Events Leading to WWII

Japan's invasion of Manchuria in 1931 to secure natural resources and expand its territory. This event showed the failure of the League of Nations to effectively act against aggression.

Germany, under Hitler, began rebuilding its military forces, violating the Treaty of Versailles. The lack of response from other nations emboldened Hitler's aggressive foreign policy.

Fascist Italy invaded Abyssinia (Ethiopia) in 1936 as a display of power. The League of Nations imposed weak sanctions, highlighting its inability to enforce peace.

Hitler sent German troops into the demilitarized Rhineland in 1936, defying the Treaty of Versailles. Britain and France took no action, further encouraging Hitler's expansionist ambitions.

The Munich Conference in 1938 saw Britain and France appease Germany by giving Hitler the Sudetenland, a part of Czechoslovakia, to avoid war. This policy of appeasement backfired, emboldening Hitler's aggressive actions.

Hitler's invasion of the rest of Czechoslovakia in 1938, after the Munich Agreement, showed that appeasement had failed and escalated the crisis, making Poland the next target for aggression.

The Nazi-Soviet Pact, signed in 1939, was an agreement between Germany and the Soviet Union to not attack each other and divide Poland. It allowed Hitler to avoid a two-front war, paving the way for the invasion of Poland.

Germany launched a swift and brutal invasion of Poland on September 1st, 1939, using the lightning war tactic known as Blitzkrieg. This invasion marked the official start of World War II.

A policy of giving in to demands to avoid war, most famously used by Britain and France towards Hitler before WWII.

The key violations of the Treaty of Versailles were acts like rearming, expanding territory, and defying international agreements - all steps taken by Germany under Hitler.

This agreement between Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia allowed Hitler to invade Poland without Soviet interference, effectively starting WWII.

An intense, rapid military strategy combining air and ground forces to overwhelm opponents, famously used by Germany in WWII.

The 1940 evacuation of British troops from Dunkirk during the initial phase of the war, showcasing a remarkable feat despite overwhelming pressure.

A period of sustained German air attacks on British cities, particularly London, during WWII, in an attempt to break British morale.

The German invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, which marked a turning point in the war, as it was met with fierce resistance and ultimately failed due to severe winter conditions.

The protracted and brutal battle in Stalingrad, Russia, during WWII, where the German advance into Russia was ultimately halted, leading to a decisive turning point in the war.

A battle in North Africa during WWII where British General Montgomery defeated the German forces led by General Rommel, marking a significant victory for the Allies.

The Allied invasion of Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944, which opened a Western front against the Germans and marked a decisive step towards their eventual defeat.

The Armenian genocide refers to the systematic extermination of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire during WWI, a tragic event that resulted in the loss of approximately 1.5 million lives.

The term 'genocide' was coined by Raphael Lemkin, inspired by the Armenian genocide. It describes the deliberate destruction of a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group.

The Ottoman Empire's decline was fueled by internal and external pressures, including revolts by Christian subjects, the rise of Arab nationalism, and the impact of WWI.

The Young Turks represented a nationalist movement that sought to modernize and Turkify the Ottoman Empire during the early 20th century, but ultimately led to the Armenian genocide.

The outbreak of WWI in 1914 triggered many events that led to the Armenian genocide, including the Ottoman Empire aligning with Germany and blaming Armenians for siding with Russia.

The Turkish government's consistent denial of the Armenian Genocide, claiming it was a tragic consequence of wartime chaos.

A series of trials held in Nuremberg, Germany, after WWII to prosecute Nazi war criminals. They established legal precedents for international justice.

The first trial of the Nuremberg series focusing on major Nazi leaders, accusing them of crimes against peace, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.

The trials of Japanese political and military leaders after WWII, conducted by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East (IMTFE).

A permanent international court established to prosecute individuals for the most serious crimes: genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and crimes of aggression.

The legal framework under which the ICC operates, ratified by 121 countries. It defines the crimes under the court's jurisdiction and sets out its procedures.

The ICC's ability to act only when national courts cannot or will not prosecute individuals for serious international crimes.

The process of bringing suspects to the ICC, often relying on national police forces to apprehend and transfer individuals to The Hague, Netherlands.

The ICC's investigations into alleged crimes, typically initiated by a state party or the UN Security Council, and requiring approval from the court's judges.

States that cooperate fully with the ICC, often sharing information, providing evidence, and helping with arrests.

Countries that do not cooperate with the ICC, potentially due to political reasons or concerns about national sovereignty.

The ICC's ability to prosecute individuals, unlike other international courts, which typically deal with states. This enables the court to hold individuals accountable for war crimes, genocide, and other serious offenses.

Concerns that the ICC may exhibit a bias towards targeting African nations over others, potentially leading to unfair prosecutions.

The ICC's claim that it acts impartially and that some cases were self-referred by African countries or initiated by the UN, indicating that the court is not solely targeting Africa.