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Invasion of Manchuria
Japans growing population needed more resources and area to keep expanding. After the split of the government into civil and military, they take advantage of their situation and invade Manchuria, China. Manchuria was a resource rich part of China which was a large target for Japan. The extra resources gained by the invasion of Manchuria was used to build Japans military. -
Invasion of Manchuria (Importance)
From this small invasion Japan learned that they were free to take whatever they wanted. The wold protested their invasion of Manchuria but didn't do anything about it and almost looked the other way. Since they were building an army the US gets concerned. This freedom was what enabled Japan to start taking many south eastern islands with no problem. -
Blitzkrieg into Poland
Blitzkrieg was a strategy used by the Nazis to invade and capture land fast. When the Nazis turned their attention to Poland their outdated military consisting of horses compared to the planes and tanks of the Nazis made it unfair. While the Nazis invade from the west of Poland, the Soviets invaded from the east. The non-aggression treaty between the Nazis and the Soviets worked flawlessly. The Nazis had rolled through Poland so quickly that Britain and France couldn't do anything to help. -
Blitzkrieg into Poland (Importance)
This invasion of Poland started the second world war. Only two days after the invasion of Poland, Britain and France declared war on Germany. This also leads to the phony war where the allies slowly mobilize and prepare for war. The aftermath of the non-aggression treaty turned the Soviets against the Nazis as the Nazis invade Russia. -
Germany Invades France
Germany used Blitzkrieg again to roll through France. They drive a wedge between British and French troops, pushing British troops north and the French south. British troops are forced to evacuate 340,000 troops from Dunkirk France back to Britain because of the fast moving German troops. Since Italy was so close with Germany they invade southern France. France surrenders late June. -
Germany invades France (Importance)
The invasion of France grew the Nazi empire farther towards the west of Europe. The surrender of France was a massive victory for Germany. Now Germany directly controls northern France and prepares for the invasion of Britain. Direct Nazi control was only for the north of France, the south got a puppet government that was constantly irritated by the French underground. -
Evacuation of Dunkirk
The Nazis forced the British troops north to Dunkirk France, and the French troops south. All 340,000 of the British troops needed to be out of France and the British navy couldn't evacuate that many troops in this short amount of time caused by the fast paced blitzkrieg. They needed to enlist the help of any person who had a boat to move the British troops back to Britain. -
Evacuation of Dunkirk (Importance)
This victory for Germany marked the defeat of France as closer than ever. Hitlers next target was Britain, this evacuation was perfect for moving all Nazi soldiers to the northern beaches and ports of France to get ready for the eventual invasion of Britain. -
Battle of Britain
Germany starts to bomb Britain shortly after their takeover of France. The Germans begin bombing key ports and military bases in Britain. Radar was the game changer in these bombings, it allowed British troops to know when the German air force was coming over the British channel and scramble their new planes. Blackouts were mandatory and spirits stayed high for the time before spring 1941. In the spring of the next year, Hitler temporarily gives up on the invasion. -
Battle of Britain (importance)
This defeat/ setback for Germany was huge, they had been rolling over one country after another and this was the stopping point. After taking over Czechoslovakia, Poland, France, and most of northern Europe. This period of time where Britain stopped the advancing Nazis. This battle also marked the invention and use of new technology like radar which will become a massive tool in military history, and the invention of the spitfire which helped the British to push the Luftwaffe back. -
Germany takes Greece (Importance)
This was a relatively small battle for the Nazis because of the help from their allies in Italy. This battle showed the future direction of the Germans and Italians. They were moving south for the sole reason of capturing the middle east and all the oil in it. This was the same reason for the Italian and German troops in Africa. This oil was a main goal that was stopped later with the US's invasion and attacks in northern Africa. -
Germany takes Greece
Italy had been at war with Greece since the beginning of the war. Germany rolled through to help out their allies. The attacks on Greece were an act of terror which resulted in 17,000 civilians. German troops also bombed Greek ports and airfields, destroying 600 aircraft while they were still on the ground. Most of the small cities and villages had emptied out into the capital city to celebrate palm Sunday, this was the same day that the Germans attacked. -
