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First event of World War Two. Germany invaded Poland from the west with surprise attacks and rapid invasions. This caused Britain and France to declare war on Germany.
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Means "lightning war". It was the German tactic of invading with surprise, rapidly invading areas.
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The Japanese attacked the United States navy base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Known as the "day that will live in infamy", the attack killed more than 2,300 Americans and damaged 188 United States ships.
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Known as D-Day, the United States, along with the British and some French, invaded the beaches of Normandy with the largest amphibious attack to ever be conducted. There were 209,000 Allied casualties but they took the beaches successfully.
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Known as the Ardennes Counteroffensive, it was the last major push on the western front for the Germans. Second most casualties on the American side.
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American marines landed on and eventually captured the island of Iwo Jima. All but 200 of the 21,000 Japanese soldiers were killed in the fighting.
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Americans were island hopping, and planned to use the air base on Okinawa for Operation Downfall, the invasion of the Japanese mainland. Americans launched an amphibious attack and took Okinawa on June 22nd, 1945.
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Celebrated on May 8th, it marks the unconditional surrender of the German armed forces to the Allied forces.
