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RIBBENTROP/MOLOTOV PACT
This pact was created as a non aggression act between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. It permitted them to carve up spheres of influence in eastern Europe. The purpose was so the countries would not be able to attack each other for 10 years. One major outcome of the nonaggression pact between the soviet union and Germany before world war 2 was that Germany was able to capture Poland without soviet interference. -
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GERMAN BLITZKRIEG
Blitzkrieg is a german word for "Lighting war". It was Germany's strategy to avoid a long war in the first phase of World War II in Europe. This resulted in the Germans being able to greatly reduce their loss of life and material by using this new strategy. https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/blitzkrieg-lightning-war#:~:text=These%20forces%20would%20drive%20a,disorganization%20among%20the%20enemy%20defenses. -
FALL OF PARIS
The fall of France began when the German Army penetrated deep into French territory after conquering Belgium and Netherlands in less than a Month. After a few weeks Paris was captured and the Maginot Line was destroyed.This resulted in the capturing of not only France but Luxembourg, Netherlands, and Belgium. https://study.com/learn/lesson/fall-france-wwii-invasion-strategies.html#:~:text=The%20invasion%20of%20France%20in%20World%20War%20II%20saw%20the,one%2C%20uncontested%20power%20in%20Europe. -
PEARL HARBOR
Pearl harbor was a US naval base near Hawaii, and they suffered a terrible surprise attack from Japan in 1941. Just before 8 am they destroyed nearly 20 American naval vessels, including eight battleships, and over 300 airplanes. Also more than 2,400 Americans died in the attack, including civilians, and another 1,000 people were wounded. As a result Congress declared war on Japan, bringing America officially into World War II. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/pearl-harbor -
WANNSEE CONFERENCE
15 high-ranking Nazi Party and German government officials gathered at a villa in the Berlin suburb of Wannsee to discuss and coordinate the implementation of what they called the "Final Solution of the Jewish Question. The final solution was something Hitler created to erase Jews. This happened because Hitler is a sick man and wanted everyone to look and be the same. This resulted in the extermination of the Jews and the HOLOCAUST. -
BATTLE OF MIDWAY
This was a naval battle that was almost entirely fought by aircraft. The United States destroyed Japan's first-line carrier strength and most of its best trained naval pilots. This happened because Japan hoped to defeat the US Pacific Fleet and use Midway as a base to attack Pearl Harbor, securing dominance in the region and then forcing a negotiated peace. As a result, the United States had crippled Japan's ability to launch further large-scale mobile strikes against Allied forces. -
D-DAY
This day brought together the land, air, and sea forces of the allied armies in what became known as the largest amphibious invasion in military history. During this day the Allied landings on the beaches of Normandy marked the start of a long and costly campaign to liberate north-west Europe from Nazi occupation. This happened because the US was trying to take down Germany. As a result D-Day put the Allies on a decisive path toward victory. -
BATTLE OF BULGE
The German army launched a counteroffensive that was intended to cut through the Allied forces in a manner that would turn the tide of the war in Hitler's favor. This happened because Hitler hoped that the German counter-attack would surround the British and American armies and stall the Allied offensive against Germany. This resulted in the Allies winning while Germany lost and failed to achieve its objective. https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-the-Bulge -
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BATTLE OF IWO JIMA
It had been one of the bloodiest battles in Marine Corps history. It was a major battle in which the United States Marine Corps and United States Navy anded on and eventually captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. This happened because Japanese fighters were taking off from tiny Iwo Jima were intercepting B- 29s, as well as attacking the Mariana airfields. The U.S. determined that Iwo Jima must be captured. As a result the japanese were defeated. -
BATTLE OF OKINAWA
I was the last major battle of World War II — and the bloodiest of the Pacific campaign. The objective was to secure the island, thus removing the last barrier standing between U.S. forces and Imperial Japan. After the battle, Okinawa provided a fleet anchorage, troop staging areas, and airfields in proximity to Japan for US forces in preparation for a planned invasion of the Japanese home islands. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Battle-of-Okinawa -
LIBERATION OF CONCENTRATION CAMPS
Soviet soldiers were the first to liberate concentration camp prisoners in the final stages of the war. On January 27, 1945, they entered Auschwitz and there found hundreds of sick and exhausted prisoners. British, Canadian, American, and French troops also freed prisoners from the camps. The Americans were responsible for liberating Buchenwald and Dachau. This happened because American realized how poorly the jews were actually being treated. The result of this was saving so many Jewish lives. -
VE DAY
Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces. This happened because of the War and the Capture of Germany. This resulted in the official end of ww2. https://www.defense.gov/Multimedia/Experience/VE-Day/ -
POTSDAM DECLARATION
It was a calling for the unconditional surrender of Japan. Thus gave the Japanese a way out of the war that avoided complete ruin and unconditional surrender. It happened to negotiate terms for the end of World War II. It resulted in resulted in divisions of Germany through reparations of each allied sides occupation zones, and divisions of European countries between the US and the USSR. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Potsdam-Declaration -
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DROPPING OF THE ATOMIC BOMBS
On august 6th and 9th the US dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The bombings killed between 129,000 and 226,000 people. This happened because the US wanted to force a quick surrender by the Japanese to reduce the number of American lives lost. As a result the cities were destroyed and people are still not allowed to grow any plants or food in those cities because of all the radiation still under the ground. -
VJ DAY
It is victory over Japan Day is the day on which Imperial Japan surrendered in World War I. Japan surrendered because the Soviet Union entered the war. When President Harry S. Truman announced on Aug. 14, 1945, that Japan had surrendered unconditionally, war-weary citizens around the world erupted in celebration. https://www.defense.gov/Multimedia/Experience/VJ-Day/#:~:text=V%2DJ%20Day%2C%20or%20Victory%20over,the%20world%20erupted%20in%20celebration.