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the double cross by Hitler over the Non-aggression treaty. Germany wanted to take Moscow but the Russian winter stopped them dead in their tracks. The Russian army although inferior was absolutely massive.The Nazis invaded Russia from the most eastern part of Poland. Russia stopped this advance towards the capital of Moscow at the battle of Stalingrad and Kursk. The Russians captured 300,000 German troops stopping Germany's ability to fight on the eastern front. -
Operation Barbarossa (Importance)
Since the Russian troops captured 300,000 German troops; they stopped the Nazis ability to fight offensively on the eastern front, effectively stopping the full invasion of Russia. This also set up the ability for Russia to push westward in Europe and push the German troops into the US and British troops that will eventually be coming from France. This stop of the German troops made another front, which Stalin wanted very badly. -
Battle of Pearl Harbor
Seemingly out of nowhere 360 Japanese planes attack Pearl Harbor Hawaii and sink 19 ships, destroy 150 planes, and kill 2,400 soldiers. During this time Japan also attacked Guam, Midway, Wake island, and the Philippines. Before the attack the Japanese had built a model Pearl Harbor to practice on. Luckily all of the aircraft carriers were north of Hawaii on maneuvers. Congress voted on the war and soon enough we were a part of the war. -
Battle of Pearl Harbor (importance)
The attack on Pearl Harbor was one of the most important parts of the war. After the US trying their best to stay neutral with a president that wanted to help, they had been thrown head first into the fighting with an attack on american soil. After this attack America had to fight a war on two fronts, joining the allies and fighting against in the pacific and Europe. The introduction of the US into the war made the allies able to out produce the axis and get the upper hand in the whole war. -
The Doolittle Raids (Importance)
The Doolittle raids didn't do much for damage in Tokyo Japan but did good for morale in the US. After the devastation in Pearl Harbor, this was the perfect way to get Japan back for what they did. Seeing the headlines of "US Bombers Attack Japan," was a moment of joy for all the annoyed Americans. The Doolittle raids also started the offensive fight in the pacific against the Japanese. -
The Doolittle Raids
After the attack of pearl harbor the US was looking for any way to boost moral and get back at the Japanese for what they had done to Hawaii and our pacific fleet. The navy modified bombers to have more fuel and range. The plan was to launch these bombers off of American aircraft carriers and have them bomb the city of Tokyo Japan. These planes had no way to get back to the fleet because they didn't have the range, so they landed in China. The attack did little damage but was good for morale. -
Bataan Battle and March (Importance)
This horrible treatment of the prisoners taken by the Japanese was a clear reason for why the US needed to take back the Philippines. This takeover also made Midway and The Hawaiian islands the only islands under american control in the Pacific. This would spark the island hopping campaign by the US to take these islands back. With this campaign, many later battles would be fought in these islands. -
Bataan Battle and March
After Japan took the Philippines they had to fight and take over Bataan. They successfully took it and after they did they marched 60,000 prisoners 70 miles through the jungle to POW camps, over 10,000 of these prisoners died because of the horrible treatment along the trip. These people died from starvation, abuse and executions. The Japanese soldiers were incredibly strict and they would make an example of or execute you for the smallest reasons. -
Fall of the Philippines
After Pearl Harbor Japan swept through south eastern Asia and many islands welcomed their rule as opposed to the European rulers. US troops were watching over the Philippines and were running out of supplies fast so they needed to retreat to Australia as General MacArthur (the Supreme Allied commander in the Pacific) vowed "I shall return." -
Fall of the Philippines (Importance)
The retreat away from the Philippines was a massive lost because they had previously been part of the United States. The "I shall return," line from MacArthur was a huge point in why the US needed to retake the Pacific islands that were lost to the Japanese. The taking of the Philippines lead to the island hopping campaign by the US to take back the pacific islands. -
The Battle of Coral Sea
The Japanese goals at this time was to blockade Australia and cut off the shipping lanes between the US and Australia, and set-up for an invasion of Australia. When american ships came to stop this, a two-day air battle resulted. Throughout the whole battle no american ships ever saw a Japanese ship, the fighting was so spread out that there was no way to attack each other without planes.. This was the first navel battle to be fought purely in the air. In the end the US is victorious -
The Battle of Coral Sea (Importance)
The Japanese never got to invade Australia and never cut off the shipping lanes between them and the US. After this defeat the Japanese did retreat but still had the power to keep attacking whatever they could in the pacific. The battle of Midway was a result of this ability to keep fighting and taking control of holdings in the pacific. -
