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Mussolini takes over Italy's Government
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Mussolini’s journey to becoming a dictator was much longer than Hitler’s. He had to gain the Roman Catholic Church’s trust. He also needed support from all the classes in Italy, too. He was appointed Prime Minister after the March on Rome in 1922. Reference:
Howardgeography.wikispaces.com,. 'Howardgeography - Shannon'. N.p., 2015. Web. 9 Feb. 2015. -
Beer Hall Putsch
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Beer Hall Putsch was an attempted coup d’etat led by Hitler and the Nazis with a coalition group. Their objective was to seize control of the state government, and overthrow the German federal government. Their goal was to have a Greater German Reich.
Reference:
HISTORY.com,. 'Beer Hall Putsch - Facts & Summary - HISTORY.Com'. N.p., 2015. Web. 9 Feb. 2015. -
Kellogg-Briand Pact
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This was created to outlaw war, also known as the Pact of Paris. This was an international effort to prevent another World War. It didn’t help much with the rising militarism of the 1930s, though.
Reference:
Encyclopedia Britannica,. 'Kellogg-Briand Pact | France-United States [1928]'. N.p., 2015. Web. 11 Feb. 2015. -
U.S. Stock Market Crash
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This was the first of many tragedies that were involved with the Great Depression. Black Tuesday hit Wall Street, and billions of dollars were lost, along with thousands of investors’ jobs.
Reference:
Econproph [U.S. Economic History],. 'The Stock Market Crash Of 1929'. N.p., 2013. Web. 11 Feb. 2015. -
Japan Invades Manchuria
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The Soviet Union officially declared war on Japan. Japan’s 700,000 troop army was very strong, and didn't surrender to the bombing of Hiroshima.
Reference:
Cline, Austin. 'Today In History: 19 September 1931: Japan Invades Manchuria, Will Occupy Region Until End Of WW II'. Skepticism - Skeptical Notes on Politics, Culture, Religion. N.p., 2015. Web. 11 Feb. 2015. -
Hitler becomes Germany's Chancellor
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Once Hitler was named Chancellor of Germany, he took off with his power. In a very short amount of time, he had control over the whole country, and moved on to take down the world.
Reference:
The Huffington Post,. 'Germany Marks 80Th Anniversary Of Hitler's Rise To Power'. N.p., 2015. Web. 11 Feb. 2015. -
Japan Withdraws from the League of Nations
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Japan surprised everyone when they declare they were withdrawing from the League of Nations. After this, Japan took off with their own plan to take over the world.
Reference:
Japanfocus.org,. 'Japan's Pan-Asianism And The Legitimacy Of Imperial World Order, 1931-1945 | The Asia-Pacific Journal'. N.p., 2015. Web. 11 Feb. 2015. -
First Anti-Semitic Law is passed in Germany
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Antisemitism took over Germany when Hitler was in control. Antisemitism means hatred or prejudice against Jews. These laws took away a lot of freedom for the Jews in Germany.
Reference:
Ushmm.org,. 'Anti-Jewish Legislation In Prewar Germany'. N.p., 2015. Web. 11 Feb. 2015. -
Nazi's reach a political majority in Germany
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When Hitler began chancellor, he began to popularize the Nazis. He forced all organizations, political parties, and state governments under Nazi control. After a few months into his chancellorship, almost everyone and everything was under Nazi control.
References:
Historyonthenet.com,. 'Nazi Germany - Propaganda'. N.p., 2015. Web. 11 Feb. 2015. -
The Night of the Long Knives (Rohm Purge)
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The Nazi Party took advantage of this purge by killing other political enemies. Their targets were the German nationalists. From this, Hitler named himself Fuhrer of National Socialist Germany. The Nazi regime and German Army helped Hitler claim power of all of Germany.
