1. 1939Nazi-Soviet Pact signed; thus sealing Poland’s fate WWII officially begins; Invasion of Poland; alliances scramble to mobilize “Allied” countries of Europe begin to prepare to resist Nazism First signs of the “yellow star of David” for the Jewish population in Poland 1940 Beginning of Nazi “domino” effect over Europe – Norway, Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and France England is next in line to fall to Third Reich; Battle of Britain Germany, Italy and Japan join to become the “Axis Powers”

2. 1941USA remains out of European conflict; FDR signs the Lend-Lease Act Germany invades the Soviet Union; called Operation Barbarossa Churchill and FDR sign the Atlantic Charter, which agrees to promote peace and democracy around the world Babi Yar incident by the SS during Operation Barbarossa Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii alliances completely form Axis and Allies

3. 1942All Axis and Allied countries are rationing supplies and expecting a long, drawn-out conflict The Philippines fall to the Japanese Exec Order 9066 creates Japanese internment camps in Western USA; “Doolittle Raid” Battle of Coral Sea Bombing of Germany begins; V-1 efforts to delay Allied plans Battle of Midway; turning point of the war in the Pacific Battle of Guadalcanal; first episode of the Allied “island- hopping strategy” in the Pacific Battle of El Alamein; Operation Torch

4. 1943Battle of Stalingrad; turning point of the war in Europe Warsaw Ghetto uprising Beginning of the Invasion of Italy, otherwise known as the “soft underbelly of Nazi Germany”; Mussolini removed from power Surrender of Fascist Italy to the Allies

5. 1944”D-Day,” otherwise known as the Normandy Invasion or Operation Overlord Soviet counter-offensive against the German onslaught; Operation Bragration Assassination attempt on Hitler; fails; enormous retaliation through tortures and executions Battle of Leyte Gulf; “Kamikaze” introduced to turn tide of war in Pacific Battle of the Bulge

6. 1945Soviet forces push toward Berlin from the East; American/British forces push from the South and West Nazis evacuate concentration/death camps to hide from Allied discovery; Auschwitz and Buchenwald Massive bombing of Nazi Germany; V-2 efforts to turn tide of war in Europe Battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa FDR dies; Truman becomes president of USA Mussolini captured and executed Hitler commits suicide, along with numerous other key Nazis; Germany unconditionally surrenders

7. 1945Manhattan Project succeeds; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki Unconditional surrender of Imperial Japan War crimes trials held in Nuremberg, Germany Beginning of the Cold War…