Battle of Midway
Midway was one of two US holdings in the Pacific, it would have been a massive loss and it could be considered a stepping stone to capturing Hawaii and maybe even the US mainland. The US learned of the attack and Admiral Chester Nimitz prepares to defend Midway. When the Japanese attacked the fighting lasted for 4 days with heavy losses for both sides, especially the Japanese. This battle was considered the turning point in the pacific with japan loosing the ability to fight offensively. -
Battle of Midway (Importance)
The battle of Midway was a huge loss for the Japanese and actually marked the turning point of the war with them in the pacific. They lost ships, planes, and the ability to fight offensively against the US. With the turning point of the war in the pacific, it meant that the US would be able to attack the Japanese directly and also take back the islands they lost. -
Battle of Stalingrad (Importance)
The Battle of Stalingrad was one of the two battles that stopped the German advances into Russia. The Russians had stopped a lot of the Germans and also, took away the Nazi ability to fight offensively on the eastern front. The Germans also captured 100,000+ German troops, -
Battle of Stalingrad
The German advances in Russia had to be stopped. The Russians had only stopped the German advances incredibly close to Moscow. The Battle of Stalingrad took place in Stalingrad which was mostly destroyed during the fighting. the only reason either side wanted the town was because it was named after Stalin and it would be symbolic if the town of Stalingrad was lost to the Nazis. -
Operation Torch
Operation Torch was decided on to start attacking the axis powers in Africa and move north into Italy. The US invades Algeria and starts to move east, trying to learn to fight in a dessert at the same time. The US troops were led by General Eisenhower and were up against General Rommel from Germany. Rommel got trapped between the US troops and the British troops, being forced to retreat to Italy. In May of 1943 the Allies controlled North Africa. -
Operation Torch (Importance)
Operation Torch took Africa from the Axis powers and It opened a second front towards the underside of the crocodile that was the axis owned territory. This was also the start to the move towards Italy. The opening of the second front was also beneficial because it was the main thing that Stalin wanted out of the alliance with the allies. -
2nd battle of El Alamein
This battle marked the end of first part of Operation Torch. The US came from the western side of Africa and moved east to push the German and Italian troops out of Africa. If the axis powers moved further into Egypt they would have enough control to start taking oil from the middle east. General Eisenhower trapped the Germans between the US and British troops causing a surrender. -
2nd battle of El Alamein (Importance)
Pushing the German and Italian troops out of Africa was a massive success in the fight for the middle eastern oil. This was the first step of operation torch and the operation would go on to move north to Italy and Sicily. The defeat of General Erwin Rommel (the desert fox) was also a major success. -
Battle of Kursk
The battle of Kursk was a battle on the eastern front of Russia near Kursk. This battle was Germany's last chance to use their blitzkrieg strategy to take Moscow after the loss at Stalingrad. Despite the planned assault on the Russians, the Germans still lost. It was the largest tank battle ever and was the end of the Germans assault on Russia and the end of the offensive assaults on the eastern front. -
Battle of Kursk (Importance)
The Battle of Kursk was the final offensive strike by the Germans against the Russians. It marked a point where the Germans couldn't attack offensively on the eastern front anymore. With their war machine malfunctioning the Germans could only hold territory they owned at the time. -
Battle of the Atlantic
The battle in the Atlantic was the fight to get US troops across the Atlantic. With the German U-Boats attacking every ship in the pacific the US needed to get troops and boats to Europe to start the attack in Europe. The US's solution was to have all sorts of ships in a convoy with battleships, destroyers, U-boat hunters, etc. The only way to win this war was to be able to get troops and supplies across the ocean as fast and as safe as possible. -
Battle of the Atlantic (Importance)
This was almost the most important battle in the war. The ability to transport supplies and troops was unparalleled, especially when the whole war is taking place in a different continent. Destroying the U-boats that were terrorizing earlier missions to Europe was incredibly important, With these convoys to Europe the allies were able to transport whatever they needed in an amazing amount of time and with no troubles. -
Battle of Anzio
The battle of Anzio was a key battle in the fight to make a front in north Italy. After Mussolini fell out of power the Germans took over Italy to defend it. With a combined force of British and US troops the allies landed in portions of southern Italy and moved north to attack the Gustav line. Winston Churchill wanted results so he made the British troops plan an amphibious assault in Anzio behind the Gustav line. The allies just kept moving north after the attack on the Gustav line. -
