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Japanese Invasion of China
Japan invaded China in July of 1937. This happened because China would not appeal to Japan's terms, and should, therefore, be eliminated. The Chinese forces were driven out and this soon led to the Nanjing Massacre. As many as 300,000 Chinese civilians lost their lives. This ultimately led to the start of WWII.
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Germany's Invasion of Poland
On September 1, 1939, the German army under Adolf Hitler launched an invasion of Poland. Hitler invaded Poland in order to advance his plans in total domination of Europe. This kicked off WWII in Germany.
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German Blitzkrieg
Germany used a military tactic that disorients the enemy, called Blitzkrieg. They used this on Belgium, the Netherlands, and France in 1940. It was used to disorient the enemy and offered better odds against a greater power. This allowed Hitler to expand his empire and slowly take over Europe.\
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Fall of Paris
Paris fell just six weeks after Hitler's initial invasion. Germany invaded France soon after his success with Poland's invasion, and it took six weeks to defeat the French army. This led to Hitler advancing his takeover and the United States were starting to become motivated to join the war.
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Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the USSR. This happened because of Hitler's invincible thinking that cost him many soldiers due to the harsh winter. This signaled a crucial turning point in the war, for Hitler's troops had been defeated.
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Pearl Harbor
Japanese forces surprise attacked U.S. naval forces at Pearl Harbor. The Japanese forces attacked because the U.S. was trying to stop their worldwide expansion. This caused many Americans to be outraged and led to an official declaration of war.
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Wannasee Conference
A meeting of German Nazi Officials to plan the "final solution." This happened because Hitler wanted something to happen about the Jews that the entire country blamed the misfortune on. It marked a turning point in policies on Jews.
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Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway was the U.S. fighting a Japanese attack. The Japanese attacked because they wanted control over the islands that made up the Midway Atoll. This was a big turning point in the war because the U.S, defeated the Japanese forces.
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Battle of Stalingrad
A successful defense of the city of Stalingrad against Germany. It happened because Hitler wanted the city that bore Stalin's name for propaganda purposes. The battle defeated Germany and set the stage in war for the Allies.
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Operation Gomorrah
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Allied Invasion of Italy
Allies invaded Italy's mainland. They did this so that they could knock Italy out of the war. This led to Benito Mussolini's death eventually. source -
D-Day
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Battle of the Bulge
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Operation Thunderclap
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Battle of Iwo Jima
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Battle of Okinawa
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VE Day
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Atomic Bombings
The U.S. bombed Japan. This happened because they needed Japan to surrender. This caused devastation but ultimately led to the end of the war.
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VJ Day
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Liberation of Concentration Camps
