LST-944 SCOREBOARD United States Navy ships and aircrews often kept track of their accomplishments using "scoreboards." This canvas scoreboard was used by the crew of the tank landing ship LST-944 to chronicle their service as a member of LST Division 146 in the Pacific. The marks under the milk bottle indicate the completion of two cargo "milk runs," the two Japanese flags indicate that the ship's gunners successfully shot down a pair of Japanese aircraft, and the marks under the drawing of an island represent LST-944s participation in the invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa in 1945. Gift in Memory of the Crew of LST- 944 2014 465 001

[top left FIRST LIEUTENANT WALLACE STROBEL'S MI911AT AND HOLSTER Few handguns are as iconic as the M1911, the standard-issue sidearm for the US Armed Forces from 1911 to 1985. This one belonged to Strobel, a paratrooper in Company E, 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. He features prominently in the iconic photograph of General Dwight D. Eisenhower speaking to a group of paratroopers on June 5, 1944, the eve of D-Day—and Strobels 22nd birthday. Modified with the addition of a "lift the dot" flap closure to better secure the pistol during the opening shock of a parachute jump, the holster for Strobel's 1911 suggests that he likely jumped into Normandy on D-Day with this weapon as his sidearm. Gift in Memory of Wallace C. Strobel 2016.189.001

[top right SERGEANT IRVING BECKER'S V-42 STILETTO KNIFE The specially designed V-42 Stiletto dagger was issued only to the combat personnel of the First Special Service Force (FSSF), a joint US-Canadian commando outfit trained in mountaineering, amphibious operations, demolitions, and hand-to-hand fighting. Its razor-sharp, double-edged blade and distinctive thumb groove made it an optimal close-quarters weapon for troops that operated near and behind enemy lines. This example belonged to an Austrian-born Jewish soldier, Sergeant Irving Becker, whose parents died in Auschwitz in 1944, while he served in the FSSF. Becker and his fellow "Forcemen" (as they called themselves) were responsible for nearly 20,000 captured or killed German soldiers. Gift in Memory of Sergeant Irving Becker, First Special Service Force, 2017.248.007

(top left] LUMINOUS BLACKOUT BUTTONS Blackouts are one of the most frequently remembered civilian experiences of World War II. These luminous buttons emitted a faint glow to help individuals safely navigate darkened cities, making the wearer more visible to fellow pedestrians and motorists. Scarcely available in today's market, these blackout accessories were once easily obtainable and relatively cheap, selling for just a dime in stores across the nation. Gift in Memory of Lt. Col. Gerald J. Linares USAF and Lt. Jack W. Sutherland, USN, 2022.416.001

MILITARY STRENGTH When World War Il broke out in 1939, the United States was not a great military power. The number of US service personnel was just 335,000, and the US Army was comparable in size to much smaller states like Bulgaria, Portugal, and Romania. Equipment was so scarce that only a tiny fraction of US troops had ever trained with modern weapons. By contrast, Germany had been rapidly rebuilding its military strength since 1933, and had more than three million men under arms. Japan, fighting an all-out war of conquest in China since 1937, had 850,000 men in the field. The world had become a dangerous place, and the US was dangerously unready.

850,000 SERVICEMEMBERS 1 SOLDIER = 3000 SERVICEMEMBERS 335,000 SERVICEMEMBERS 1 SOLDIER = 3000 SERVICEMEMBERS 3,180,000 SERVICEMEMBERS 1 SOLDIER = 3000 SERVICEMEMBERS

A BROKEN WORLD 1918-1931 World leaders gathered in Paris in 1919 to negotiate the treaties to end World War I. Bringing peace to a shattered world proved difficult, however. While President Wilson had envisioned a "peace without victors and vanquished" based on "national self-determination," the Treaty of Versailles also had a punitive side, stripping Germany of land, disarming the country, and imposing large reparation payments. All over Europe, democratic governments came under attack by radical movements promising solutions to crippling political and economic crises. Revolutionary upheavals inspired by communist Russia further threatened the fragile peace, as did Japan's increasingly aggressive behavior in Asia.

A BROKEN WORLD 1918-1931 World leaders gathered in Paris in 1919 to negotiate the treaties to end World War I. Bringing peace to a shattered world proved difficult, however. While President Wilson had envisioned a "peace without victors and vanquished" based on "national self-determination," the Treaty of Versailles also had a punitive side, stripping Germany of land, disarming the country, and imposing large reparation payments. All over Europe, democratic governments came under attack by radical movements promising solutions to crippling political and economic crises. Revolutionary upheavals inspired by communist Russia further threatened the fragile peace, as did Japan's increasingly aggressive behavior in Asia.