Battle of Anzio (Importance)
After the fall of Mussolini's government the Germans took over Italy and with the Battle of Anzio, Stalin got the second front he was hoping for since the start of operation torch and the proposition of attacking the underside of the crocodile by Churchill. The Gustav line was a huge hurdle in the takeover of Italy and it was a massive success when the allies broke through it. -
D-Day (Importance)
This was one of the largest scale attacks in history and at the end of the invasion of France 10,700 allied troops were dead, but they did take the beaches and were moving into France. This created a whole new front in northern France which was essential to the success of the allies. This invasion also sparked a smaller invasion in the south of France. In Just a couple of months Germany will be pushed out of France, Belgium, and Luxembourg. -
D-Day
Before midnight paratroopers and gliders dropped behind German lines to sabotage railroads and airfields. At 6:30 AM allied troops landed in Normandy France. The invasion was mostly easy because of how much of a surprise the invasion was. Some beaches were very different, Omaha Beach had mines in the water, on the beach, barbed wire, and artillery on the cliffs. only 40% of the two divisions sent to Omaha lived through the invasion. At the end of the day the beaches were taken by the allies. -
Battle of the Bulge (Importance)
Hitlers last ditch offensive failed miserably killing 120,000 German troops. The push back caused by Germany's retreat started the allied invasion of Germany and the liberation of concentration camps in Germany. The attack on Germany also happened from the east as the Russians invaded. German troops raced to surrender to the US soldiers instead of being defeated by the Soviets to get batter treatment. The war looks to be close to over but there is still much fighting in the Pacific. -
Battle of the Bulge
With Germany's impending defeat being closer than ever Hitler launched a last ditch effort to retake anything he could from the allies. Germany gathered the last of their offensive and hit a weak spot in the allied line. They created a 50 mile wide, 80 mile deep bulge into France. The US troops dig in and stop the offensive, forcing a retreat. Germany crumbled after their retreat. At this same time Russians were invading from the east pinching the Germans and finally defeating them. -
Guadalcanal
The Island hopping campaign had been working great so far until they met the Japanese fleet in Guadalcanal. The fighting took six whole months in the area till the islands were controlled by the US. Learning how to fight in jungles and combating snakes, snipers and malaria was difficult. Troops who spoke Navajo languages were important because they were able to relay battlefield information without others knowing what they meant. This campaign proved to be the turning point in the pacific. -
Guadalcanal (Importance)
The Battle of Guadalcanal was the turning point of the war in the pacific. It marked a point where American troops were learning how to fight in the jungle and how to effectively combat the Japanese. Guadalcanal was also the start to taking back the Philippines and other islands that had been lost when the Japanese invaded. -
Philippines
The Philippines was a highly contested area between the US and Japanese because it had once been part of the US but we had left the islands because of low resources. Battles to retake the Philippines included, The battle of Bataan where the Bataan death march happened, the battle of Leyte Gulf where the US almost destroyed all of the remaining Japanese ships, and countless other battles and engagements between US and Japanese troops. -
Philippines (Importance)
The battles fought to take back the Philippines were some of the most important battles in the pacific as the US troops used the island hopping campaign to move up the various islands of the western pacific towards Japan. The taking of the Philippines was also important because of MacArthur's "I will be back" quote. It also marked the midpoint of the war with the Japanese. -
The Battle of Leyte Gulf
After admirals Nimitz and MacArthur got word of the Japanese fleet being on the other side of the Philippines. US troops lured the Japanese fleets into Leyte gulf where their battleships and destroyers would only move single file, and opened fire on them. This ends up being the largest navel battle in history. This battle was also the first time kamikaze pilots appeared. During the fighting in the Philippines, the US almost destroys their whole navy. -
The Battle of Leyte Gulf (Importance)
The battle of Leyte Gulf and the fighting in the Philippines in general almost destroyed the Japanese navy completely. The Japanese wouldn't be able to move anything from the south eastern islands to the main islands. This battle was a point where the war in the pacific was almost done, and where the US could invade the Philippines. MacArthur's "I will be back" comment was now obtainable. -
Iwo Jima
