-
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was a WWI peace treaty signed in Paris. In the treaty, Germany was put at fault for the war and was ordered to pay 132 billion marks in reparations to the Allied Nations and dismantle their army. The Treaty of Versailles aggrevated Germany and was a cause of WWII. -
Rise of Hitler
Hitler joined the NSDAP in September, 1919 and became the leader on July 29, 1921. The publication of Mein Kampf on July 18, 1925 brought Hitler to even greater fame. The Nazi Party grew rapidly after the publication and on January 30, 1933 Hitler was appointed chancellor by Paul von Hindenburg. -
Czechoslovakia Crisis
The Czechoslovakia Crisis occured when Germany demanded self-determination for all Germans in Austria and Czechoclovakia in February of 1938. Pro-Nazi riots took place and Czechoslovakia mobilized for war. Chamberland gave Sudentenland to Germany in order to maintain peace. -
Violation of the Munich Pact
The Munich Agreement between Britain, France, Italy and Germany, stated that Germany could take Sudetenland as long as it didn't invade Czechoslovakia. Germany violated the Munich Pact on March 30, 1939 by invading the provinces of Bohemia and Moraivia in Czechoslovakia. -
Invasion of Poland
Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. During the invasion of Poland, Germany used a "Blitzkrieg Strategy" where the enemy's munitions dumps, air capacity, railroads and communication lines were bombed. This bombing was followed by a massive land invasion. The Polish army was defeated within weeks of the invasion. -
Invasion of France
Germany began the invasion of France on May 10, 1940. On June 12, Germany invaded France's final lines of defense and ten days later an armistice was signed with Germany where France split into two. Germany had control of the western half and France maintained control over the eastern half. -
Battle of Britain
On June 10, 1940, Britain was unwilling to surrender to the Nazis, so they battled fiercely. The Nazis defeated Britain on October 31, 1940. -
Invasion of the Soviet Union
On June 22,1941, the Nazis invaded the Soviet Union. This invasion, known as Operation Barbarossa, was the largest German military operation of WWII. Operation Barbarossa ended on Janurary 7, 1942 with a Soviet victory. -
Pearl Harbor
On December 7, 1941, Japan launched an unexpected attack on Pearl Habor which killed 2500 men. A day later, the United States declared war on Japan and became completely involved in WWII. -
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway began on June 3, 1942 and was one of the most decisive battles of WWII. The United States emerged victorious on June 7, 1942. -
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was an allied operation that lasted from June 6, 1944 to August 25, 1944. The operation successfully siezed West Europe from Germany. The infamous "D-Day" also occured during the first day of Operation Overlord when the allies suffered great losses. -
The Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa was a series of battles fought between April 1, 1945 and June 22, 1945 and in the Ryukyu Islands. The Allies won the battle and occupied the islands. This decisive battle included the largest amphibious assults of the Pacific war during WWII. -
Hiroshima
On August 6, 1945, the United States detonated an atomic bomb over Hiroshima, Japan. The nuclear blast in Hiroshina alone directly killed about 80,000 people. Japan surrendured Japan surrendered less than a month after Hiroshima.