1918 France World War I Ends Four years of savage fighting on the Western Front finally end at 11:00 a.m. on November 11, 1918, when the German-Allied Armistice goes into effect. The war has left unprecedented destruction across Europe: 10 million dead, 21 million wounded.

1923 Germany German Economy Collapses The German government reacts to its crippling reparations debt by printing more money. The result is a runaway "hyperinflation" and the destruction of the German currency. Basic items like bread or clothing cost billions of marks. Adolf Hitler's new National Socialist ("Nazi") party uses the crisis to stage a coup in Munich. The effort fails and Hitler goes to prison. By 1923, hyperinflation made German money worthless. Children ised stacks of Reichsmarks as building blocks and some Germans even burned their cheaper than buying firewood. 1922 Italy Mussolini Seizes Power In 1921, veteran Benito Mussolini forms the National Fascist Party, preaching extreme nationalism and militarism. Armed squads of Fascist "Black Shirts" take to the streets, intimidating political opponents. In 1922, Mussolini orders his squads to stage a march on Rome. King Victor Emmanuel III bows to pressure and appoints Mussolini prime minister. Mussolini soon installs a one-party dictatorship and embarks on a rapid military buildup. GUTSCHEIN Dundert Willonen Diart Soldaten Kameraden! ADOLE HILER'S NEW KAMPE 09 100 MILLION MARK BANK NOTES O4 GERMAN CHILDREN'S BOARD GAME 1919 Russia Comintern Established Seizing power in Russia in October 1917, Vladimir Lenin's Bolshevik Party forms a new regime based on communism, the abolition of private property, and the destruction of the old ruling classes. The regime embarks on a reign of terror, arresting or killing "enemies of the people." In March 1919, Moscow forms the Communist International (Comintern), to spread revolution across the globe. France Versailles Peace Treaty Though the Versailles Treaty provides for the creation of the League of Nations, an international body designed to confront future aggressors and to keep the peace, the United States refuses to join. This action would contribute to the League's ineffectiveness. The German governments acceptance of the treaty's severe terms provokes widespread public opposition. Berlin protesters demonstrate against the Treaty of Versailles, c. 1920. The treaty forced Germany to accept sole responsibility for the war, limited Germany's military, redrew its borders, and imposed harsh reparation payments. Tera Vesanes

1929 United States Stock Market Crash On October 29, 1929, the US stock market crashes. The resulting economic depression spreads around the world. Governments struggle with bank failures, factory closings, and staggering unemployment. In many parts of the globe, the crisis creates an opening for leaders who offer authoritarian solutions to economic woes. 1926 Japan Hirohito Becomes Emperor Emperor Hirohito ascends to the Japanese throne on December 25, 1926, at the age of 25. Worshipped as a deity and a symbol of racial purity, he becomes closely aligned with nationalist forces and military leaders. Japan soon embarks on an aggressive and violent policy of military expansion in Asia and the Pacific. 1925 China Rise of Nationalist China After years of political turmoil, Chiang Kai-Shek becomes head of the Kuomintang (Chinese Nationalist Party) and thus the political strongman of the young Chinese Republic. From his base in the south of the country, he marches north, waging a military campaign to unify China, subduing the communists and military warlords who control much of the country. Unsere Hotinungs The Nazi party appealed to Germans devastated by the Great Depression, offering Hiter as a savior from unemployment and poverty. This 1932 propaganda poster reads, "Our HITLER Hitler, Mein Kampt I ADOLE HITLER'S MEIN KAMPF ABer Hai Fuse in Movember 1823, he in the • in November 1923, he served a prison term in Landsberg Fortress, where he ideology. This book included plans to conquer Lebensraum ("living space") in eastern Europe, promote anti-Semitism, and create a racially pure Aryan empire. Mein Kampf sold some 10 mil -yallen termany by 1945, Nema it as a weddin

