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Treaty of Munich
Adolph Hitler, Chancellor of Germany, having already seized Rhineland and Austria, sought his sights on Sudetenland, an area with many Germans and resources. France and Great Britain, having promised to protect Czechoslovakia, decided to finally interfere with Hitler's plan. Hitler met with Neville Chamberlain, British Prime Minister, and others at the Munich Conference. They agreed that Hitler could take Sudetenland as his final expansion and signed the Treaty of Munich.
Source: Class Notes -
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Hitler Invades Czechoslovakia
Despite the Treaty of Munich, Hitler continued his plans and invaded the rest of Czechoslovakia to further expand the Third Reich. This humiliated Chamberlain, as Hitler had blatantly lied to him at the Munich Conference. Hitler also revealed that his true plans were not necessarily for a Greater Germany, as not all of Czechoslovakia was German. Hitler began to think of invading Poland, and Chamberlain promised to protect Poland at all costs.
Source: Textbook/Class Notes -
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Invasion of Poland
Hitler, wanting to avoid a two front war, made a Non-Aggression Pact with Joseph Stalin, ruler of the Soviet Union, that promised to not attack one another and later divide Poland. Hitler invaded Poland with a new strategy: Blitzkrieg, which consisted of taking the enemy by surprise with new weapons and machinery in order to be quickly defeated. Hitler was successful in his attack, causing Britain and France to declare war on Germany 3 days later to officially start the war.
Source: Class Notes -
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Battle of France
After declaring war, France and Britain prepared for Hitler to make a move into France through the Maginot Line on the eastern border. However, Hitler decided to make moves elsewhere, therefore starting the Phony War. Months later, Hitler began to move into France through Belgium. Hitler sent his army through the Ardennes, a seemingly impassible land of wooded ravines, and marched towards Paris. Hitler quickly invaded and set up a Nazi-controlled French government.
Source: Textbook/Class Notes -
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Battle of Dunkirk
Upon invading France, Hitler and his army quickly swept through the country. Eventually, 400,000 British and French soldiers were trapped at Dunkirk, the French side of the English Channel. With help from citizens, about 350,000 French, British, and Belgian soldiers escaped by fishing trawlers, tugboats, river barges, and pleasure crafts to Britain. Without the help of these citizens, the French and Belgian army would have been nearly depleted and British army greatly harmed.
Source: Textbook -
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Battle of Britain
Hitler wanted to invade Britain, but he knew that he couldn't compete with Britain's navy. So, Hitler launched an air war in order to take control of the skies and weaken Britain for a future invasion. Using over 2,600 planes, Hitler bombed British targets, concentrating on airfields, aircraft, and cities. Britain's RAF, Royal Air Force, fought back brilliantly with radar, and Hitler called off the invasion of Britain weeks later while continuing the bombing raids.
Source: Textbook/Class Notes -
Tripartite Pact
The Axis powers are officially formed as Germany, Italy, and Japan become allies with the signing of the Tripartite Pact in Berlin, which created a mutual defense treaty for any of the countries if they suffer an attack by any nation not already involved in the war. This alliance was aimed directly at the neutral United States, as it was designed to force the US to think twice before venturing into the war. If they did, they would face a two ocean war.
Source: Textbook -
Lend Lease Act
Franklin Roosevelt, President of the United States, began to fear that the US would be dragged into the war. In order to help the allies, Roosevelt began to alter the Neutrality Acts. The Lend Lease Act allowed the US to lend arms and supplies to the allies when they were in need. However, Hitler tried to prevent the US from aiding the allies by sending German U boats to attack the traveling ships, which became known as Wolf Pack attacks.
Source: Class Notes -
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Operation Barbarossa
After being unable to conquer Britain, Hitler launched his armies into the Soviet Union. However, Hitler had underestimated his opponent and entered the country as a conqueror, not a liberator. So, the battle became a merciless ideological struggle. Hitler eventually lost, creating a crucial turning point in the war, as it forced Hitler to begin to fight a two front war against countries with superior resources.
Source: https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/operation-barbarossa -
Pearl Harbor
Japan was expanding over Asia, but the US stood in the way. Due to the war, the US put a hold on Japanese financial assets and exported products to Japan. Japan retaliated. Early in the morning, Japan bombed a naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, killing 2,403 Americans and injuring 1,178. 21 ships had been sunk and over 300 aircraft were damaged or destroyed. 3 aircraft carriers at sea escaped the disaster, which would later be crucial.
