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European Theater
Event: Germany invades Poland
When: September 1, 1939
Who: Germany
What: Germany invades Poland and this last’s for a little over a month.
Where: Poland
Why was this significant: ended with Germany and the Soviet Union dividing and annexing Poland. -
European Theater
Event: Germany declares war on the United States
When: December 11, 1941
Who: Germany and the United States
What: Germany declares publicly that they were in war with the United States
Where: Germany and the United States
Why this was significant: this was a big starting point of the war. -
Pacific Theater
Event: Doolittle's Raid
Victor: United States
Important Facts: First US air raid to strike Japanese Home Islands- Retaliation of Pearl Harbor
Plan: bomb military targets in Japan and continue westward to land in China
Effects: caused damage to Japan, increased America's confidence, and created doubt in Japan on the ability of Japanese military leaders -
Pacific Theater
Event: Battle of Coral Sea
Date: May 4, 1942 - May 8, 1942
Victor: - Japanese tactile victory- Allied strategic victory Important Facts:- First time aircraft carriers engaged each other- Ships did not fire directly at each other- first Japanese failure in Operation MO- Battle stopped Japanese invasion of Port Moresby- Battle occurred to keep Japan away from Australia -
Pacific Theater
Event: Battle of Midway
Date: June 4, 1942 - June 7, 1942
Victor: United States
Important Facts:- Destroyed Japan's naval strength
- US regained control of the Pacific
-Turning point of the war -
European Theater
Event: Battle of El Alamein
When: summer 1942
Who: WWII commanders and montgomery
What: allies had victory and this led to the retreat of the Afrika Korps and the German surrender.
Where: Egypt
Why was this significant: lead to the German surrender in May of 1943 -
European Theater
Event: Battle of Stalingrad
When: August 23, 1942
Who: Soviet union, Germany
What: this was one of the Major battles of WWII Germany was fighting the Soviet Union for control of the city.
Where: Russia
Why this was significant: it ended Germany’s Eastern campaign and it was also the bloodiest battle. -
Pacific Theater
Event: Battle of Guadalcanal
Date: November 12, 1942 - November 15 1942
Victor: United States
Important Facts:- Naval battle between US and Japan- US Navy's only two admirals were killed - Japanese warship forces had the goal of destroying Allied aircraft that posed a threat to the convoy, transporting troops and equipment- In return, US forces launched aircraft and warship attacks to defend Henderson Field, the area Japanese were planning to destoy- Both sides lost numerous warships -
European Theater
Event: D-Day invasion
When: June 6, 1944
Who: Allies and Europe
What: This was a surprise attack because Germany believed that the attack was going to happen in Calais but it really was in Normandy
Where: Normandy Germany
Why was this significant: this was significant because Germany was defeated. -
Pacific Theater
Event: Battle of Saipan
Date: June 15, 1944 - July 9, 1944
Victor: United States
Important Facts: US goal: gaining a crucial air base to launch bombs at Japan; US had 3,000 deaths and 13,000 wounded, while Japan had 27,000 lost; General Hideki Tojo, Japan's militaristic prime minister, had promised that the US would never take Saipan. He was forced to resign a week after the U.S. conquest of the island; One of the bloodiest battles of the war -
European Theater
Event: Battle of the Bulge
When: December 16, 1944
Who: Germany, United States
What: this battle was a major German offence and was toward the end of the War.
Where: Belgium
Why was this significant: the allies won this battle -
European Theater
Event: Yalta conference
When: Feb. 4-11 1945
Who: President Franklin D. Roosevelt of the United States, Prime minister Winston Churchill of Great Britain, Premier Joseph Stalin of the Soviet Union.
What: dealing with the fate of Europe, Japan, and the borders of Poland, also the partitioning of Germany and Berlin.
Where: Yalta in Crimea
Why this was significant: this conference created the United Nations. -
Pacific Theater
Event: Battle of Iwo Jima
Date: February 19, 1945 - March 26, 1945
Victor: United States
Important Facts: - Fiercest fighting in WWII- First US attack on Japan's home islands- Because of the distance between mainland Japan and U.S. bases in the Mariana Islands, it was necessary to capture Iwo Jima to provide an emergency landing strip for crippled B-29s returning from bombing runs- After capturing Iwo Jima, US was able to conduct more air attacks, helping them in the war -
Pacific Theater
U.S. Marines reach top of Mount Suribachi. Patrol raises small flag at 10:20 a.m. Later, a larger flag is brought in and raised; famous photograph taken by Joe Rosenthal. -
Pacific Theater
Event: Battle of Okinawa
Date: April 1, 1945 - June 21, 1945
Victor: Allied victory
Important Facts:- The battle resulted in the highest number of casualties in the Pacific Theater - Japan surrendered - Eighty-day battle that ended island hopping campaign- Atomic bombs were used in this battle to avoid losing many Americen lives -
European Theater
Event: Battle of Britain
When: April 20, 1945
Who: Soviet Union, Germany, Berlin
What: the Soviet Union attacked mostly from the west and south, but Germany came in from the North.
Where: Berlin
Why was this significant: Bloodiest battle in history. -
European Theater
Event: Hitler commits suicide
When: April 30,1945
Who: Adolf Hitler
What: Hitler killed himself by gunshot
Where: Berlin
Why was this significant: the war was soon over. -
European Theater
Event: Germany surrenders (VE day)When: May 7, 1945
Who: Germany and the United States
What: German troops slowly started surrendering but Eisenhower wanted a formal surrender, so on May 7, 1945 he got it.
Where: Germany, Europe and the United States.
Why was this significant: this ment that the War in Europe was over. -
Pacific Theater
Event: Atomic bomb is dropped on Hiroshima.
The U.S. wanted to show off the bomb that we had & prove to the Japs thata we're serious & not afraid to show off what we have. -
Pacific Theater
Formal Japanese surrender ceremony on board the USS Missouri