WWII Timeline Assignment

Historical Connections: Student will be able to recognize connecting events and turning points in WWI and WWII, and then analyze the importance of those events in relation to the larger context of Global War. Standard SS.9–12.H.1: Understand historical patterns, periods of time, and the relationships among these elements.

Instructions: Create a timeline of World War II. Timelines need to include 15 significant events or themes present in WWII. A detailed description for each event must be provided. Also, an explanation of why that particular event or theme is a turning point, and how is the event important in the context of the entire war must also be included. Each timeline must contain… a. Minimum 1 event regarding the pre-War years b. Minimum 1 event regarding the War in Asia c. Minimum 2 events regarding the War in the Pacific d. Minimum 1 event regarding the War in Africa e. Minimum 2 major themes seen throughout the war f. You may NOT use the Holocaust!!!

Process: 1. Select events/themes from the list provided. Read chapter 31 sections 1-4, and use outside resources (Internet, other books, the library, etc.) to research your chosen events. 2. Write your rationale, 1 paragraph for each event or theme chosen. For example:

Blitzkrieg is a German military strategy utilized in WWII to quickly overwhelm enemies through the use of mobile units (tanks) and air support. The Nazi invasion of Poland in 1939, and subsequent invasions of Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Belgium illustrate blitzkrieg, as the Nazi army rapidly swept through much of Europe. Blitzkrieg allowed the Nazi army to take control of massive areas of Europe before enemy forces could mobilize, giving the Germans a tremendous advantage. This tactic illustrated a different approach by the German military in a major European conflict in an effort to avoid the stalemate that characterized World War I.

3. Conference with your teacher. Ask questions, ask for help, have your work checked. 4. Create a class “Top 10” list. 5. Exam. Students who show full completion of the assignment and demonstrate excellent comprehension of the entirety of WWII will be rewarded with a shortened exam. Possible Events/Turning Points/Themes

Pre-War War in Europe

- Japanese Invasion of Manchuria - Soviet Union Invasion of Finland - Anschluss - Invasion of Poland - Germany annexes the Sudetenland - Dunkirk - Munich Conference - Atlantic Charter - Italian Invasion of Ethiopia - Battle of the Atlantic - Nazi-Soviet Non-Agression Pact - Battle of Britain - Balkan Campaign - The Casablanca Conference - Combined Bomber Offensive War in Asia - D-Day (Normandy Invasion) - Invasion of Italy - Japanese Invasion of China - Battle of the Bulge - Second Sino-Japanese War - Crossing the Rhine River - Rape of Nanjing

War in Africa War in the Pacific

- Western Desert Campaign (Desert War) - Pearl Harbor - Battle of El Alamein - Battle of Midway - Tunisia Campaign - Battle of the Coral Sea - Battle of Okinawa - Battle of Guadalcanal - Battle of Iwo Jima Themes - Hiroshima & Nagasaki - Appeasement - Lebensraum (“living space”) - Blitzkrieg War in Russia - Maginot Line - Strategic bombing - Operation Barbarossa - Local resistance movements - The Kiev Offensive - Genocide - Siege of Leningrad - Kamikaze - Battle of Moscow - Tanks or airplanes - Battle of Stalingrad - Women in the War - “Island-hopping”