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Japanese Invasion of China
Japan and China were gearing up for a fight but Secretary of State Hull tried to self-restrain Japan but with little luck. Japanese aircraft's had bombs U.S. merchant vessels on the Yangtze river. They later apologized but did not stop the fight for China. The industrial Japan needed more land to develop and China had it but this fight would soon start the war in the pacific as the United states tried to diffuse the tension. -
Germany's Invasion of Poland
Early in the morning Poland was hit with 1.5 million troops from all sides, there was not escaping Nazi control. Hitler wanted Poland as "living space" for the Aryan race not for Jewish people. Here Hitler signed a non aggression pact to calm the Soviets. The Nazis were not ready to fight Britain so they staged that Poland had retaken over when in reality they were merely afraid. This act of aggression led to Britain and France declaring war on Germany. -
German Blitzkrieg
The German military developed a new way to attack know as "lightning war". It created disorder and havoc among the opposing lines. The Germans first used it on Poland then to attack France and later to hit the Soviet Union. It didn't always have the right effect they wanted it too but it was useful to punch through enemy lines. With this new technique "in less than six weeks the German army crushed the combined forces of four nations". -
Fall of Paris
Paris was taken by Germany in one foul swoop. As soon as the troops came in the Gestapo made arrests, interrogations and spying the main point as the "swastika flew beneath the Arc de Triomphe". America tried to help aid but knew that any written aid to Germany would be a prelude for war, so Paris was taken. In the west though, Canadian troops were giving hope to France as they rolled into the region. -
Operation Barbossa
Germany launched a huge attack on the Soviet Union with over three million troops. They were severally inadequate though as they came in as conquerors not liberators. This attack proved to be a crucial turning point in the war as it forced Germany to fight a two front war after angering the Soviets. The eastern front became a ruthless, merciless fight for the Slavs and Jews to keep their freedom. Germany thought they could over power the Soviet Union but in the end it made their fight worse. -
Pearl Harbor
The U.S. had been working with Japan to get them to stop invading China and during this Japan planned a surprise attack on the military base pearl harbor. With Japan so far away Hawaii didn't think to be attacked so 20 ships were damaged, "over 300 airplanes" were destroyed and 2,400 soldier lost their lives. This surprise attack was monumental in the war as the U.S. finally declared war on Japan and Germany. The tragedy had decimated the navy except for the aircraft carriers. -
Wannsee Conference
Nazi officials wanted to know what was going to happen with the "Final solution" for the Jewish population. Many gruesome outcomes were proposed to rid society of Jewish people from there came the idea for labor camps and the ones who wouldn't die would be "treated accordingly" or exterminated. Soon after the conference gas vans were developed as a solution, killing almost 1,000 people a day. From this point in the war life for the Jewish population was awful as they were hunted and killed. -
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway occurred in the Pacific theater. About six months after the tragic events of Pearl Harbor Japan wanted to attack the United States remaining aircraft carriers in Midway. This ambush was discovered by the U.S. due to the advances in code breaking, they knew details from "messages that were intercepted began to indicate some forthcoming operation"(History, 1). The Americans were able to beat the Japanese and Midway became a turning point in the war in the pacific. -
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was one of the longest and bloodiest battles. Germany wanted Stalingrad for its position as a way to show the Nazis power. After months of being brutally beaten Stalin enacted the "Not a step back"(History) policy. This plus the Russian winter setting in finally gave Russia an edge against Germany and they took it. This allied victory turned the tide of the war in Europe, no longer would the Nazis prevail but the Allied powers would rise to the occasion. -
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
The Warsaw Ghetto was "home" for 400,000 Jews but over time the Germans started to starve them and thousands died or were killed in camps. Himmler went into the Ghetto with heavy firepower but the Jews held their ground for nearly a month but thousands died. Himmler was able to capture the remaining residents and ship them to labor camps after he destroyed the Great Warsaw Synagogue. The Jews were able to make a mark though with several hundred German troops dead from the uprising. -
