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Treaty of Versailles
In 1919, officials from 27 different counties met in Versailles to draft a peace agreement. The United States, Britain, and France did most of the decision making. WWI, supposedly the war to end all wars, left a lot of bittereness between nations. The treaty was finally signed on the 28th of June. Another World War could be brewing... -
Hitler Becomes Chancellor of Germany
In the midst of economic recession from WWI in Germany, Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany. People were desperate and he seemed to provide a solution. He later became President and established a secret police that crushed all opposition. -
German Invasion of Poland
On September 1st, German forces attacked Polland from three directions. This attack got its name "blitzkrieg" from its sudden nature. The term "blitzkrieg" means lightning war. After about a month of fighting, distructed Poland fell. -
The Japanese Attack Pearl Harbor
The U.S. and Japan were never able to come to an agreement over power in Asia and the Pacific. So, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Almost 2,500 Americans lost their lives, as well as 14 boats damaged or sunk, and hundreds of planes destroyed. -
U.S. Declares War on Japan
As the news of Pearl Harbor spread around the country, people became outraged. FDR spoke his famous speach outside of the White House ending with "So help us God". The House voted 388 to 1 to declare War on Japan. -
Battle of Midway
This battle was the turning point for the U.S. in the Pacific Ocean. The rolls were swapped; Japan was now on the defensive and the U.S. was on the offensive. This led to the assault on Guadalcanal. -
D-Day Invasion of Normandy
Overlord involved the largest fleet ever assembled, more than 4,440 ships. Allied forces attacked 5 separate beaches. All went fairly smoothly except Omaha. Germans offered stiff opposition there and many America lives were lost.This day led to V-E Day. -
Hiroshima is Bombed
The atomic bomb had yet to be used in the world until this day. The United States believed that it was better to drop a bomb like this than lose an estimated 500,000 men, The U.S. believed this would lead to a surrender. -
Bombing of Nagasaki
Japan did not surrender so the U.S. dropped another atomic bomb on Nagasaki killing 35,000 people. This happened the same day that Soviet forces invaded Manchuria. The Japanese government now began playing with the idea of surrendering. Finally, Emperor Hirohito made the decision to surrender. -
Japan Surrenders; WWII is Over
Aboard the USS Missouri, Japan officially surrendered. This marked the end of the most costly war to date. As many as 60,000,000 lives were lost, both soldiers and civilians. Unfortunately, the majority were civilians. Many who weren't killed were forever scarred. This war forever changed the world.
