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Adolf Hitler became the leader of the Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (NSDAP), or the Nazi party, originally a small group of unemployed soldiers.
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Benito Mussolini threatened the Italian government, gaining him the title of Prime Minister. He turned Italy into the first Fascist state.
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Josef Stalinbecomes sole dictator of teh Soviet Union (USSR), turning it into a totalitarian state.
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In an event commonly known as the Manchuria Incident, the Japanese Kwantung Army attacked Chinese soldiers in Manchuria. They wanted to control the region, and eventually all of East Asia. This event was one of the causes of World War II.
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Adolf Hitler, leader of the Nazi Party, becomes Chancellor of Germany.
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The United States passes the Neutrality Act, stating that the U.S. can't assist any country involved in war, to keep our country out of conflict.
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The Italian Army invades Ethiopia, Africa, taking the country.
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Militarists (people who advocate warlike policies) take over Japan's government.
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Hitler sends troops into Rhinland in Germany in violation of the Treaty of Versailles.
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Imperial Japan and Nazi Germany sign the Anti-Comintern Pact, which was directed against the Soviet Union and international Communist movement.
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Japan invades China, which starts World War II in the Pacific.
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The Nanking Massacre is also known as the Rape of Nanking. In the six weeks after the Japanese captured the Chinese city Nanking, a mass murder and war rape befell the city. Hundreds of thousands of disarmed soldiers and civilians were murdered, and widespread rape and looting occurred. An estimated 250,000-300,000 were killed.
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The Munich Pact was signed, giving the Sudetenland of Czechoslovakia to Hitler.
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The Nazis began rounding up Jews to be taken to labor camps. Hitler seemed to think that this would help solve the (nonexistent) "Jew problem". Needless to say, Hitler did not like Jews, and blamed them for the hardships Germany faced after World War I.
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The Nazi-Soviet pact was signed by Hitler and Stalin, agreeing that they would not attack each others' countries, and that they would split up Poland. This was surprising to many because Hitler and Stalin were bitter enemies.
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The Nazis invaded Poland, causing Britain and France to declare war on Germany.
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The Nazis invade Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Belgium, taking control of all of them.
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The Battle of Britain was the battle over Britain, where German air force attacked Britain from above. The Royal Air Force beat the German Air Force to prevent invasion of their country.
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The first Peacetime draft in America occurred.
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Germany invades France, forcing them to surrender.
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Japan, Germany, and Italy sign the Tripartite Pact. It was also known as the Three Power Pact, Axis Pact, Three Way Pact, or Tripartite Treaty. It was signed in Berlin, Germany. The pact establishe the Axis Powers of World War II.
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Hitler breaks the Nazi-Soviet Pact and invades Russia. Russia joins forces with England in fighting the Germans.
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British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and FDR issue the Atlantic Charter.
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The Japanese invade French Indochina (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia).
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The Japanese hit Pearl Harbor, in Hawaii, in a surprise attack. They first started by taking out our military bases with bombs and incendiary bullets, then hit civilian areas. They destroyed ships in the harbor by using special torpedoes that didn't dive as deep as a normal torpedo, which was necessary in Pearl Harbor's shallow waters. Many people on Hawaii died that day, for we had little means to defend ourselves, especially in such short notice.
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The Axis Powers, which included Nazi Germany, Japan, and Italy, declared war on America from December 11-13.
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The Japanese take the Philippines, and cause the Bataan Death March.
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Japanese American citizens were interned in isolation camps due to paranoia in Americans that they were Japanese spies, etc.
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Battle of Midway was between the U.S. and Japan, where we stopped their advances towards Australia, taking over the Pacific. It was a turning point in the war.
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The Russians stop the Nazi advance at Stalingrad, saving Moscow.
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British and U.S. navies stop the Japanese naval advance in the central Pacific at Midway.
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The U.S. stops Japan's island-hopping towards Australia at Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands.
