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German Parliament Passes Enabling Act
On March 24, 1933, the German Parliament passed the Enabling Act, which allowed the Hitler to pass laws without the consent of the Parliament. This marked the beginning of complete Nazification of German society. -
The Gestapo is Born
On April 26, 1933 Minister of the Interior Hermann Göring founded the Gestapo. The Gestapo replaced the German police and often harassed Jews and looted their stores. Hitler started using the Gestapo to silence his political opponents in Berlin and surrounding areas. -
Nuremberg Laws announced
The Nuremberg Laws were enacted by the Reichstag on 15 September 1935. These laws were antisemitic and racist, they excluded Jews from Reich citizenship among other oppressive measures. -
The Rome Berlin Axis
The Rome-Berlin Axis was a coalition formed between Italy and Germany. This was proposed by Italy's foreign minister Galeazzo Ciano, and it informally linked the two fascist countries on October 25, 1936. The name “Axis” was introduced during a speech by Mussolini, it refers to the position of the alliance in the middle of Europe. -
Japan Invades China
- Second Sino-Japapanese War began with the Marco Polo Bridge Incident in 1937 = a dispute between Japanese and Chinese troops escalated into a battle that would merge into WW2.
- China : backed by the Soviet Union and the United States.
- FDR was able to get around neutrality laws because Japan and China were not formally at war.
- During this war, the US froze all Japanese assets and cut off all trade with Japan : a factor that led to the Pearl Harbor attacks.
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Germany's Anschluss with Austria
- March 12, 1938 : German troops marched into Austria => no resistance => Austria was annexed into Nazi Germany.
- Treaty of Versailles took a part of Germany to make Austria
- In Austria : 6 million German => Hitler wants it to increase Reich's population.
- This annexation violated the treaty of Versailles, but was met with no retribution from other countries.
- marks the start of Nazi expansion, and creates a direct route to Italy which solidified the Axis Powers.
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Munich Agreement Signed
- 30th September 1939.
- In that Agreement, Great Britain, France and Italy permitted German annexation of the Sudetenland.
- Meant to keep Germany satisfied,to avoid war and to satisfy their territorial expansion frenzy.
- this agreement just legitimized Nazi expansion because Hitler was not satisfied and continued to take over all of Czechoslovakia and later Poland.
- Considered an act of failed diplomacy because Britain and France were not able to avoid war with Germany.
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Kristallnacht
The Kristallnacht happened on the night between the 9th and 10th November 1938. This night is the night when the anti-Jewish laws started to emerge. Synagogues were burnt, Jewish businesses were looted and some Jews were assaulted and beaten, some Jews even died that night because of those attacks. It’s called Kristallnacht, the night of broken glass, because on that night, a lot of glass in front of Jewish shops were broken. -
Non-Aggression Pact Between Germany and the USSR
- 23rd August 1939 : Germany and the USSR signed a non-aggression pact
- They also agreed to conquer and share Poland together and to split it in half
- Very weird because Germany is Fascist and the USSR is communist => opposed ideologies
- Reason for this pact : Poland was a highway to Rusland => Stalin wanted it to protect the USSR and Hitler wanted it for the opposite reason => This pact was meant to be broken
- Stalin agreed to sign the pact because he thought that he was smarter than Hitler
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Germany Invades Poland
Germany invaded Poland the first of September 1939. It took them a month to fully conquer it. At the end of the invasion, Germany kept western Poland and the USSR kept the other half. This invasion is very important because it’s the starting point of WW2 in Europe. The allies swore to protect the Polish borders, so they had to declare war on Germany. Another reason for this invasion is that Poland was a strategic place to invade the URSS and it was in Hitler’s plan to do so. -
Great-Britain and France Declares War on Germany
Because Britain and France were allied with Poland, when Germany started to invade Poland in September 1939, Britain and France declared war on Germany. This war declaration happened two days after the German invasion started, the third September 1939. This event is the starting point of World War 2. -
Poland Surrenders to Germany
Poland surrendered to Germany on the sixth October 1939, when Warsaw fell under German control. After this conquest, Germany started to enforce its racial laws in Poland. They also expelled a lot of Poles from their houses to give them to the German people. -
Yellow Star for Polish Jews Over Age 10
The 23rd of October 1939, Germany made a law that forced Polish Jews over age ten to wear the yellow star of David. By doing so, German Nazi could recognize them in the streets. That law was gradually applied to every German-conquered regions. It’s important because we can see that the laws gets gradually stronger for the Jews and that no one can react. It’s too late. -
Germany Attacks France
On May 10, 1940 German forces mobilized South into allied territory. Germany used their superior armored forces and air forces to dominate their way through France. The Allied forces were forced to retreat, as they had no match for German forces and tactics. The Germans had gained control Paris on June 14. -
Italy Enters WW II
Italy did not enter WW2 until June 10, 1940 when French defeat seemed imminent. They did so to ensure territory gain when Germany took full control of France. This decision was opposed by Mussolini’s foreign minister Galeazzo Ciano, but because Mussolini held all power they joined anyway. An early attempt to attack the French alps was quickly suppressed. Later in the war (October 1940), Italy attempted to invade Greece but had to be bailed out by the Germans. -
Germany Defeats France
- Germans took Paris on June 14 1940 => France essentially defeated.
