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Rape of Nanking
The Japanese General Matsui ordered that the city of Nanking was to be destroyed. The Japanese burned buildings and killed many Chinese civilians. They butchered around 150,000 male war prisoners, 50,000 male civilians, and raped at least 20,000 women and many were killed.
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-rape-of-nanking -
German Blitzkrieg
Germany had the idea of avoiding “long war”. They used to overrun Europe for a little over two years. To be able to accomplish both of these things, they used the Blitzkrieg technique which means they used tanks and planes, surprise attacks and speed to defeat their enemy. It was a successful tactic.
https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/blitzkrieg-lightning-war -
Fall of Paris
The defeat of France's army was one of the most remarkable military campaigns in history. The Germans has taken over Paris and France had surrendered. Germany has control of French ports which made it easier for Germany to launch naval attacks
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/fall_france_01.shtml -
Pearl Harbor
Japanese planes surprise attacked the U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor. The bombing killed around 2,400 Americans, destroyed 200 planes, and eight battleships. The attack on Pearl Harbor would take the United States out of isolation and into WW2. Japan ended up capturing American territories including Guam and the Philippines.
https://www.history.com/news/why-did-japan-attack-pearl-harbor -
Wannsee Conference
15 high-ranking Nazi Party and German government officials gathered to discuss what they called the "Final Solution”. Which really meant they talked about ways to kill the Jews. The conference marked a turning point in Nazi policy toward the Jews. The Nazis created the first poison gas chambers which were called extermination camps.
https://www.britannica.com/event/Wannsee-Conference -
Bataan Death March
The Bataan Death March was a 66 mile walk across the Bataan Peninsula. It resulted in the prisoners being shot, beaten, starved, and disease. Around 2,500 Filipinos and 500 Americans died during the march.
https://www.britannica.com/event/Bataan-Death-March -
Battle of Midway
Midway was a strategic location in the pacific. After breaking the Japanese codes, naval forces under Nimitz ambushed the Japanese fleet. Japan was then defeated. The Battle of Midway was a turning point in the pacific theater as japan's advance was halted and began to decline.
Source : History notes -
Warsaw Ghetto uprising
The Germans killed around 300,000 Jews were killed in the Warsaw ghetto. A group of Jewish people that were being held in the ghetto created the Jewish Fighting Organization. They did this to protect themselves. The group started an uprising and held off the Nazis for almost a month but on may 16, 1943 they were captured.
https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/the-warsaw-ghetto-uprising -
D-Day Normandy Invasion
156,000 American, British and Canadian forces landed on Normandy to fight heavy German defenses. The successful battle was the turning point in western Europe. There were about 120 warships, 500 cargo carriers, 4,450 bombers, 670 gliders, 1,550 tanks, and 23,4000 airborne troops helped fight. An estimated amount of 2,500 allied troops died. https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/27711699 -
Dropping of the atomic bombs
The U.S. became the first and only nation to use atomic bombs during the war. The dropping of the atomic bomb on Japan marked the end of WW2. The bomb has caused long term effects that lasted around seven years after the war ended. There has been increased rates of cancer, miscarriages, and babies that were born with intellectual disabilities and impaired growth. There was around 140,000 deaths.
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/atomic-bomb-dropped-on-hiroshima -
Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge was an attempt to push the Allied front line west from northern France to northwestern Belgium. The Battle of the Bulge was Hitler’s surprise attack that caused the Germans to create a bulge around the approaching allied line. The Germans ended up losing around 80,000 to 100,000 men and we lost around 75,000 men. The battle ended the Nazi reign.
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battle-of-the-bulge -
Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima was one of the first major battles to take place on Japanese homeland. It was a unique location because the U.S. needed a place for fighter planes and bombers to land and take off. The U.S. captured the island from the Japanese Army. As a result of the war there was around 6,800 dead and 19,200 wounded American soldiers and 18,000 dead and 216 captured Japanese soldiers.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Battle-of-Iwo-Jima -
VE Day
VE Day (1945)
After almost six years of war, Germany finally surrenders to the allies. Ending the war in Europe. Hitler committed suicide taking the easy way out. May 8, 1945 was a day to celebrate Germany’s surrender that ended ww2 in Europe. But the war against Japan hasn’t ended.
https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/what-you-need-to-know-about-ve-day -
VJ Day
Japan had unconditionally surrendered to the Allies which ended WW2. The nation had been at war with Japan for three years and eight months. Around 400,000 Americans had died during the war.
http://www.american-historama.org/1929-1945-depression-ww2-era/v-j-day.htm -
Liberation of concentration camps
As the Allies moved across Europe at the end of WW2, they came across concentration camps that were filled with sick prisoners. The first major camp to be liberated was Majdanek and Auschwitz. Nearly 60,000 prisoners were forced to march to Wodzislaw from Auschwitz. The Soviet army liberated more than 7,000 remaining prisoners. Most of them were already dying.
https://www.ushmm.org/information/exhibitions/online-exhibitions/special-focus/liberation-of-auschwitz
