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German Invasion of Poland
1.5 million German troops invade Poland along the border of German controlled land and bombs are dropped. Hitler aimed to create libensraum (living space) for Germans by regaining lost territory and ruling Poland. This was also a smaller scale primer of how Hitlers war strategy, the blitzkreig, meaning lightning warfare. War had offcially begun
Source: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/germany-invades-poland -
Pearl Harbor
Japanese fighter planes attacked U.S naval forces at Pearl Harbor. American citizens were killed at the hands of Japanese soldiers. The impact of this attack inspired enough anger and national pride for Americans to get involved and officially declare war on Japan. -
Battle of Midway
Only 6 months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S defeated Japan at the battle of Midway. It was one of the most decisive naval battles of World War 2 and left Japans navy permanently damaged. This victory allowed for the U.S to get in an offensive position and was a turning point of war in the Pacific -
D-Day
D-Day was the day allied troops arrived along various locations along the coasts of France's Normandy region. This invasion was the begging of the battle of Normandy and one of the largest amphibious military assaults in history. This battle allowed the allies to liberate all of France by late august of 1944 and eventually defeat the Germans. It is a very significant day because the Normandy landings have been regarded as the begging of the end of European war. -
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of Bulge was an attempt to move the allied front line west. It is known as the Battle of the Bulge because the Germany soldiers created a "bulge" around the Forrest along the western front line. The Germans attacked the weakest part of the Allied line of defense and were able to significantly push them back. This battle is important because it is seen as Hitlers last major offensive action of the war.
Source: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battle-of-the-bulge -
Battle of Iwo Jima
On this day, three U.S Marine divisions landed on the island of Iwo Jima. The U.S was in need of a base that was near the Japanese coast. This victory helped save countless Americans lives by functioning as an emergency landing strip and was made famous by the photo published of American soldiers planting the American flag. -
VE Day
V-E day or Victory in Europe day is a day celebrated by citizens in america and Europe to commemorate the defeat of the Nazi party. May 8th celebrates the day that the Nazi party declared surrender to the Ally powers. -
VJ Day
Victory over Japan day, more commonly known as VJ day, was the day that Japan officially surrendered unconditionally to the Allies. This day marks the official end of World War 2
