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Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact
The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact was a peace agreement signed by the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. Both Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union agreed not to use military forces against each other for the next 10 years. Later, Adolf Hitler used this as a way to invade Poland without being attacked by the Soviet Union. This pact was broken in 1941 when the Nazis invaded the Soviet Union. (Src: History; Img src: Photographer unknown, received from Wikipedia) -
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German Blitzkrieg
Blitzkrieg, meaning lightning war, was a military strategy developed by Germany in which they would attempt to take out their enemies swiftly and effectively. Germany used it so that they wouldn't be dragged into a long war. This strategy proved effective. (World War II, BBC) -
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Fall of Paris
On June 5th, 1940, Nazi Germany launched an attack on France. The German army sought to destroy any and all French troops. By the 25th, they had occupied Paris and forced a surrender out of France. (Src: Britannica) -
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for a German invasion of the Soviet Union. It was originally planned to take place in May, but it was postponed due to invasions in Yugoslavia and Greece. This operation failed, and the German forces were defeated. (Src: Britannica; Img src: Britannica) -
Bombing of Pearl Harbor
In 1941, Japanese forces bombed the U.S. naval base Pearl Harbor, located in Hawaii. Japan planned this in hopes of temporarily incapacitating the U.S.'s army, so that they may continue their war efforts in Asia without influence from the U.S.. This, however, only incited the U.S.. The bombing of Pearl Harbor led to the U.S. joining WWII on the allied side. (Img source: Encyclopedia Britannica) -
Wannsee Conference
At the Wannsee Conference, many German political and military leaders joined together to plan the enactment of "The Final Solution", a scheme to exterminate the European Jewish population. Many Jewish people were to be selected and forced to work, with others who were deemed unable to work being sent to camps. (Src: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum; Img src: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum) -
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Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
The Warsaw ghetto was the largest Jewish-populated ghetto within Europe. From April 19 to May 16, 1943, the Jewish people of Warsaw fought against German forces. Though many Jewish people were killed and the uprising was deemed a loss, it remains one of the most important uprisings in Jewish history and inspired many other uprisings during the Holocaust. (Src: USHMMM) -
D-Day/Normandy Invasion
The Battle of Normandy or the Normandy Invasion was a battle that lasted from June 1944 to August 1944. It was a huge allied win which freed Western Europe from the control of Nazi Germany. The start of this battle was called D-Day, and is considered to be the beginning of the end for Nazi Germany. (Src: History.com; Img src: The National WWII Museum) -
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge is nicknamed "the greatest American battle of the war" by Winston Churchill. It was Hitler's last effort against the Western Front, and is known as the bloodiest battle of WWII in which the United States participated in. This battle weakened Nazi Germany greatly, and was an important turning point for the Allied Forces. (Src: History.com, Encyclopedia Brittanica; Img src: Getty Images) -
Liberation of Concentration Camps
Following the end of the war, more efforts to liberate Nazi concentration camps began. Some concentration camps had already liberated prior to Nazi Germany's surrender, such as Majdanek, which was liberated in 1944. The liberation of these concentration camps did not spell the end of the suffering for Jewish families. Many Jewish individuals were not put to rest properly, sickness and disease tormented survivors, and antisemitism is still rampant today. (Src: USHMM; Img src: Dov Forman) -
Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima was a battle between the United States and Japan. Iwo Jima was an island owned by the Japanese Empire, and the United States pushed an attack on it due to its proximity to mainland Japan and potential to be a staging facility for an invasion. The U.S. Marines struggled greatly, with Japanese forces sweeping them initially. However, they managed to seize part of an airfield in Iwo Jima, the original purpose of the mission. (Src: History.com; Img src: Bob Campbell) -
Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa was part of the U.S. Operation Iceberg, which aimed to occupy the Ryukyu islands. Okinawa was included in this chain of islands, and the Battle of Okinawa is considered the final major battle of WWII. The battle ended in a victory for the U.S., but both sides suffered many casualties. (Src: History.com; Img src: Wikipedia) -
VE Day
Victory in Europe Day is celebrated in both the United States and Europe as the day Nazi Germany surrendered WWII. Some fighting continued through to the next day in Silesia, a region with most of its land being in Poland. In Moscow, VE day is celebrated one day after our VE day because of this. (Src: History.com; Img src: Tom Fitzsimmons) -
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Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Even after Germany surrendered in WWII, Japan armies continued to fight in the Pacific, even though they were almost guaranteed to lose. So, the United States formulated a plan to drop an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. Even after the bombing in Hiroshima, the Japanese army refused to surrender, and another bomb was dropped onto the city of Nagasaki. The second bomb was larger and more powerful than the first. To this day, residents of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are still effected by radiation. -
VJ day
VJ (Victory in Japan) day is the day that Japan surrendered WWII. After the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japanese emperor Hirohito commented that if the fighting did not cease, humanity would collapse. The date that Japan surrendered was actually the 15th of August in Japan due to the difference in time zones. (Src: History.com; Img src: Getty Images)