Download 054TimelineWWII

The Timeline of World War II
1918
The Treaty of Versailles:
Germany was blamed for the war and forced to pay reparations which crippled its economy. Italy and Japan
were not given what they felt was their fair share of territory.
The League of Nations is formed to help countries avoid war.
1922
Benito Mussolini becomes the leader of Italy and turns it into a fascist country. Italy starts rebuilding a large
army.
1931
Japan invades and takes over Northern Manchuria (North Eastern China). The U.S. doesn’t recognize their
claim and denounces Japan’s actions. Japan leaves the League of Nations.
1933
Adolf Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany. The Nazi (fascist) political party takes over the country. By 1935
Hitler has absolute control over Germany.
1935
Italy invades Ethiopia.
1936
Hitler and Mussolini help the Fascist Franco take over Spain. During the fighting, they practice battle strategies.
1937
Japan invades the rest of China.
1938
Germany takes over Austria declaring “Anschluss” or the re-unification of all German speaking peoples. No
one tries to stop Germany.
1938
The Rape of Nanking occurs in China. The Japanese kill 400,000 Chinese civilians and rape over 40,000
Chinese women in the Chinese city of Nanking. Many of these women commit suicide afterwards.
1938
Germany takes over the eastern half of Czechoslovakia known as the Sudetenland. It is populated mostly by
Germans and Hitler simply claims that he is continuing his re-unification process. Again, no one stops him.
1938
Crystal Night (KristallNacht) happens in Germany. All over the country Jewish businesses are destroyed and
many Jews are beaten or killed in the streets of German cities.
1939
Italy invades Albania (near Yugoslavia). No one stops them.
1939
Germany signs a treaty with Russia and both countries agree to invade Poland. Germany takes the western half,
Russia the eastern. This is too much for the Allies. Britain and France declare war.
1940
Germany invades France and takes the country over in a month. France surrenders in June.
1940
Battle of Britain commences. Germany starts bombing British cities and factories. The bombing stops at the
end of 1940 when Germany needs its planes to attack the U.S.S.R.
1940
The Germans, Japanese, and Italians form an alliance called the Axis. They cooperate together to win the war.
1940
Germany invades North Africa to take over the oil supplies of Libya and the Middle East.
1941
Germany invades the U.S.S.R. They do a lot of damage at first, but by 1942 their blitzkrieg tactics are slowed
down.
1941
Pearl Harbor in Hawaii is attacked by the Japanese. Until now the U.S. wanted to stay out of the war. After
2,400 people are killed at Pearl Harbor, the U.S. declares war on Japan, Germany and Italy.
1942
Island Hopping begins. The U.S. starts invading Japanese held islands in the Pacific one by one.
1942
The U.S. and England invade North Africa and start beating the Germans back into Italy.
1943
The Germans retreat From North Africa into Italy. The U.S. invades Italy.
1943
The Germans retreat from the U.S.S.R. back into Poland.
1944
D-Day. The U.S. and England invade France. They begin pushing the Germans back into Germany.
1944
The Battle of the Bulge. The Germans attempt one last desperate battle to try and keep the U.S. and England
from getting to Germany.
1945
The U.S. has fought its way across the pacific and is almost ready to invade the main island of Japan.
1945
The U.S. and the U.S.S.R. make it to Germany. Berlin falls, Germany surrenders.
1945
The U.S. drops two nuclear bombs on Japan. Japan surrenders.
What do you think are the three most important events that occurred during World War II?
Why are these events the most important?
Summarize the overall pattern of events that occurred during World War II. Which events changed the course
of the war (these might not be the same events as the answers to the previous question).