Reference:
Elginhistory12.wikispaces.com,. 'Elginhistory12 - The Night Of Long Knives'. N.p., 2015. Web. 11 Feb. 2015. -
Hitler openly announces to his cabinet he will defy the Treaty of Versailles
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At a meeting with the Cabinet, Hitler announced he was going to break the Treaty of Versailles by militarizing. Nobody said anything. Almost immediately after, the Nazi Party began collecting people and goods for a strong military.
Reference:
Pacificwar.org.au,. 'Hitler Prepares Germany For War'. N.p., 2015. Web. 11 Feb. 2015. -
Creation of the Nuremberg Laws
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The Nazis gathered at one of their annual parties, and created the Nuremberg Laws. These laws went against Jewish heredity, rather than the practice of the religion. Jews could not marry or have sex with non-Jews. It also took away German citizenship from the Jews.
Reference:
Jewishvirtuallibrary.org,. 'Background & Overview Of The Nuremberg Laws | Jewish Virtual Library'. N.p., 2015. Web. 11 Feb. 2015. -
Italy invades Ethiopia
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Ethiopia’s army was very weak, with little training and barely any weapons. Mussolini found an excuse to invade, wanting to be more imperial. Ethiopia didn’t stand a chance, and quickly surrendered. This was a great example of how well the League of Nations was helping the “no war,"
Reference:
Rarenewspapers.com,. 'Italy Invades Ethiopia IN 1935... - Rarenewspapers.Com'. N.p., 1935. Web. 12 Feb. 2015. -
Hitler Militarizes the Rhineland
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This was another example of Hitler breaking the Treaty of Versailles. The Rhineland was a buffer zone between Germany and France. It was meant to keep France and Germany from fighting, but Hitler smashed the peace when he began militarizing it.
Reference:
Top 5 Most Important Events of World War II,. 'Top 5 Most Important Events Of World War II'. N.p., 2015. Web. 12 Feb. 2015. -
Rape of Nanking
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Japan invaded this capital city of China, killing 300,000 people. Nobody was safe, even pregnant women. They would rape women, tear open the pregnant women’s bellies, and rip the fetuses out. This was only one horrific event of the Rape of Nanking.
Reference:
Alittlereality.blogspot.com,. 'A Little Reality: Five Infamous Days Of WWII Worse Than Pearl Harbor'. N.p., 2013. Web. 15 Feb. 2015. -
Germany Annexes Austria
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German troops marched into Austria. Their goal: to annex Austria for the Third Reich. Hitler bullied their chancellor into naming several top Austrian Nazis to his cabinet. Their chancellor, Kurt von Schuschnigg, fought for independence, but Hitler already had control of the country.
Reference:
Ushmm.org,. 'Austria'. N.p., 2015. Web. 15 Feb. 2015. -
Hitler demands the Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia
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Hitler was trying to get control of everything he could, so he turned his attention toward the Sudetenland. He used the same method he had on the Rhineland and Austria: they needed to be put back in order.
Reference:
Johndclare.net,. 'Sudetenland'. N.p., 2015. Web. 15 Feb. 2015. -
Munich Conference
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This was an agreement settled by France, Great Britain, Germany, and Italy. It stated that Germany was not allowed to touch Czechoslovakia. After word got out that Hitler was planning on taking control of Czechoslovakia, the Czechs stepped up with their allies- France and Great Britain.
Reference:
Germanhistorydocs.ghi-dc.org,. 'GHDI - Image'. N.p., 2015. Web. 15 Feb. 2015. -
Kristallnacht
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Also known as “Night of Broken Glass”, Kristallnacht was a night where anti-Jews wrecked havoc on the Jews. It was arranged by the Nazi Party and Hitler Youth. They destroyed homes, businesses, and even synagogues. Broken glass was found eveywhere.
Reference:
Aptowitzer, Elana, and Elana Aptowitzer. 'INJUSTICE: 75 Years Since Kristallnacht, Nazis Still Roam Free'. Landmark Report. N.p., 2015. Web. 15 Feb. 2015. -
Einstein’s letter to FDR, “The Manhattan Project”
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Three chemists in Berlin discovered they could split a uranium atom. This mind-blowing discovery came with many difficulties, though. When Einstein found out, he wrote a letter to President Franklin Roosevelt. They were concerned, so began building their own atomic bomb.
