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The Japanese Invasion of China
Japan invaded mainland China in 1937 because it needed raw materials and resources. It was secretly planning to bomb the U.S. island base at Pearl Harbor. China had iron ore, rubber, and oil resources and Japan knew their military was weak and their country would be vulnerable due to civil unrest. Source -
Ribbentrop-/Molotov Pact
Official nonaggression treaty between Germany and the Soviet Union signed in Moscow. The pact remained in effect until Germany attacked the Soviet Union in 1941. The pact also contained a secret agreement between the two countries as to how they would divide up Eastern Europe. Source -
Germany's Invasion of Poland
Germany signed a nonaggression pact with the Soviet Union in the summer of 1939. The pact allowed Germany to invade Poland without fear of Soviet interference. Germany defeated the polish within weeks of the invasion when Warsaw surrendered to Germany on September 27, 1939 after Germany heavily bombed Warsaw. The invasion caused Britain and France to declare war on Germany on September 3, 1939. Source -
German Blitzkrieg
German term for "lightning war." It's a military tactic designed to create disfunction among enemy forces using mobile forces and locally concreted firepower. If successful, it results in short military campaigns, preserving human lives and limits expenditure of artillery. First tried in invasion of Poland (1939) before successfully using the tactic with invasions of: Belgium, the Netherlands, and France, in 1940. Source -
Operation Barbarossa
Code name for the German invasion of the Soviet Union during WWII. The invasion was driven by Hitler's desire to conquer the Soviet Union as outlined in his "Mein Kampf". The invasion was a failure and a major turning point, as it opened up the Eastern Front. Source -
Pearl Harbor
Surprise military strike by Japan against the United States Naval Base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The attack led to the U.S. joining the fight in World War II, which is ironic because the attack was supposed to be a preventative measure to keep the U.S. from interfering with military actions in Japan and Southeast Asia. Source -
Wannsee Confrence
A meeting for senior officials of Nazi Germany that took place in Berlin. The purpose of the meeting was to ensure the cooperation of multiple departments in the government as they begun the "final solution". Source -
Bataan Death March
After the U.S. surrender to Japan during WWII on the island of Luzon in the Philippines, approximately 75,000 Filipino and American troops on Bataan were forced to make a 65-mile march to prison camps. Source -
Battle of Midway
A decisive naval battle in the Pacific Theater. U.S. naval fleets attacked the imperial Japanese navy inflicting damage to the Japanese fleet that proved irreparable. Source -
Battle of Stalingrad
A major WWII battle where the Nazi's fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad (which is now known as Volgograd) in Southern Russia. German forces never was able to replace the losses from the failed attack, forcing them to withdraw forces from the West to recover. Source -
Operation Gomorrah
British bombers attack Hamburg, Germany, at night while Americans bomb it day by day. It was retaliation to Germany's bombings of Britain, resulting in the death of 167 civilians. 2,300 tons of bombs were dropped on Germany in just a few hours. More than 1,500 German civilians were killed in just the first attack. Source -
D-Day
An Allied invasion of Normandy and also the largest seaborne invasion in history. 24,000 American, British, and Canadian airborne troops were dropped that same day at midnight. As a result of the invasion, the Allies established five beachheads in Normandy Source -
Operation Thunderclap
Operation Thunderclap was the code name for a cancelled plan. The plan envisioned a massive attack on Berlin that is believed would've caused 220,000 casualties. The plan was never implemented because it was deemed to end up a failure. Source -
Battle of the Bulge
A major German offensive campaign launched across Europe toward the end of World War II. The surprise attack caught the Allies completely off guard. Germany as a result lost a lot of their forces on the western front, that were unable to be replaced. The initial attack included 406,000 men, 1,214 tanks, and 4,224 artillery pieces. It was the bloodiest battle for the United States in World War II. Source -
Battle of Iwo Jima
A major battle where U.S. marines landed on and captured the island of Iwo Jima from Japan. Despite the bloody conflict and mass casualties on both sides, it was clear the Japanese would be defeated by the Americans overwhelming superiority in arms, numbers, and control of air power - coupled with impossibility of Japanese retreat or reinforcement. Source -
Battle of Okinawa
An 82-day long battle on the island of Okinawa in the Ryukyu Islands. The Allies were hoping to use Okinawa as a base for air operations for a planned attack on Japan's mainland. The Allies suffered 14,009 deaths in the battle, but it was still a successful victory for the Allies. Source -
VE Day
Abbreviation for Victory in Europe Day. A holiday celebrated to mark the formal acceptance by the Allies of the Nazi's surrender. Only celebrated by European countries. Source -
Potsdam Declaration
A statement calling for the surrender of all Japanese forces in WII. Issued by the U.S., UK, and China, as outlined at the Potsdam Conference. It was also stated that if Japan did not surrender, certain and prompt doom would come. Source -
Dropping of the atomic bombs
The U.S. dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, becoming the only country and history to actually use nuclear warfare during wartime. Believed to have marked the end of WWII, but the beginning of the Cold War. Source -
VJ Day
Abbreviation for Victory over Japan Day, celebrated as the day Japan surrendered in WWII. It is celebrated on three different days depending on what country you're in (August 15 for UK, September 2 for U.S., and September 3 for China). Japan's formal surrender took place in Tokyo Bay, Japan, on board the USS Missouri. Source
