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Adolf Hitler rise to power in Germany
Once a jobless soldier he joined a struggling group called the National Socialist German Worker's Party (Nazi Party). He proved himself to be a powerful speaker and organizer and quickly became the party's leader promising to bring Germany out of chaos. Prime minister in 1933 -
Benito Mussolini's fascist government in Italy
Facism stressed nationalism and placed the interest of the state above those of individuals. Believe that power must rest with a single strong leader and a small group of devoted party members. -
Mein Kampf
Hitler wrote a book titled My Struggle in German which set forth the basic beliefs of Nazism that became the plan of action for the Nazi Party. -
Japanese invasion of Manchuria
Ignoring the protests for more living space from Japanese officials, the militarists launched a surprise attack and seized control of the Chinese province of Manchuria. Within motnsh Japanese troops controlled the entire province that was rich in natural resources. -
Storm troopers
About 6 million Germans were unpmployed and many men who were out of work joined HItler's private army called the storm troopers (Brown Shirts). -
Third Reich
Hitler was appointed prime minister and once in power quickly dismantled Germany's democratic Weimar Republic. In its place he established the Third Reich (Third German Empire) which was hoped to last a thousand years. -
Hitler's military build-up in Germany
HItler began a military buildup in violation of the Treaty of Versailles which made him even more powerful -
Mussolini's invasion of Ethiopia
Mussolini began builiding his new Roman Empire and wanted control of one of Africa's few remaining independent countries. Ethiopia had fallen and the League did not help even when Haile Selassie (Ethiopian emperor) asked for help. -
HItler invades the Rhineland
A year later after HItler builds up his military he sends troops into the Rhineland that was demilitarized as a result of the Treaty of Versailles and the League does nothing to stop him. -
Francisco Franco
General who led Spanish army officers to rebel against the Spanish republic. Revolts broke out over Spain and the Spanish Civil War began. -
HItler''s Anschluss
German troops marched into Austria unopposed. A day later Germany announced its "union" with AUstria was complete. -
Munich Agreement
HItler invited French premier Edouard Daladier and British prime minister Neville Chamberlain to meet with hi in Munich, As a "last territorial demand" and to avoid war they believed him and signed the Munich Agree,emt which turned the Sudetenland over to Germany without war or protest. -
Joseph Stalin's totalitarian government in the Soviet Union
Stalim had firmly established a totalitarian government that tried to exert complete control over its citizens.Individuals had no rights, and the government suppresses all opposition. -
Rome-Berlin Axis
The Spanish Civil War forged a close relationship between German and Italian dictators who signed a formal alliance known as the Rome-Berlin Axis. -
Nonaggression pact
As tensions rose over Poland, Stalin surprised everyone by signing a nonaggression pact with Hitler between Germany and the Soviet Union that was concluded only a few days before the beginning of World War II. -
Blitzkrieg
Germany's newest military strategy (lightening war) that made use of advances in military technology- fast tanks, more powerful aircraft- to take the enemy by surprise and quickly crush all opposition with overwhelming force. -
Britain and France declare war on Germany
2 days following the terror in Poland, Britain and France decalre war on Germany. Because of blitzkrieg major fighting was over in 3 weeks. -
Battle of the Atlantic
HItler ordered submarine raids against ships along America's east coast to prevent food and war materials from reaching Great Britain and the Soviet Union. -
Phony war
A much smaller German force manned the Siegfried Line, their fortified defensive line along the French border. At the Maginot Line on the other side of the border, British and French troops stood facing them while German troops a few miles away stared back. -
Hitler's Invasion of Denmark and Norway
In order "to protect [those countries'] freedom and independence" he launched a surprise invasion. IN truth he planned to build bases along thoe coasts to strike at Great Britain. -
Hitler's invasion of the Netherlands
Hitler turned against the Netherlads, Belgium, and Luxembourg. The phony war had ended. -
Germany and Italy's invasion of France
The German offensive trapped almost 400,000 British and French soldiers as they fled to the beaches of Dunkirk on the French side of the English Channel. A few days laera makeshift fleet of fishing trawlers, tugboats, river barges, pleasure craft (more than 800 vessels) ferried about 330,000 British, French, and Belgian troops to safety across the Channel. -
Marshal Phillippe Petain
Once HItler handed French officers his terms of surrener, German occupied the northern part of France, and a Nazi-controlled government headed by Marshal Philippe Petain that would be set up at Vichy, Franch (south). -
The Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain was the Second World War air campaign waged by the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) against the United Kingdom. The first major campaign to be fought entirely by air forces, and was also the largest and most sustained aerial bombing campaign.The German objective was to gain air superiority over the Royal Air Force (RAF), especially Fighter Command. -
Pearl Harbor Attack
A Japanese dive-bomber swooped low over Pearl Harbor (Largest US naval base in the Pacific) who was followed by more than 180 Japanese warplanes launched from 6 aircraft carriers. THey had killed 2,403 Amaericans and over 1,700 were wounded and had sunk or damaged 21 ships.(8 battleships). -
Battle of Stalingrad
The Germans took the offensive in the southern Soviet Union HItler hoped to capture Soviet oil fields in the Caucasus Mountains and to wipe out Stalingrad (major industrial center on the Volga River). -
Unconditional surrender
A surrender in which no guarantees are given to the surrendering party. -
Operation Torch
The British-American invasion of French North Africa during the North African Campaign of the Second World War. -
U.S. convoy system
Groups of ships traveled together for mutual protection and were escorted across the Atlantic by destroyers equipped with sonar for detecting submarines underwater. Also accompaned by airplanes that used radar to spot U-boats on the ocean's surface. They were able to destroy German U-boats faster -
Bloody Anzio
HItler was determined to stop the Allies in Italy rather than fight on German soil. The battle was less than 40 miles from Rome and lasted 4 months and left 25,000 Allied and 30,000 Axis casualties. Hardest battle the Allies encountered in Europe. -
D-day
The Battle of Normandy, which lasted from June 1944 to August 1944, resulted in the Allied liberation of Western Europe from Nazi Germany’s control. Codenamed Operation Overlord, the battle began on June 6, 1944, also known as D-Day, when some 156,000 American, British and Canadian forces landed on five beaches along a 50-mile stretch of the heavily fortified coast of France’s Normandy region. The invasion was one of the largest amphibious military assaults in history and required extensive plan -
The Battle of the Bulge
8 German tank divisions broke through weak Americsn defenses along an 80 mile front. Tanks drove 60 miles into Allied territory creating a bulge. As Germans swept westward, they captured 120 American GIs near Malmedy. German troops herded the prisoners into a large field and omwed them down with machine guns and pistols. -
Harry S. Truman
President Roosevelt had a stoke and that night Vice President Harry S. Truman became the nation's 33rd President. -
Death of Hitler
Hitler, prepared for the end, shot himself while his wife Eva Braun drank poison and accordance to his orders the 2 bodies were carried outside, soaked in gasoline and burned. -
V-E Day
General Eisenhower accepted the unconditional surrender of the Third Reich and the war in Europe was finally over. The Allies celebrated V-E Day (Victory in Europe Day)
