-
Japanese Invasion of China
The Japanese invasion of China was a very important factor in World War II. The invasion in 1937 began because Japan needed natural resources to continue to expand their empire and China was very rich in natural resources. The invasion started the Sino-Japanese War which resulted in the brutal mistreatment of Chinese prisoners of war. This mistreatment is one of the many factors that led to the United States' urgency to join WWII.
http://www.history.co.uk/study-topics/history-of-ww2/sino-japan -
German Blitzkrieg
Blitzkrieg or "lightning warfare" is a German tactic used in World War II. It consists of multiple waves of tanks and soldiers: The tanks break the City's defences and the soldiers follow behind and capture it. The Nazis used blitzkrieg to take territories because it was extremely efficient. The tactic allowed Germany to quickly invade countries like Poland, France, and Belgium with little trouble.
http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/blitzkrieg -
Fall of Paris
On May 20, 1940, Paris fell to the Nazis. Hitler sent his troops through the Ardennes Forest, a place overlooked defensively, as it was very difficult to traverse. Hitler went this way because the other plan of attack across the Maginot line would be met with very strong defences. The Fall of Paris or Fall of France gave Hitler a very strong foothold in Europe and resulted in Italy's entry into the Union.
http://www.history.co.uk/study-topics/history-of-ww2/fall-of-france -
Pearl Harbor
On December 7, 1941, Japanese fighter and Kamikaze pilots barraged Pearl Harbor. Hawaii which was a very important american naval vase. The devastating barrage resulted in the destruction of nearly 20 american battleships over 3000 casualties. Japan planned to weaken the US navy, as they predicted that the United States would be a large obstacle in the future. The attack caused the US to join the war and also resulted in the dropping of the atomic bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
http://www.his -
Wansee Conference
The Wansee Conference was a meeting of Nazi officials in Berlin. The meeting was convened to determine the solution of the "Jew problem" in Europe. The meeting resulted in the decision to exterminate all Jews across Europe.
http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/holocaust/h-wannsee.htm -
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway was an important naval battle in World War II between the US and Japan. The Japanese had planned to destroy the United States' aircraft carriers that avoided Pearl Harbor, but the US predicted their attack and countered it. The American victory not only weakened Japan but also put the US in an offensive position in the Pacific.
http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-midway -
Allied Invasion of Italy
In September of 1943, the British 8th Army and the US 7th army took Sicily, which led to the overthrow of Benito Mussolini in Rome. On September 3, the Allies invade d the mainland with Italians who helped expell the Germans from Italy as per the terms of their new alliance. The invasion led to the new Italian government's declaration of war on Germany.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/allies-invade-italian-mainland -
D-Day
D-Day marks the first day of the Allied invasion of Normandy where approximately 156,000 American, British, and Canadian forces landed on the heavily fortified French coast. The goal of the invasion was to liberate northern France, which was ultimately a success. The invasion of marked the beginning of the end of the war in Europe, as it led to the liberation of all of France.
http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/d-day -
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a massive offensive campaign by the Nazis through the Ardennes Forest. When they met, the allies formed up in a large "Bulge" and fended the Germans off. The goal of the attack was to split the Allied army in two. The battle was very deadly, as it resulted in over 10,000 US casualties.
http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-the-bulge -
Liberation of Concentration Camps
The first being the Soviets, as the Allied troops invaded Germany, they found and liberated concentration camps where Jews, POWs, and many others were being held and killed. The liberation resulted in the freeing of the prisoners, but many died soon after; their internal systems and organs were too far gone. However, many lived full lives afterward.
http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/mobile/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005131 -
Battle of Iwo Jima
After preparatory naval and air attacks, 3 divisions of US marines landed on Iwo Jima. The battle was fought against approximately 23,000 Japanese troops. The Japanese defended the important naval island without remorse through an advanced network of caves and tunnel, but were eventually overcome. The US sought to take Iwo Jima for its airstrips that were in close proximity to the Japanese mainland. For the same reason, the Japanese refused to surrender and fought relentlessly. The invasion resu -
VE Day
Victory in Europe Day is the national holiday celebrated to mark the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany at the end of WWII. The war in Europe ended with the sieege of Berlin, where Adolf Hitler killed himself. The end of the war resulted in many years of reconstruction in Europe and economic prosperity in the US.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/victory-in-europe -
Postdam Declaration
The Postdam Declaration is the set of terms for the unconditional surrender of Japan which was accepted just after the bombing of Nagasaki. The Declaration was created to end the war in the Pacific. It resulted in the unconditional surrender of Japan and the end of WWII in the Pacific.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/japan-accepts-potsdam-terms-agrees-to-unconditional-surrender -
Dropping of the Atomic Bombs
On August 6 and August 9, the US dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Harry Truman ordered the bombings in an effort to save American lives, as high casualties would ensue if ground troops were forced to take Tokyo and order Japan's unconditional surrender. The bombings led to the acceptance of the Postdam Declaration and the end of the war with Japan.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/atomic-bomb-dropped-on-hiroshima -
VJ Day
VJ Day marks the end of the war in the Pacific against Japan where the Japanese unconditionally surrendered to the Allies. VJ day marks the final end of World War II.
http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/v-j-day
