# data[].attributes.body
Soviet and Polish troops encircled Berlin, the capital of Germany, eventually taking the city and defeating the Nazis.

Below: A Russian solder raises the flag of the USSR over the Reichstag Building in Berlin, a symbol of Russian victory.

# data[].attributes.body
PM of Britain until 1940. Declared war on Germany after the invasion of Poland. Resigned to let Churchill become PM, believing he would give unity to the British government in a time of crisis.

# data[].attributes.body
Japanese general, ordered the attack on Pearl Harbor. Was executed for war crimes after WWII

# data[].attributes.body
Dictator of the USSR, originally allied with Germany, but his nation played a key role in defeating the Germans after Operation Barbarossa.

# data[].attributes.body
Important:
Germany
Italy
Japan

# data[].attributes.body
Important:
United Kingdom
United States (1941)
USSR (1941)
Republic of China

# data[].attributes.body
In order to fuel the war effort, the U.S put millions of people into industrial jobs, dramatically decreasing unemployment and helping women enter the workforce. The U.S also began rationing in 1942, with citizens being allowed only a few gallons of gasoline per day. Propaganda was widely used by the U.S to keep support for the war.

# data[].attributes.body
After the invasion of Manchuria, the League of Nations protested, causing Japan to leave.

# data[].attributes.body
The British Navy, with help from civilians, rescued more than 300,000 soldiers were evacuated from Dunkirk, on the northern coast of France.

Below: The award-winning movie Dunkirk (2017) based off the evacuation.

# data[].attributes.body
The bomb dropped on Hiroshima was called the "Little Boy". It worked with a "gun assembly", where two pieces of uranium are smashed together, causing a chain reaction of uranium atoms splitting, which causes the explosion.

# data[].attributes.headline
May 1940: Prisoners First Arrive at Auschwitz

# data[].attributes.subject
May 1940: Prisoners First Arrive at Auschwitz

# data[].attributes.body
1 million+ died at Auschwitz

# data[].attributes.body
PM of Britain. Famous for his "We Shall Never Surrender speech.

# data[].attributes.body
Emperor of Japan. Hirohito attempted to keep peace but eventually green lighted the attack on Pearl Harbor. Served as Emperor for a while after WWII.

# data[].attributes.body
Ruler of Italy, one of the first Fascist leaders, lynched on April 28 by communist rebels

# data[].attributes.body
President of the U.S for most of WWII. Was the only president to serve more than two terms.

# data[].attributes.body
Leader of the Nazi Party and Germany. Notable for his antisemitic ideology, which contributed to the Holocaust.

# data[].attributes.headline
September 2, 1945: Japan Officially Surrenders, Ending WWII

# data[].attributes.subject
September 2, 1945: Japan Officially Surrenders, Ending WWII

# data[].attributes.body
Hirohito announced surrender on August 15, compelled by the atomic bombings, but didn't sign off on an official surrender until Sept. 2.

below: Japanese signing peace treaty to end the war

# data[].attributes.body
German paramilitary forces attacked Jews, destroying buildings and sending people to ghettos and concentration camps. This later lead to the Holocaust.

# data[].attributes.headline
September 1941: Siege of Leningrad begins

# data[].attributes.subject
September 1941: Siege of Leningrad begins

# data[].attributes.body
The siege lasted until January 1944, and killed over 1 million.

# data[].attributes.headline
May 7, 1945: Germany Surrenders, Ending War in Europe

# data[].attributes.subject
May 7, 1945: Germany Surrenders, Ending War in Europe

# data[].attributes.body
Germany signed a peace treaty in Berlin with Russia, the U.S and France, declaring the end of war in Europe. Despite this, WWII was still raging in the Pacific, as shown in the cartoon below.

# data[].attributes.body
After Hitler learned about a Russian plan to storm the  Chancellery, Hitler and his wife, Eva Braun, committed suicide in order to evade capture.

Below: Hitler's Testament, signed a day before his suicide, explained his reasons for suicide and his intentions in life.

# data[].attributes.headline
August 1945: Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

# data[].attributes.subject
August 1945: Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

# data[].attributes.body
On July 26, the Allies gave the Potsdam Declaration, telling Japan to surrender or face  "prompt and utter destruction". Japan rejected the ultimatum, leading to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9.

Below: Mushroom clouds over Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The bombings killed up to 200,000+ people, and almost completely leveled the two cities.

# data[].attributes.body
The allies attacked Normandy, France at different beaches. It was the largest seaborne invasion in history. It was important because it gave the Allies a foothold in Continental Europe that they used to take land back from Germany.

# data[].attributes.body
Turning point for the allies. Japan was planning on attacking the US but the US intercepted their plans and ambushed the Japanese first.

# data[].attributes.body
After this, the U.S quickly voted to go to war with Japan, and thus the rest of the Axis, marking the U.S's entrance into WWII

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Bombing of Pearl harbor original footage

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The original footage of the pearl harbor bombing in 1941.

# data[].attributes.headline
July 1941: Allies Cut Off Oil Shipments to Japan

# data[].attributes.subject
July 1941: Allies Cut Off Oil Shipments to Japan

# data[].attributes.body
Roosevelt ordered for a freeze on Japanese assets, requiring for the Japanese to obtain licenses to pay for shipment of US goods which included oil. The Japanese depended on the US for most of their crude oil.

