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Japanese invasion of Manchuria
Japan, with its newly militarized government, invaded China in the Manchuria region. Japan was after the natural resources of the land, and they would control the land until the end of World War II. -
Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany
Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany, and soon he began to dismantle Germany’s democratic Weimar Republic. After he accomplished this, he was able to establish the Third Reich. As a member of the Nazi Party, the new German Empire was basically built upon Nazism. -
Japan withdraws from the League of Nation
Condemned for their actions in Manchuria, Japan decided to withdraw from the League of Nation, stunning the world. -
Ethiopia asks for assistance
As Italian soldiers prepare to invade Ethiopia, the Ethiopian Emperor asked the League of Nations for assistance. They did little to help the country, and Italy took control over the country. This was a major point in the rise of fascist demonstrations throughout Europe. -
Germany retakes the Rhineland
After Hitler took power in Germany, he began to set forward his plans of expansion for German "living space." The Treaty of Versailles prohibited Germany from militarizing the region known as the Rhineland, but without anyone stopping him, Hitler ordered the occupation of the area without opposition from the League of Nations or anyone else. This was the first invasion that would serve as a beginning for events that triggered World War II. -
Germany invades Austria
After seizing the Rhineland, Hitler thought that Germany still needed to expand. In his eyes, all of Germany's neighboring countries were theirs for the taking. Thus, Germany invaded Austria to gain more "living space" for the German people. Again, he took Austria unopposed. -
The Munich Conference, "Peace in our time"
In an attempt to negotiate with the Germans before sending Europe into yet another World War, Prime Minister Neville Chaimberlain of Great Britain, French premier Édouard Daladier, Adolf Hitler, and a few other leaders met in Munich, Germany to discuss Germany's invasions, and more specifically when they would end. As Hitler claimed that Germany had taken all of the land that it needs, Neville Chaimberlain declared that he had made "peace in our time" when he returned to England. He was wrong. -
Germany invades Czechoslovakia
Germany, in its phase of invading countries in pursuit of "living space," invaded Czechoslovakia. German troops blitzed into the country and Czechoslovakia was no more by the next day, according to Hitler.
Germany already controlled part of the country as outlined in the Munich Agreement, but Hitler ignored the agreement and seized what was left of Czechoslovakia. This was one of Hitler's final invasions before his next decision triggered the war and surprised everyone. -
The Non-Aggression Pact
Hitler and Stalin (leader of the Soviet Union) met to make a pact never to attack each other because both sides knew that if Germany invaded Poland, the Soviet Union would "respond" as well as Britain and France which had a defense agreement with Poland. No one in the world thought that Hitler would be foolish enough to open a war on two fronts again, waging war with France and Britain on one, and with Russia on the other. The two secretly decided to divide Poland between them. -
Germany invades Poland
To everyone's surprise, Hitler invaded Poland in a blitzkrieg and effectively began World War II. France and Britain could not mount a defense fast enough, and Poland was divided. World War II was now in full-swing. -
Britain and France declare war
Britain and France declared war on Germany for invading Poland. This declaration was the beginning of World War II. The Germans had started their blitzkrieg offensive, and the Munich conference - and Neville Chamberlain's beliefs of peace - seemed like it didn't matter. Europe had just started its bloodiest period in history. -
Germany launches surprise attack
Germany began to exercise its trademark "blitzkrieg" tactics, meaning "lightning war." Hitler, in an attempt to build bases along the coasts of Denmark and Norway, invaded these countries declaring that Germany must "protect [their] freedom and independence." Next, Hitler would set his sights on more neighboring countries. -
Germany takes Paris
The German offensive was too strong for the French and English to stop their blitz, and Britain was pushed back to the English Channel across from Britain, and France was taken my Germany. Hitler marched into the city of Paris and seized France's capital - essentially the end of France in World War II. A few days later, Hitler gave France his terms of surrender, and the world watched as the city fell to Hitler. -
Operation Barbarosa
In 1940, Hitler decided to authorize a plan to invade Russia. In 1941, Hitler betrayed Stalin and launched his offensive on the Soviet Union. Opening up this Eastern Front proved to doom Hitler's efforts in the end. -
Pearl Harbor
Early in the morning, Japanese bombers began an offensive attack on the United State's largest base, Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The American soldiers were caught off guard, and many were killed. In less than two hours, 2,403 Americans were killed, and most of the American fleet was destroyed. This brought the United States into the war. -
The United States declares war
After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the President and Congress had come to the conclusion that they now had no choice but to declare war on Japan. This would eventually lead to the United States slightly reluctantly waging war on the rest of the Axis Powers. The United States would no longer stay neutral. -
The United States declares war on Germany
Having an alliance with Japan who was now waging war with the United States, Germany declared war on the United States as well, and in turn the U.S. gladly declared war on Germany. The United States was now fully involved in World War II. -
The Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway was one of the most decisive naval battles of World War II. The U.S., after declaring war on Japan for Pearl Harbor, began "island hopping" in the Pacific Islands. Eventually they landed at Midway Atoll, and they defeated the Japanese as they retreated back towards Japan mainland, marking the beginning of the end for the Japanese. -
Stalingrad
German's eastern front offensive led them to face the Soviets in the Battle of Stalingrad. However, they were defeated by the Soviets who were defending their city for a few months. This was a major turning point in the war, as the Germans were forced to turn around their offensive and were chased back towards Germany -
Hitler commits suicide
Hitler committed suicide as Allied troops drew nearer and nearer to his bunker in Berlin, the capital of Germany. This effectively ended the German offensive and the war in Europe was coming to an end. -
V-E Day
The Allies accepted Nazi Germany's unconditional surrender, thus ending the war in Europe. This was after Hitler committed suicide during the Battle of Berlin because Germany was doomed to lose the war. The decision to surrender was made by his successor, and the war in Europe was over; the war in the Pacific, however, still had much to endure. -
Nagasaki
A few days after the first atomic bomb in warfare was dropped on Hiroshima, bombers were ordered to drop the next bomb on Kokura, or target A. But because the sky was littered with clouds, visual confirmation was not possible, and the plane flew over Nagasaki, where 80,000 people died instead. Kokura was spared by the clouds, and the bomb was dropped elsewhere to end the war. -
V-J Day
Finally, it was announced that Japan had officially surrendered unconditionally to the Allies. This was the end of World War II, as the war in Europe was already over. The Japanese soldiers had fought in ways that rendered Allies speechless - kamikaze piloting, throwing themselves off of cliffs instead of surrendering - and so, to respect the Emperor, the Minister of War urged soldiers to keep fighting. But after what the Emperor called "cruel bombs," he overruled that decision. -
The United Nations
After the war was over, the League of Nations had already been abandoned. It was time for a new and improved international peace-keeping power. The United Nations was formed and included the United States as well, unlike the League. This was a major success in getting the United States in the world stage as a superpower. -
Hiroshima
Boom - the world's first use of the nuclear bomb in warfare. Tens of thousands of people died instantly, and many more would die from radiation sickness shortly after. The world had never seen such powerful weapons, and this was only the first.
