-
Battle of Britain (July 10, 1940-Oct 31, 1940)
Germany wanted to invade Great Britain and had to destroy their Royal Air Force. They chose to do this by bombing them to prepare for an invasion, but after a month, they changed their tactics and targeted citizens. This is important to the war because during the bombings (blitz), the air force shot down some German planes and it was clear that Britain would not be defeated as easily as they thought. In the end, Germany was unsuccessful. -
Operation Barbarossa (June 22, 1941- Dec. 5, 1941)
Hitler chose to attack the Soviet Union and sent German forces towards Leningrad, Moscow, and Ukraine. Hitler expected to win very quickly despite fighting a large army. Hitler underestimated the number of troops later on so he delayed his attack on Moscow and reinforce them on the south, but the harsh winters had a big impact on the troops. This was important because the Soviet forces counterattacked, putting the Germans onto the defense which in the end, led to Hitler's first defeat in war. -
Siege of Leningrad (Sep. 8, 1941, Jan. 27, 1944)
Leningrad was one of the main targets during Operation Barbarossa, so the Germans captured Shlisselburg and successfully cut off land access. This meant that all the supplies for Leningrad had to be transported across Lake Ladoga and the population began to suffer due to the lack of food and fuel. A railroad was built later on to relieve the city and on Jan. 27, Stalin declared an end to the siege. This is important because the siege was one of the longest and costliest in history. -
Battle of Coral Sea (May 4, 1942- May 8, 1942)
This battle was fought primarily between opposing aircraft and naval vessels. The Japanese wanted to seize control of the Coral Sea by establishing air bases at Port Moresby, but the Allies knew about this and alerted their air and sea power. The bombing went off and both sides each lost planes and ships. The Japanese lost so many planes that they had to turn back and it was a victory for the Allies. This was important to the war because it prevented Japan from seizing several important lands. -
Battle of Midway (Jun 4, 1942- June 7, 1942)
The Japanese hoped to destroy some U.S. aircraft carriers by making a secret plan. However, the American codebreakers intercepted some Japanese transmissions and knew about the plan. On June 4, Japan launched fighter planes and bombers to attack Midway, but at the same time 3 U.S. aircraft carriers were closing in on the Japanese. While they attacked Midway, the U.S. launched an attack destroying 4 aircraft carriers in the end. This is important because it was a turning point in the war. -
Battle of Stalingrad (July 17, 1942- Feb 2, 1943)
The German airforce, Luftwaffe, began to bomb the Volga River and then went to Stalingrad. The German army soon moved in and took a large portion of the city, but the Soviet troops did not give up and hid all over the city, attacking the Germans. In November, the Soviets counterattacked and trapped the Germans inside of Stalingrad. The Germans eventually surrendered due to lack of food and freezing from the harsh winter. This battle was also a turning point and one of the largest and deadliest. -
Battle of Guadalcanal (Aug 7, 1942- Feb 9, 1943)
The Marines landed on Guadalcanal and surprised the Japanese. They then took control of the airbase, but the Japanese did not give up and won a naval battle off of Savo Island and isolated the marines on the island. Over the next 6 months, the U.S. protected Guadalcanal while the Japanese would send in soldiers at night. The Japanese were forced to retreat when they launched a major attack, but couldn't advance which is important because it was the first time they lost ground in war. -
Operation Torch (Nov. 8, 1942- Nov. 10, 1942)
This operation was an Anglo-American invasion of French Morocco and Alergia. The purpose of it was to reduce pressure on Allied forces in Egypt. The Allies attacked North Africa and after they fought for many months, they forced the resistance to surrender. This operation was important to the war because it was the first time that the British and Americans worked together on an invasion. -
Operation Overlord (June 6, 1944- Aug. 25, 1944)
AKA D-Day: Allied forces attacked German forces on the coast of Normandy. Germany attempted to take over all of Europe, but the U.S. and Britain were able to slow them down by turning on the offensive. The Allies tried to confuse the Germans by dropping paratroopers behind the enemy lines and dummies were dropped in order to cause confusion. Bombing occurred later on and the Allied troops were able to begin pushing the Germans out of France. This operation was the beginning of the end of Hitler. -
Battle of the Bulge (Dec 16, 1944- Jan. 25, 1945)
Germany attacked and broke through the line, killing thousands of American troops. The Germans tried to confuse the American soldiers by dropping English speaking Germans behind the lines and told lies. Although the Americans were overwhelmed, they held their ground and attacked/harassed them as they tried to advance. The Allies were able to win because small groups of American troops dug in and waited for reinforcements. This is an important battle because it was the last major Nazi offense. -
Battle of Berlin (April 16, 1945- May 2, 1945)
The Soviets attacked along the Oder River near Berlin and they quickly defeated the German forces outside of Berlin. The Soviets then began to start bombing the city and moved in a way that would surround them. When the Soviets entered the city, the fighting was fierce and as the Soviets approached the center, Hitler admitted defeat and committed suicide because he realized he wasn't going to win. This is important because it was the last major battle of WWII and it was the end of Hitler's rule
