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Japanese invasion of China
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a major war fought between China and Japan before and during World War II. The invasion was condemned and declared illegal by the League of Nations but, as with the Italian occupation of Ethiopia from 1935, it was not able to enforce any sanctions. From 1937 to 1941, China fought alone. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the Second Sino-Japanese War merged into the greater conflict of World War II. -
Germany's invasion of Poland
On this day 1.5 million Germans invaded the country of Poland.To Hitler, the invasion of Poland would bring living space for the German people. According to his plan, the Germans would colonize the territory and the Polish would be enslaved. German expansion had begun in 1938 with they took over of Austria and then continued with Sudetenland and then all of Czechoslovakia in 1939. Both had been accomplished without acquiring hostilities with the major powers, and Hitler hoped that his invasion o -
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa launched on June 22, 1941. It was the codename for the German invasion of the Soviet Union. Barbarossa was the crucial turning point in World War II. The Germans struggled attack Moscow where Soviet counterattacks stopped them in early December. In desperate conditions, they made a slow retreat as Soviet attacks threatened a defeat. Its failure forced Nazi Germany to fight a two-front war against a coalition. They made the mistake of coming as conquerors, not as liberators. -
Pearl harbor
On December 7, 1941 the Japanese launched a surprise attack on the US Naval Base Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, using bombers, torpedo bombers and midget submarines. On December 8, President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered a speech, also known as the “Infamy Speech” to the American citizens, informing them that this happened while the US was in the midst of talks to keep peace. That same day, America entered into World War II. -
Battle of Midway
Six months after Pearl Harbor. During the four day sea and air battle, the outnumbered U.S. Fleet succeeded in destroying four Japanese aircraft carriers while losing only one of its own, the Yorktown, to the previously invincible Japanese navy. This was one victory that would help the U.S. for the rest of the world war. -
Operation Torch
Operation Torch was the Allied invasion of French North Africa in November 1942. The Allies planned to invade Morocco and Algeria. Both these countries were under the nominal rule of Vichy France and was seen by the Allies to be in collaboration with Nazi Germany. In result, the Afrika Korps was in retreat. Eventually surrendering in late December. -
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge, called this because of the “bulge” created by the German forces around the area of the Ardennes forest being pushed through the American defensive line.The Germans threw 250,000 soldiers into the initial assault, against a mere 80,000 Americans. Their assault came in early morning at the weakest part of the American line, an 80-mile poorly protected stretch of hilly, woody forest. Between the vulnerability of the thin, isolated American units and the thick fog that prev -
Battle of Okinawa
The last and biggest Pacific island battles of World War II, the Okinawa Battle involved 287,000 U.S. troops and 130,000 Japanese soldiers. At stake were air bases vital to the defence of Japan invasion. By the end of the 82-day, Japan had lost more than 77,000 soldiers and the Allies had suffered more than 65,000 casualties. -
VE Day
VE Day is the day Great Britain and the United States celebrate “Victory in Europe day”. The day was May 8, 1945 that Europe beat Germany.The nazis were finally defeated. Soviet forces had finally defeated the Germans with a final cease fire. -
VJ Day
VJ Day is August 15, 1945. VJ Day stands for “Victory over Japan day”. This is the day that Japan surrendered to the allies. The United States continued to drop atomic bombs until they agreed to peace.
