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Japan's invasion of China
Japan invaded China after claiming to being fired upon by Chineese troops. -
Germany invades Poland
The Polish army was defeated weeks after the invasion. -
Battle of Britain
The Germans begin the first in a long series of bombing raids against Great Britain which lasted 3.5 months. -
Tripartite Pact
Created a pact between Germany, Italy and Japan. They agreed to assist each other if any one of them were attacked. -
Lend-Lease Act
A system created by the US that aided WWII allies with war materials by lease rather than cash payment. Weapons were to be returned if not destroyed. -
German Blitzkrieg on Soviet Union
German forces invaded the Soviet Union using rapid attack methods called the "Blitzkrieg" which was successful at first but ultimately failed. -
Germany takes Leningrad
German bombers blasted through Leningrad's defenses, killing more than 1000 soldiers. The siege of Leningrad lasted 872 days. -
Bombing of Pearl Harbor
Surprise aerial attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor on Oahu Island, Hawaii by the Japanese that resulted in the US entering into WWII. -
Formation of the U.N.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill created a document that was signed by 26 countries, to establish the "United Nations." The purpose was to create peace among nations. -
Wannsee Conference
Meeting of Nazi officials to plan the final solution to the Jewish question. -
Battle of Midway
Navy battle fought with aircraft, the US destroyed Japan's carriers and most of their pilots. -
D-Day
A joint attack by America, England and Canada on five beaches off France's Normandy Coast. The battle resulted in the liberation of Western Europe from Germany. -
Yalta Conference
A major WWII conference of the "Big Three" Allied leaders, who met at Yalta to organize a plan for the final defeat and occupation of Germany. -
Iwo Jima/Okinawa
American soldiers made their first strike on the Japanese home islands at Iwo Jima & Okinawa. -
Hitler's Suicide
Adolf Hitler commits suicide in his underground bunker. -
VE Day
Announces the ending of WWII. -
Potsdam Conference
Held in Berlin and was the last of the WWII meetings. The "Big Three" heads of state signed multiple agreements on the German economy, punishments of war criminals, land boundaries and reparations. -
Atomic bombing of Hiroshima & Nagasaki
American B-29 Bomber drops the first atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The exposion killed 80,000 instantly and wiped out 90% of the city. 3 days later, a 2nd bomb was dropped on Nagasaki killing 40,000 people. -
VJ Day
Japan had surrendered unconditionally, officially ending WWII. -
Truman Doctrine
President Truman declared immediate financial an military aid to Greece & Turkey, due to pressure from Soviet expansion in the mediterranean area. -
Marshall Plan
US gave 13 billion to Western Europe to rebuild their nations after WWII. -
NATO
North Atlantic Treaty Organization established by the US as a military alliance against Soviet expansion. -
Mao Zedong & People's Republic of China
Formed the People's Republic of China while Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party. -
Korean War
A conflict between the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (known as North Korea) and the Republic of Korea (known as South Korea), 2.5 million lives were lost. -
Stalin's death; Khrushchev
Stalin's death resulted in Khrushchev obtaining a new office in the Soviet Union as Secretary of the Communist Party. -
Warsaw Conference
A military agreement formed by the Soviet Nations due to the rearmin of West Germany. -
Sputnik
The launch of Sputnik facilitated the US creating NASA and was the beginning of the space race with Russia. -
Vietnam War
Armed conflict between the communist, North Vietnam and it's allies known as the Viet-Cong, against South Vietnam and it's principal ally, the US. -
Bay of Pigs
A failed invasion of Cuba that was financed by the US Government. -
Berlin Wall
A barrier that surrounded free, West Berlin and prevented access from communist, East Berlin. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
A confrontation that brought the US and the Soviet Union close to war because of Soviet nuclear armed missiles in Cuba. -
Gorbachev
His efforts to create a democracy and break up its economy led to the downfall of communism, the break up of the Soviet Union and the end of the cold war. -
Soviet Union Falls
The Soviet Union devides itself into 15 separate countries, which is a triumph of democracy over communism.
