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Japan invades China
Japan invades China for their resources.Japan wanted to be an imperial leader. They proceed to go to war. -
Germany invades Poland
Also known as the September Campaign. The Nazis invaded Poland for Lebensraum, or "living space." Britain and France declared war on Germany initiating WW2. -
German Blitzkrieg
Germany quickly overran much of Europe and was victorious for more than two years by relying on a new military tactic called the "Blitzkrieg." Blitzkrieg tactics required the concentration of offensive weapons such as, tanks, planes, and artillery. It started in Poland in 1939 and ended in Greece in 1941. -
Atlantic Charter
This was a joint declaration released by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill for a meeting of the two heads of state in Newfoundland. It provided a broad statement of U.S. and British war aims. The document is considered one of the first key steps toward the establishment of the United Nations in 1945. -
Pearl Harbor
Also known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor. Hundreds of Japanese fighter pilots attacked the american naval base near Honolulu, Hawaii. The Japanese destroyed nearly 20 American naval ships and more than 300 planes. More than 2000 American soldiers and sailors died. Another 1000 were wounded. December 8th, President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked congress to declare war on Japan. The impact of this initiated the United States into World War 2. -
Bataan Death March
Approximately 75,000 Filipino and American troops on Bataan were forced to make an arduous 65-mile march to prison camps. The marchers had to make their way in an intense heat and were given a very harsh treatment. 10,000 men - 1,000 American and 9,000 Filipino - died on the march. Those who survived spent the next 40 months in horrible conditions. -
Battle of Stalingrad
This was a successful Soviet defense of the city of Stalingrad. Russians consider it to be the greatest battle of their Great Patriotic War, and most historians consider it to be the greatest battle of the entire conflict. It stopped the German advance into the Soviet Union and marked the turning of the tide of war in favor of the Allies. The Battle of Stalingrad was one of the bloodiest battles in history, with combined military and civilian casualties of nearly 2 million. -
D-day
Also known as The Battle of Normandy. It lasted from June, 1944, to August, 1944. It resulted in the Allied liberation of Western Europe from Nazi Germany’s control. 156,000 American, British, and Canadian forces landed on five beaches along a fifty mile stretch. The invasion was one og the biggest assaults in history. The Normandy landings have been called the beginning of the end of war in Europe. -
Liberation of Concentration Camps
Overrunning several camps, they entered the Majdanek camp in Poland. On January 27, 1945, they entered Auschwitz and there found hundreds of sick and exhausted prisoners. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
This was an American invasion during World War 2, searching for a base near the Japanese coast. Three U.S. marine divisions landed on the island in February 1945. Iwo Jima was defended by roughly 23,000 Japanese army and navy troops, who fought from an elaborate network of caves, dugouts, tunnels and underground installations.The battle ended March 26, 1945. -
Battle of Okinawa
Codenamed as "Operation Iceberg," this was a series of battles fought in the Ryukyu islands. It was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific war. It involved the 287,000 troops of the U.S. Tenth Army against 130,000 soldiers of the Japanese Thirty-second Army. By the end of the battle, Japan had lost more than 77,000 soldiers and the Allies had suffered more than 65,000 casualties—including 14,000 dead. -
V-E Day
Great Britain and the United States celebrate Victory in Europe. Cities in both nations, put out flags and banners, rejoicing in the defeat of the Nazis. Surrender documents were signed in Berlin and in eastern Germany. More than 13,000 British POWs were released and sent back to Great Britain. Pockets of German-Soviet confrontation would continue into th -
Dropping of the atomic bombs.
At 8:15 am, a US B-29 bomber dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, instantly killing around 80,000 people. Three days later, a second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, causing the deaths of 40,000 more. The japanese surrendered August 15. This bombing is still the only atomic bombing in history. -
VJ day
Also known as "Victoryover Japan Day." This was the day it was announced that Japan surrendered to the Allies. This was the ending to World War 2. This term was also used for September 2, 1945, when Japan’s formal surrender took place aboard the U.S.S. Missouri, anchored in Tokyo Bay.
