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Joseph Stalin's totalitarian government in the Soviet Union
Stanlin had firmly established a tatalitarian government that tried to exert complete control over its citizens. In a totalitarian stae, individuals have no rights, and the government suppresses al opposition. -
Mein Kampf
Hitler wrote in the Mein Kampf to secure the German people the land and soil to which they are entitled on this earth even if this could be accomplished only by the might of a victorious sword. Th Great Depression helped the Nazis come to power. -
Benito Mussolini's fascist government in Italy
Established a totalitarian regime in Italy, where unemployment and inflatiion produced bitter strikes, some communist-led. He played the fears of economic collapse communism.In this way, he won the support of many discontented Italians. Mussolini establishes the Fascist Party. This party stressed nationalism and placed interests of the state above those of individuals. -
Japanese invasion of Manchuria
Halfway around the world, nationalistic militiary leaders were trying to take control of the imperial government of Japan. These leaders shared in common with Hitler a belief in the need for more living space for a growing population. The success of the Manchurian invasion puit the militarusts firmly in control of Japan's government. -
Third Reich
According to Hitler, the Third Reich would be a thousand-year reich it would last for a thousand years. -
Hitler's military build-up in Germany
Hitler proved to be such a powerful public speaker and organizer that he quickly became the party's leader. Calling himself the leader he promised to bring Germany out of chaos. About six million Germans were unemployed and Hitler provided them a job by building an army. -
Adolf Hitler's rise to power in Germany
Offers economic stability to unemployed Germans during the Great Depression and becomes a chancellor in 1933. Hitler also wanted to enforce racial 'purification' at home. In his view, Germans specially blu-eyed, blond-haired 'Aryans' formed a 'master race' that was destined to rule the world. 'Inferior races,' such as Jews, Slavs, and all nonwhites. were deemed fit only to serve the arays. -
Mussolini's invasion of Ethiopia
When the invasion began, however, the Leagues response was an ineffective economic boycott little more than a slap on Italys wrist. By May 1936, Eithopia has fallen. In desperation, Haile Selassie, the ousted Ethiopian emperor, appealed to the League of assistance. Nothing was done. It is us today, he told them. It will be you tomorrow. -
Hitler invades the Rhineland
A year later, Hitler sent troops into the Rhineland, a German region bordering France and Belgium that was demilitarized as a result of the Treaty of Versailles. The league did absolutely nothing to stop Hitler. -
Rome-Berlin Axis
The war forged a close relationship between the German and Italian dictators, who signed a former alliance known as the Rome-Berlin Axis. After a loss of almost 500,000 lives, Francos victory in 1939 established him as Spains fascist dictator. Once again a totalitarian government ruled in Europe. -
Hitler's Anschluss
Austria was Hitlers first target. The Paris Peace Conferance folowing World War I had created the relatively small nation of Austria out of what was left of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The majority of Austrias 6 million people were Germans who favored unification with Germany. German troops marched into Austria unopposed. The United States and the rest of the world did nothing. -
Munich Agreement
In their eagerness to avoid war, Daladier and Chamberlaine choose to believe him. On September 30, 1938, they signed the Munich Agreement, which turned the Sudetenland over Germany without a single shot being fired. -
Francisco Franco
A group of Spanish army officers lead by General Francisco Franco, rebelled against the Spanish republic. Revolts broke out all oven Spain, and the Spanish Civil was began. The war aroused passions not only in Spain but throughout the world. -
Nonaggression pact
As tensions rose over Poland, Stalin surprised everyone by signing a nonaggresion pact with Hitler. Once bitter enemies, on August 23, 1939 fascist Germany and communist Russia now commited never to attack each other. Germany and Soviet Union also signed a second, secret pact, agreeing to divide Poland between them. With the danger of a two-front war eliminated, the fate of Poland was sealed. -
Storm troopers
Many men who were unemployed joined Hitler's private arm which were known as storm troopers.Ther Germans were desperate and turned over to Hitler because he was their last spark of hope. -
Blitzkrieg
At the same time, German tanks raced across the Polish countryside, spreading terror and confusion. Blitzkrieg made use of advances in military technology such as fast tanks and more powerful aircraft to take theenemy by surprise and the quickly crush all opposition with overwhelming force. -
Britain and France declare war on Germany
Major fighting was over in three weeks, long before France, Britain, and their allies could mount a defense. In the last week of fighting, the Soviet Union attacked Poland from the east, grabbing some of its territory. The portion Germany annexed in western Poland contained almost two-thirds of Polands population. -
Battle of the Atlantic
Was the longest continuous military campaign in World War II, running from 1939 to the defeat of Germany in 1945. At its core was the Allied naval blockade of Germany, announced the day after the declaration of war, and Germany's subsequent counter-blockade. It was at its height from mid-1940 through to the end of 1943. -
Phony war
