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Japanese Invasion of China
In 1931, Japan wanted China's raw materials and resources. They took over Manchuria with little Chinese resistance. Then later in 1937, there was an incidence known as the Marco Polo Bridge Incident which started the Second Sino-Japanese War. The Japanese were brutal and took over all of the major industrial cities and ports. This caused the US to put an oil embargo on Japan, which then lead Japan to bomb Pearl Harbor.
History.com
wiki.china.org.cn -
Hitler Invades Poland
Poland is near the Baltic Sea in the north, which divided Germany from Prussia. Because of its location Germany wanted Poland so that they could more easily attack Russia.The Polish military was defeated in a matter of weeks.This invasion caused Britain and France to declare war on Germany.
Second World War History -
German Blitzkrieg
The idea behind the German Blitzkrieg style of warfare that was three fold. They had fast amored tanks, many airplanes to damage defenses, and foot soldiers for a combined assault.
www.conservapedia.com
World War II (BBC) -
The Fall of Paris
The French fortified its border along Germany with a Maginot Line, but Germany went through Belgium and attacked France on that border. The Germans thought that taking France would just be the next step to defeating the Allies and conquering Britain.
militaryhistory.about.com
Second World War History -
Operation Barbarossa
This was the German invasion of the Soviet Union. They wanted because of the resources and slave labor. They used a lot of heavy military in the invasion. The Germans planed on reaching Mascow but they only made it to Smolensk.
www.theatlantic.com
The Second World War -
Pearl Harbor
Japanese fighter planes attacked Pearl Harbor resulting in nearly 20 naval vessesls being destroyed as well as the deaths of thousands of American servicemen. This ultimately caused the US to declare war on Japan, which in return caused Italy and Germany to declare war on the US.
www.wwiifoundation.org
World War II (History.com) -
Wannsee Conference
This was a conference where the Final Solution to the Jews was discussed. Records were kept from this conference and they could then be used in the Nuremburg War Crimes Trials.
www.britannica.com
World War II (History.com) -
Battle of Stalingrad
During this battle the Soviets stopped the Germans from advancing into the USSR. Stalingrad's location made the Germans want to take it and the Soviets to defend it.This was a major defeat for the Germans. It also made Hitler distrust his generals while Stalin gained trust in his military. The effect of this loss proved to be a turning point in war in favor of the Allies. www.theguardian.com -
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
The Poles were determined with what little army and arms they had to kick the Germans out of their capital and defend it from the Soviets coming in and taking it. They were defeated and prisoners were brutally slaughtered while wounded were burned to death. This lead to Poland officially surrendering to Germany.
www.yadvashem.org
Second World War History -
Operation Gomorrah
In this operation the British raided Hamburg, Germany. This offensive was very successful and not many aircraft were lost, because they used a technique known as "window" that would confuse the German radars and make it look like there were more airplanes than there really was. The effect of this operation was that Hitler and other German officials knew that defeat was soon coming.
www.thetimes.co.uk
World War II (History.com) -
D-Day (Normandy Invasion)
This was one of the largest military assaults. The Allies made the Germans think that they were going to invade other locations, which aided in their surprise attack on the beaches of Normandy. This battle resulted in the Allied Liberation of Western Europe and helped begin the end to the war.
www.history.com -
Battle of the Bulge
The Germans tried to hold their lines in the Ardennes Forest. General Patton successfully moved part of the army, which lead to the neutralization of the German counteroffensive. This battle lost 100,000 US soldiers and was the deadliest battle fought by the Army.
www.pbs.org
World War II (History.com) -
Operation Thunderclap
This was an Allied raid which was mainly used to punish the Germans when they were near surrender, They did this through destroying the cities arcitecture and artistic features. This was the most destructive bombing in the war.
ww2today.com
World War II (History.com) -
Battle of Iwo Jima
This battle was caused by the US needing a base that was closer to Japan. Three divisions of mairnes fought to take the island. The battle was easy at first but then became more difficult, because the Japanese used caves, dugouts, and tunnels. The US eventually won after about a month of fighting,
www.nationalww2museum.org
World War Two (History.com) -
Battle of Okinawa
This was the last and largest of all the Pacific battles. During this battle the Japanese used suicide bombers to try and defend themselves. This was a heavily populated island and many civilians died during the battle. This battle was fought to gain the air bases needed to attack Japan.
www.history.com
World War II (History.com) -
VE Day
This was the day that signified victory in Europe. Cities everywhere celebrated the defeat of the German Nazis. At the end of the war German soldiers tried to escape becoming Soviet prisoners by traveling towards the West, but they were eventually captured. Even the Germans were already defeated, fighting between the Soviets and Germans continued until the next day.
www.capital-moments.com
World War II (History.com) -
Dropping of the Atomic Bombs
The world's first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan. This was a very destructive and lethal bomb that destroyed 90% of the city and killed thousands of people on impact and thousands more of radiation. The second bomb dropped on Nagasaki, Japan also killed thousands of people and resulted in Japan's emperor announcing surrender.
www.trumanlibrary.org
World War II (History.com) -
VJ Day
This was the day that Japan finally surrendered. Japan was told to surrender with the other Axis Powers on VE Day or they would be utterly destroyed. They did not comply so they were bombed by the US. Because of the bombing they surrendered, which officially ended World War II.
www.history.com
World War II (History.com)