- June 22 1940 : Germany and France signed an armistice. => Went into effect on June 25, officially marking the defeat of France.
- turning point in war because Germany controlled most of the Coastline in South Western Europe => it made them very hard to invade.
- Sea invasion is a lot more difficult than land invasion. D-Day was very difficult.
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Battle of Britain Begins
- Britain knew that they would be targeted by the Axis.
- Only a 150 mile wide channel separating Britain from German coastline.
- July 10 1940 : Germany began bombing British infrastructure, ships, and airfields to weaken their defenses and make them vulnerable.
- The first bombing attacks : a convoy in the British channel.
- The British had better quality planes (but fewer) that could easily beat German planes in a fight. they had a powerful radar system and more efficient tactics.
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Tripartite Act Signed
On September 27, 1940, Germany and Italy bring Japan into the Axis Power Alliance with the signing of the Tripartite Pact in Berlin. The Pact provided mutual assistance should any of the members come under attack by any nation not already involved in the war. This formalizing of the alliance was meant as a show of power to deter the US from joining the Allies. -
Battle of Britain Ends
The Battle of Britain took place during WW2 between Britain’s Royal Air Force and the Luftwaffe, Nazi Germany’s air force. From July 10 through October 31, 1940, pilots and support crews on both sides took to the skies and battled for control of airspace over Great Britain, Germany and the English Channel. It was the first battle in history fought solely in the air. The powerful, combat-experienced Luftwaffe hoped to conquer Britain easily, but the RAF proved a formidable e -
Operation Barbarossa Starts
-Operation Barbarossa = an attack that the German initiated on East Europe and the USSR (07/22/1941).
- The orders that the German force received = kill Jews, high ranked Soviets and any person that could be threatening.
- Hitler wanted to conquer those lands to repopulate them with Germans + have access to the farmlands and oil reserves.
-He also wanted to turn the non-German people into slaves.
-80% of German military : about 3.8 million soldiers, 4.000 tanks and 5.000 planes -
Battle of Moscow
The 09/30/1941, German forces reached and initiated a battle against Moscow. It was a huge attack because the war was depending on the results of it. Capturing Moscow was one of the big purposes of the German attack against Russia. This battle lasted for about three month and ended with a German defeat. It’s important because it’s the first major defeat of Germany and it’s the end of its expansion. It’s the beginning of the end for Hitler. -
Operation Barbarossa Ends
- 12/05/1941 : Germany lost the battle of Moscow. => ended the operation Barbarossa.
- Devastating for the German empire because they lost about 750 000 men.
- The German force started to be pushed back by the Soviet force - Issue of the war started to turn in favor of the USSR.
- Hitler attacked them too close to Wintertime and his troops weren’t properly prepared for it.
- Hitler thought that Russia was going to fall quickly so he didn’t plan a long term strategy.
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Pearl Harbor Attacked by Japanese
- 7th December 1941 : Japanese aviation attacked Pearl Harbor.
- Very vicious because it was a surprise attack.
- US force on the island weren’t prepared at all and their boats and planes were really close to each other => easy targets for the Japanese air force.
- Was very shocking at that time because wars were always declared before initiating the first attack.
- Reasons they attacked : They thought that the US was going to declare war to them and they wanted to be recognized by the world
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US Declares War on Japan
The day after the Pearl Harbor attack, the 8th December 1941, the US declared war on Japan. They couldn’t stay neutral anymore because Japan had killed a lot of US soldiers and citizens that were on the island. Japan had also destroyed most of the boats that were stationed there. On that date, the war really started to get global. -
Island Hopping Campaign
After the Battle of Midway, the United States launched a campaign known as "island-hopping”. This established US control of pacific islands as well as air control. The idea was to capture certain key islands, one after another, until Japan came within range of American bombers. Led by General Douglas MacAurther, Commander of the Allied forces in the Southwest Pacific, and Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Fleet -
Wannsee Conference / The Final Solution
- Is the climax of German laws against Jews.
- 20th January 1942 the German Government decided that it was time to start a Jewish genocide. Jews killing was already happening by a group called the “Einsatzgruppen” but it was not efficient.
- The final solution is the code name for the official start of Jewish extermination.
- Called that way to “hide” what it really was to the population.
- Germany started to build extermination camps across Poland. About 6 million Jews died in those camps.
