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Creation of League of Nations
After the Treaty of Versailles, European nations created an international organization dedicated to peacekeeping. The League of Nations' goal was to prevent another world war from breaking out. However, the United States chose to stay out of the League, and the exclusion of Germany and Russia lead to bitter resentment. Ultimately, the League failed to achieve its goals to create lasting peace. -
Benito Mussolini Seizes Power
Newspaper editor and politician Benito Mussolini promised Italy that he would restore the country's glory through strengthening its economy and rebuilding its military. His Fascist followers marched on Rome and demanded the king step down, and make Mussolini the prime minister. -
Japanese Military Gains Control
After the Great Depression, many Japanese citizens turned to military leaders to restore prosperity. They made Emperor Hirohito the center of state power, and promised to turn Japan into an international empire. -
Japan Invades Manchuria
Japanese militants sought to start their Pacific empire by seizing Manchuria, China's resource-rich northern province. Against the Japanese parliament's will, military leaders ordered an invasion and set up a puppet government. Engineers and technicians began arriving soon after to build factories. -
Hitler Rises to Power
Adolf Hitler, leader of the Nazi Party, gained massive popularity in Germany. Conservative leaders pushed the president to appoint Hitler as chancellor. Gradually, Hitler eliminated all his political opponents to make the Nazis the dominating political party. -
Hitler Defies Versailles Treaty
Hitler accentuated his hatred of the Versailles Treaty during his campaigns. He announced that Germany would rebuild its army, which was prohibited by the treaty. Again, the League of Nations gave in to his demands in an attempt to maintain peace. Their lack of action encouraged Hitler to take the Rhineland, a demilitarized buffer zone between Germany and France. -
Italy Attacks Ethiopia
In the 1890s, Ethiopia was one of the few countries able to successfully resist an Italian attempt at conquest. Benito Mussolini wished to avenge that defeat and ordered a massive invasion of Ethiopia. No countries intervened, and the League of Nations hoped to maintain peace by giving in to Mussolini. -
Spanish Civil War
Spain's government was mostly run by liberals and socialists. But military leaders favored a Fascist-style government. Lead by General Francisco Franco, they sparked a civil war. Fascist rebels, known as Nationalists, received troops and tanks from Hitler and Mussolini. Supporters of the government, or Republicans, gained only minor support from the Soviet Union. The Republicans surrendered, and Spain became ruled by dictator Franco. -
Japan Conquers China
Japan had already invaded Manchuria, but a border incident triggered total war against China. Soon after, Japan took Beijing and Nanjing, and Chinese forces were forced to retreat westward. -
Invasion of Poland
Hitler sent tanks and troop trucks into Poland as a quick surprise attack. German aircraft and artillery also bomb the capital, Warsaw. Poland fell not long after, and it was annexed by Germany. France and Britain declare war on Germany, sparking WWII. -
France Surrenders to Germany
Hitler swept through the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg prior to attacking France. While the Allies were focused on those countries, Hitler stealthily moved his troops past the Maginot Line and swung around, trapping Allied troops at Dunkirk. Soon, German forces marched into Paris, and French government leaders fled. A government-in-exile was set up in London by Charles de Gaulle. -
Battle of Britain
After defeating France, Hitler turned his attention to Great Britain. His goal was to destroy the Royal Air Force first, and then land German troops on England's shores for an invasion. The German air force, or Luftwaffe, began bombing Britain. Airfields, factories, and major cities were targeted. But Britain refused to give in, and Hitler eventually called off the attacks. -
Bombing of Pearl Harbor
Japan launched a surprise attack on the Hawaiian naval base of Pearl Harbor. Most of the United States' pacific fleet was stationed there at the time, making it a perfect target for the Japanese. The U.S. entered WWII as a result of the attack. -
Battle of Midway
Allied code breakers discovered that Japan was planning an attack on Midway Island. A massive fleet of Japanese ships and aircraft was headed toward Midway. The American Pacific Fleet sailed to defend the island and hid beyond the horizon, waiting for the Japanese to attack. As the first Japanese planes flew into the air, American planes launched a surprise counterattack. The strategy was successful, and the Allies had finally turned the tide of the Pacific War. -
Battle of Stalingrad
Hitler sent his Sixth Army under the command of General Friedrich Paulus to capture Stalingrad, an industrial city named after Joseph Stalin. The Luftwaffe conducted nightly bombing raids that almost destroyed the city. But when winter set in, Soviet troops launched a counterattack against the unprepared German forces. 90,000 frostbitten, starving German soldiers finally surrendered 3 months later. -
Fascist Italy Surrenders
Churchill and Roosevelt decided to launch an all-out attack on Italy. Once Allied forces landed on Sicily, they liberated the island within a month. Benito Mussolini was toppled from power, and King Victor Emmanuel III arrested him. Mussolini was executed two years later. -
D-Day Invasion
Allied forces had been planning an offensive attack to retake France. 3 million troops crossed the English Channel along with planes, ships, and tanks. They kept pushing forward despite heavy losses, and eventually liberated France, Belgium, and Luxembourg. -
Battle of the Bulge
As Allied forces surrounded Germany, Hitler ordered a final, desperate counterattack. German tanks broke through American defenses in the Ardennes in an attempt to split American and British troops. The Allies eventually defeated the attacking troops, forcing the Germans to retreat. -
Nazi Germany Surrenders
After Hitler's suicide, Germany had lost most of its will to fight. 3 million Allied soldiers approached Berlin from the west, while another 6 million Soviet soldiers marched from the east. The official surrender was signed by General Alfred Jodl. -
Atomic Bombings
New U.S. President Harry Truman felt that using a powerful atomic bomb against Japan would bring a quick end to the war. The bomb was developed by the top-secret Manhattan Project. Truman warned Japan they should expect a "rain of ruin from the air" if they did not surrender. When they did not reply, an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. 3 days later, another bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. 150,000 people died immediately, and countless others died from radiation sickness. -
Imperial Japan Surrenders
After the atomic bombs were dropped, Japan's military leaders had no choice but to surrender. The ceremony was aboard the U.S. battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay. The surrender finally brought WWII to an end and ended all hostilities.
