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Joseph Stalin Comes to Power
First off, I coudn't find an actual date that Stalin came to power, so I used the date that Lenin died instead. Anyway, Stalin was a main figure in the Communist party and stayed this way until Lenin's death. After some time, Stalin maintained control of the party and of the USSR after defeating his political opponents. -
Japan invades Manchuria
On September 19, Japan invaded Manchuria and established a puppet state known as Manchukuo. Manchukuo lasted until the end of World War II, and was an imperialistic success of the Empire of Japan. -
Adolf Hitler Comes to Power
Hitler's rise to power started when he joined the German Workers' Partyin 1919. Hitler was an excellent speaker and rapidly became a prominent leader. Following a failed Beer Hall Putsch, Hitler wrote a book, Mein Kampf, after he was jailed for this incident. After this, Hitler and his party quickly rose to fame and eventually Hitler and the Nazis led Germany. -
Italy attacks Ethiopia
On October 3, 1935, the Kingdom of Italy fought the Ethiopian Empire, and Italy eventually won. Not only did this result in the expansion of Italy, but it also exposed the ineffectiveness of the League of Nations. -
The Great Purge
The Great Purge lasted for four years and resulted in the deaths of many Communist members and government officials. Many others were also arrested, and this happened due to suspicions of people against Stalin. -
Francisco Franco Comes to Power
Francisco Franco came to power as the dictator of Spain until his death. Franco was not a part of World War II. -
Munich Agreement
The Munich Agreement gave Hitler and Germany portions of Czechoslovakia, known as Sudetenland, in order for him to stop his imperialistic gains in Europe. This move by the League of Nations is also known as appeasement. -
German/Soviet Non-agression Pact
Germany was gaining a lot of land due to his strategy, and was also creating a two front war between him and either the powers of Europe or Russia (USSR). After this, Hitler signs an agreement to not attack the USSR if the USSR does not attack Germany. This eliminated Germany's two front war. -
Hitler Invades Poland
Disregarding the League of Nations, Germany uses Blitzkrieg to gain control of Poland. Eventually, this move, as well as others, result in the start of World War II -
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain was the first major battle to mainly involve aerial combat. This battle proved that Germany could not take contol of Britain by aerial means, because the Nazis took heavy losses compared to Britain. -
FDR's Four Essential Freedoms Speech
Franklin Roosevelt gave a famous speech that the whole world deserves the freedom of speech, worship, from want, and from fear. -
Lend-Lease Act
The Lend-Lease Act was the principal means of providing aid to foreign countries during World War II. -
The Atlantic Charter
The Atlantic Charter was a joint declaration by Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt that stated the pivotal points of a post war world. -
Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a Japanese attempt to thoroughly knock the United States out of World War II. Although the U.S. sustained heavy losses due to this sneak attack, America declared war on Japan soon after. -
Declaration of War on Japan
After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Congress passes the declaration to go to war with the Empire of Japan. The American population, as well as the government, readily supports this action, almost going unopposed. -
Declaration of War on Germany
After declaring war on Japan, one of the Axis Powers, days later, Germany declared war on the United States. Hours after the German declaration of war, the United States decalred war on them. -
D-Day
D-Day was the Allied land on Normandy that eventually led to the liberation of Nazi conrol from France. This was the largest amphibious assault in the history of the United States. This was also considered a turning point in the war, as France was soon to be released from Germany. -
The Battle of the Bulge
A German surprise attack to regain the harbor of Antwerp. Although both sides suffered heavy losse, the Germans lost a lot of men that were unable to be replaced. -
FDR's Death
Shortly after being elected to his fourth term, Franklin Delano Roosevelt eventually died, at the conclusion of World War II. -
V-E Day
V-E Day stands for Victory in Europe Day, and successfully marked the end of World War II in Europe.
