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Germany Invades Poland
German aircraft and other weapons bombed Warsaw, Capital of Poland. German tanks and troops crossed the Polish border. It was Hitler´s first attack in Poland. Beginning of World War II.
Primary Source:The Nazi Invasion of Poland in 1939 (Youtube). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNOqSSP1o94 -
France and Great Britain Declare War on Germany
France and Great Britain declare war on Germany. Unluckily, Poland was conquered by Germany before France and Great Britain could send troops there in response of the attack. Western half of Poland was taken by Germany.
Primary Source:Neville Chamberlain- Britain’s declaration of war 1939 (Youtube).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtJ_zbz1NyY -
France surrenders to Germany
Germany took control of Paris and the northern part of France, and the southern part of France was left to a puppet government. Leaders of France surrendered to the Germans. -
Battle of Britain
From July 10 to October 31. Germany bombed London during the night and people looked for shelter in subways or other shelters.
Primary Source: RAF Triumphs in Biggest Air Battles of War. Daily Herald, p. 1. -
Afrika Korps
A German tank (Afrika Korps) force attack the British forces so the British were pulled to Tobruk, Libya. The British began controlling Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, leader of the german tank force, back from Tobruk.
Primary Source: Capture Film of Rommel's Afrika Korps (Youtube). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqSiwQ0Af2I -
Operation Barbarossa
Beginning of Operation Barbarossa: German tanks and aircraft began invading the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union was not well-prepared or equipped at the moment even though they had the largest army in the world. Primary Source: Stalin Speech November 7, 1941. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IGbjPqFFvA -
US cancells oil shipment with Japan
Roosevelt (president of USA at the moment) cancelled oil shipment with Japan because Japan conquered Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. -
Russia Attacks Germany Back and Day of Infamy
Germans around the outer parts of Moscow and Soviets attacked. Germany wasn´t well-equipped for cold temperatures so they had to withdraw, but Hitler instructed to not, so they continued. This ideological mistake caused 500,000 of German lives. Day of Infamy: Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii unexpectedly. More than 2,300 Americans and over 1,100 wounded, and 19 ships were sunk or harmed. America declared war on Japan and its allies.PrimarySource:Roosevelt, F. Pearl Harbor Speech(Youtube). -
Final Solution Begins
Hitler wanted jews to be killed fast and easily, starvation and disease was slow and he lost his patience. They created a new plan called the Final Solution, this solution was genocide, complete extermination of all jews and other “non-aryan” races.
Primary Source: “Elie Wiesel, quotes in Night” (pg. 505) -
Bombing of Tokyo and Many Other Japanese Cities
Under the command of Lieutenant Colonel James H. Doolittle, 16-B25 bombed Tokyo and many other cities from Japan. -
Battle of Midway Island
June 4: Chester Nimitz, commander in chief of the US Pacific Fleet, permitted the attack of Japanese on Midway Island. American planes attacked Japanese planes. American pilots destroyed 332 Japanese planes, four aircraft carriers, and on supporting ship.
Primary Source: WW2 Battle of Midway Island Footage (Youtube). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJ0rxaEHZEo
June 7: Battle of Midway ended. -
Battle of Guadalcanal
Lasted till February 1943. Douglas Macarthur, American general, wanted to hop on islands near Japanese territories instead of attacking each island. Americans knew Japan was building an enormous air base on Guadalcanal, an island in the Solomon Islands, so US Marines and Australians landed on Guadalcanal and Tulagi, where they fought for six months. -
D-Day
Operation Overlord: Beginning of the invasion of Normandy, also known as the D-Day. British, American, Canadian, and French armies fought the German army in the beaches of Normandy.
Primary Source: Message from Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower to Gen. George C. Marshall about the Invasion of Normandy. http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/d-day-memo/images/d-day-memo.jpg -
The Battle of the Bulge
German tanks passed through defenses from the Americans, but the Allies pushed Germans back and the Germans retreated. -
Yalta Conference
In this conference, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Stalin, and Winston Churchill made very important decisions about how the war was progressing and what would be done after it. -
Okinawa
American troops moved to Okinawa and fought the Japanese. -
War in Europe Ends
War in Europe officially ended. Germany signed their surrender in Berlin and the Allies celebrated V-E Day (Victory in Europe Day). -
Hiroshima
US drops an atomic bomb in Hiroshima, which causes the death of 70,000 to 80,000 people.
Primary Source: Memorandum from R. Gordon Arneson, Interim Committee Secretary, to Mr. Harrison, June 6, 1945, Top Secret. http://www2.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB162/14.pdf -
Nagasaki
Second atomic bomb was dropped by the US in Nagasaki, causing the death of more than 70,000 people.
Primary Source: RG 77, MED Records, Top Secret Documents, File no. 5b. -
End of War
In Missouri, an American Battleship, in Tokyo, Japan surrenders to General Douglas MacArthur. End of World War II.