Operation Gomorrah
In a "blitz week" British bomb Hamburg by night while Americans bomb by day. 791 aircraft's flew in at night and only 12 were lost as they dropped 2,300 tons of explosives as revenge for the raids on London. The British used a new tool to make German radars believe that aircraft's were diverting from their course. Hitler refused to see the devastated cities because it only spoke of failure for him but Hamburg was in ruins due to all the explosives. -
D-Day (Normandy Invasion)
After June 6th operation Overlord became known as D-Day. General Dwight Eisenhower came up with a clear plan to ambush a 50 mile stretch of beach on the coast of France. After weeks of deceiving the Nazis to believe the ambush would be else where and a day of bad weather, over 150,000 American, British and Canadian troops landed in one of the largest amphibious attacks in history. This marked the beginning of the end of the war as the allied powers took the beaches. -
Battle of the Bulge
As a final attempt to regain there lost territory, the Nazis drove into the Ardennes. They believed they could over take the limited troops in the mountains where reinforcements were not available. General Patton was able to turn the 3rd army 90 degrees from Lorraine to relieve Bastogne. The battle is named after the characteristic that the troop lines took during the fight. The line bulged but never broke with 100,000 casualties. -
Operation Thunderclap
The firebombing of Dresden was one of the most devastating bombing raids "including Hiroshima and Nagasaki". 135,000 were killed just at the end when Germany was so close to surrender. 3,400 tons of explosives were dropped by allied planes setting the city a flame. Hospitals still standing could not take the amount wounded and people were buried in mas graves. This strategic move was to push the Germans over the edge and surrender. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima was one of the bloodiest battles, lasting 5 weeks with a U.S. victory only 200 Japanese soldiers left alive. The U.S. wanted Iwo Jima to build a base so they could attack the island of Japan from a closer point. The marines had a hard time on the volcanic beaches of Iwo Jima, vehicles could not move on the ashy ground. While they struggled to move up the beach the Japanese were stationed in the mountains and they launched an artillery attack. -
Battle of Okinawa
On Easter in 1945 the U.S. launched the last major battle of WWII with the navy's 5th fleet of 180,000 troops. They worried that the beach entry would be worse than the D-Day invasion but they walked right in with little resistance. The Japanese did not fire on the beach so once the troops came in they would form a triangle defense around them. This battle had enormous casualties on both sides but it put the U.S. with in striking distance of Japan. -
VE Day
Also known as victory in Europe, this day celebrated when the German tank was taken down. After years of fighting in Europe German soldiers in Prague, Czechoslovakia, North Latvia and Karlshorst had a final cease fire and they surrendered. Many Germans were captured by the Russians and held prisoner. Great Britain and the United States celebrated as troops came home victorious. Later Germany signed in Berlin documents of surrender. -
Potsdam Declaration
After years of fighting Harry Truman, Joseph Stalin, and Winston Churchill came together and made the Potsdam declaration. This defined a Japanese surrender where all armed forces would cease fighting. The ultimatum stated that they could stop fighting or face "prompt and utter destruction". Once it was given there was no response so the U.S. took it as being ignored. This would lead up to the threat of prompt and utter destruction coming true with the atomic bombs. -
Dropping of the Atomic Bombs
For some time the United States had been working towards the atomic bomb, even Germany had started to look into nuclear weapons. With the Japanese ignoring the ultimatum President Truman saw it necessary to follow through on his threat because just fighting would kill many. The first bomb of 5 tons was dropped on Hiroshima bringing the war to and end. The second bomb was dropped three days later on Nagasaki to supposedly "demonstrate the new weapon of mass destruction to the Soviet Union". -
VJ Day
On August 14 and 15 Japan unconditionally surrendered to the United States after the brutal bombs, but it wasn't until September 2 that Japan formally signed the papers of surrender. The bloodiest and most vicious war yet was officially over after six long years. Some say that the bombs that led Japan to surrender ended the world war but started the cold war. No one could complain though as finally the world had peace restored.