Below: Roosevelt didn't think it would be a big deal because the US wasn't that close to japan

# data[].attributes.body
Germany attempted to take Soviet Russia, but failed, due to the ineffectiveness of the blitzkrieg strategy due to Russia's size. In the long term, attacking Russia was disastrous, since the Red Army played a large role in the defeat of the Germans.

# data[].attributes.body
The Battle of Britain was mainly fought by air, between the Luftwaffe (Germany) and the R.A.F (Britain). The Luftwaffe conducted air raids on British cities, causing destruction. However, the British managed to hold their ground, and Hitler called off an invasion of Britain in December 1940.

# data[].attributes.body
This act formally created the Axis powers, starting with Germany, Italy, and Japan

Below: The signing of the Tripartite Act

# data[].attributes.headline
June 22, 1940: France signs Armistice with Germany

# data[].attributes.subject
June 22, 1940: France signs Armistice with Germany

# data[].attributes.body
This armistice ended the war with Germany, and divided France up among Germany and Italy. It was signed in the exact same location as the Treaty of Versailles, which likely showed anger over how the treaty affected Germany.

Below: A replica of the wagon in which the armistice was signed.

# data[].attributes.body
Germany circumvented the Maginot Line by attacking through the neutral states of Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, and the Ardennes forest.

Below: The Ardennes Forest

# data[].attributes.headline
April 9, 1940: Germany Invades Denmark and Norway

# data[].attributes.subject
April 9, 1940: Germany Invades Denmark and Norway

# data[].attributes.body
Codenamed Operation Weserübung, Germany invaded Denmark and Norway. Both countries knew they were no match for Germany's army so they both surrendered. Britain and France didn't do anything because it didn't involve them.

# data[].attributes.headline
September 17, 1939: USSR Invades Poland and the Baltic

# data[].attributes.subject
September 17, 1939: USSR Invades Poland and the Baltic

# data[].attributes.body
As part of the nonaggression pact, Russia was allowed to take the east of Poland, which they did. The USSR also forced troops into the Baltic, a region of Europe including Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. However, Finland resisted, leading to the Winter War, which continued until March 1940.

Below: A short video on the Winter War

# data[].attributes.body
France and Britain declare war on Germany on September 3, however, by that time, Poland was already doomed to German control.

# data[].attributes.body
Germany invades Poland with fast-moving airplanes and tanks. This method of attack was called blitzkrieg, or lightning war.

Below: A map of the invasion of Poland.

# data[].attributes.body
Fascist Germany and Communist Russia publicly pledged to never attack one another because Stalin did not want to join with the west after being excluded from the Munich Conference.

Below: Hitler and Stalin agreed with each other but no one knew if they were really going to stay at peace with each other.

# data[].attributes.headline
1938: Britain appeases to let Germany take Czechoslovakia

# data[].attributes.subject
1938: Britain appeases to let Germany take Czechoslovakia

# data[].attributes.body
Hitler desired to obtain Sudetenland, but Czechoslovakia refused and asked Britain and France for help. Mussolini then suggested having a meeting between Germany, France, Britain, and Italy; that meeting became known as the Munich Conference. Britain then decided that it would be better to give in to Hitler’s demand to avoid war. After that, Hitler took Czechoslovakia.

# data[].attributes.body
Although the Treaty of Versailles prohibited Anschluss, or the union between Austria and Germany, Hitler still annexed Austria.

# data[].attributes.body
A border incident between Japan and China caused a full-scale war. Japan took control of Beijing and other northern cities including the capital, Nanjing.

# data[].attributes.body
Francisco Franco led a revolt against the republic government in favor of a Fascist-style government. Thus, a civil war started. Hitler and Mussolini sent support for Franco. Eventually, Franco became Spain’s Fascist dictator.

# data[].attributes.headline
1936 Germany invades Rhineland, Rome-Berlin Axis

# data[].attributes.subject
1936 Germany invades Rhineland, Rome-Berlin Axis

# data[].attributes.body
Rhineland was the area between Germany and France. When Germany invaded, France didn’t want to risk war and decided to follow Britain’s advice of appeasement, or giving in to an aggressor to maintain peace. The takeover of Rhineland strengthened Germany greatly, prompting Mussolini to seek alliance with Hitler. In 1936, the two reached an agreement known as the Rome-Berlin Axis. Later, Germany and its allies (Italy and Japan) became known as the Axis Powers.

Below: The Rhine River, in the middle of the Rhineland.

# data[].attributes.body
Mussolini desired revenge for their failed attempt in the 1890’s at taking over Ethiopia. Mussolini ordered a massive attack, however the League of Nations did nothing, and Britain and France hoped that by not attacking, they would maintain peace in Europe.

# data[].attributes.body
Germany reformed its army, defying the Treaty of Versailles. However, the League of Nations only mildly condemned them, which convinced Hitler to take greater risks.

# data[].attributes.body
When the Great Depression hit Japan in 1929, many of the Japanese blamed their democratic-like government. As a result, militarists, or extreme nationalists, took control of the government. Also, they kept Emperor Hirohito head of the state, which won the support of many army leaders who ruled in his name. These militarists wanted to solve Japan’s economic crisis with foreign expansion. So, Japan invaded and seized Manchuria, a northeast province in China that was rich in iron and coal.