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Japanese Invasion of China
What: Cnflict between Japanese and Chinese troops on the frontier led to fighting, this event would later be known as the Marco-Polo Bridge Incdident.
Why: Japan had a strong desire to gain China's natural resources and China's forces were weaker than Japan's. China seeked help from the League of Nations, but it was of no use because Japan decided to leave the League of Nations. This left China defenseless and vulnerable to conquest.
Impact: The incident started the Second Sino-Japanese War. -
German Invasion of Poland
What: The first military engagement in WWII, when the German battleship opened fire on a Polish Garrison. All the 1,300 German aircrafts began to invade Poland.
Why: Despite opposition from his Generals, Hitler was comfident that the invasion would be a short war victory for Germany.
Sig: The invasion created tension and led to some information of Hitler's war strategies being leaked to Britain and France. -
Blitzkrieg
What: A new forn of warfare that relied on new technology, such as tanks and dive-bombers, and the element of surprise.
Why: In the late 1800's the German army was inferior because of their lack of numbers and resources. They knew that they had to eliminate their enemies quickly. German strategist Alfred von Schlieffen, founded the idea that the Army had to eliminate their opponents from their weakest side.
Sig: This new style of warfare was trademark of Hitler's Army and helped them win battles -
Period: to
WWII Timeline
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Operation Barbarossa
What: Germany's failed attempt to invade Russia.
Why: Germany failed to take Russia because they had underestimated their opponents power and where not logistacally prepared. Russia had them outnumbered in resources and the weather was in their favor, Germany failed to conquer Russia.
Sig: A turning point in WWII that led Germany to fight a two-front war that they could not win. -
Pearl Harbor
What: Japanese fighter planes bomb US Naval Base in Pearl Harbor killing over 2,000 American soldiers and destroying US battleships and planes.
Why: Because Japan had declared war on China, the US attacked with economic sanctions and trade emarboes on Japan. Friction between the two had been boiling and Japan decided to fighr back.
Sig: The following day President FDR declared war on Japan, their allies also declared war on the US. After two years into the war the US had finally entered WWII. -
Wannsee Conference
What: Nazi officials met to discuss the "final solution to the Jewish question in Europe."
Why: The prior year leader Hitler had ordered Reinhard Heydrich to come up with a plan for carrying out the final solution to the Jewish question.
Sig: Here Heydrich proposed transporting all the Jews into every corner of Europe, into camps. People agreed that it was too time consuming and hinted at the idea of extermination. -
Bataan Death March
What: Filipino and American troops that were captured in Bataan were forced to march to a prison camp.
Why: After the attack on Pearl Harbor Japan invaded the Phillippine islands. They invaded many cities and forced the troops residing their into camps. Many of the troops were not able to retreat.
Sig: Many American and Filipino troops died and were unable to see liberation in 1945. -
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
What: Jewish residents of the ghetto in Warsaw, Poland gathered to organize a revolt against deportations to extermination camps.
Why: Revolts were being organized because of the residents knowledge of the camps and their desire agaisnt going.
Sig: Revolts like these inspired other ghettos and camps to uprise and fight back. -
Operation Gomorrah
What: British bombers raided Hamburg, Germany during the night, while US bombs it by day.
Why: Germans bombing raids earlier that month in Britian had caused the death of 167 civilians. Britian decided to get payback so they launched Operation Gomorrah killing over 1000 German civilians on the first raid.
Sig: The raids were significant because they were a major loss for Germany and German morale plumetted. The burnt down cities were a reminder of the end of the war for Hitler. -
D-Day
What: 156,000 American, British, and Canadians soldiers landed on five beaches along the 50-mile coast of Normandy. By late August of that year northern France had been liberated from German forces.
Why: Also known ad Operation Overload, the invasion took a lot of stratagizing and planning from the Allies. They succeded by leading the Germans to believe that they were going to strike elsewhere.
Sig: The success of the liberation of Normandy marked the beginning of the end of the war in Europe. -
Battle of the Bulge
What: Three German armies, more than a quarter million troops, initialted one of the deadliest battles in the west in attempt to split the Allied forces. The Germans launched a blitzkrieg attack in Ardennes which was lightly guarded by inexpirenced American soldiers.
Why: The battle was German's attempt to split the Allied armies.
Sig: The battle resulted in the costliest action ever fought for the US and resulted in over 100,000 casualties. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
What: American troops invaded the two islands of Japan.
Why: There was a need for an American Naval base by the Japanese coast.
Sig: The battle lasted over a month and was an American voctiry, though it was a difficult one. The famous picture on the left was a symbol of the victory, and it was published everywhere. -
Operation Thunderclap
What: A collection of Allied firebombing raids against the German city of Dresden.
Why: They attacked Dresden because of its importance in relation to the military's movement on the Eastern front.
Sig: There was outcry around the world because of the destruction of the beautiful city that was completely destroyed. -
Battle of Okinawa
What: The bloodiest battle of the Pacific War, when the Allies invaded the island of Okinawa in Japan.
Why: Because of the kamikaze tactics from the Japanese and their superior defense there were a lot of casualties on both sides.
Sig: In the end it was a win for the Allies. -
VE Day
What: The Allies celebrate their victory.
Why: They had finally defeated Nazi Germany, who surrendered to the Soviet Union.
Sig: Germany ceased mass killings and prisoners of war were realeased. The war was over. -
Dropping of the Atomic Bomb
What: The American army dropped two atomic bombs on Japanese islands Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing over 100,000 civilians.
Why: Although Germany had already been defeated, Japan refused to surrender and was going to continue to keep fighting.
Sig: The bombs introduced science that had never been seen and killed thousands of innocent lives in Japan. Japan declared their surrender for fear of the atomic bombs. -
VJ Day
What: The day that Japan finally surrendered and WWII was officially over.
Why: Because of the atomic bombings Japan feared what could happen and decided to call it a day.
Sig: The war, much like this timeline, was finally over and everyone lived happily ever after.
