Final Study Guide

Timeline of World War II


November 11, 1918 -- World War I ends with the surrender of Germany and Austria-Hungary to the Allied Powers

June 28, 1919 -- The Treaty of Versailles formalizes the surrender, imposing harsh punishments on Germany

1923 -- Germany is devastated by economic problems, which leads to political problems and the weakening of the democratic Weimar Republic

Nov 9, 1923 - Hitler and other Nazis attempt to overthrow the government by violence. The “Beer Hall Putsch” as it is called ends in failure as police break up the attempt. Hitler avoids injury and escapes, but is later put on trial and sentenced to a short prison stay in Landsberg Prison. It is here that he writes his book Mein Kampf, or “My Struggle.”

Oct 29, 1929 -- The stock market crash in the US sets off worldwide depression, weakening other democracies and paving the way for the rise of dictatorships and militarism in Europe and Asia

Sept 19, 1931 -- Japan invades Manchuria, China

March 13, 1932 -- Adolf Hitler runs second in the German presidential election to WW I war hero Paul von Hindenburg

May 15, 1932 -- Japan’s prime minister is assassinated and military leaders begin to dominate the government

July 31, 1932 -- The National Socialist German Worker’s Party (Nazis) wins 230 seats in the German legislature (called the Reichstag), becoming the majority party in Germany

Nov 8, 1932 -- Franklin D Roosevelt is elected POTUS for the first of four times

January 30, 1933 -- Adolf Hitler becomes chancellor of Germany - other politicians believe they can control him and use him to further their purposes

Feb 17, 1933 -- The Reichstag building in Berlin is damaged by fire. The Nazis blame the fire on Communists and demand Hitler be given unlimited power to put down rebellion

March 23, 1933 -- the Reichstag grants Adolf Hitler dictatorial powers over Germany

March 27, 1933 -- Japan withdraws from the League of Nations (forerunner to the United Nations) after it is criticized for it’s actions in invading China

July 14, 1933 -- All political parties other than the Nazis are outlawed in Germany

Oct 14, 1933 -- Germany withdraws from the League of Nations

June 30, 1934 -- Hitler orders the arrest and murder of many top leaders in his storm trooper unit the SA. This group has protected Hitler for 10 years, but Hitler removes it’s leaders from being a threat to the German army or to himself. This event is called “The Night of Long Knives.”

Aug 2, 1934 -- German President von Hindenburg dies and Hitler assumes the office of president also -- Hitler know holds complete power in Germany

Aug 15, 1935 -- The Nazis ban marriages between Germans and Jews

Sept 15, 1935 -- The Nuremberg Laws strip Jews of most of their rights as German citizens

March 7, 1936 -- German troops occupy the Rhineland region of Germany -- they had been forbidden to do this by the Treaty of Versailles. Hitler ignores this and no country moves to stop the action

Aug 1, 1936 -- The Olympic Games begin in Berlin with Adolf Hitler in attendance. The games become a showcase of Germany and Nazi rule to the world. The Nazis remain on their best behavior during the games. All signs of discrimination against Jews are covered up.

Oct 25, 1936 -- Hitler and Italian dictator Benito Mussolini form the Rome-Berlin alliance

Nov 25, 1936 -- Germany and Japan pledge to support one another should Russia attack either one

Nov 12, 1937 -- Japanese troops attack and capture Shanghai

Nov 20, 1937 -- A new Chinese capital is set up in Chungking by Chiang Kai-shek

Dec 11, 1917 -- Italy leaves the League of Nations

Dec 13, 1937 -- Japanese troops capture Nanking, the former capital, and begin the terrible slaughter of over 250,000 Chinese civilians. This event is known as “The Rape of Nanking”

March 13, 1938 -- German troops occupy Austria and annex it into Greater Germany. This is known as the “Anschluss” or union.

Sept 29, 1938 -- The Munich Conference is held - Leaders of Britain and France continue a policy of appeasement (giving in to demands and threats) toward Hitler and allow the German speaking regions (Sudetenland) of Czechoslovakia to be absorbed into Greater Germany also. British prime Minister Neville Chamberlain declares that Hitler is a man who can be dealt with and that the conference has achieved “peace in our time.”

Nov 3, 1938 -- Japan proclaims full domination and control of the western pacific and all of Southeast Asia

Nov 9, 1938 -- Kristallnacht, or the Night of Broken Glass occurs in Germany. Nazis destroy and damage hundreds of Jewish businesses and places of worship across Germany. This type of violence is known as a “pogrom.”

March 10, 1939 -- The rest of Czechoslovakia is occupied by German troops and that nation becomes part of Greater Germany also.

