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The Nanking Massacre
This event destroyed the capital of Nationalist China. It killed hundreds of thousands of people both soldier and civilian and over 20,000 women were sexually assaulted by Japanese soldiers. -
The Fall of Paris
Germans enter Paris and begin an occupation of the city. Over 2 million fled and this mark the end of Americas support to the axis powers. -
Pearl Harbor
The Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7 1941 in order to cripple the US navy. The harbor was relatively undefended making it a perfect target. The attack killed 2,403 people and make the US declare war on Japan a day after the attack. -
D-Day
The largest amphibious assault in history 156,000 allied troops charged the beaches of Normandy in June of 1944. This marked the beginning of the end for the Germans as after the landing by august the battle was over and most of northern France was taken back from the Germans. -
Battle of the Bulge
One of the bloodiest battles of the war American troops fought the Germans in the Ardennes Mountains in order to stop them from splitting the allied forces. The battle gets its name from how the American lines looked like a bulge to the Germans. -
Liberation of Concentration Camps
Concentration camps were liberated in the final year of the war by Soviet and American troops. Auschwitz was liberated on January 27, 1945 by Soviet troops. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
This battle was started by US air bombing and then had Marine troops coming in to establish a base close to Japan. The Japanese used a large dugout system in the battle but American forces did over come this. After the battle American forces raised a flag that and this image would be memorialized later. -
VE day
This marks the day the German war machine was stopped and their forces started to surrender. -
The dropping of the 2 atomic bombs
The 2 atomic bombs dropped killed 120,000 people instantly and an estimated 80,000 later due to radiation. The bombs were used to end the war and also may have ignited the arms race with the Soviet Union. -
VJ Day
Japan officially surrenders on September second on the USS Missouri. This effectively meant that the war was over as Germany and Italy had already surrendered
