Honors Assignment#3

Japanese Invasion of China

Jul 7, 1937

http://www.history.co.uk/study-topics/history-of-ww2/sino-japanese-warIn the 1930's China was a divided country because of Chiang Kai-Shek forming a Nationalist Government – the Kuomintang. This sparked a civil war within the country and have the chance for Japan to invade and profit off of China's resources. Japan started by invading and occuping Manchuria. China went to the Leauge of Nations about the invasion and the Japanese had no punishment for the ivnasion but would not return to the League of Nations.
Ended: September 9th, 1945

Germany's invasion of Poland

Sep 1, 1939

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/germans-invade-polandAt 4:45AM on September 1st 1.5 million German troops invade Poland all along its 1,750-mile border. At the same time the German Luftwaffe bombed Polish airfields, an example of the Bliztkrieg. Adolf Hitler claimed this was a defensive action but Britain and France didn't believe him so the declared war on Germany.
Ended: October 6th, 1939

German Blitzkrieg

Sep 1, 1939

http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/blitzkriegBlitzkrieg or "Lightning War" was used by the Germans all throughout WWII. a military tactic used to create disorganization among enemy forces by using mobile forces and concentrated firepower. The German's first tried out the Blitzkrieg with the invasion of Poland in 1939. They also used them later in the war with ivasions of Belgium, the Netherlands and France. The result of Blitzkrieg was many deaths and casualties.
Ended: May 1st, 1940

Fall of Paris

May 10, 1940

http://www.history.co.uk/study-topics/history-of-ww2/battle-of-britainThe attack of France, codename "case yellow" started by going through the Ardennes Forest to pass the strong French frontier defences of the Maginot Line. The Germans quickly moved through France taking out French, Dutch, and Belgian resistance. German tanks reached Amiens and trapped the British on May 20th and forced them to preform an evacuation plan known as "Operation Dynamo." Once US forces came in Hitler realized he needed to postpone the invasion of Britain for good.
June 25th, 1940

Operation Barbarossa

Jun 22, 1941

http://www.history.co.uk/study-topics/history-of-ww2/barbarossa
The invasion of the USSR by Germany was codenamed "Operation Barbarossa" and was the largest military operation in history, having more than 3 million Axis troops and 3,500 tanks. As in previous victories, the Luftwaffe gained air superiority, and helped punch holes through the Soviet front line.
December 5th, 1941

Pearl Harbor

Dec 7, 1941

[http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/pearl-harbor] (http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/pearl-harbor)
Around 8A.M. Hundreds of Japanese planes bombed Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The Japanese successfully destroyed 20 US ships, 8 where huge battleships and also destroyed 300 planes. 2,000 soldiers died and another 1,000 where hurt. This is the day that president FDR declared war on Japan.

Wannsee Conference

Jan 20, 1942

http://ww2history.com/key_moments/Holocaust/Wannsee_Conference
Outside of Berlin the Wannsee Conference was called together by Reinhard Heydrich, one of most important Nazi official. All the head Nazi officials talked about how they were going to exterminate all the unwanted people. They decided they were going to have work camps and death camps and would eventually kill off all the unwanted people such as Jews, gays, and others.

Japanese internment

Feb 19, 1942

http://www.ushistory.org/us/51e.asp
Over 127,000 Japanese Americans were placed in interment camps. The government believed that it was a necessary evil incase the Japanese Americans where still loyal to Japan. Once the Japanese Americans where released they got reparation checks from the government.
Ended: June 30th, 1946

Bataan Death March

Apr 9, 1942

http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/bataan-death-march
The U.S. loss of the Bataan Peninsula on the main Philippine island to the Japanese caused the Bataan Death March. Around 75,000 Filipino and American troops were made to make a 65-mile hike to prison camps. The Japanese guards treated them very badly.

Battle of Midway

Jun 3, 1942

[http://www.history.com/topics/world-war]
The Japan where planning to pull off another surprise attack like at Pearl Harbor Instead, an American breakthrough was solving the Japanese fleet codes. This gave Pacific Fleet commander Admiral Chester W. Nimitz the exact Japanese plans to attack the U.S. Nimitz placed available U.S. carriers in position to surprise the Japanese instead. This was a win for the U.S. and gave us enough room to set up in a offensive position.
Ended: June 7th, 1942

Battle of Stalingrad

Jul 17, 1942

http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-stalingrad
The German Nazi's advance into the Soviet Union territory and marked the turning of point of the war in favor of the Allies. this battle was one of the bloodiest battles ever, with combined military and civilian casualties of nearly 2 million. The Russians win the battle and stop the Nazi's from taking over Russia.
Ended: February 2nd, 1943

Warsaw Ghetto Uprising

Apr 19, 1943

http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/warsaw-ghetto-uprising
People living in the Jewish ghetto in Nazi-occupied Warsaw, Poland, started an armed uprising against the Nazi's who where deporting them to extermination camps.The Warsaw ghetto uprising inspired other uprisings in concentration camps all throughout the land Germans took over in Eastern Europe.
Ended: May 16th, 1943

D-Day

Jun 6, 1944

http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/d-day
156,000 American, British, and Canadian forces landed on the beach of France's Normandy. This was one of the largest amphibious attacks in history. The Allies started a large scale deception campaign to confuse the Germans on where their point of attack was going to be. The Allies won the battle after many casualties.

Battle of the Bulge

Dec 16, 1944

http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-the-bulge
The Germans attempted to split the Allied powers at this battle. They used Blitzkrieg tactics and attacked fast. The U.S. Army saw a buldge in the Nazi's line and with the Germans short on fuel, the Allied powers where able to hold of the Nazi's in a result of a draw between Germany and the Allied powers.
Ended: January 25th, 1945

Battle of Iwo Jima

Feb 19, 1945

[http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-iwo-jima]
After some air and Naval bombing, three U.S. Marie divisions landed on the coast of Iwo Jima to battle some 23,000 Japanese Army and Navy troops. The Japanese had much cover in bunkers and many tunnels and rabbit holes. The U.S. Marines where able to defeat the Japanese soldiers and took over Iwo Jima. The famous picture of raising the flag after the battle was this battle.
Ended: March 26th, 1945

Battle of Okinawa

Apr 1, 1945

[http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-okinawa]
This was the last and biggest of the Pacific island battles of WWII. Air bases needed to protect from invasion of Japan where at stake and Japan was willing to do anything to keep power. The Japan's started to kamikaze Allied ships which was flying their planes right in to the Allied ships. Both commanding generals died in this battle. U.S. Wins the battle but lost many ships, planes, and soldiers.
Ended: June 22nd, 1945

VE Day

May 8, 1945

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/herman-goering-is-captured-by-the-u-s-seventh-army
This is the day that the Nazi's gave up and laied down their guns. The U.S., Great Britian and many other countries celebrate this day as the day we defeated the Nazi regime.

Dropping of the Atomic Bombs

Aug 6, 1945

[http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/atomic-bomb-dropped-on-hiroshima]
With the Manhattan Project, the U.S. was the first Country to obtain nuclear power. President Harry Truman felt that losing so many American soldiers lives was not needed so instead he dropped the Enola Gay dropped little boy on Hiroshima and three days later dropped fat boy Nagasaki. This resulted in Japan surrendering to the U.S. and many American lives where saved.

VJ Day

Aug 15, 1945

http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/v-j-day
This was the day that the Japanese surrendered to the Allies. The term VJ Day means Victoryover Japan Day and everyone celebrated on that day in the Allied countries. This was pretty much the end of WWII.