World War 2

Treaty of Versailles (1919)

A harsh peace treaty that punished Germany after WWI, causing resentment, economic hardship, and fueling extremist ideologies like Nazism.

Great Depression's Impact

Economic collapse in the 1930s caused social unrest, joblessness, and a loss of faith in democracy, leading to the rise of fascism in Europe.

Rise of Fascism

Authoritarian political ideology based on nationalism, militarism, and loyalty to a dictator. Promised to revive struggling nations during crises.

Adolf Hitler’s Ideology

Promoted Aryan supremacy, Lebensraum (living space), anti-Semitism, and the belief that Germany needed to conquer the East to thrive.

Hitler Becomes Chancellor (1933)

Legally appointed by President Hindenburg; used the Reichstag Fire and Enabling Act to establish totalitarian control.

Remilitarization of the Rhineland (1936)

Hitler sent German troops into a demilitarized zone bordering France, violating the Treaty of Versailles. France and Britain did nothing, encouraging further aggression.

Spanish Civil War (1936–1939)

Conflict in Spain where Germany and Italy supported fascist General Franco. Served as a testing ground for Axis military tactics before WWII.

Rome-Berlin Axis (1936)

Alliance between Germany and Italy, later expanded to include Japan. Marked the formation of the Axis Powers.

Anschluss (March 1938)

Germany annexed Austria without resistance, violating the Treaty of Versailles. Austrians were pressured and then absorbed into the Third Reich.

Sudetenland Crisis (1938)

Hitler demanded the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia. Britain and France gave in at the Munich Conference, hoping to avoid war.

Munich Conference (1938)

Britain and France allowed Hitler to annex the Sudetenland. No Czech leaders were present. Symbol of failed appeasement.

“Peace for Our Time”

Quote by Neville Chamberlain after the Munich Conference, expressing belief that appeasement had prevented war. It had not.

Occupation of Czechoslovakia (March 1939)

Hitler broke his Munich promises and occupied the rest of Czechoslovakia, showing appeasement had failed.

Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact (1939)

Germany and USSR agreed not to attack each other and secretly divided Poland and Eastern Europe. Enabled Germany to invade Poland without fear of Soviet opposition.

Invasion of Poland (Sept. 1, 1939)

Germany used Blitzkrieg to overwhelm Poland. Britain and France declared war—WWII had officially begun.

Blitzkrieg

German military tactic meaning "lightning war"—rapid attacks combining air power, tanks, and infantry to quickly defeat enemies.

Soviet Invasion of Poland (Sept. 1939)

USSR invaded Poland from the east, per the Nazi-Soviet Pact, splitting the country with Germany.

Winter War (1939–1940)

USSR attacked Finland but met fierce resistance. Soviets eventually won, but exposed military weaknesses.

Phony War (Sitzkrieg)

Period of inaction on the Western Front after Poland fell. Allies waited behind the Maginot Line while Germany prepared its next move.

Invasion of Denmark and Norway (April 1940)

Germany quickly seized both countries to protect resource routes and set up bases for attacking Britain.

Invasion of France and the Low Countries (May 1940)

Germany invaded Belgium, Netherlands, and bypassed the Maginot Line through the Ardennes, leading to France's rapid collapse.

Dunkirk Evacuation

Over 338,000 Allied troops were rescued from beaches in northern France by a fleet of civilian and naval boats. Called the “Miracle of Dunkirk.”

Fall of France (June 1940)

France surrendered. Northern France was occupied by Germany, while southern France became the puppet Vichy regime.

Vichy France

Puppet state in southern France led by Marshal Pétain. Collaborated with Nazi Germany while maintaining the appearance of autonomy.

Battle of Britain (1940)

German Luftwaffe bombed British airfields and cities. The RAF, aided by radar and Enigma, successfully defended Britain.

The Blitz

German bombing campaign on London and other cities (Sept 1940–May 1941) aimed to destroy morale. British resolve held firm.

Operation Barbarossa (June 1941)

Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union, breaking the Nazi-Soviet Pact. Initial success stalled due to fierce Soviet resistance and winter.

Siege of Leningrad

Nearly 900-day German blockade of the Soviet city. Over 1 million civilians died, but the city never fell.

Japanese Invasion of Manchuria (1931)

Japan staged the Mukden Incident to justify occupying Manchuria. Renamed it Manchukuo. Ignored League of Nations protests.

Second Sino-Japanese War (1937)

Full invasion of China by Japan. Included the Rape of Nanjing, where hundreds of thousands were massacred.

Japan’s Dependence on U.S. Oil and Iron

Japan relied heavily on U.S. resources for its military. Sanctions threatened its expansion and pushed it toward war.

U.S. Oil Embargo (1941)

In response to Japan's aggression, the U.S. cut off oil and metal exports—pressuring Japan to strike first.

Pearl Harbor (Dec. 7, 1941)

Japan launched a surprise attack on the U.S. Pacific Fleet in Hawaii. Over 2,300 Americans died. U.S. entered WWII the next day.

Japan's Miscalculation of America’s Will to Fight

Japan assumed Americans were too soft and divided to fight a long war. Pearl Harbor had the opposite effect—unified and mobilized the U.S.

Battle of the Coral Sea (May 1942)

First naval battle fought entirely by aircraft. Prevented Japanese invasion of Australia. Strategic Allied victory.

Battle of Midway (June 1942)

U.S. broke Japanese codes and ambushed their fleet. Destroyed 4 carriers. Turning point in the Pacific War.

Island Hopping

U.S. strategy of bypassing heavily defended islands to capture strategically located ones, bringing the fight closer to Japan.

Battle of Guadalcanal (1942–1943)

First major Allied offensive in the Pacific. Brutal battle to stop Japanese airfield construction. Marked shift to Allied momentum.