Aug 23, 1939 -- the world is stunned when Germany and Russia sign a non-aggression pact, agreeing not to attack one another. It is agreed that Poland will be divided between them

Sept 1, 1939 -- World War II begins as German forces invade Poland. Hitler claims that the Poles have attacked first to justify this land grab

Sept 3, 1939 -- Britain and France declare war on Germany

Sept 5, 1939 -- The US, desiring to stay out of the conflict if possible, declares it’s neutrality at this time

Sept 17, 1939 -- Russian troops invade Poland from the east to grab land in order to create a buffer between itself and Germany in the east

Sept 27, 1939 -- Warsaw, the capital of Poland, falls to the Germans

Nov 30, 1939 -- to create a buffer between itself and Germany in the north, Russia invades Finland

April 9, 1940 -- German troops invade Norway and Denmark

May 10, 1940 -- German troops invade France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. In Britain, Chamberlain resigns and Winston Churchill becomes Prime Minister

May 26, 1940 -- Hundreds of boats of all kinds help to rescue the British army from certain destruction at Dunkirk, France. More than 300,000 British and French soldiers are saved and live to fight another day

June 10, 1940 -- Italy declares war on Britain and France

June 14, 1940 -- German forces take and occupy Paris -- the city will be under Germany occupation for 4 years

June 22, 1940 -- France is defeated in one month by German forces. The French, humiliated, are forced to surrender and sign the document at Compiegne, France in the same place and railroad car that the Germans surrendered in at the end of WW I

July 10, 1940 -- The Battle of Britain between the Royal Air Force and the German Luftwaffe begins. The outcome will determine the fate of Britain and perhaps all of Europe

Aug 23, 1940 -- The bombing of British cities and civilians begins. By switching from bombing military targets to trying to break the will of the British people, the Germans make a major mistake and fail to defeat the British nation

Sept 17, 1940 -- Hitler states that Britain is basically defeated, postpones the invasion of Britain and turns his attention to the invasion of Russia (Soviet Union)

Sept 27, 1940 -- Germany, Italy, and Japan sign a pact agreeing to help one another if attacked

Oct 28, 1940 -- Italy invades Greece

Dec 29, 1940 -- FDR declares that the United States must become “an arsenal for democracy.” The US begins massive arms production

March 11, 1941 -- The US Congress approves the Lend-Lease Act. This act allowed the US to send arms to Britain even though the Us remained technically neutral.

Apr. 6, 1941 -- Germany invades Yugoslavia and Greece to help Italy’s failing troop efforts

June 22, 1941 -- Hitler breaks his non-aggression agreement with the Soviet Union and attacks that nation. This is called Operation Barbarossa

Aug 20, 1941 -- German forces reach, surround, and lay siege to the Russian city of Leningrad. This siege will last over 900 days (2 ½ years) and cost Russia over 1 million lives

Sept 28, 1941 -- Germans massacre 33,000 Russian Jews at Babi Yar near the city of Kiev in the Ukraine. They are later discovered in mass graves.

Oct 16, 1941 -- General Hideki Tojo is made prime minister of Japan. Elements of the Japanese military control the government in large measure. These militants believe Japan deserves to rule throughout the Pacific because of it’s racial and cultural superiority and resents involvement in their sphere of power and influence by Americans and other Western powers. They act upon these beliefs and in their devotion to Bushido, or “way of the warrior.” This ancient Japanese code states that warriors will fight to the death to protect their homeland, the land of the rising sun. The code states that to surrender to the enemy is to humiliate and disgrace oneself - it is better to die than surrender. This belief will impact how the Japanese fight and how they treat any enemies that surrender to them. Anyone who surrenders is not worthy to live or to be treated with dignity or respect.

Dec 7, 1941 -- Japan attacks Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and many areas in the Pacific before declaring war. The US Pacific Fleet is greatly damaged at Pearl as 350 planes attack over a period of two hours. 2,403 Americans are killed. America is at war

Dec 8, 1941 -- The US and Britain declare war on Japan

Dec 11, 1941 -- Germany and Italy declare war on the US and the US follows by declaring war on them

Dec 23, 1941 -- The Japanese capture Wake Island, a US controlled Pacific outpost. A small number of US Marines holds out for several weeks before surrendering

Dec 25, 1941 -- The British colony of Hong Kong falls to Japanese forces

Feb 15, 1942 -- The Japanese capture Singapore and force 130,000 British troops to surrender

Feb 22 , 1942 - members of the White Rose, a resistance group in Germany, are arrested, interrogated, tried, and executed. Among them are brother and sister Hans and Sophie Scholl. Later in the war, their leaflets of protest against Hitler are air dropped by Allied planes all over Germany

Feb 27, 1942 -- Japanese naval forces rout US forces at the Battle of the Java Sea

March 11, 1942 -- US General Douglas MacArthur is ordered to leave the Philippines as Japanese forces close in. MacArthur escapes to Australia and vows “I shall return.”