Reference:
Atalay, Bulent. 'Nine Days In August 1945'. Voices. N.p., 2012. Web. 15 Feb. 2015. -
Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact
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A,K,A the German-Soviet Pact, it was an agreement that Germany would exchange manufactured goods for Soviet raw materials. Along with this agreement, they both signed another pact, stating there would be no agression for ten years between Germany and the Soviets.
Reference:
Estonia.usembassy.gov,. 'Speeches And Articles | Embassy Of The United States Tallinn, Estonia'. N.p., 2015. Web. 15 Feb. 2015. -
Nazi invasion of Poland
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The German-Soviet Pact helped Hitler with the invasion. It gave him comfort in knowing the Soviet wouldn’t intervene.Poland surrendered to Germany within a month. Their army wasn’t strong enough compared to the 2,000 tank-1,000 plane German army.
Reference:
Ushmm.org,. 'Invasion Of Poland, Fall 1939'. N.p., 2015. Web. 15 Feb. 2015. -
Evacuation of Dunkirk
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Germany invaded Northern France and countries surrounding France. The French and others affected were unprepared. They fled to the port city Dunkirk in France, but they were trapped. Britain saved the day by sending thousands of troops on ships to evacuate the hostages.
Reference:
Christianstogether.net,. 'Christians Together : The Miracle Of Dunkirk: 70 Years On'. N.p., 2015. Web. 15 Feb. 2015. -
Battle of Britain
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The Battle of Britain was a success for Britain, they realized Germany could be defeated. It was the worst air battle, because of bombs. Britain was more advanced with aviation, and had better defense mechanisms. Luftwaffe (German Air Force) would drop bombs on London.
Reference:
Bbc.co.uk,. 'BBC - History - Dogfight (Pictures, Video, Facts & News)'. N.p., 2015. Web. 15 Feb. 2015. -
France Surrenders
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Hitler invades France in a way like the Schlieffen Plan with his own plan, known as Blitzkrieg. The French army and 10 million refugees flee. Paris becomes an open city. They created the Armistice, which declared Germany owned ⅔ of France.
Reference:
Napolun.com,. 'French British Wars : Land Battles : Victories : Defeats : Rivalry : Hate France'. N.p., 2015. Web. 15 Feb. 2015. -
The Tripartite Pact
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This was the beginning formation of the Axis of Powers. The Pact said that if anyone attacked Italy, Germany, or Japan, then the other allies would attack back, protecting each other. The Pact also stated that Japan was granted the “Greater East Asia”.
Reference:
Pacificwar.org.au,. 'Increasing Tensions Between The United States And Japan'. N.p., 2015. Web. 15 Feb. 2015. -
Lend Lease Act
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This stated that the US could provide supplies and weapons for the countries in the war that were in need. It also said that not paying was required- according to the Neutrality Act of 1939. This put the US one step closer to being in the war.
Reference:
Ourdocuments.gov,. 'Our Documents - Lend-Lease Act (1941)'. N.p., 2015. Web. 15 Feb. 2015. -
Operation Barbarossa
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AKA Hitler’s biggest mistake. He sent over 3 million German soldiers, 150 divisions, and 3,000 tanks across the frontier of Soviet territory. The Soviets had more than they needed, and took down the Nazis. This was a turning point, the Germans were not invincible.
Reference:
Encyclopedia Britannica,. 'Operation Barbarossa | European History'. N.p., 2014. Web. 15 Feb. 2015. -
Bombing of Pearl Harbor
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Japan sent hundreds of fighter planes to Honolulu, Hawaii, where the American naval base was. The invasion lasted about two hours, resulting in 2,000+ Americans dead and 1,000+ wounded. After this attack, the US wanted to declared war on Japan, but Germany and Italy declared war on the US first.