Source: Textbook/Class Notes -
US Enters the War
Pearl Harbor caused an outrage of anger and panic in the US, and isolationist views in the US disappeared, seemingly overnight. Roosevelt addressed Congress, stating that the navy and air force would have to be rebuilt in order to fight the now two front war in the Pacific and Atlantic. A day later, Roosevelt declared war on Japan, stating, "December 7, 1941, a date which will live in infamy." 3 days later, Germany and Italy declared war on the US.
Source: Textbook/Class Notes -
Bataan Death March
After Pearl Harbor, Japan began invading the Philippines. After a month, the Japanese had taken over Manila, the capital, and the Filipino and US army retreated to the Bataan Peninsula. They held out for 3 months, but finally surrendered. The armies were then forced to march 65 miles from Mariveles to San Fernando. Thousands of troops died, and survivors were taken to prisoner-of-war camps, where thousands more died.
Source: https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/bataan-death-march -
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Battle of Midway
In order to prove superiority in the Pacific, Japan sent 250 aircraft from their fleet to Midway. American soldiers had cracked some of the message codes, so US planes were sent to ambush the Japanese. The Japanese planes suffered the most damage, while the US planes survived. More planes were sent and the island was bombed, but there was still little damage done. The Japanese retreated, and the US mounted a failed retaliation days later.
Source: Textbook -
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Battle of Stalingrad
Hitler had continued to fight in the Soviet Union since 1941, but their initial attempt had been halted. He then began to move his army toward Stalingrad, hoping to take the major industrial center. Hitler bombed the city, causing great damage, and he managed to capture 9/10 of the city. However, the harsh winter set in, causing many hardships for the German army that eventually surrendered. This was a turning point in the war, as the Soviet Union began pressing into Germany.
Source: Textbook -
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Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
After Hitler's invasion of Poland, many Jews were confined at Warsaw, creating the Warsaw Ghetto. Months later, troops were sent to liquidate the ghetto, but resistance fighters fought back with a small amount of weapons they had managed to gather. The Germans systematically blew up each building, including the famous synagogue, to end the uprising. 7,000 Jews died, while the rest were moved to concentration camps.
Source: https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/warsaw-ghetto-uprising -
D-Day
The Allies began working on a plan to free Western Europe from Hitler's control, nicknamed Operation Overlord. The Allies planned to attack Normandy, but they laid a false trail by setting up a fake army and relaying radio messages that Germans could read, making Hitler believe they're going to attack Calais. The plan worked, and the Allies invaded German territory unsuspected. The fighting lasted for months with thousands of soldiers, and the Allies eventually regained France.
Source: Textbook -
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Liberation of Concentration Camps
Allied troops pressed into German territory, and the Soviet army pushed towards Berlin, eventually coming across the Nazi concentration camps. Despite Nazi soldiers trying to hide the evidence of their crimes, the Soviet army arrived to find thousands of starving prisoners, the world's largest crematorium, and a storehouse with thousands of clothes and personal items. The American army arrived later to help with the liberation of other camps, horrified at the sight they saw.
Source: Textbook -
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Battle of the Bulge
After the Allies had captured Aachen, Hitler sought to recapture Antwerp. Under the cover of dense fog, German tanks broke through the defenses, about 60 miles into Allied territory. This created a bulge in the lines, giving this desperate last-ditch offensive its name. The Germans were eventually pushed back and little seemed to have changed. However, the Germans had lost thousands of troops, tanks, weapons, and planes, leaving them no choice but to retreat in the future.
Source: Textbook -
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Battle of Iwo Jima
After retaking the Philippines and freeing prisoners of war, the Allied troops sought to retake Iwo Jima, an island that served as a critical bomber base. 70,000 soldiers converged on the heavily defended island, and took Mount Suribachi, the highest point. An American flag was placed on top and photographed by Joe Rosenthal, allowing American newspapers to replace the gloom from Pearl Harbor. Overall, the battle saw high casualties, with only 600 Japanese soldiers surviving.
Source: Textbook -
Hitler Commits Suicide
As the Soviet army stormed Berlin, soldiers began to flee only to be killed for betrayal. Hitler began to prepare for the end by marrying Eva Braun, a longtime companion. He wrote out his last address to the German people, in which he blamed the Jews for starting the war and his army for losing it. The next day, Hitler shot himself in the head and his wife drank poison. Their bodies were taken outside and burned. A week later, the Third Reich surrendered.
Source: Textbook -
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Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
In order to avoid invading Japan's homeland, President Harry S. Truman, having taken over for Roosevelt after his death, decided to use the atomic bomb. After much deliberation, Truman dropped the bomb at Hiroshima, an important Japanese military center. The bomb destroyed the area, but Japan refused to surrender. A second bomb was dropped at Nagasaki, destroying half of the city. Over 200,000 people died, and Japan finally surrendered, ending the war.
Source: Textbook