1933 Germany Hitler Becomes Chancellor In January 1933, Adolf Hitler becomes chancellor (prime minister) of Germany after the success of his Nazi party in the 1932 legislative elections. He solidifies his power by seizing control of the press and the courts and outlawing rival parties. Germany withdraws from the League of Nations as Hitler secretly rebuilds the country's military in violation of the Versailles Treaty. 1931 China Japan Invades Manchuria Within months of its attack on Manchuria, Japan establishes full control over the province. When the League of Nations condemns this aggression, Japan withdraws from the League. The League threatens Japan with sanctions, but does nothing. Though the United States refuses to recognize Japan's territorial claims, it takes little action to support China. At its annual Nuremberg Rally in September 1935, the Nazi unced new laws that to deode win bernan or re ated blood and deonver In January 1932, Japanese forces attack Shanghai and launch air raids from aircraft carriers, bombing of a civilian population. Arb. Ne 1110 Vamp nelung DICTATORS ON THE MARCH 1931-1938 The collapse of the global economy led to violence and social unrest during the 1930s. In 1931, Japan invaded Manchuria to lay claim to China's natural resources. Mussolini tightened his grip on Italy and invaded Abyssinia in 1935 to create an empire in Africa. Hitler's Nazi Party rose to power in Germany, promising to avenge the country's humiliation, to make Germany great again, and to destroy its internal enemies, chiefly Jews and communists. Western democracies did little to oppose such threats to peace, and their appeasement emboldened the aggressors.

1938 Austria Anschluss On March 12, 1938, after Nazi unrest in Austria, Hitler sends troops into Austria to "restore order." He announces an Anschluss, or union, between Germany and its smaller neighbor. The United Kingdom and France do nothing to oppose the move. As German troops march into Vienna, hundreds of thousands of Austrians greet the troops with delirious enthusiasm. Czechoslovakia Appeasement at Munich Months later, Hitler demands that Czechoslovakia hand over the Sudetenland, a German-speaking border region. The Czechs refuse and Hitter threatens war. In September, the United Kingdom and France bow to his demands. British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain declares "peace for our time" to a relieved world. 1937 China Marco Polo Incident On July 7, 1937, Japan attacks Chinese forces at the Marco Polo Bridge near Peking (Beijing). The Japanese assault provokes Chinese resistance, and soon a full-scale war begins. The Japanese sweep through China, capturing key ports and cities and committing mass murders and rapes in Nanking (Nanjing), then the Chinese capital. The American gunboat USS Panay PR-5 comes under Japanese attack in China's Yangtze River on December 12, 1937, intensifying tensions between the United States and Japan. The Japanese claim they did not see US flags. 1936 Germany Hitler Remilitarizes In March 1935, Hitler reveals German rearmament in violation of the Versailles treaty. One year later, he sends German troops into the demilitarized Rhineland, German territories west of the Rhine River and bordering France. Though Hitler orders his forces to retreat at the first sign of French resistance, neither France nor the United Kingdom respond. Spain Spanish Civil War Civil war erupts in Spain in July 1936. Right-wing Nationalists under General Francisco Franco revolt against the country's democratic government. Italy and Germany send military aid to Franco, while the Soviet Union supports the Loyalists. The Western powers do nothing, and Franco triumphs in April 1939. Adolf Hitler Staße Germany The Axis Forms Common goals of territorial expansion and anti-communism lead Italy and Germany to proclaim the Rome-Berlin Axis on November 1, 1936. Three weeks later, Japan and Germany sign the Anti-Comintern Pact, aimed against the Soviet Union. A year later Italy signs on, creating the Axis. A 1936 law called for all German children to join Nazi youth organizations. By the end of the year, a staggering 5.4 million boys and girls were being indoctrinated in Nazi ideology. Photo courtesy World History Archive / Mamy Stoc

A WORLD IN FLAMES NOVEMBER JUNE 1938-1940 Hitter occupied the rest of Czechoslovakia in March 1939, and launched full-scale war by invading Poland in September. The United Kingdom and France declared war on Germany two days later. World War Il had begun. Though no actual fighting took place between the western Allies and Germany in 1939, the interval called the "phoney war" ended abruptly in April 1940, as Germany invaded Norway and Denmark. Hitler then unleashed Blitzkrieg (lightning war) against France and the Low Countries in May. Stunned by the German conquest of Western Europe, the United States nonetheless refused to intervene, leaving the United Kingdom and new prime minister Winston Churchill to face Germany alone.

1939 Czechoslovakia Hitler Breaks His Promise Hitter's occupation of the rest of Czechoslovakia in March 1939 violates his promise at Munich to refrain from further aggression. The United Kingdom and France finally abandon their policy of appeasement and give Poland a guarantee: if Germany invades, they will come to Poland's aid. The German army enters Prague, Czechoslovakia, Soviet Union Nazi-Soviet Pact Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union shock the world by signing a non-aggression pact on August 23, 1939. In a secret clause to the agreement, the two former ideological foes agree to divide Poland and the rest of Easter Europe between them. War in Europe is now inevitable. Poland World War II Begins After Hitler's invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939, the United Kingdom and France reluctantly futill their promise by declaring war on Germany. The new German Panzer divisions crush the Polish army within weeks. Soviet attacks on Poland from the east bring the campaign to a rapid end. Meanwhile, the United States proclaims neutrality in the new war. With the conquest of Poland, Hider moves one step closer to his goal to make room for vhat he termed the Aryan master race" by eradicating 1938 Germany Kristallnacht On November 9-10, 1938, the persecution of German Jews escalates violently. Rampaging Nazi mobs loot Jewish businesses, burn synagogues, and beat and kill Jews. Within days, 30,000 Jewish men are sent to concentration camps. Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass) starts a horrific series of events that will culminate in the Holocaust. A synagogue in Frankfurt, Germany, burns on November 10, 1938. In his "Prophecy" speech on January 30, 1939, Hitter predicts that if war comes, Europe's Jews will be

