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Japanese invasion of China
Japan wanted China’s(didvided country)resources so they attacked.Marco polo bridge incident lead to the invasion.Because of this,KMP and the CCP faught vs Japan.Stalin persuaded the communists to negotiate with China,he saw Japan as an threat to his border.Allies sent help to China,the Japanese captured Chinese ports,but China kept resisting.By 1940,the war was at a Stalemate,but due to western interns it shifted.This is a reason Japan attacked US at Pearl Harbor.
(http://www.history.co.uk) -
The Molotov Pact
Hitler &Stalin signed a non-aggression pact called the Molotov-Ribbentrop Treaty. According to the agreement, Russia would have control over Latvia, Estonia, and Finland, while Germany would gain control over Lithuania and Danzig. Poland would be divided into three major areas. Most of Poland would become Russian territory. The central area would become a German region, named the General Government, governed by a German civil power.https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/ww2/molotovpact.htm -
Germany's invasion of poland
Hitler's aim is to gain back what the treaty of Versailles took from him. He wanted to make Germany more powerful.Hitler signed the Nazi-Soviet pact to ensure Germany and Russia do not go to war with each other and to divide up Poland in between them.On September 1st, Hitler launches a Blitzkrieg on Poland.Hitler also wanted to unite all German speaking countries around Germany into one country called "lebensraum" meaning living space.As a result, UK and France declared war on Germany.(my notes) -
German Blitzkieg
On 1 Sep,Germany launches a Blitzkrieg on Poland and because it was successful,Hitler does the same on Belgium, Netherlands, and France. Hitler also uses it against UK,so he launches a blitzkrieg on London which lasted for 90 days and wasn't successful because of the placement of the bombs.Also, US aided UK with weapons and supplies. In 1940,Hitler leashes a blitzkrieg against Denmark and Norway since its successful. Hitler takes over France on June 22 1940.(notes) -
The Fall of Paris
Germany attacked France , while Britain really encouraged and supported France to not despair and to fight and resist no matter what. The battle was an easy defeat of France as they willingly gave up. Thus, Germany easily won and the fight didn't last long and didn't have a huge effect.This was important because it lead to another allied defeat and Germany gained more power.citation. -
Manhatten Project 1942
In early 1940, US began an atomic weapons code program code secretly named Manhattan project which was lead by J.Robert Oppennheimer .It was tested on Alamogordo Mexico which proved to be successful.Truman decided to use the bomb against Japan since it would save many US lives and lead to Japanese surrender. On Aug 6, the Enola Gay plane dropped the atomic bomb little boy on Hiroshima which lead to the death of 90000 Japanese.The 2nd bomb fat man was dropped on Nagasaki,35000 were killed.(notes) -
Operation Barbarossa
After Hitler failed to take over England, so he focuses on the soviet Union to take over the Ural mountains(division between Europe and Asia).Stalin wasn't ready since he signed the non-aggression pact and thought he was secure and not going to get involved with Germany.Hitler also was unprepared for the harsh winter in Russia which benefited Stalin.Hitler tries to take over and control Leningrad for two and half years,but Russia was able to push Germany back by attacking from two sides.(notes) -
Pearl Harbor
On December 7,General Tojo Hideki of Japan attacks Pearl harbor because the Us stopped sending weapons and oil to Japan because the US heard that Japan wants to attack their allies in south east Asia. Nineteen ships were destroyed, the most famous being the USS Arizona.Also, over 2400 people were killed. On 8 Dec, president Roosevelt delivers "a date which will live in infamy speech" and on 11 Dec, Italy and Germany declar war and were ready to attack the United States.(notes). -
The Bataan Death March
After the April 9, 1942, U.S. surrendered the Bataan Peninsula located on main Philippine island of Luzon, to the Japanese during World War II. About 75,000 Filipino and American troops on Bataan were forced to make a tough 65-mile march to prison camps. The marchers made the hike in intense heat and were exposed to harsh treatment by Japanese guards. Thousands rotted in what became known as the Bataan Death March.
