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Japan Invades Manchuria
The Empire of Japan Invades Manchuria (Northern Section of China) with the the Kwantang army. The reasoning behind the Japenese Invasion, was after false accusation of Chinese dissidents after the Mukden Incident where sections of a railway used by the Japenese army were destroyed. This is the first major conflict which arguably started World War II in the Pacific theater. (Invasion, and Occupation) -
Mussolini Invades Ethiopia
Also called the Second Italo-Ethiopian War, was a major colonial war between the Kingdom of Italy and the Ethiopian Emprie. Italy won the war, and the event showed how ineffective the League of Nations was in their inability to control the incident. Ethiopia came under 5 years of military occupation until its final liberation with help from the allies. (Invasion, and Occupation) -
Japan Invades China, Capturing the Capital of Nanking
After sporatic fighting between Japense and Chinese troops near Bejing, a full scale Japense invasion occured taking large eastern sections of China. Also known as the Second Sino-Japenese War, the invasion and occupation lasted until the final days of the war. (Invasion, with later Occupation) -
Hitler Blitzkreigs and annexes W. Poland
One week after Germany, and the Soviet Union signed the non aggrssion pact (23rd August 1939), Germany executed an all out invasion of Poland, along with the Soviet Union, and another Slavic contegient. Germany gained majority This marked the beginning of the war in Europe. (Invasion, and Occupation) -
Hitler Invades Denmark and Norway
Dubbed Operation Weserubung, the Invasion of Denmark and Norway was a response to the possible planning of Franco-British occupation of Norway, to gain a nothern foothold against the Germans. The Germans occupied the countries claiming that the Warmacht was protecting them from "British-Franco Aggression". (Invasio, and Occupation) -
France Falls to Germany (Vichy France)
The Battle of France began with German armored units puhsing through the Ardennes to surround Allied units that were stationed in Belgium. On the 5th of June, the Germans began their main push and crushed remaining French Forces. On the 22nd of June France signed an armistice with Germany, setting the puppet regieme of the Vichy French led by Philippe Petain. Germany continued to occupy northern France until 1944. (Invasion, and Occupation) -
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain was the first major campaign to be fought by only air forces. The German Luftwaffe targeted many different key supply, and infastructure points in southern England. The Royal Air Force, with many air defenses many air defenses fought until the Autmn of that year when Germany halted further Air Assualts, which prevented Hitlers all out invasion plan of Britain "Operation Sea Lon". (Invasion Attempt) -
German General Rommel fights back British in Libya North Africa
Originally titled Operation Sonnenblume, German Afrika Korps sent reinforcements to Libya to aid Italian forces fighting british Armored divisions. Told to only hold his ground in El Aghelia, Rommel turned it into a full offensive in March causing a wide spread pushing of Allied forces far back beyond the border of Libya. (Counter Assault, Invasion) -
Operation Barbossa: Hitler Blitzkreigs Soviet Union
After breaking the Soviet-German non-aggression pact, over 4 million axis troops invaded the Soviet border of a front of 2,900 Km. The invasion lasted until 1944. The 'Eastern Front" as it was called caused 95% of German casualties beteewn 1941-1944, and 65% of allied casulties for the entire war. (Invasion Attempt) -
Japan Attacks Pearl Harbor
On the morning of December, 7th, 1941 the Japenese conducted a suprise attack on the U.S. Naval airbase called Pearl Harbor on the Hawaiian Island of Oahu. The Japenese used many aircraft divisions, and to conduct the assault instead of an all out invasion of the island. The attack shocked the U.S. and drove them to declare war on Japan on December 8th. -
Battle of Midway
Just 6 months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the American navy decisively beat back the Japense navy causing irrepairable damage to Japans fleet. This battle was marked as a turning point for the Pacific theater, and Japan ended up being in a constant state of retreat until the end of the war. (Counter Assault) -
Mussolini attacks British in Egypt for control on Suez Canal
After a string of Axis victories in Northern Africa, they made an attempt to take Egypt from the British. But the British 8th army defended Cairo strategically and beat back the Italian-German army. Immidiately after, the British launched a major offensive winning the Second Battle of El Alamein in October of that year. (Invasion Attempt, Counter Assault) -
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad (Now Volgograd) was when German forces fought Soviets for the southwestern Russian city. After brutal winter fighting, the Germans were beaten back. This battle proved to be a major turing point for the allies in the European front, and the Russians afterword staged a massive counter assault. The Germans were never able to continue pushing in the east, instead they remained in a constant state of retreat on the Eastern Front until the end of the war. (Counter Assault) -
British General Montgomery Counterattacks Rommel
Following the joint operation Torch, Allied Forces pushed in Axis forces from the East and West of North Africa. The British 8th army pushed through the Eastern flank of the Axis troops, and the Axis armys surrenderd yeilding 275,000 POW's which was such a sizeable section of the Axis military that they never recovered those loses. (Counter Assault) -
Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
With the recent aquirement of Atomic weapons, the United States decided to destroy key Japanese citys to force them to surrender due to the massiveness of the bombs. The U.S. did this instead of launching a full scale assualt on the country which was willing to sacrifice the life of every citizen it had. On August 15th Japan announced its surrender. (Counter Assault, Lack of Invasion Attempt)
