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Second Sino-Japanese War
The second Sino-Japanese war was a military conflict between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. It began when China launched a resistance against the expansion of Japanese influence in its territory. It is due to this conflict that Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, hoping to deter the United States from interfering with its affairs. Their plan backfired, as the bombing of Pearl Harbor was ultimately the reason the United States entered WW2, further expanding the scale of this massive war. -
Rape of Nanjing
The Rape of Nanjing, also called the Nanjing Massacre, was the mass killing of Chinese citizens and captured soldiers at the hands of the Japanese imperial army after it seized the capital city; Nanjing. It is significant due to the fact that the cruelty of Japanese soldiers toward Chinese civilians increased China's resolve to resist the invasion. China was on the side of the Allies in WW2 and fought alongside allied forces to help swing the tide of battle in favor of Allied forces. -
Appeasement
Appeasement is Britain's original policy of giving in to Hitler’s demands in hopes he would be satisfied with his gains and leave them alone, thus avoiding war. It is significant because it allowed Hitler’s power to go unchecked. Hitler kept testing to see if other countries would stop his advances but they didn't. While other countries grew weaker through appeasement, Hitler grew stronger, making the eventual war much more deadly and drawn out than it would've been had Hitler not been appeased. -
Munich Conference
The Munich Conference was an agreement between Germany, Great Britain, France, and Italy allowing Germany to annex Sudetenland. It was a turning point toward WW2 due to the fact that Britain and France gave in to Hitler’s demands. They tried to appease him, but he kept pushing. When he decided to invade Poland, Britain and France realized that appeasement was not going to work and that Hitler had to be stopped through force, and thus they declared war on Germany, marking the beginning of WW2. -
Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact
The Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact was an agreement between Germany and the Soviet Union stating that the two countries would not take military action against each other for ten years. It is important because it meant Germany could invade Poland with limited opposition. Germany could invade Poland without the pressure of fighting a two-front war. Soon after the pact was signed, Germany invaded Poland, which caused Britain and France to declare war on Germany, marking the beginning of WW2. -
Strategic Bombing
Strategic bombing is the military strategy used to destroy a country's morale by maintaining a continual bombing raid on their territory. The goal is that they will lose hope and surrender. It is significant because it was used by Germany on Britain. Germany bombed them for 56 days straight. It was unsuccessful in its goal, as Britain did not surrender. It is important because Britain maintained its sovereignty, and could continue to fight the Axis powers with the Allies, helping us win the war. -
Dunkirk
Dunkirk is a small coastal town in France that became the site of a massive operation to evacuate allied soldiers from France. It was successful, saving 338,000 British and French troops. It is significant because it boosted British morale, and rescued many soldiers from certain capture and/or death. Without these soldiers, Britain would most likely be forced to surrender. If the soldiers had not been successfully evacuated, WW2 would have ended right then, in favor of the Axis powers. -
Western Desert Campaign
The Western Desert Campaign (Desert War) took place in the deserts of Egypt and Libya. The allies were victorious when the Eighth Army drove axis forces out of Libya. The Desert War is significant because it followed the defeats of the British in Greece and Crete. The Allies needed the desert to be an avenue for forces to continue to push the Germans back. This avenue was central to the war effort, as without it the Allies would have been unable to continue their campaign against German Forces. -
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the codename for the German invasion of the Soviet Union. This event is important because German troops were unable to defeat soviet forces, and this turned the tide of the war when Soviet countering forces drove the Germans back. Operation Barbarossa marked the escalation of WW2 and opened up the eastern front. Germany broke the Nazi-Soviet non-agression pact in doing this, thus bringing Russia into WW2 on the side of the Allies. -
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway was an air-sea battle in the Pacific Theater of WW2 in which the US Navy had a decisive victory. The battle effectively ended Japan’s hopes of neutralizing the United States as a naval power. This battle is significant because codebreakers were able to decipher the Japanese naval code, allowing the allies to anticipate the Japanese maneuvers. This turned the tide of the war in the pacific and severely weakened the Japanese Navy. -
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was when Germany fought the Soviet Union from 08/23/1942 to 02/02/1943 for control over the Russian city of Stalingrad. This battle is significant because it ultimately turned the tide of WW2 in favor of the allies. This battle marked the end of Germany’s advances into eastern Europe and Russia. This battle was the first major loss Germany suffered in the war. This put Nazi forces on the defensive, which enabled Russian forces to make advances to weaken the Germans. -
Battle of El Alamein
The Battle of El Alamein was fought near the Western frontier of Egypt during the peak of WW2. It was the turning point for the North African campaign because it ended the long fight for control of the Western Desert, and ended the Axis threat to Egypt. It is the only great land battle that was won by the British without American aid. Italy and Germany suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of British troops. It is significant because it prevented Axis powers from advancing further into Egypt. -
D-Day
D-Day is the Allied invasion of France through the Normandy beaches. It was codenamed ‘operation overlord’ and is the largest seaborne invasion in history. The goal of D-Day was to drive the Germans back, and ultimately regain control of France. The operation was successful and is significant because it marks the turn of the tide of control. It opened up the Western Front for the Allies to begin driving Germany out of the territory it had occupied, and weaken Hitler's grip on Europe. -
Battle of the Bulge
The battle of the bulge occurred when German forces launched an offensive on the Western Front. Allies had been steadily pushing the Germans back through Europe, and Hitler knew the war was ending. This offensive was the Nazi’s desperate attempt to win WW2. It is significant because the Germans pushed through Allied lines, but couldn’t hold the position and had huge losses. It was the last German offensive on the western front, and the losses here prevented them from stopping allied advances. -
Hiroshima and Nagisaki
Hiroshima and Nagasaki are Japanese cities and are the sites where the world’s first atomic bombs were dropped. The bombs were dropped by American Forces in hopes of putting more pressure on the Japanese government. These cities are significant because the bombings on them were what caused the Japanese to surrender, ultimately ending WW2. The effects of those bombs still plague their survivors and their children, and the radiation left by the bombs made the cities uninhabitable for many years.