Through the years of the late 1930s, Americans did everything they
possibly could to avoid being drawn into the growing conflicts abroad. In the
end, staying out of World War II was impossible. By the middle of 1941,
President Roosevelt committed American ships to an undeclared
naval war with Germany in the North Atlantic, and on 7 December 1941
any question of America's further neutrality in the conflict ended with the devastating surprise attack by the Japanese
against the American naval station at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
Once committed to the war, Americans committed themselves to achieving total
victory over Italy and Germany in Europe and
victory over Japan in the Pacific. Having followed a policy of
isolationism rather than rearmament, the United States
found itself unready to engage in combat with the armies
of Germany and Japan. It took the Americans a
long time to begin to push back against their enemies. The turning point
in the Pacific didn't come until June 1943, when American airplanes crippled the
Japanese navy at the Battle of Midway. In
Europe, it took longer for the Americans to start a second front
against Nazi Germany. By the time American troops stormed the beaches of
Normandy, France, on D-Day, the Soviet Red Army had
already been engaged in a desperate battle of attrition against the Germans on
the Eastern Front for three years.
Victory eventually came in Europe in May 1945, and in Asia three months later.
Worldwide, an estimated 70 million people lost their lives, the
majority of them innocent civilians, that includes the 6 million European Jews mercilessly
murdered by the Nazis in history's worst
genocide.
Aerial bombing reduced great cities to rubble,
including London, Berlin and Tokyo.
Acts of barbarism and war crimes were committed by soldiers on all
sides. New instruments of death: gas chambers, unmanned rockets, and
atomic bombs were invented and deployed for use against human
beings.
World War II was the most deadly and destructive
conflict in human history.
possibly could to avoid being drawn into the growing conflicts abroad. In the
end, staying out of World War II was impossible. By the middle of 1941,
President Roosevelt committed American ships to an undeclared
naval war with Germany in the North Atlantic, and on 7 December 1941
any question of America's further neutrality in the conflict ended with the devastating surprise attack by the Japanese
against the American naval station at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
Once committed to the war, Americans committed themselves to achieving total
victory over Italy and Germany in Europe and
victory over Japan in the Pacific. Having followed a policy of
isolationism rather than rearmament, the United States
found itself unready to engage in combat with the armies
of Germany and Japan. It took the Americans a
long time to begin to push back against their enemies. The turning point
in the Pacific didn't come until June 1943, when American airplanes crippled the
Japanese navy at the Battle of Midway. In
Europe, it took longer for the Americans to start a second front
against Nazi Germany. By the time American troops stormed the beaches of
Normandy, France, on D-Day, the Soviet Red Army had
already been engaged in a desperate battle of attrition against the Germans on
the Eastern Front for three years.
Victory eventually came in Europe in May 1945, and in Asia three months later.
Worldwide, an estimated 70 million people lost their lives, the
majority of them innocent civilians, that includes the 6 million European Jews mercilessly
murdered by the Nazis in history's worst
genocide.
Aerial bombing reduced great cities to rubble,
including London, Berlin and Tokyo.
Acts of barbarism and war crimes were committed by soldiers on all
sides. New instruments of death: gas chambers, unmanned rockets, and
atomic bombs were invented and deployed for use against human
beings.
World War II was the most deadly and destructive
conflict in human history.
World War II Timeline
1921-1938
Hitler becomes leader of the Nazi Party to the Munich Pact.
1939
Invasion of Czechoslovakia, troops also arrive in Britain.
1940
End of battles in Egypt.
1941
Japanese Invasion of Hong Kong.
1942
Declaration of the United Nations and Japanese defeat at Gona, New Guinea.
1943
Japanese defeat New Guinea and Eisenhower becoming Allied supreme commander in Europe.
1944
Allied landing in Italy.
1945
Allied landing in Philippines, and Japan surrenders.
1921-1938
Hitler becomes leader of the Nazi Party to the Munich Pact.
1939
Invasion of Czechoslovakia, troops also arrive in Britain.
1940
End of battles in Egypt.
1941
Japanese Invasion of Hong Kong.
1942
Declaration of the United Nations and Japanese defeat at Gona, New Guinea.
1943
Japanese defeat New Guinea and Eisenhower becoming Allied supreme commander in Europe.
1944
Allied landing in Italy.
1945
Allied landing in Philippines, and Japan surrenders.