1940 Scandinavia Blitzkrieg For six months after Poland's defeat, no fighting takes place between Germany and the Western allies. On April 9, 1940, Hitler abruptly ends this so-called "phoney war" by launching a land, sea, and air assault on Denmark and Norway. Within hours, Denmark surrenders. British, French, and Polish troops come to Norway's aid, but the Germans rapidly overrun the country. United Kingdom Prime Minister Churchill The inept British response to Germany's attack on Scandinavia causes Parliament to lose confidence in Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, and he resigns on May 10. Winston Churchill, who has long advocated taking a hard line against Germany, succeeds him. Churchill rallies the nation, swearing that the United Kingdom will "wage war by sea, land, and air, with all our might." France Fall of France The day that Churchill becomes prime minister, Germany launches a lightning assault in the West, crushing the French Army within weeks and overrunning Belgium and the Low Countries. In June, Paris falls and France capitulates. Stunned by the Nazi conquest of western Europe, the United States looks on as Hitler makes plans to invade the United Kingdom. The island nation stands alone. In his first speech as the new British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill rallied his nation and affirmed the United Kingdom's goal: "victory at all costs...however long and hard the road may be." Photo courtesy Yad Vashen William Shirer Throughout the late 1930s, CBS correspondent William L. Shirer reported from Vienna and Berlin on the growing threat of war. Radio, fast becoming the prime source of global news, brought information to millions of Americans by way of the Shirer broadcasts. On June 22, 1940, Shirer witnessed the signing of the French surrender at Compiègne, a scoop that delivered the news to the world. Photo courtesy © Ber

1940 United States The 1940 Election During the 1940 presidential campaign, President Roosevelt brokers a deal to send old US destroyers to the United Kingdom in return for Britsh bases in the Atlantic, while Congress approves the nation's first peacetime drait. These controversial steps receive crucial support from Wendell Wilkie, Roosevelt's Republican foe. Roosevelt is re-elected to an unprecedented third term. Bntish sailors try cut a gun THE MARCH TO WAR JUNE DECEMBER 6 1940 - 1941 In 1940-41, Axis forces seemed unbeatable as they rolled across Europe and Asia. In response, the United States bolstered its home defenses while taking steps to aid the United Kingdom and punish the Axis. These actions included a peacetime draft, the Lend-Lease Act, and economic sanctions against Japan. Together they erased all pretense of US neutrality. At the same time, President Roosevelt continued to resist the idea of sending American troops into another global conflict.

Japan Embargo Against Japan After Japan invades northern Indochina in July 1940, President Roosevelt authorizes an embargo on exports to Japan. Blocked strategic materials include aviation fuel, lubricants, scrap iron, and steel, starving Japanese military production. The president hopes that the sanctions will restrain Japanese aggression. Japan furthers its reach by advancing into French Indochina in September 1940. United States Defense Buildup In summer 1940, the United States begins to mobilize for defense production. As industry ramps up aircraft and shipbuilding, the Army begins to train more than one million draftees. To deter Japanese expansion into the Pacific, the US Pacific fleet shifts its main base from California to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. AGI

United Kingdom Battle of Britain Before Germany can invade, the Luftwaffe must win control of the air. In August 1940, the Germans launch a bombing campaign against British airfields. Resisting fiercely, the Royal Air Force (RAF) inflicts heavy losses on the Germans. The Luftwaffe's defeat in the Battle of Britain shatters the myth of Nazi invincibility, and Hitler postpones the invasion. A German Messerschmitt flies over the English Channel in August 1940. Even after the RAF's defeat of the Luftwaffe, German bombs continued to pummel British cities for another nine months during "The Blitz." Photo courtesy Associated Press Flags of Italy, Germany, and Japan fly in Tokyo after the three countries sign the Tripartite Pact on September 27, 1940. Photo courtesy Ullstein Bild/Getty Images