Period 7 - Part 4: World War ll

Nazi Germany Invaded Poland

Sep 1, 1939

Germany takes and plans began a full-scale invasion of Poland. Britain and France declares war against Germany.

Sitzkreig

1940

(Lightning war) Overwhelming use of air power and tanks to render a swift victory. Caused France, Norway, and Denmark to surrender quickly.

France Fall to Germany

May 10, 1940

France fell to Germany in only a week. Britain was the only place free of German troops.

Battle of Britain

Jul 10, 1940

Britain was under attack by German bombing raids. Roosevelt sold U.S. destroyers to Britain in exchange for military bases on British islands in the Caribbean.

Destroyers-for-Bases Deal

Sep 2, 1940

U.S. sold U.S. destroyers to Britain in exchange for the right to build military bases in British Caribbean.

America First Committee Launched

Sep 4, 1940

Warned against reengaging in Europe's troubles.

Congress Instituted the Draft

Sep 16, 1940

Selective Service Act: Provided for the registration of all American men between the ages of 21 and 35.

Four Freedoms

Jan 6, 1941

Roosevelt proposed lending money to Britain to preserve freedom of speech and religion and prevent freedom of fear and want.

Lend-Lease Act

Mar 11, 1941

Allowed Britain to obtain U.S. arms on credit.

USS Kearny Attacked

Oct 17, 1941

The U.S. suffered its first casualties in WWll.

Reuben James Sank

Oct 31, 1941

Germany torpedoed the ship before the U.S. officially entered the war.

Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor

Dec 7, 1941

Surprise attacks flew down in Hawaii killing 2,400 Americans..

Manhattan Project Began

1942

Led by J. R. Oppenheimer, it was formed to build a nuclear weapon.

Battle of Bataan

Jan 7, 1942

Most intense Philippine invasion by Imperial Japan.

Bataan Death March

Apr 19, 1942

75,000 Filipino and American troops were forced to walk 65 miles to prison camps.

Island Hopping Campaign Begins

Apr 26, 1942

U.S. seized strategic locations in the Pacific to get within striking distance of Japan.

Battle of Coral Sea

May 4, 1942

Stopped Japanese advance for the first time.

Battle of Midway

Jun 4, 1942

Ended Japanese expansion.

Battle of Stalingrad

Aug 23, 1942

Ended German advances in eastern Europe and Russia.

Battle of El Alamein

Oct 23, 1942

Led to the retreat of Afrika Korps and the German surrender of Northern Africa.

Casablanca Conference

Jan 14, 1943

Guaranteed that the Allies would only accept unconditional surrender from the Axis Powers.

Tehran Conferance

Nov 28, 1943

The Big Three met for the first time. Britain and America would liberate France, while Soviets would invade Germany and join the war against Japan.

D-Day

Jun 6, 1944

British, Canadian, and U.S. forces invaded Germany forces in Normandy to liberate France.

MacArthur Returned to the Philippines

Oct 20, 1944

Invaded the Philippine island of Luzon.

Battle of the Bulge

Dec 16, 1944

Ended the war in Europe by defeating Germany.

FDR Elected to a 4th Term

Jan 20, 1945

Broke Washington's tradition of two-term tenures.

Yalta Conference

Feb 4, 1945

Negotiated Germany's unconditional surrender and post-war world.

Battle of Iwo Jima

Feb 19, 1945

Provided a base for Japanese fighter planes to intercept long-range Bombers.

Battle of Okinawa

Apr 1, 1945

Last major battle of WWll.

VE Day

May 8, 1945

Marked the end of WWll in Europe.

Postdam Conference

Jul 17, 1945

Joseph Stalin, Clement Attlee, and Harry Truman met in Germany and agreed to demand unconditional Japanese surrender and to hold war-crime trials of Nazi leaders.

Little Boy dropped on Hiroshima

Aug 6, 1945

90,000 Japs died.

Fat Man dropped on Nagasaki

Aug 9, 1945

75,000 Japs died.

FDR Died/Harry Truman Became President

Aug 12, 1945

Harry Truman became pres after Roosevelt died in a vacation home.

Victory over Japan Day

Aug 14, 1945

Celebrates the day Japan surrendered in WWll.

Nuremberg Trials

Nov 20, 1945

Former Nazis were tried as war criminals.

Japanese War Crime Trials

Mar 11, 1948

30 Japs were tried by Allied war crimes tribunal.