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15 Significant Events of World War 2
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Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht was an event that occured against Jews in parts of Europe. About 30,000 Jews were moved to concentration camps, and over 1,500 synagogues were partly destroyed. Also, almost all Jewish cemeteries in Germany and Austria were destroyed. This event is significant because it marked the change from discriminating against Jews to actively deporting and eventually, exterminating them. -
Munich Pact
The Munich Pact was when British and French prime ministers agreed for Hitler to take over parts of Czechoslovakia. After Germany invaded the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia, the British and French prime ministers tried to get Hitler to agree not to use his military in the future. Hitler agreed to sign a promise. This event is significant because it showed how the negotiation and appeasement failed. It led to Hitler eventually invading the rest of Czechoslovakia. -
Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact
The Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact was an agreement between Germany and the Soviet Union in which the two countries agreed to take no military action against each other for the next 10 years. This event was significant because Britain and France had been trying to arrange a pact with the Soviet Union but were unsuccessful. It also showed how Germany now had another very powerful ally. -
Battle of the Atlantic
During WW2, both the Allies and the Axis powers fought for control of the Atlantic Ocean. The Allies wanted to use the Atlantic to resupply Great Britain and the Soviet Union in their fight against Germany and Italy. The Axis Powers wanted to stop them. This event is significant because it kept Britain supplied and helped to keep the Germans from taking over all of Western Europe. It was the longest continuous military campaign in WW2. -
Miracle at Dunkirk
The Dunkirk evacuation (or the Miracle at Dunkirk) was a mission to rescue Allied soldiers from the beaches of Dunkirk France. Over 300,000 Allied soldiers were trapped in Dunkirk by the German army after the Battle of Dunkirk. Boats were sent to pick up the soldiers who were stranded. This event is very significant since within the 300,000 Allied soldiers who were saved, many of them would fight during D-Day which would eventually lead to Germany's loss of the war. -
The Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain was an air Battle which was the final defense of Britain over Germany after Hitler had conquered most of Europe. The only major country left to fight them was Great Britain. Germany wanted to invade Great Britain, but first they needed to destroy their Royal Air Force. The Battle of Britain was significant because it was the first major campaign to be fought entirely by air forces and marked the first defeat of Hitler's military forces. -
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the name given to Nazi Germany’s invasion of Russia. -
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor occurred when Japanese airplanes made a surprise attack on the US Navy in Pearl Harbor. Hundreds of Japanese fighter planes and bombers flew and attacked. The bombers dropped bombs and torpedoes on the war ships, while the fighter planes attacked the US fighter planes on the ground so they could not take off and fight back. The attack on Pearl Harbor was significant because it made the US enter WW2. -
Invasion of Hong Kong
The invasion of Hong Kong was an infantry battle and was one of the first battles of the Pacific War during WW2. On the same morning as the attack on Pearl Harbor, forces of Japan attacked Hong Kong. This event was significant since Canadian soldiers were sent to defend Hong Kong. It showed their bravery and their dedication to serve for the army. Another reason this battle is significant is because it was one of the first battles of the Pacific War. -
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway was a naval battle in which the United States destroyed Japan’s first-line carrier strength and most of its best trained naval pilots. The Battle of Midway is significant since it was the turning point of the war in the Pacific between the United States and Japan. -
Dieppe Raid
The Dieppe Raid was an Allied infantry attack on the German-occupied port of Dieppe during the Second World War. The raid took place on the northern coast of France. This event is significant because it trained Allied soldiers on how to attack fortified German defenses. They would need this knowledge for the Normandy landing in 1944. -
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was a major infantry battle during WW2 in which Nazi Germany fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad. It was one of the most important battles of the war because it marked the end of Germany's advances. Hitler even blamed his defeat partly on Stalingrad. This battle also showed how brutal war could be. -
D-Day
D-Day was the Allied invasion of Normandy. It included Allied infantry forces (Britain, Canada, and America) attacking German forces on the coast of Normandy, France with the biggest amphibious assault in history. There were also soldiers who went behind enemy lines to support the main invasion force landing on the beach. This event was very significant because it marked the start of liberating the mainland Europe from German occupation. -
Victory in Europe Day
V-E Day was a public holiday that celebrated the end of WW2 in Europe. By now, Germany had surrendered and Hitler had committed suicide. This event is significant because it ended the killing of Jews by Hitler and the Nazis and in all, ended WW2 in Europe. It also gave many Allies a great moral victory to standing up against Hitler and finally defeating him. -
Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima
The atomic bombing of Hiroshima was a nuclear attack on Japan during WW2. The Allies were fighting against Japan and slowly winning but Japan was not surrendering. This event is significant because this bomb (and the one dropped on Nagasaki) was intended to cause Japan to surrender to the Allied forces and to end WW2. Some people say that this bombing saved more lives since the Allies may have had to invade Japan which would have cost a lot more lives.
