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Japanese aggression in Asia
Japan had aggressively used its military force to conquer many parts of Asia, particularly Korea, Manchuria, some parts of Eastern Russia and largely China. Japan's aggression was because of frustration with the world whose appeared tipped in favor of the west. -
Rise of Fascist dictators in Europe
Both Adolf Hitler in Germany and Benito Mussolini in Italy believed in the political system called fascism. In a fascist government system, total power is given to a dictator. Individual rights are taken. They believe the power of the nation is the only thing that counts. -
Annexation of Austria
Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg, learning of Austrian Nazis conspiring to take control with the German Nazis, met with Nazi leader Adolf Hitler in the hopes of getting his country's independence. Before the national vote on Austrias fate took place Schuschnigg resigned. Hitler accompanied German troops into Austria, where crowds met them. Hitler pronounced a new Nazi government, and on March 13 the Anschluss was proclaimed. -
Munich Conference
At this conference, British and French handed over Czechoslovakiar to Germany. -
Nazi-Soviet Pact
Enemies Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union signed the German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact. This meant that the two countries agreed to take no military action against each other for the next 10 years. Soviets viewed the pact as a way to keep his nation on peaceful terms with Germany, while giving time to build up the Soviet military. Adolf Hitler used the pact to make sure Germany was able to invade Poland unopposed. The pact also contained a secret in how they would later divide up Eastern Europe. -
Battle of the Atlantic
The sea to provide a highway for the transport of raw materials, munitions, and men, to maintain the nation’s security and to project power across the globe. After the fall of Europe, the main supply route was between north America and the UK across the North Atlantic. Ultimately it was the successful protection of this vital sea by British and allied ships from the German surface and U-boat threat that led to North Africa sucess and ultimately in the fall of Germany. -
Phony War
Between the time that Germany and the Soviet Union split Poland between them, and the invasion of France by Germany was a period in which the war fell into a lull, eight months that became known as “the phony war.” -
Fall of France
France's Maginot Line failed to hold back the Nazi and the Germans poured into France. Civilians fled taking what they could salvage. The roads soon became impassable to the French troops. Paris was abandoned and declared an Open City. The French government joined the fleeing moving to, and then quickly abandoning one location after another. -
Miracle at Dunkirk
Over 350,000 men, including the entire British army and some of the French and Belgian armies, were trapped in the port of Dunkirk in France. The British decided to try to evacuate them by sea. They believed that they would be able to rescue most of the men over the course of ten days, from May 26 to June 4, They accomplished a miracle. Civilian boats from all over Britain helped. Under aerial attack the navy and civilians evacuated nearly all the men from the beaches. -
Battle of Britain
German and British air forces clash in the skies over the Great Briitian. The Battle of Britain ended when Germany failed to gain superiority over the British Air Force after all the months of targeting Britain’s air bases, military posts and civilians. Britain’s victory saved the country from a ground invasion and possible occupation by German forces. -
Operation Barbarossa
Nazi Germany and its allies began a massive invasion of the Soviet Union, epsicaly blitzkrieg, named Operation Barbarossa. -
Nazi Genocide
the murder of hostages, forced labor, starvation, exposure, medical experiments, and terror bombing, and in the concentration and death camps. The Nazis murdered men, women, handicapped, aged, sick, prisoners of war, forced laborers, camp inmates, critics, homosexuals, Jews, Slavs, Serbs, Germans, Czechs, Italians, Poles, French, Ukrainians, and many others -
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The Japanese suprise bombed the American naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. After just two hours of bombing, more than 2,400 Americans were dead, 21 ships had either been sunk or damaged, and more than 188 U.S. aircraft destroyed. -
United Nations
The name "United Nations", coined by United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt was first used in the Declaration by United Nations of 1 January 1942, during the Second World War, when representatives of 26 nations pledged their Governments to continue fighting together against the Axis Powers. -
Battle of Midway
Outgunned and understrength, the American Navy effectively destroyed Japan’s naval strength. Japans navy never recovered from its lose at Midway and it was on the defensive after this battle. -
Battle of Stalingrad
Hitler new he was going to capture one Stalin’s namesake city. Battle began when Germans were around the city. Stalin knew he could fight them off. They fought for 2 weeks until German surrendered. About 300,000 were died, injured or captured in that battle. This war one of the costliest wars. -
Battle of El Alamein
In the first Battle of El Alamein, Germans under Rommel tried to attack British under Montgomery with Italian allies and Afrika Corps. The battle ender in El Alamein with German troops surrendering and Afrika Corps retreating. -
Invasion of Italy
British and U.S. armies won against Italy. This event forced Hilter to fight on another area. Allies lossed against the German resistance. -
D-Day
160,000 Allied troops landed along a 50-mile streach or heavily-fortifird French coastline to fight Nazi Germany on the beaches of Normandy, France. More than 5,000 ships and 13,000 aircrafts supported thhe D-Day invasion, and by day's end on June 6, the allied gained hold of Normandy. The D-Day cost was high but more than 100,000 soliders began the march across Europe to defeat Hitler. -
Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg, was fought on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa and was the largest assault in the Pacific. The 82-day-long battle lasted from early April until mid-June 1945. After a long campaign of island hopping, the Allies were approaching Japan, and planned to use Okinawa, a large island near mainland Japan, as a base for air operations on the planned invasion of Japanese mainland. -
Battle of Berlin
This was Stalin's attempt to take Berlin. It led to the death of 70,000 Russian soldiers. -
Nazi defeated
Hitler's decision to invade Russia caused Germany to lose initiative and became stuck in battle. Hitler would not allow any retreat, and decisions to attack the wrong targets were made. The German army was not equipped to fight in Winter. The Russians eventually pushed the Germans all the way back to Berlin. Western Allies bombed Germany successfully invaded. That placed Germany in a trap -
Use of atomic weapons
The first atomic bomb was dropped on 6 August 1945 on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, instantly killing around 80,000 people. Three days later, a second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, causing the deaths of 40,000 more. -
Surrender of Japan
The Japanese navy and air force were destroyed. The Allied naval blockade of Japan and intensive bombing of Japanese cities had left the country and its economy devastated. The Americans captured Okinawa, a Japanese island from which the Allies could launch an invasion of the main Japanese home islands. Japan finally surrenders to the Allies, bringing an end to World War II.
