APUSH Period 7 (World War II)

Manhattan Project Began

1939

This would eventually allow for the atomic bomb to be dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, ending WWII.

Germany Invades Poland

Sep 1, 1939

Germany invaded Poland on September 1st, 1939. This event is significant because it marked the beginning of WWII.

Sitzkrieg

Sep 3, 1939

This was a period of approximately 8 months at the beginning of WWII, during which there was little to no active fighting.

France Fell to Germany

May 10, 1940

This event is significant because France would later become the site of the D-day invasion, and allied forces would have to work through France in order to get to Germany.

Battle of Britain

Jul 10, 1940

This event was significant because in this battle, Britain stood alone. They had no help, and were barely able to stop Germany, but they eventually did.

Destroyers for Bases Deal

Sep 2, 1940

This was a deal in which some American ships were transferred to the British Navy in exchange for the right to put bases on British possessions. This is significant because it shows how desperate Britain was at the time.

America First Committee Launched

Sep 4, 1940

This was the largest anti-interventionist group during WWII. They held the position that America should not join the war.

Congress Instituted the Draft

Sep 16, 1940

This was a significant event because, although Europe was at war, the US had not yet joined the war. Thus, this was a peacetime draft.

Four Freedoms

Jan 6, 1941

In his State of the Union Address, Roosevelt stated that everyone in the world is entitled to four basic freedoms.

Lend-Lease

Mar 11, 1941

This was significant because it would become the sole method by which the US supported its allies in the war effort.

USS Kearny Attacked

Oct 17, 1941

This event is significant because the USS Kearny was attacked before the US had declared war.

Reuben James Sank

Oct 31, 1941

This event is significant because it took place before the US was at war.

Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor

Dec 7, 1941

This event was significant because it caused the US to declare war on Japan, and then on Germany afterward.

Battle of Bataan

Apr 9, 1942

This event was significant because it was the bloodiest invasion of the Philippines by Japan.

Bataan Death March

Apr 9, 1942

Following the Battle of Bataan, the many remaining thousands of soldiers had to march for 65 miles to prison camps.

Battle of Coral Sea

May 4, 1942

This was a major naval battle between the Japanese navy and British and American naval forces.

Battle of Midway

Jun 4, 1942

This battle was the most decisive of all the battles in the Asian theater.

Island Hopping Campaign Begins

Jun 4, 1942

This was a military strategy employed following the Battle of Midway.

Battle of El Alamein

Jul 1, 1942

This battle prevented the Axis powers from advancing further into Egypt.

Battle of Stalingrad

Jul 17, 1942

This was the largest land battle in WWII. Germany fought the Soviet Union for the city Stalingrad in this battle.

Casablanca Conference

Jan 12, 1943

This was a meeting to plan the Allied military strategy in the war.

Tehran Conference

Nov 28, 1943

This was a meeting to discuss strategy between Stalin, Roosevelt, and Churchill.

D-Day

Jun 6, 1944

This was the plan within Operation Overlord that was used to gain a foothold into Europe.

MacArthur Returned to the Philippines

Oct 20, 1944

This event was significant because MacArthur had promised to return to the Philippines in a previous speech.

FDR Elected to a Fourth Term

Nov 7, 1944

This event marked an unprecedented amount of terms for a president. This inspired the 22nd amendment, which prevented granting this many terms to a single president.

Battle of the Bulge

Dec 16, 1944

This was the last major German offensive in WWII. It was an extremely decisive victory for the Allies, although it was also extremely costly.

Japanese War Time Trials

1945

These were a series of trials to determine whether certain people were guilty of war crimes.

Yalta Conference

Feb 4, 1945

This was another conference between the three allied leaders.

Battle of Iwo Jima

Feb 19, 1945

This was a major battle in the Asian theater of WWII. The US invaded and overtook the island of Iwo Jima.

Battle of Okinawa

Apr 1, 1945

This was the last major battle of WWII. It was particularly bloody.

FDR Died/Harry Truman Became President

Apr 12, 1945

The death of FDR gave Harry Truman the presidency at a time when the US was still fighting WWII.

VE Day

May 8, 1945

This day marked the end of WWII in Europe. The war with Japan was still active, however.

Potsdam Conference

Jul 17, 1945

This was the last meeting of the "Big Three." It took place after VE day.

Little Boy Dropped on Hiroshima

Aug 6, 1945

This was the first use of an atomic bomb. It would eventually force the Japanese to surrender.

Fat Man Dropped on Nagasaki

Aug 9, 1945

This was the second use of an atomic bomb in WWII. It was more powerful than the previous bombing of Hiroshima, and Japan surrendered as a result.

VJ DAy

Sep 2, 1945

This marked the end of WWII.

Nuremberg Trials

Nov 20, 1945

These were a series of trials held by the Allied powers regarding the laws of war, and war crimes.