Battle of Stalingrad (Aug 1942–Feb 1943)

Turning point on the Eastern Front. Soviets surrounded and defeated the German 6th Army. Over 1 million Soviet casualties.

Operation Torch (1942)

Allied invasion of North Africa. Helped drive Axis out of the region and prepare for European invasion.

“Soft Underbelly” Strategy

Churchill’s term for invading Europe through Italy. Allies took Sicily and moved into southern Italy.

Italian Campaign (1943–1945)

Allies fought their way up the Italian peninsula. Mussolini was arrested, then reinstalled by Germans before being executed by Italian partisans.

D-Day / Operation Overlord (June 6, 1944)

Massive Allied invasion of Normandy. Opened the Western Front. France was liberated by August 1944.

Battle of the Bulge (Dec 1944–Jan 1945)

Germany’s last major offensive in the West. Temporarily pushed back Allies but ultimately failed.

Hitler’s Suicide (April 30, 1945)

As Soviet forces surrounded Berlin, Hitler and Eva Braun killed themselves in his bunker.

Germany’s Unconditional Surrender (May 7, 1945)

Signed at Reims. Marked Victory in Europe Day (V-E Day). Ended war in Europe.

Battle of Iwo Jima (Feb–Mar 1945)

Fierce Pacific battle. Iconic U.S. flag raising. Over 6,800 Americans killed. Japanese fought almost to the last man.

Battle of Okinawa (Apr–June 1945)

Final Pacific battle. Over 100,000 Japanese and 12,000 Americans died. Convinced Truman that invasion would be too costly.

Kamikaze Attacks

Japanese suicide pilots crashed planes into U.S. ships. Used especially in Okinawa. Reflected desperation and extreme nationalism.

Why Truman Dropped the Bomb

To avoid a deadly land invasion, force a quick surrender, and intimidate the Soviets. Also to justify the Manhattan Project.

Manhattan Project

Secret U.S. effort to build the atomic bomb. Led by Oppenheimer and Groves. Successfully tested in July 1945.

Hiroshima (Aug 6, 1945)

First city bombed with an atomic weapon. Over 70,000 killed instantly. Thousands more died from radiation.

Nagasaki (Aug 9, 1945)

Second atomic bombing. Prompted Japan’s surrender. Over 70,000 killed. War ended within days.

V-J Day (Aug 14, 1945)

Japan's unconditional surrender. Officially signed Sept 2 aboard USS Missouri. WWII was over.

United Nations (1945)

International organization formed to promote peace and cooperation. Replaced the League of Nations.

Nuremberg Trials

Nazi leaders tried for crimes against humanity. Set legal precedent that leaders could be held accountable for war crimes.

Holocaust

Systematic extermination of 6 million Jews and millions of others by the Nazis. Rooted in racist Nazi ideology and executed through ghettos, camps, and mass killings.

Final Solution

Nazi plan to exterminate Jews. Led to the construction of death camps like Auschwitz, where millions were murdered.

Einsatzgruppen

Mobile SS killing squads that executed Jews and other groups in Eastern Europe before death camps were built.

Auschwitz-Birkenau

Largest Nazi death camp. Over 1 million killed, mostly Jews, using gas chambers and forced labor.

Anne Frank

Jewish girl who hid from Nazis in Amsterdam and later died in a camp. Her diary remains one of the most famous Holocaust accounts.

Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (1943)

Jewish resistance fighters revolted against Nazi deportations. Though crushed, it became a symbol of bravery.

Other Holocaust Victims

Included Roma, disabled people, Poles, Soviet POWs, and LGBTQ+ individuals. 5 million+ non-Jewish victims.

Total War

Entire societies mobilized for war—economies, civilians, and industries all geared toward supporting the military.

Women in WWII

Took jobs in factories, military support roles, and resistance movements. Helped reshape gender roles post-war.

Japanese-American Internment

Over 110,000 Japanese-Americans forcibly relocated to camps during WWII out of unfounded fears of disloyalty.

Lend-Lease Act (1941)

U.S. supplied Allied nations with war materials before entering the war. Helped sustain Britain and the USSR.

Atlantic Charter (1941)

Agreement between FDR and Churchill outlining postwar goals like self-determination and global peace.

Tehran Conference (1943)

First meeting of FDR, Churchill, and Stalin. Planned D-Day and discussed postwar Europe.

Yalta Conference (Feb 1945)

Big Three discussed postwar Germany, Eastern Europe, and Soviet entry into the Pacific war. Agreed on free elections.

Potsdam Conference (July 1945)

Truman, Stalin, and Churchill/Attlee met after Germany's surrender. Truman warned Japan of the atomic bomb.

Firebombing of Dresden

Allied bombing of a cultural German city. Killed tens of thousands. Controversial due to civilian impact.

Japan’s Constitution (1947)

Drafted under U.S. occupation. Established a democracy, renounced war, and limited the emperor’s power.

Occupation of Germany

Divided into zones controlled by U.S., USSR, Britain, and France. Laid groundwork for the Cold War.

Soviet Expansion

USSR established communist governments across Eastern Europe, violating postwar agreements and starting Cold War tensions.

Human Cost of WWII

Around 60 million dead, including 6 million Jews and over 20 million Soviets. Largest conflict in history.

Marshall Plan (1948)

U.S. plan to rebuild Western Europe and prevent communist expansion. Boosted economies and stabilized the region.

Refugee Crisis (Post-War)

50 million people displaced after the war, including Holocaust survivors, POWs, and civilians.

Legacy of WWII

Created superpowers (U.S. and USSR), led to Cold War, decolonization, the UN, and global efforts to prevent future atrocities.