For the next several monts after the fall of Poland, French and British troops on the Maginot Line, a sysyem of fortifications built along Fraces eastern border satstaring into Germany, waiting for something to happen. On the Siegfried Line a few miles away German troops stared back. The blitzkrieg had given way to what the Germans called the sitzkrieg the sitting war, and what some newspapers reffered to as the phony war. -
Hitler's invasion of Denmark and Norway
The German invasion of Denmark was the fighting that followed the German army crossing the Danish border on 9 April 1940 by land, sea and air. The German ground campaign against Denmark was the briefest on record. -
Hitler's invasion of the Netherlands
The Netherlands had originally hoped to stay neutral when war broke out in 1939, but this wish was ignored. On 15 May 1940, one day after the bombing of Rotterdam, the Dutch forces surrendered. Subsequently the Dutch government and the royal family went into exile in London.Following the defeat, the Netherlands was placed under German occupation, which endured in some areas until the German surrender in May 1945. -
Germany and Italy's invasion of France
a small-scale invasion that started near the end of the Battle of France during World War II. Italy declared war on France and Britain.However, Italy was not prepared for war and Italy's armed forces made little impact during the last few days of the Battle of France. Mussolini was well aware of Italy's military limitations at the time, but he still sought to profit from Germany's successes. -
The Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain was the first major campaign to be fought entirely by air forces, and was also the largest and most sustained aerial bombing campaign to that date. The objective of the campaign was to gain air superiority over the Royal Air Force (RAF), especially Fighter Command. As the battle progressed the Luftwaffe also targeted aircraft factories and ground infrastructure. Eventually the Luftwaffe resorted to attacking areas of political significance and using terror bombing strategy. -
Marshal Philippe Petain
was a French general who reached the distinction of Marshal of France, and was later Chief of State of Vichy France (Chef de l'État Français), from 1940 to 1944. Pétain, who was 84 years old in 1940, ranks as France's oldest head of state. Because of his outstanding military leadership in World War I, particularly during the Battle of Verdun, he was viewed as a national hero in France. -
U.S. convoy system
At night groups of up to 40 submarines patrolled areas in the North Atlantic where convoys could be expected. Wolf packs were successful in sinking as much as 350,000 tons of shipments in a single month. President Roosevelt granted the navy permission for U. S. warships to attack German U-boats in selfdefense. -
Pearl Harbor attack
Was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941 (December 8 in Japan). The attack led to the United States' entry into World War II. -
Battle of Stalingrad
When spring came, the German tanks were ready to roll. Hitler hoped to capture Soviet oil fields in the Caucasus Mountains. The German air force prepared the way with nightly bombing raids over the city. The situation looked so desperate thta Soviet officers in Stalingrad recommended blowing up the citys factories and abandoning the city. -
Operation Torch
Churchill and Roosevelt didnt think the Allies had enough troops to attempt an invasion on European soil. Instead, they launched Operation Torch, and invasion of Axis- controlled North Africa, commanded by American General Dwight D. Eisenhower. -
Unconditional surrender
After months of heavy fighting, the last of the Afrika Korps surrendered in May. British general Harold Alexander sent a message to Churchill, repoting that all enemy resistance has ceased. Weare masters of American shores, American war correspondent Ernie Pyle caught the mood of the victorious troops. -
Bloody Anzio
This battle was one of the hardest battles the Allies encountered in Europe was fought less than 40 miles from Rome. This battle left about25,000 Allied and 30,000 Axis casualties.Durin the year after Anzio, German armies continued to put up strong resistance. -
D-Day
The first day of the invasion. Shortly after midnight, three divisions parachuted down behind German lines. Despite the massive air and sea bombardment by the Allies, German retaliation was brutal, particularly at Omaha Beach. People where yelling, screaming, dying, running on the beach, and men where bleeding to death. -
The Battle of the Bulge
This battled was named after the tanks that drove 60 miles into Allied territory, creating a bulge in the lines. As the Germans swept westward they captured 120 American GI's near Malmedy. Elite German troops the SS troopers herded the prisoners into a large field and mowed them down with machine guns and pistols. The battle raged for a month. When it was over, the Germans had been pushed back, and little seemed to have changed. -
Harry S. Truman
While posing for a portrait in Warm Springs, Georgia, the president Roosevelt had a stroke and died. That night, Vice President Harry S. Truman became the nations 33rd president. Under Truman, the U.S. successfully concluded World War II; in the aftermath of the conflict, tensions with the Soviet Union increased, marking the start of the Cold War. -
Death of Hitler
Adolf Hitler committed suicide by gunshot on 30 April 1945 in his Führerbunker in Berlin. His wife Eva (née Braun) committed suicide with him by ingesting cyanide.That afternoon, in accordance with Hitler's prior instructions, their remains were carried up the stairs through the bunker's emergency exit, doused in petrol, and set alight in the Reich Chancellery garden outside the bunker. -
V-E Day
Was the public holiday celebrated to mark the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Nazi Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces. It marked the end of World War II in Europe.