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Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway was between the U.S. and the Japanese Navy on June 7, 1942. Yamamoto planned a surprise attack aimed at the Allied base at Midway Island. Midway is almost directly in between the United States and Japan. US Navy Codebreakers intercepted Japanese radio signals that confirmed an attack on Midway. U.S. bombers then struck three Japanese carriers: The Akagi, Kaga and Soryuand. This disabled the Japanese attack. Japan then abandoned its plan to expand its reach in the Pacific. -
Battle of Stalingrad
From August 1942 through February 1943, German and Russian troops fought for the control of the Russian city of Stalingrad. Nearly two million people were killed or injured in the fighting. Stalin knew Hitler’s plans, so the Russians had already shipped most of the grain and cattle out of Stalingrad. Stalin instructed his forces in the city to not retreat. “Not a step back!” Became a famous quote of the war. By February 1943, Russian troops had retaken Stalingrad -
D-Day
On June 6, 1944, also known as D-Day, 156,000 American, British and Canadian forces landed on five beaches on the coast of France’s Normandy region. The British and Canadians captured the Gold, Juno and Sword beaches with little struggle. U.S. forces faced heavy resistance at Omaha Beach. By the day’s end, the Allies successfully stormed the Normandy beaches. More than 4,000 Allied troops lost their lives during the invasion. -
Allied Troops Free Paris
On August 24, 1944 the French 2nd Armored Division and the U.S. 4th Infantry Division marched into France to Liberate Paris. Hitler gave orders to General Dietrich von Choltitz to detonate bombs on all bridges and landmarks in the city before it was liberated. Choltitz refused the orders because he did not want to be responsible for the destruction of the City. On August 24 the French managed to reach the Paris suburbs. Choltitz signed a formal surrender that afternoon. -
US Troops Land on Philippines
In October 1944, more than 100,000 American soldiers landed on Leyte Island to take over the Japanese controlled territory. It took 67 days to take the island. 80,000 Japanese soldiers during the two months of battle and U.S. forces lost about 3,500. Despite their best efforts, the Japanese lost the battle for Luzon and eventually, the battle for control over all of the Philippines. -
The US Captures Iwo Jima
- 03/26/1945 : US military captured Iwo Jima, a small island south of Japan Very important because Iwo Jima was a strategic place to attack the Japanese mainland => it had three airfields
- This battle lasted for one month and one week and both the Americans and the Japanese lost a lot of people
- The island had a whole hidden network of tunnels binding several bunkers and secret artillery.
- The American troops were supported by their navy and air force.
- Only 216 Japanese survived the attack
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Hitler Commits Suicide
The 30th of April 1945, Hitler commits suicide. This event almost sign the end of conflicts in Europe. He did that because allied forces from the west and Soviet forces from the east, Pushed the German forces back to Berlin and Hitler didn’t wanted to be captured and eventually tortured by the Soviet forces. After that, Berlin and Germany were split in 4 between France, Great-Britain, the United-States and the USSR. -
VE Day
The VE day was the official day of the end of conflicts in Europe. This was the 8th of May 1945. It was a big relief for Europe but for the US as well. The US could now use all of its troops against one enemy : Japan. Both Europe and the US feasted all night. -
The US Captures Okinawa
The 06/22/1945, the US successfully captured Okinawa, another island south of Japan. It’s also a battle that caused a lot of casualties on both sides. About 320.000 People died during this battle. Also, both sides lost a lot of boats and planes. The Japanese air force did a lot of Kamikaze attacks. This battle lasted two months and three weeks. Okinawa was also a good strategic place to attack Japan because it was a good place to store ships. -
Atomic Bomb Dropped on Hiroshima
- 6th of August 1945 : US dropped a nuclear bomb on Hiroshima.
- They were the first to create an atomic weapon.
- Bombing allowed by the Quebec Agreement’s countries = The US and the United-Kingdoms.
- This bomb was the first atomic weapon used in an armed conflict
- With the atomic bomb of Nagasaki, they killed between 129.000 and 226.000 people, mostly civilians.
- This bomb was meant to scare the Japanese people and to force them to surrender but it didn’t work the first time.
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Atomic Bomb Dropped on Nagasaki
08/09/1945 : The US dropped another bomb on Nagasaki. With the Bomb of Hiroshima, those bombings killed between 129.000 and 226.000 people. Those people were mostly civilians. Month after those bombings, people were still dying of radiation poisoning. Nagasaki was an important city because it was one of the largest seaports in Japan. It had also a lot of industries producing war supplies. In the meantime, the USSR declared war on Japan. Those two events made Japan surrender to the US. -
Japan Formally Surrenders to The US
After the Hiroshima bombing, on August 8, the USSR declared war against Japan. The next day, Soviet forces attacked in Manchuria,,and a second U.S. atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. Emperor Hirohito declared that peace was preferable to destruction. There was an attempt of a military overthrow but the rebellion was crushed. On September 2, 1945 Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu signed for the surrender of Japan. This concluded WW2.