April 10, 1942 -- The Bataan Death March begins as over 70,000 US and Philippine forces surrender - it is the largest surrender in US military history. The brutal march to Japanese prison camps covers over 60 miles and leaves thousands dead - many are tortured and brutalized along the way. For most, this is the beginning of 3 years of brutal treatment

April 18, 1942 -- A small group of US bombers take off from the USS Hornet led by Colonel Jimmy Doolittle and attack Tokyo, Japan. The Japanese people have been told the gods will protect the homeland from harm - The raid proves this false and gives a huge morale boost to Americans back home. Doolittle’s Raiders crash land and parachute into occupied China and many make it to safety with the help of Chinese civilians and foreign missionaries. Japan retaliates against China for this, killing over 250,000 civilians in these areas.

May 7-8, 1942 -- US and Japanese naval forces fight to a draw in the Battle of the Coral Sea

June 4, 1942 -- US and Japanese forces fight the Battle of Midway in the Pacific. Effective intelligence and incredible bravery from US pilots win the day. Am entire torpedo squadron from the USS Enterprise are shot down, but other groups attack just in time, destroying four Japanese carriers. (All of these carriers had taken part in the raid on Pearl Harbor). Ensign George Gay, the only survivor from Torpedo Squadron 8, watched as he floated in the Pacific as the Japanese carriers were destroyed! He was rescued. Four Japanese aircraft carriers are destroyed. Never again will Japanese forces be on the offensive - it is the turning point of the war in the Pacific

Aug 7, 1942 -- US troops land on the island of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. It is the first land operation against the Japanese. After many months of intense land and naval fighting, US forces prevail and the Japanese withdraw from the island.

Nov 8, 1942 -- US troops land in North Africa and begin fighting against German forces, the famed Afrika Corps under Gen. Erwin Rommel (The Desert Fox) . US forces are initially defeated at Kasserine Pass, but quickly regroup under the command of General George Patton

Feb 2, 1943 -- German forces surrender after being surrounded by Russian forces at Stalingrad in the Soviet Union. This ends the greatest battle of World War II, an epic struggle which ends in German defeat because Hitler had forbidden any retreat by his forces. This marks the turning point of the war on the Eastern Front in Europe.

April 18, 1943 -- US fighters shoot down the airplane carrying Japanese naval commander Isoroku Yamamoto, the planner of the Pearl Harbor attack.

April 19, 1943 -- The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising begins as the remaining Jews begin a fight to the death with German forces. The Ghetto is ultimately destroyed - virtually all 350,000 Jews in Warsaw at the start of the war are gone.

May 13, 1943 -- German troops in North Africa surrender to British and American forces. Allied forces now have a staging area to invade Italy.

July 5, `1943 -- The Battle of Kursk (Soviet Union) begins. It is the largest tank battle in history and ultimately won by Soviet troops over the Germans.

July 9, 1943 -- Allied forces invade the island of Sicily just south of the mainland of Italy

Aug 1, 1943 -- US bombers attack the oil refineries under German control at Ploesti, Romania. The attacks continue for months - 54 planes are lost and over 500 airmen are killed. (Mr. Norm’s uncle takes part in the attacks on Ploesti as a navigator on a B-24 bomber.)

Sept 8, 1943 -- After Italian dictator Benito Mussolini is removed from office and killed, Italy surrenders to Allied forces and is out of the war. German forces still occupy Italy. Us forces soon attack the mainland and engage German forces in fierce fighting that will last until the end of the war

Nov 1, 1943 -- US forces land on Bougainville in the Pacific and eventually capture that island.

Nov 20, 1943 -- US Marines capture the island of Tarawa after intense fighting in the Gilbert Islands. The US public sees US war dead from Tarawa - this is the first time this is allowed by government officials

June 4, 1944 -- Rome becomes the first Axis capital to fall to Allied troops

June 6, 1944 -- Allies storm the beaches of Normandy France, creating a western front of attack against German forces in Europe. Operation Overlord, forever known simply as D-Day, commanded by US General Dwight Eisenhower, is successful. It is still the largest amphibious invasion in military history and marked the turning point of the war on the western front in Europe. The deadliest of all the beaches was Omaha Beach - The US Army’s 1st and 29th Divisions attack in the first wave and are decimated, but through extraordinary bravery, small units attack inland and breach Hitler’s defenses. Later, US general Omar Bradley said, “Every man who set foot on Omaha Beach June 6, 1944 was a hero. Over 10,000 American heroes rest in the US cemetery above the cliffs - 10,000 boys who never came home - who gave all of their tomorrows that we might live every day in freedom. On a monument in the middle of them all these words are inscribed - may they be inscribed on our hearts forever as grateful Americans. “Think not only upon their passing…remember the glory of their spirit.” wow… June 6, 1944 may have been the most important day of the 20th century

June 15, 1944 -- US troops land on Saipan in the Mariana Islands, capturing the island in one month. It is on Saipan that our friend Mr. Bill walked through his valley of death….

