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The invasion of China began in 1931 with the occupation of Manchuria. It later escalated into a full-scale war in 1937. The Japanese invaded China for living space and raw materials. site -trumanlibrary -
In 1940, Germany launched an assault on northwest Europe. This resulted in the capture of France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Belgium. Germany invaded northwest Europe to conquer and secure a route to Britain. site - english-heritage.org.uk -
The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact is a 10-year non-aggression pact between Germany and the Soviet Union and was used as a strategic maneuver for territorial gains. This allowed Germany to invade Poland on September 1, 1939, without fear of Soviet intervention. The pact was broken two years later, in June 1941, when Germany invaded the Soviet Union. site - encyclopedia.ushmm.org -
On June 14, 1940, Paris fell to Germany. Eight days later, France signed an armistice with the Germans, and a puppet French state was set up with its capital at Vichy. They did this for strategic military objectives and the desire to control France and its resources. site - history.com -
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for the Nazi Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union. The German offensive was launched by three army groups in 1940. Germany did this to expand eastwards. site-britannica.com -
Pearl Harbor was a surprise military attack by Japan on the United States at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Over 2,400 people died. This happened due to Japan's desperate need for resources. site - nationalww2museum.org -
The Wannsee Conference were 15 high-ranking Nazi Party and German Government officials gathered at a villa in Wannsee. They gathered to discuss the Final Solution. The Final Solution was the mass killing of Jews. site - encyclopedia.ushmm.org -
The Battle of Midway was a naval battle fought almost entirely with aircraft. The United States destroyed Japan's first-line carrier strength and most of its naval pilots in this battle. The reason for this battle was to secure dominance in the Pacific. site- britannica.com -
D-Day was an invasion of Western Europe. This invasion was led by the U.S., British, and Canadian forces on five separate beachheads in Normandy, France. They did this to liberate France and create a path to invade Germany. site -britannica.com -
The liberation of concentration camps refers to the final stages of World War II. It took place when the Allied forces freed prisoners from Nazi concentration and extermination camps across Europe. It happened to free the prisoners of the Nazis. site -nationalww2museum.org -
On August 6, 1945, an American B-29 bomber dropped the world's first atomic bomb over the city of Hiroshima. The explosion killed an estimated 80,000 people, and tens of thousands more would later die of radiation exposure. Three days later, a second B-29 dropped another atomic bomb on Nagasaki, killing an estimated 40,000 people. They did this to force Japan to surrender and end World War II. site- history.com -
VJ Day stands for the Victory over Japan Day. It marks the conclusion of the war in the Pacific theater. This holiday commemorates the surrender of Japan on August 14, 1945. site -britannica.com -
The Battle of the Bulge was the last German offensive on the Western Front. It ended unsuccessfully. It happened to regain territory. site - britannica.com -
The Battle of Iwo Jima was a major Pacific Theater battle. This battle had U.S. Marines and Navy forces fighting to capture the island of Iwo Jima from the Imperial Japanese Army. It was caused by the island's strategic location and airfields. site-nationalww2museum.org -
V-E Day stands for the end of World War II. It is celebrated on May 8th each year. It became a holiday to signify the beginning of a new era. site- britannica.com