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Japan invades China
The Japanese invaded China near Beijing in 1937, begginning a war between the two states that the Japanese dominated at first, but eventually were defeated by two chinese armies- the Guomingdang and the communists. -
Germany invades Poland
Hitler uses his airforce and the Blitskreig strategy to quickly invade Poland, breaking multiple treaties and causing war to be declared soon after. This event started the war in Europe. -
The Battle of Britain
The German airforce's attempt to dominate the Royal Airforce (RAF) over England by bombing multiple factories and cities with civilians in them. -
Tripartite Pact
The pct signed in Berlin, Germany that bound the Axis Powers for the war; Japan, Germany, and Italy were now allies. -
Lend-Lease Act
Agreement between the allies and the United States that sent US supplies to help the allies fight. -
Germany takes Leningrad
The strategic blockading of the Soviet city of Leningrad in which German soldiers blockaded the city of all resources. The blockade lasted until January of 1944, and by this time residents had turned to cannibalism to live. -
Bombing of Pearl Harbor
The Japanese surprise attack on the Pacific American port of Pearl Harbor. The attack came with no reason or precedent and resulted in the US entering the war. -
The Wannsee Conference
A conference held in Germany by German officials to discuss The Final Solution, and how the Jews were to be exterminated. -
Battle of Midway
Battle at the Pacific Islnd of Midway where the US defeated Japan and begun to drive them back. This was the turning point of the wa in the Pacific. -
German Blitzkreig on the Soviet Union
The failed attempt by the Germans to invade the Soviet Union. They were successful at first, but soon fell to "General Winter" and the technique the Soviets used that burned any supplies. -
D-Day
The Allied attempt to storm the beaches of Normandy and liberate France from German rule. The invasion was poorly planned, and was miraculously successful in pushing the Germans out of Western Europe. -
The Yalta Conference
The conference between the government heads of the United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union to decide on how to divide and fix Europe after the war. -
Iwo Jima and Okinawa
Battles between the US and Japan in the Pacific that were bloody victories for the US, and soon led to the defeat of Japan through the island hopping strategy. -
Hitler's suicide
Hitler committed suicide in April, 1945 when he saw that there was no hope for the war, the nazis, or himself. -
VE Day
The day that Germany surrenderd to the Allies. Victory in Europe Day. -
Potsdam Conference
A conference between Harry Truman of the United States, Winston Churchill of the United Kingdom, and Joseph Stalin for The Soviet Union where they discussed how to deal with the end of the war and the punishment and division of Germany. -
Atomic Bmbs
The nuclear bombing Of The japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki three days later was an attempt by President Truman to force japan to surrender, which proved to be a very hard task because of the mindset of the Japanese. It was succesful and Japan soon surrendered. -
VJ Day
The day that Japan surrendered to the Allied powers. Victory in Japan day. -
Formation of The United Nations
The forming of the original 53 United Nations, a compromise between many countries to help one another. It is The League of Nations 2.0. -
Truman Doctrine
A speech given by Harry Truman stating that the US would assist Greece and Turkey so they wouldn't fall under Soviet control. This is often referred to as the begginning of The Cold War. -
Marshall Plan
Plan instituted by the United States to provide economical and social reform in Europe after the war. -
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Orgnization was established in 1949 as a military agreement between countries, mostly because of the distress brought on because of the Soviet Union. -
Mao Zedong and The People's Republic of China
The establishment of a communist government in China under the leadership of Mao Zedong. -
Korean War
A war between the United Nations-backed South Korea and the China and Russia-backed North Korea. The first actual fighting of the Cold War that wasn't really a victory for anyone. -
Death of Joseph Stalin and transition to Kruschev
When Joseph Stalin died of a stroke in March, 1953, Nikita Kruschev gained and enforced more lideral reforms. He tried to "de-Stalinize" the Soviet Union. -
Warsaw Pact
The Soviet response to NATO, signed by many Eastern European countries in 1955. -
Vietnam War
A very hazy conflict in which the communists of North Vietnam fought the anti-communists of South Vietnam. The North used very much Guerilla warfare against the American troops and the army was pulled out many years after. -
Sputnik
First artificial Earth satellite that represented a huge leap in space technology for Soviets while also fueling the space race between the Soviets and the Americans. -
The Bay of Pigs
A failed invasion of Cuba by a CIA-trained force, trying to overthrow the communist Fidel Castro. The attack failed within 3 days and only gave Castro more power and more incentive to support communism. -
The Berlin Wall
A wall built in 1961 that divided the Communist East Germany from the Republic of the West, the main "iron curtain" in Europe. The wall was ceremonially destroyed in November, 1989. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
The scare in 1962 when the Soviets had nuclear missiles aimed at American cities in Cuba. This was the closest the Cold War came to actual war, but was avoided by the Kennedy administration. -
Mikhail Gorbachev
Russian leader who took power after Kruschev and implemented free-market reforms onto the Soviet Union. He eventually watched as the Soviet Union dizzolved in 1991 as the countries suceded. -
The Soviet Union falls
On December 25th 1991, a conference between the nations of the Soviet Union dizzolved the Soviet Union, marking the end of the superpower and the reinstitution of Russia.