June 19, 1944 -- The US Navy wins the Battle of the Philippine Sea -- over 400 Japanese planes are shot down, forever crippling the Japanese air forces. It is called the “Great Marianas Turkey Shoot.”

July 20, 1944 -- Hitler barely escapes an assassination attempt at his military headquarters on the eastern front. The bomb detonates, but Hitler is only wounded. In retaliation, hundreds of military officers and civilians accused in the plot are murdered. Hitler orders the executions taped and watches them over and over again with great satisfaction.

July 21, 1944 -- US troops land on the island of Guam in the Mariana Islands

July 25, 1944 -- US troops break out of the villages and hedgerow country of Normandy and begin their race across France toward the German border. In the process, hundreds of towns and villages are liberated from four years of German occupation. In this campaign toward Germany, General George Patton’s U.S. Third Army gains more ground, captures more prisoners, and kills more of the enemy than any army in the history of the United States.

Aug 25, 1944 -- Paris is liberated. After four years, the City of Lights is free

Sept 15, 1944 -- American forces land on the island of Peleliu and secure it after one month of intense fighting in over 100 degree heat in which virtually all Japanese forces fight to the death.

Oct 20, 1944 -- Gen. Douglas MacArthur fulfills his promise and returns to the Philippine Islands.

Oct 25, 1944 -- Japanese naval power is virtually destroyed at the Battle of Leyte Gulf (Philippines), the largest naval battle in history.

Nov 24, 1944 -- US bombers begin a massive bombardment of Tokyo and eventually all of Japan that will last until the end of the war.

Dec 16, 1944 -- Hitler launches his last great offensive in western Europe, hitting US forces through the Ardennes forest on the border of Belgium and Luxembourg. After initial success, German forces are stopped and defeated as they fail to break through - US forces bend into a pocket or bulge, but hold. The “Battle of the Bulge” is still the largest battle in the history of the US Army.

Dec 26, 1944 -- Elements of the US 101st Airborne are relieved by elements of Patton’s Third Army at the critical crossroads town of Bastogne, Belgium. The 101st has been surrounded for days against overwhelming German forces but hold in desperate fighting and deep snow

Jan 12, 1945 -- Russian forces begin their offensive toward Germany as they cross the Vistula River into Poland.

Jan 26, 1945 -- Russian forces liberate Auschwitz in Poland. The world begins to truly learn the scope of Hitler’s Final Solution to the Jewish Question. It is determined over time that the Nazis have murdered 6 million European Jews. After the war, it is out of the horror and ashes of such evil that the modern state of Israel is born.

Feb 19, 1945 -- US Marines land on Iwo Jima - the island is taken after 36 days of intense fighting. Over 6,000 Marines are killed and over 25,000 are wounded in the greatest battle in the history of the Marine Corps. Virtually all of the 22,000 Japanese fighters IN the island are killed. The island is then used as a base for damaged B-29 bombers returning from bombing runs over Japan. It is estimated almost 30,000 airmen are saved from ditching in the Pacific Ocean as a result of taking Iwo.

Feb. 23, 1945 - Two flags are raised on Mt. Suribachi on Iwo Jima. Over 30 days of fighting are left, but the moment inspires great joy and pride in all who saw it. Photographer Joe Rosenthal snaps the photo quickly, not even seeing it before it is sent back by ship for development - the photo appears in US newspapers on Feb 25 and the nation is captivated by the photo -- 64 years later, it still captivates - it is the most reproduced photograph in the history of photography. 5 Marines and 1 Navy Corpman (medic) raised the second flag: Mike Strank (KIA), Harlon Block (KIA), Franklin Sousley (KIA), Ira Hayes, Rene Gagnon, and John Bradley

March 7, 1945 -- US forces cross the Rhine River into Germany at Remagen and capture their first German city (Cologne)

March 9, 1945 -- A raid on Tokyo by US bombers kills between 80,000-100,000 Japanese. Massive B-29 Superfortress bombers drop incendiary bombs that destroy a large part of the city, leaving over a million homeless

April 1, 1945 -- US forces land on Okinawa on Easter Sunday. Only 300 miles from Japan, Okinawa is the last main target before the invasion of the Japanese homeland. After almost three months of fierce fighting and kamikaze attacks the island is secured. The US suffers over 50,000 casualties (over 12,000 killed) - over 100,000 Japanese are killed

April 1, 1945 -- US forces capture over 300,000 German forces in western Germany. German resistance is falling apart.

