South as Germ closed in on Paris from the North. 1940 June 22 at Compiegne, Hitler handed French his terms for surrender. -
Marshal Philippe Petain
Hitlers terms- Germ would occupy Northern part of France, and a Nazi-controlled puppet government, headed by Petain, would be set up at Vichy in southern France -
The Battle of Britain
Germ began to assemble an invasion fleet along the French coast with an air war to counter Britain's navy. Gain control of skies by taking down Britain's Royal Air Force. Radar from the British plotted Germ flight paths. -
Pearl Harbor Attack
U.S. naval base in Hawaii. 180 Japanese bombers attacked for an hour and a half killing 2,403 and wounded 1178 more. Sank 21 shhips, including 8 battleships. 300 aircraft destroyed. -
Battle of the Atlantic
Hitler ordered submarine raids along the east coast. Prevent supplies from getting to Britain and Soviet Union. Sank 681 allied ships. -
U.S. convoy system
Groupd of ships traveling together for mutual protection. Escorted by destroyers with sonars and airplanes with radar. Germ Doenitz reported that u-boat losses were unbearable. -
Battle of Stalingrad
Winter halted Germ at Moscow and Leningrad. Summer, Hitler wanted to capture Soviet oil fields in the Caicasus mountains and to wipe out Stalingrad, a major industrial center. The place was softened by constant bombings but Stalin ordered to defend. Winter came and the Soviets rolled in tanks and trapped Germans. German commander surrendered Jan 31 1943. Soviets lost 1,100,000. Turning point and began toward Germ. -
Operation Torch
Instead of opening a second front on western europe to ease the soviet front, they started this operation to invade Axis controlled north Africa by Dwight D. Eisenhower. Landed 107,000 troops in Casablanca, Oran, and Algiers. Spread east chasing African Korps by Erwin Rommel. Surrenderd in May 1943 -
Unconditional Surrender
Met in Casablanca where the two leaders agreed to accept only the unconditional surrender of the Axis Powers. Must accept any terms that the allies dictate. -
Bloody Anzio
After Mussolini was taken from power in 1943 by king Emmanuel, Allies clashed with German forces near Rome. This battle lasted 4 months. 25,000 allied and 30,000 Axis casualties. -
D-Day
Eisenhower planned to attack Normandy in northern France. Code-named Operation Overlord, 3 divisions parachuted behind German lines followed by thousands of seaborne soldiers. Retaliation was particularly brutal on Omaha beach. -
The Battle of the Bulge
Oct 1944, Americans captured first German town, Aachen. Hitler hoped to break through and recapture the Belgian port of Antwerp. Dec 16, eight German tank divisions broke through, driving into allied territory and creating a bukge in the lines. Battle raged for a month. Germans pushed back and lost 120,000 troops, 600 tanks, 1,600 planes. -
Harry S. Truman
Roosevelt died before VE Day by having a stroke while posing for a portrait in Warm Springs, Georgia. Harry S. Truman became the 33rd president that night. -
Death of Hitler
In Berlin, he prepared for the end. April 29, married Eva Braun. Wrote that he blamed the Jews for starting the war and his generals for losing it. The next day he shot himself and his wife drank poison. Their bodies were burned. -
V-E Day
A week later, Eisenhower accepted the unconditional surrender of the Third Reich. The war in Europe was over. Victory in Europe.
