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Nazi Invasion of Poland
On September 1, 1938 over 1.5 million German troops invaded Poland. Hitler wanted to invade Poland for "living space" for the Germans. The Germans were able to quickly take Poland because of a nonagression act with the USSR and France & Britain wanting to stay out. -
German Blitzkrieg
The Germans initiated what is called "lighting war" which was quick and powerful troop movements that threw the opposition off guard by an overwhelming force. This tactic allowed Germany to take much of central Europe. -
Operation Barbarossa
Hitler launched an army of 3 million to invade the USSR because he wanted to remove the threat. The invasion pushed two thirds of the way to Moscow but the weather halted the army. Soviet troops were able to push the Germans back. This was a crucial point in the war because it meant the Germans would have to fight on two fronts. -
Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl harbor came as a surprise to the Americans. The attack was intended to get rid of the American fleet, however the Japanese were not able to take out the US carriers. This attack pushed the United States into the war. -
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
On this day several hundred resistance fighters in Warsaw acted out as an uprising killing hundreds of German soldiers and forcing the Germans to tighten control. This also inspired many other uprisings. -
Allied Invasion of Italy
Allies invaded Italy as the beginning of the invasion of Europe. The Allies met little opposition in Italy as most people did not want to be apart of the Facist state. -
D-Day Invasion of France
D-DAy was the start of the Battle of Normandy, which lasted from June 1944 to August 1944. Over 150,000 Allied troops landed on the beaches of France's northern coast. While the Allies faced a massive challenge, their victory is much attributed to what is called the beginning of the end of the war in Europe. -
Battle of the Buldge
The Battle of the Buldge was Hitler's last attempt to split the Allied forces in a dsperate push. While his tactic did work for a while, German supplies were running very low and the Americans kept pushing forward without end. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima was neccessary for the US to gain a tactical position for landing bombers coming back from Japan. While the island was defended with over 20,000 Japanese troops, the marines were able to push in and capture it after a month. -
Victory in Europe Day
On May 8th 1945 much of the German forces laid down arms in Europe because defeat seemed inevitable. Many POWs were released and over a million Germans captured to surrender by the USSR. -
Atomic Bomb Dropped on Hiroshime
On this day the United States was attempting to end the war early in the Pacific by threatening to annihilate the Japanese. As a show of force the first atomic bomb ever used in war was dropped on Hiroshima killing over 80,000 people instantly. -
Atomic Bomb Dropped on Nagasaki
The US was attempting to deal more damage and ensure a Japanese surrender. This bomb killed around 40,000 more people and forced the Japanese to surrender fearing more. -
Victory over Japan Day
In the US, September 2nd is recognized as Victory over Japan day which was the official ceremony of surrender by Japan on the USS Missouri.
