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The Holocaust
The Holocaust involved Nazi soldiers gather Jews from all over central Europe and initiate genocide against them. The Nazis accomplished this by first crowding the Jews in ghettos and hoping they would die from starvation or disease. Later, the Nazis forced them into concentration camps where the strong were forced to work and the weak were killed in gas chambers and later burned in crematoriums. Around six million Jews fell victim to the Holocaust. -
Germany Annexes Austria
Even though the Treaty of Versailles restricted Germany from taking over Austria, many Austrians were in favor of being part of Germany. Because of Austrian support, Hitler was able to send his army into Austria and absorb the nation as part of the Third Reich(German Empire). -
Germany Invades Poland
Hitler continued to expand the German Empire by invading Poland. Hitler used the blitzkrieg, or lightning war, to overwhelm Polish forces quickly. This fast-paced method of war was successful. -
Germany Invades France
Hitler sent his army to move through a forest area known as the Ardennes which lay between the countries of Luxembourg, France, and Belgium. Entering through the Ardennes allowed Hitler's army to enter northern France in ten days. -
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Dunkirk
Allied soldiers in France were cornered on the beaches of Dunkirk in northern France. However, British Royal Navy ships along with civilian boats were able to transport over 300,000 French soldiers away from Dunkirk and help them escape German soldiers. -
Fall of France
Hitler continued campaigning in France and eventually led his army to seize Paris and force French leaders to surrender. Marshal Philippe Petain was appointed as head of the German-occupied French government in the city of Vichy. -
German Air Strikes Against London Begin
Hitler continued to use his lightning war strategy by sending out airplanes to bomb London and eventually planned land infantry soldiers in Britain. This did not work, however, since British soldiers remained strong against the air strikes. Hitler failed to conquer Britain. -
Germany Attacks the Balkans
Hitler wanted his generals to push their way through the Balkans so he could start to attack the Soviet Union. Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary were all forced to join the Axis powers. Greece and Yugoslavia fell to the Nazis in weeks. -
Germany Invades the Soviet Union
Hitler led his army into 500 miles Russia with tanks and aircraft. As Hitler invaded, the Russians retreated and used the same scorched-earth policy they had used during Napoleon's invasion. -
America Enters the War
America began to supply Britain with weapons to fight the war in Europe. Germany saw this as a threat and carried out an attack on a U.S destroyer escorting a British ship. Angered by the attack, America decided to engage in naval battles with Germany and attack German U-boats. -
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Siege of Leningrad and Moscow
Hitler tried to defeat Leningrad by surrounding the city and starving its people to death. However, the people of the city resisted hunger, and so Hitler became impatient and moved on to Moscow. In Moscow, the German military fell victim to the harsh Russian winter and cost themselves 500,000 lives for nothing. -
Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor
Japan saw America as a major threat in the war and decided to launch a quick surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. Thousands of American were wounded and killed. In response to the attack, President Roosevelt and Congress immediately declared war on Japan. -
Japan Expands to Southeast Asia
By February 1942, Japan was at the peak of its empire. The nation was able to occupy Burma, the Dutch East Indies, and the Philippines. -
Battle of the Coral Sea
Allied forces detected the Japanese Navy headed toward a crucial airbase in New Guinea which would allow Japan to launch attacks on Australia. To prevent the Japanese from becoming even more powerful, the Allies went to naval warfare with them. Although the Allies suffered more losses, they were still able to halt Japan's southward expansion. -
Battle of Midway
Admiral Yamamoto of the Japanese attacked Midway Island to draw in the U.S Pacific Fleet from Pearl Harbor. The Americans were able to win the battle by destroying all of Japan's aircraft carriers and forced the Japanese to retreat. -
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Battle of Guadalcanal
General Douglas MacArthur of the American military believed that the island of Guadalcanal could be dangerous of the Japanese decided to build a stronghold there. Both Americans and Australians collided with the Japanese on the island. After six months of fighting on the deadly island, Japan forced a retreat. The island of Guadalcanal was infamous for its humid weather, deadly crocodiles, and huge spiders. -
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Battle of Stalingrad
Hitler ordered to continue his campaign Russia by capturing the city of Stalingrad. Germans overwhelmed the city at first. However, another cold Russian winter set in in mid-November. With the addition of a Soviet counterattack, the Germans suffered an additional hundreds of thousands of lives. Beaten from frostbite and hunger, the remaining part of the German army surrendered to Russia and were being pushed out of the country. -
D-Day Invasion
A combination of British, American, Canadian, and French troops launched a massive air and land assault on the beaches of German-occupied Normandy.The Allies picked up a major victory in Normandy and allowed them to liberate France, Belgium, and Luxembourg from Nazi occupation, -
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Nuclear Attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
The Allies were quickly defeating Japanese naval forces and positioned themselves within close striking distance of Japan. To end the war quickly, President Harry Truman made the decision to drop nuclear bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Hundreds of thousands were killed from the attacks, and Japan was forced to surrender, culminating World War II. -
Victory in Europe
Germany's defenses began to weaken after D-Day and the liberation of France. Soon, the soldiers from France and American pushed East while Russia came from the West. Overwhelmed by the Allies, Germany was forced to sign a treaty and surrendered in Berlin. This treaty concluded World War II in Europe.
