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Nuremberg Laws
The Nuremberg Laws achieved the Nazi party's goal of denying Jews German citizenship. These laws also prohibited Jews from marrying non-Jews, further demoralizing the people. These restrictions later included other types of people, such as Gypsies. Jews were required to wear the star of David on their sleeve to make it easier for the German police to recognize them. -
Germany Invades Poland
Hitler's invasion of Poland was his first true act of agression with the intent to expand the empire. This was in direct violation of his nonagression pact with Poland, and this also violated the Treaty of Versailles. Hitler, using his Blitzkrieg, quickly defeated the Polish army within a few weeks. Following this, he ordered the move of all Jews into ghettos, marking just the beginning of Hitler's plans for the genocide of Jews. -
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World War II
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France Falls
France fell 35 days after Germany initially invaded. The retreating French army fled South for their lives, leaving Paris an open city. To demoralize the French, Hitler forced the French to sign the armistice in the same train car where Germany signed their armistice ending WWI in order to gain vengeance for that loss. -
Battle of Britain
Named "Operation Sea Lion" by Hitler, this was Germany's attempt at an air invasion of Great Britain. This campaign included the bombing of important British cities, commercially, industrially, politically, etc. They targeted the Royal Air Force's bases in order to insure that they had no chance of attacking Germany. Winston Churchill, the current Prime Minister, gave speeches over the radio to maintain British morale and perseverance. Ultimately, the Germans' attempt failed. -
Pearl Harbor
The "date which will live in infamy", or the bombing of Pearl Harbor, was the reason for the U.S. entering the war. The Japanese planes caught Pearl Harbor by surprise one peaceful morning. 2,400 American lives were lost. Luckily, many of United States' aircraft carriers were out to sea that morning, or the death toll would have been higher. Four U.S. Navy battleships sunk and around 188 U.S. aircraft were destroyed as a result of this attack. -
Bataan Death March
After U.S. General Edward P. King surrendered to the Japanese, what became known as the Bataan Death March began. To the Japanese, surrender was an option worse than death, and they treated the prisoners of war accordingly. The men marched five days with little food or water in the jungle heat of the Philippine jungle. Those that fell, tried to get water, or tried to escape were shot. The death toll on this march was said to be between 7 and 10,000 men, but the Japanese kept no records. -
Tehran Conference
In Iran the "Big 3" (Roosevelt, Stalin, and Churchill) met to discuss the war. Tehran was a convenient location for Stalin. Stalin was intent on getting the U.S. and Great Britain to open a second, western front. Roosevelt conceded on this point to Stalin and, in turn, Stalin agreed to declare war on Japan soon, after Germany was defeated. -
D-Day
"D-Day" was the Allies' invasion of Normandy, a 50-mile stretch of beach on the French coastline. Certain beaches were more fortified than others, with a heavier death toll for the Americans. One such beach was Omaha, where the U.S. suffered around 2,400 casualties. General Eisenhower had actually planned for the mission to launch the day before, but poor weather pushed it back a day. -
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was the last time that Germany was on the offensive during a battle in World War II. Lasting a month, the Germans attempted to push the Allies advance backward. The Axis powers chose a day with significant cloudy weather in order to make it impossible for the Allies' pilots to contribute in this battle. The Allies held the key city of Bastogne, blocking the Germans from key roads. The Allies had around 19,000 casualties; this was one of the bloodiest battles of the war. -
Atomic Bombing of Nagasaki
Developed by the top-secret Manhattan Project, the United States were the first to use this technology for weapons of war. The bombing of both Hiroshima and Nagasaki were intended to find a quick end for the war because, according to military sources, an invasion of Japan would have costed around 1 million American lives. The typical Japanese soldier's mentality was to fight to the last man (surrender was not an option) prompted the use of the atomic bomb on civilians to save American lives.