Reference:
Ashlock, Alex. 'Veteran Recalls Pearl Harbor Attack'. hereandnow. N.p., 2015. Web. 15 Feb. 2015. -
Creation of the United Nations
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This was created to go against the Axis of Powers. The United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union created the United Nations with 26 other nations. With the “Big Three” (Roosevelt, Stalin, Churchill) were in charge.
Reference:
Legal.un.org,. 'Declaration Of The United Nations Conference On The Human Environment - Main Page'. N.p., 2015. Web. 15 Feb. 2015. -
The Wannsee Conference and the “Final Solution”
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High-ranked Nazi Party and German government officials got together to solve the “Jew problem”. Hitler was determined to exterminate all Jews in Germany. The Jews had hung on through all the other horror, and Hitler was fed up. He began genocides and made the Nazis build more concentration camps.
Reference:
Yadvashem.org,. 'This Month In Holocaust History - January'. N.p., 2015. Web. 15 Feb. 2015. -
Bataan Death March
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US surrenders to Japan on the Bataan Peninsula. This was the main Philippine island of Luzon. About 75,000 Filipino and American troops were forced to march 65 miles to prison camps. The march was threatening because of heat and severe treatment, many marchers died.
Reference:
Pbs.org,. 'THE WAR . Search & Explore . Themes & Topics | PBS'. N.p., 2015. Web. 15 Feb. 2015. -
Doolittle Raid
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This was the first US air raid towards Japan during WWII. It showed how weak the Japanese were in the sky when unprepared. Four months after the Pearl Harbor Bombing, Americans striked back, and Japan was surprised.
Reference:
Defense.gov,. 'Defense.Gov News Article: Doolittle Raids: Beginning Of End For Imperial Japan'. N.p., 2015. Web. 15 Feb. 2015. -
Battle of Midway
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The US didn’t back down after the Pearl Bombing, they were determined on taking down Japan. The US invaded again, six months after Pearl Harbor. The Allies broke many codes, significantly helped the US destroy Japan. This was another important turning point in WWII, US beat Japan.
Reference:
Uss-hornet.org,. 'Battle Of Midway - WORLD WAR II - Aircraft Carrier USS Hornet Museum'. N.p., 2015. Web. 16 Feb. 2015. -
Island Hopping (Buna-Gona Campaign)
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This was a very successful strategy for the US. They sent a counter-offensive strike known as “island-hopping”. This was the act of going from island to island controlled by the enemy and invading. They would capture as many islands as they could. Reference:
Newworldencyclopedia.org,. 'Battle Of Guadalcanal - New World Encyclopedia'. N.p., 2015. Web. 16 Feb. 2015. -
Battle of Stalingrad
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It was fought mostly in winter, already making it a harsh battle. Germany had lost and the Russians won. The Germans tried surrounding Russia, but they weren’t expecting the Russians to be prepared for battle. The Germans broke the German-Soviet Treaty, they sent 3 prongs of troops into Russia.
Reference:
The Times,. 'Name Change Prompts New Battle Of Stalingrad | The Times'. N.p., 2015. Web. 15 Feb. 2015. -
Operation Torch
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The Allies planned an assault on the weakest part of the Axis area, which was North Africa. They called it the “soft belly” of Europe. George S. Patton led American troops with fast tactics.
Reference:
Africa, El. 'El Alamein And Operation Torch: The Road To Berlin Began In Africa - WAR HISTORY ONLINE'. WAR HISTORY ONLINE. N.p., 2012. Web. 15 Feb. 2015. -
Operation Overlord and D-Day
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This was the code-name for the Allied invasion of France, it was ran by Dwight Eisenhower. The Allies were trying to kick the Germans out of France. They landed on Normandy, with more than 3 million men, 6,000 ships, and 5,000 fighter planes. It was a success.
