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Kristallnacht
Named for the broken glass that littered the streets, the Kristallnacht was a race riot that broke out against Jews living in Germany. Homes and businesses were vandalized, and synagogues were burned to the ground. -
Nazi-Soviet non-aggression pact
Hitler convinced Russia to sign the non-aggression pact to keep the biggest threat to his ambitions for Nazi Germany out of the impending war. -
German Invasion of Poland
Hitler ordered the invasion of Germany in an attempt to gain more "lebensraum", or living space, for the German people. The U.K. ceded Czechoslovakia to Germany in an attempt to dissuade them from taking Poland. It didn't work. -
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World War II
WWII began when Germany invaded Poland despite warnings from France and Britain. It ended when Germany unconditionally surrendered to the Allies in 1945. -
Fall of France
Germany, using a brand of warfare called Blitzkrieg, or lightning war, obliterated the French army, and occupied the nation for the rest of the war. -
The Battle of Britain
After the successful invasion of France, Germany turned their sights towards Britain, choosing to engage them by air in what turned into a long battle of attrition. -
Atlantic Charter
The Atlantic Charter was an agreement that outlined the Allied plan for the war and beyond. Britain and the U.S. agreed not to seek territorial gains from the war. -
Pearl Harbor
The Japanese Air Force attacked the Naval base at Pearl Harbor in an attempt to cripple the U.S. Navy's ability to combat Japan in the Pacific. The plan had one flaw: the aircraft carriers that were the target of the attack were out at sea. Admiral Yamamoto knew then that he had lost the war. "We have awakened the sleeping giant". -
Battle of the Coral Sea
The first air-sea battle in history, the Battle of the Coral Sea began when Allied forces intercepted Japanese plans to invade New Guinea. The resulting battle ended in an Allied victory. -
D-Day
The beginning of the end for the Nazi war effort. D-Day was a massive amphibious invasion on Normandy, France carried out by American, British, and Canadian troops. The invasion was successful, and it allowed the Allies to advance further and further into Europe and cripple the German war effort. -
Battle of the Bulge
The final push against Allied forces by the German army, it was a devastating loss of morale for the Americans, and high desertion rates resulted in the execution of Eddie Slovik, the first soldier shot for desertion since the Civil War. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
U.S. Marines landed on and captured the island of Iwo Jima, which allowed them to make the final push onto the Japanese Mainland. -
V-E day
The date of the Nazi's formal surrender, marking the end of the war in Europe. -
Hiroshima
The first atomic bomb was detonated over Hiroshima, Japan, killing over 146,000 people, almost all of them civilians. -
Nagasaki
The United States dropped an atomic bomb over Nagasaki, Japan, killing over 80,000 people, almost all of them civilians. -
V-J Day
The Japanese formally surrendered to the allies, prompting President Truman to declare Victory in Japan Day, or V-J day.