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Japanese Invasion of China
Japan attacked China because they wanted to expand to East Asia. The U.S. put sanctions on Japan and forced their troops out of China. Japan then signed the Tripartite Pact with Germany & Italy. -
German Invasion of Polond
German & the Soviet Union invade Poland to expand power and start WWII. Britian & France declare war on September 3rd. -
German Blitzkreig
Means "lightnening war" in German, and was used as a offenseive strategy to create disorganization for the enemy. Germany was not advanced enough to win direct combat, this tactic helped them be successful throughout WWII. -
Operation Barbarossa
Germany's attempt to invade the Soviet Union. Nazi Germany wanted to take out the Soviet Union and prevent a two front war, but this failed and a two front war is exactly what happened. -
Attack on Pearl Harbor
Japan launched a nearly two hour long attack on Pearl Harbor in hopes to cripple the U.S. Navy (it worked) and gain power in the Pacific. 20 American vessels, 8 large battleships, 300 airplanes destroyed, along with 2,000 American soldiers dead. The U.S. declared war on Japan the day after. -
Wannsee Conference
Nazi officials meet to discuss the "final solution" to the "jewish question". Gas vans were brought in resulting in killing up to 1,000 Jews a day. -
Bataan Death March
75,000 Filipino & American troops walked 65 miles to prison camps in intense heat. They were treated brutally by Japanese gaurds. The U.S. surrendured the Bataan peninsula to the Japanese. -
Battle of Midway
Naval battle between the U.S. and Japan. The Japanese tried to ambush the last of the U.S. aircraft carriers and they countered the ambush and the U.S. won. Advanced code breaking and allowed the Allied powers to become the offense. -
Operation Gomorrah
After Germany bombed and killed 167 British civilians, Britian sought out revenge and carried out a bomber raid in Hamburg, Germany. More than 1,500 German civilians died and a new technology called "Windows" to confuse German radars. -
Operation Gomorrah
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Allied Invasion of Italy
U.S. and British forces move into Italy and begin to invade Europe in hopes to take out the German & Italian forces; considered "the soft underbelly of Europe". This made it easier to attack the Axis Powers. -
D Day
Battle where 156,000 American, British, and Canadian forces are spread out onto five beaches on the coast of France' s Normandy region just 50 miles of eachother. This helped them gain access to the Axis Powers' land and was a major victory against Germany, The "beginning of the end of the war". -
Battle of the Bulge
The most deadly battle in U.S. history and Germany's last chance to survive the war. Also the most expensive as there were over 1,000 casualties. -
Operation Thunderclap
The most destructive bombing in the war, killing approximately 135,000 people. This causd Germany to surrender. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
Three U.S. main divisions settle here for a base on the Japanse coast. Although about 23,000 Japanese soldiers came to it's defense, the U.S. gained the base anyways. -
Battle of Okinawa
287,000 American soldiers fight up against 130,000 Japanese soldiers for vital air bases that would be useful to the U.S.. America came victorious, and gained better access to Japan. -
Potsdam Decleration
Issued by The Big Three (Harry S. Truman, Winston Churchill, & Joseph Stalin) that determined how Germany would be punsihed as well as demand unconditiona surrender from Japan. -
Dropping of the Atomic Bomb
U.S. drops an atomic bomb on Hiroshima that wiped out 90% of the city, killing 800,000 people instantly, and thousands more due to radiation. Another dropped in Nagasaki killing 40,000. The U.S. didn't want anymore casualities from land invasion. This caused Japan to surrender. -
VJ Day
World War II officially ends with the surrender of Japan to the Allies. Known as "Victory Over Japan" Day.