The island of Iwo Jima was off the coast of Japan and with it's 3 airfields it would be a the perfect place to stage an invasion of the Japanese mainland. The invading marines were met with unexpected struggles as they landed in Iwo Jima, the steep dunes of volcanic ash made it incredibly difficult to move vehicles across the beach. Japanese artillery placed on a nearby mountain made the invasion much harder. The marines did capture Iwo Jima and they did raise a flag to celebrate their victory. -
Iwo Jima (Importance)
The invasion and taking of Iwo Jima was incredibly pivotal if the US was going to invade Japan. The capturing of the island was also incredibly important because the US was still moving towards the Japanese mainland with almost no problem. With the island hopping campaign being as much of a success as it was, the Japanese had to surrender at some point, the US just didn't know how much more fighting after this battle they would have to do. -
The Yalta Conference
The big 3 attend this conference in the Soviet Union to discuss Germany unconditional surrender and the end of the war and what will be done with the former Nazi land. Slain demanded control of Poland and much of eastern Europe. FDR and Churchill wanted free elections for Russian controlled areas. The Yalta conference was also a sign that the positive relationship with the soviets would be kept after the war. The Big 3 agreed to meet again after Germany's unconditional surrender to discuss more. -
The Yalta Conference (Importance)
The Yalta conference was help to decide what should be done with the countries that were under Nazi control. Stalin got Poland and some of eastern Europe, he said that he would give the countries he took over democratic elections. This was a lie and most of that land just became under Stalin's control. -
Battle of Okinawa (Importance)
The fall of Okinawa meant that the US could use airfields to invade the Japanese mainland. Hacksaw ridge was one of the most important events in Okinawa and made the American endeavor of taking the island much harder. The Japanese thought Americans didn't take prisoners and would execute them on the spot if they surrendered so the Japanese that were left committed suicide. Wanting to end the war swiftly the US was looking for another way to end the War, leading to the Atomic bombs. -
Battle of Okinawa
The battle of Okinawa was the last major battle of WWII and certainly one of the bloodiest. Okinawa was one of the last that was taken before the end of the war. Japanese command knew if Okinawa fell, Japan would too so this battle was their last stand. little resistance was felt as the American troops were led up the beaches. Hacksaw ridge was located atop a 400 foot vertical cliff and on the top was hunkered down Japanese troops. The Us troops did eventually take the ridge. -
Hitler Suicide and German Surrender
After the battle of the bulge and the German retreat, Soviet troops were moving forwards to Hitlers position. To avoid capture he took a cyanide pill and shot himself. After he was dead, his loyal guards burned him. After the death of Hitler, German troops start to surrender. -
Hitler Suicide and German Surrender (Importance)
With Hitlers suicide the leader of the Nazi party had been killed. With his death went his empire. after his death almost all German troops surrendered to the allies. This war was almost over the only problem left was Tojo in the pacific and the massive destruction that has come to Europe. Many new maps needed to be created to show the new boundaries of the former Nazi controlled countries. V.E. day in Europe was the celebration after Germany agrees to an unconditional surrender. -
Hiroshima and Nagasaki
After the Manhattan project was completed with tests the US gave Japan an ultimatum, "Unconditional surrender or face prompt and utter destruction." Japan ignores it. The US knew that the only way to get an unconditional surrender out of the Japanese would be a direct attack so on August 6th "Little Boy" is dropped on Hiroshima killing 68,000 and another 118,000 after the blast. August 9th "Fat Boy" is dropped on Nagasaki killing 35,000 people and thousands more after the explosion. -
Hiroshima and Nagasaki (Importance)
The US knew that the unconditional surrender of Japan was only going to be a reality if they invaded Japan. They came up with a different idea and in early August 2 atomic bombs are dropped on Japan. The massive casualties were incredibly scary for the Japanese and the idea that America had more of this same power was too much for japan and they surrendered. -
Japanese Surrender
After the massive damage caused by the atomic bombs dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima Japan's fear of another atomic attack although impossible because the US only had 2 bombs, lingered and caused their surrender in mid August. The idea of the atomic bombs dropping on Japan was in place of the idea of an all out invasion which would be incredibly costly for US troops, and it worked perfectly causing the Japanese surrender. -
Japanese Surrender (Importance)
The final surrender of the Japanese was incredibly important, showing that the US wouldn't have to invade Japan and run the risk of loosing more soldiers. The victory in the Pacific meant that WWII was finally over and the atomic age was upon us. With this being the end of WWII Europe was destroyed and would need massive rebuilding, The USA and USSR become new world powers, and the cold war between the two new powers begins.