http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/bataan-death-march -
Battle of Midway
Ended 6 June US attacked Japanese home islands the Doolittle raid which made the Japanese want revenge by erasing US existence in the Pacific Ocean.They agreed to strike US at Midways Island &tried to trick them by formulating a plan to wreck US carriers,but the US was aware of it& assembled their own deception.Japan faced great loss of aircrafts, ships& soldiers.This fight was a turning point of the war and first Aliied victory in the Pacific.ducksters.com/history/world_war_ii/battle_of_midway. -
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad (July 17, 1942- Feb. 2, 1943) was when the USSR victoriously protected city of Stalingrad (now Volgograd) .Russians consider it to be the greatest battle of their War .It stopped the German progress into the Soviet Union and marked the turning of the war for the Allies. The Battle of Stalingrad was one of the bloodiest battles in history, with combined military and civilian casualties of nearly 2 million.
http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-stalingrad -
Operation Gomorrah
Germany bombed England which resulted in the death of 167 British. As revenge, on evening of July 24, Britain aircrafts dropped 2300 toms of bombs in a matter of hours on Hamburg.1500 Germans were killed as a result.Britain only lost 12 out of 791 aircrafts. US increased damage on Germany by also sending aircrafts and attacking. Britain continued attacking Hamburg until November. Hitler was left in tremendous loss.(http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/operation-gomorrah-is-launched) -
D-Day(Normandy invasion)
On June 6, General Eisenhower goes to Normandy(northern Europe) in order to free France. Paris was freed on Aug 25. on Dec 16 , battle of the bulge starts. Germany thought the allies ( United States. United Kingdom, and Canada) would attack from Calais(France), however the allies were in Normandy and killed all the German troops there, the allies were then able to take over the region and push the Germans back to Germany which lead to the first allied victory against Germany.(notes). -
Battle of the Bulge
after the 19th, Hitler launched a surprise attack on Allied forces in S.Belgium and Luxembourg. The ,Allies were first outnumbered & many were killed. German soldiers faced harsh winter conditions. The battle ended when US tackled the “bulge”& took control of their native line. German lost a lot of weapons.The battle is significant since it is seen as Hitler’s last major offensive in the war, ruined German army & was the first major allied victory.
http://worldhistory2battleofthebulge.weebly.com -
Operation Thunderclap
ended on the 15th of Feb, Air Marshal 'Bomber' Harris decided to target civilians by laying waste to German cities. He bombed German borders & Tens of thousands of innocent people were killed in the attacks that destroyed the Germans & bought the war to an early end.
http://ww2today.com/13-february-1945-operation-thunderclap-raf-start-firestorm-in-dresden#sthash.tEB57F8U.dpuf -
Battle of Iwo Jima
Allies started attacking Japan on February 19, The Japanese troops were dug into shelters within the volcanic rocks. Thousand of US marines and Japanese were killed. The island was declared secure on March 16.Its known as bloodiest battle in Marine Corps history. After battle, Iwo Jima was used as emergency landing for bombers which saved thousands of US airman’s lives. This started the final major battle in Pacific, the invasion of Okinawa. nationalww2museum.org/focus-on/iwo-jima-fact-sheet -
Battle of Okinawa
For the US to win the war in the east,they decided to take over Okinawa.US wanted o prove a major bloody battle.Japanese kept resisting throughout the battle. On July 2nd,US have fully taken over Okinawa & a couple of days before this,Ushijima committed suicide. The attack on Okinawa had a huge effect on both countries. US &Japanese lost tens of thousands of troops& rest of Japanese were taken as prisinors.historylearningsite.co.uk/world-war-two/the-pacific-war-1941-to-1945/the-battle-of-okinawa -
VE Day
UK & the US celebrated Vicory in Europe Day. They put out flags and banners in European cities celebrating their victory. The Allies started to invade Germany from the west during April as Russian military developed from the east. On April 25, Allied and Soviet navy met at the Elbe River, German Army was destroyed & unstable. 5 days later, Hitler killed his dog, his new wife & then committed suicide in his Berlin shelter.http://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/VE-Day/ -
Dropping of the atomic bomb
Truman felt that he needed to use the bomb against Japan because it will lead to the surrender of the Japanese and would also save many American lives. The first bomb “little boy”was dropped on Hiroshima by the Enola Gay plane, and the second was dropped on August 9th “fat guy” on Nagasaki. Both killed thousands of people and was a terrible loss for the Japanese. This marked the end of World War II.(notes). -
VJ Day
On August 14, 1945, Japan had surrendered unconditionally to the Allies because they were becoming too powerful technologically. This effectively ended World War II. Since then, both August 14 and August 15 have been known as “Victory over Japan Day,”
http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/v-j-day