Reference:
Historylink101.com,. 'Pictures Of D-Day, Operation Overlord'. N.p., 2015. Web. 16 Feb. 2015. -
Operation Valkyrie
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This was the assassination plan of Hitler. It had to be approved by Hitler, in case something went wrong with his plans. Bombs were dropped at the Wolf’s Lair in Eastern Prussia. German soldiers did nothing until they would hear an official confirmation of Hitler’s death, but there was never a call. Twas a fail
Reference:
Harris, Dave. 'World War Two: Operation Valkyrie'. HubPages. N.p., 2015. Web. 16 Feb. 2015. -
Discovery of Majdanek
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Majdanek was a concentration camp occupied by mostly Soviet prisoners, some Jews too, that were too weak to work. The conditions of the camp were brutal during winter days, and prisoners were shot regularly.
Reference:
Ushmm.org,. 'Lublin/Majdanek Concentration Camp: Conditions'. N.p., 2015. Web. 16 Feb. 2015. -
Battle of the Bulge
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Hitler’s attempt on splitting the Allies in northwest Europe with his usual blitzkrieg attack. Patton fought back with great strategies and maneuvering. This was the costliest battle fought by the U.S. Army, which suffered over 100,000 casualties.
Reference:
Fazio, Dan, and Dan Fazio. '70Th Anniversary: Battle Of The Bulge Through The Eyes Of A Survivor - GI Jobs'. GI Jobs. N.p., 2014. Web. 16 Feb. 2015. -
Hitler's Suicide
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Hitler ended it all with a shot to the head. He knew his “1,000-year” Reich was coming to an end. Hitler was cremated in the chancellery garden. Hitler was not officially declared dead until 1956.
Reference:
Spartacus Educational,. 'Adolf Hitler: 1943-1945'. N.p., 2015. Web. 16 Feb. 2015. -
V-E Day
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AKA Victory in Europe Day was the official announcement of the end of WWII. German General Jodl signed the surrender document. Many people celebrated with huge street parties.
Reference:
History.com,. 'End Of World War II — Crowds On V-E Day — History.Com Photo Galleries'. N.p., 2015. Web. 16 Feb. 2015. -
Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
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Americans dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. The bomb took down 90% of the city, with a death toll of 80,000 people; more people died from radiation exposure. Three days later, Americans attacked Nagasaki, dropping another atomic bomb, killing another 40,000 people.
Reference:
PopularResistance.Org,. 'On The Anniversary Of Atomic Bombs On Hiroshima And Nagasaki'. N.p., 2013. Web. 16 Feb. 2015. -
V-J Day
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AKA Victory over Japan Day, was when Japan surrendered to the Allies. Japan held on for several months after Germany surrendered. Just like VE Day, many people celebrated.
Reference:
History, U.S. 'V-J Day: The Formal Surrender Of Japan, 2 September 1945 | CMH'. History.army.mil. N.p., 2015. Web. 16 Feb. 2015. -
The Japanese War Crime Trials
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After the war, many Japanese generals were accused of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity. Out of the 28, 25 were found guilty. Many got the death sentence, or life.
Reference:
My.vanderbilt.edu,. 'Chapter 11: Justice For The Unspeakable? The Enduring Legacy Of The War Crimes Trials At Nuremberg And Tokyo | Michael Bess | Vanderbilt University'. N.p., 2015. Web. 16 Feb. 2015. -
The Nuremberg Trials
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There were 13 trials for Nazis who were accused of war crimes. The trials helped push towards a better government in the court of law. The trials even involved lawyers and doctors.
Reference:
Bickel, Nathan. 'The Nuremberg Trials: Historical Lesson Plan To Prosecute Obama Conspirators'. moralmatters.org. N.p., 2014. Web. 16 Feb. 2015. -
The beginning of the Cold War
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Americans and Soviets had a war-winning alliance for WWII. They also had many differences, though. These differences escalated quickly, leading to the beginning of the Cold War.
Reference:
CNN,. 'The History Of The Cold War - CNN.Com'. N.p., 2015. Web. 16 Feb. 2015.