April11, 1945 -- Eighty miles from Berlin, US forces are ordered to halt their offensive at the Elbe River - a political agreement will allow the Soviets to take Berlin form the east.

April 12, 1945 -- FDR dies of a brain hemorrhage at Warm Springs, Ga. Vice-President Harry Truman takes the oath of office.

April 16, 1945 -- Russian forces begin their final massive offensive against Berlin with three armies.

April 20, 1945 -- Adolf Hitler turns 56 years old. He will live for 10 more days.

April 29, 1945 -- US forces liberate the Dachau concentration camp. When another camp, Oldendorf, is liberated, Eisenhower and Patton visit the site and are visibly shaken by what they see. The great warrior Patton excuses himself and goes behind a building and is seen shaking, physically sickened by the horrors he witnessed.

April 30, 1945 -- Hitler and wife Eva Braun commit suicide in his bunker in Berlin

May 7, 1945 -- All German forces surrender unconditionally to the Allies.

May 8, 1945 -- V-E Day (Victory in Europe)

July 16, 1945 -- The US successfully tests the world’s first atomic bomb at Alamogordo, New Mexico

Aug 6, 1945 -- After issuing warnings, The US drops the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. Over 70,000 are killed immediately and 70,000 die later of radiation poisoning. Over 90 % of all buildings in the city are destroyed.

Aug 9, 1945 -- The second atomic bomb is dropped on Nagasaki. Over 40,000 are killed immediately.

Aug 14, 1945 -- Japanese Emperor Hirohito announces that Japan must “accept the unacceptable.” He never mentions the word surrender. It is the first time the people of Japan hear his voice.

Aug 15,1945 -- V-J Day (Victory in Japan)

Sept 2, 1945 -- Japan signs the surrender document aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay






Leaders of World War II



Franklin D. Roosevelt - POTUS 1932 - 1945 -- guided US through depression and war, dying just before the war’s end (April 12, 1945) Only POTUS to be elected to more than two terms - he was elected POTUS four times, 1932, 1936, 1940, and 1944.

Harry S. Truman - POTUS 1945 - 1952 -- made the decision to drop the atomic bombs on Japan, which ended the war, preventing the need for a massive invasion of Japan. Guided the US through the first years of the Cold War, sending US troops to Korea in 1950 to stop the Communist invasion of South Korea

Winston Churchill - Prime Minister of Great Britain 1940-1945 -- led Great Britain with great courage and inspiring words - he warned the world about Hitler and the Nazis in the 1930’s, but his warnings were ignored. Voted the greatest figure of the first half of the 20th century.

Adolf Hitler - absolute dictator of Nazi Germany 1933-1945. Plunged the world into a war of total annihilation - over 60 million died, including 6 million Jews systematically murdered. Committed suicide in his bunker in Berlin April 30, 1945.

Benito Mussolini - dictator of Italy - 1922 -1943 -- first dictator to rise to power in Europe, Mussolini allied with Hitler in his quest for power. He was murdered by Italian citizens after American and British forces gained control in Italy in 1943.

Emperor Hirohito - emperor of Japan - considered a “son of heaven”, a god, by the Japanese. Hirohito was controlled by military leaders who pushed Japan into a policy of conquest and racial superiority. At the end of the war, Hirohito finally broke the deadlock regarding surrender and spoke to the Japanese people, announcing the war’s end - it was the first time Japanese had heard the voice of their emperor.

Joseph Stalin - supreme leader of the USSR - Stalin allied with Hitler at first, signing a non-aggression pact in 1938. The pact was a ploy by Hitler to but time so that he could build up his military and take land in the west before attacking the hated Russian Communists in the east. Hitler broke that pact and attacked the USSR in June 1941 in a campaign called Operation Barbarossa - Stalin, after stopping Hitler’s forces and pushing back toward Berlin, was determined to hold ground captured by Russian forces in Europe and did so after the war -- this marked the beginning of the Cold War conflict between the US and the USSR from 1946-1989. Stalin’s brutal reign ultimately resulted in the deaths of up to 100 million of his own citizens as the Communists took absolute control.



youtube site on the National Museum of the Marine Corp:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGZtiKNNNmA&feature=related