-
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was signed by Germany and the Allied Powers, creating an end to World War I. As a part of the treaty, Germany had to accept responsibility for the war and pay a lot of money they didn't have in reparations. This caused their debt, ultimately helping the rise of Hitler. -
March on Rome
The Fascist Party in Italy, led by Benito Mussolini, planned an insurrection to march on Rome by the Fascist armed squads known as the Blackshirts. Mussolini rose to power, marking the start of Fascist forces in Europe. -
The Great Depression
The stock market crash in the United States in 1929 also severely affected European countries, such as Germany. Germany borrowed money to pay their reparations as ordered by the Treaty of Versailles. This created huge inflation. Also, they couldn't pay back the loans, causing severe unemployment. The terrible economy created anger and low morale with the people, which helped the rise of Fascism in Germany under Adolf Hitler. -
German Occupation of the Rhineland
German troops re-occupied the Rhineland, a de-militarized zone according to the Treaty of Versailles. This directly went against what Germany had agreed on in the treaty. -
Appeasement Policy
This strategy was employed by Great Britain under Neville Chamberlain. In order to prevent another war, Britain allowed Germany to expand territory unchecked. One of these policy's included the Munich Agreement, which agreed that Germany could occupy the Sudetenland, the German-speaking part of Czechoslovakia. Although Hitler promised to take no more territory in Europe, he broke the Munich Agreement, taking the rest of Czechoslovakia. -
Germany's Invasion of Poland
Germany invaded Poland, making the excuse that Poland persecuted ethnic Germans living there and that Poland and her fellow allies were planning on attacking Germany. Hitler planned a fake attack of a German radio station in Poland. This gave them a "reason" to invade Poland. This invasion was characterized by a military strategy called "Blitzkrieg (Lightning War)." This combined fast and strong movements of infantry, tanks, and planes. This marked the start of World War II. -
Fall of Paris
In May of 1940, Germany launched the Blitzkrieg against France and the Low Countries. Germany was able to get through the Maginot Line. On June 14, German troops marched into Paris. By June 22, France surrendered, marking the collapse of France, one of the strongest Allied nations. -
Battle of Midway
One of Japan's goals during the war was to gain territory in East Asia and the Southwest Pacific, removing the U.S. as a dominant power. They planned to lure the U.S. Pacific Fleet into a trap near the Midway Atoll. U.S. codebreakers had cracked Japanese communications and knew of the attack in advance. Over four days, American aircrafts inflicted heavy losses on the Japanese fleet. This was a turning point in the war because the Japanese military was weakened. -
Battle of Stalingrad
This battle was one of the deadliest and most pivotal battles during World War II. It was a successful Soviet defense of the city of Stalingrad (U.S.S.R.) against the German advance into the Soviet Union. It marked the first major loss for the German Army. -
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
German troops entered the Warsaw Ghetto to deport the remaining inhabitants. Jewish people inside the Ghetto resisted them, creating a huge uprising. By May 16, 1943, the Germans had crushed the uprising, sending them to concentration camps to be killed. This served as a powerful symbol of Jewish resistance. -
Allied Invasion of Italy
It started with Operation Avalanche at Salerno. The Allies, led by General Dwight D. Eisenhower, faced resistance from German forces (they had taken control). Rome was liberated on June 4, 1944, but the fighting dragged on. It finally ended in April 1945, when the Allies captured northern Italy, and Benito Mussolini was executed. -
Battle of the Bulge
It was the last major German offensive on the Western Front during World War II. It took place in Belgium, and Nazi Germany tried to split the Allied forces and recapture the port of Antwerp. The battle really hurt German resources, tanks, and troops. -
Operation Thunderclap
This was a planned Allied strategic bombing operation during World War II, attempting to air raid Berlin and other German cities in early 1945. It wasn't fully carried out, but the concept included major bombings, such as the Firebombing of Dresden. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
This was a major battle in the Pacific Theater where U.S. forces attempted to capture the island of Iwo Jima from Japan. It was one of the bloodiest battles of the war. The Japanese soldiers fought till the last man, showing no signs of surrender. This significantly lowered the morale of the Japanese. -
VE Day (Victory in Europe Day)
This day marked the official surrender of Nazi Germany and the end of World War II in Europe. It came after Adolf Hitler commited suicide on April 30, 1945, and Soviet forces captured Berlin.