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Japanese Invasion of China
The Japanese turned their attention towards Nanking for its resources after a bloody victory in Shanghai during the Sino-Japanese War. In the Chinese city of Nanking, hundreds of thousands of both civilians and soldiers were brutally murdered by Japanese Army forces. It took decades for the city and its citizens to recover from the attacks.
http://www.history.com/topics/nanjing-massacre -
German Blitzkrieg
Germany quickly overran much of Europe and became victourious for two years by using a new military tactic called the "Blitzkrieg," or lightning war. Germany did this to gain resources and see how Britain would respond. As a result, Hitler gained lots of land and defeated other enemies.
https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005437 -
Battle of Britain
German and British air forces attacked each other in the skies over the United Kingdom. Germany kept attacking the British, though they were unaware of Britain's air defense power and didn't know Britain's vulnerabilities. Britain’s victory saved the country from a ground invasion and possible occupation by German forces. The win also proved that air forces alone could be used to win a major battle.
http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-britain -
Fall of Paris
German troops were sent to Paris to expand Germany even more. When Germany entered Paris, 2 million Parisians had already fled. Germans arrested, interrogated, and spied on the civilians. The collapse of France and its army created an inbalance of power in Europe, and made Britain's plans for attacking Hitler obsolete.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/fall_france_01.shtml -
Pearl Harbor
Many Japanese fighter planes attacked Pearl Harbor, destroying 20 naval vessels, over 300 airplanes, and killing 2,400 Americans (including civilians). Japan attacked because they thought it was the only action to solve their economic crisis, by expanding their territory. After the incident, America declared war on Japan.
http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/pearl-harbor -
Battle of Stalingrad
German troops marched into the city of Stalingrad: they saw the conquest of Stalingrad to be essential for their campaign in southern Russia. Both Germany and the Soviet Union suffered several losses. By the end of it, the town was in ruins. As Germans were ordered to hold their ground, the Soviet Union sent troops enclosing the enemy. About 150,000 Germans died. The battle marked the turning point for the success of the Allies.
http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-stalingrad -
Battle of Midway
The United States defeated Japan by breaking their code and ambushing them as revenge for the incident of Pearl Harbor. The victory allowed the U.S. and its allies to move into an offensive position.
http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-midway -
Bataan Death March
General Edward King Jr. surrendered on the Philippine island of Luzon during WWII because his forces were weak from starvation and disease. The 75,000 American and Filipino troops were forced to march to prison camps in intense heat while under harsh treatment of Japanese soldiers. Thousands of U.S. soldiers perished as a result.
http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/bataan-death-march -
D-Day (Normandy Invasion)
America and Britain were considering the possibility of a major Allied invasion across the English Channel years before the actual invasion. Finally, in June of 1944, 156,000 American, British and Canadian forces landed on the heavily protected coast of France’s Normandy region. This resulted in the Allies taking back Western Europe from the Nazi's control.
http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/d-day -
Battle of the Bulge
Hitler attempted to split the Allied armies in Northwest Europe by a surprise blitzkrieg attack. The Germans tried to split the Allies because they wanted to have their land and use a tactic that worked three times before. America fought back desperate battles to stop the Germans. American tactics used in these battles proved vital to the Allied defense, leading to the neutralization of the German counteroffensive.
http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-the-bulge -
Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima stemmed from the need for an American base near the Japanese coast. Three U.S. marine divisions landed on the island in February 1945. Despite the difficulty of the battle, the marines wiped out the defending Japanese forces after a month of fighting. This earned a place in American lore and Japanese air fields were shut down.
http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-iwo-jima# -
VE Day
After the suicide of Hitler, it was Grand Admiral Donitz that became president. He was also the one to surrender to Western and Russian demands on May 7th, 1945. Great Britain and the United States immediately celebrated the fall of Hitler. Cities in both nations triumphed in the defeat of the Nazi's.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/events/ve_day -
Dropping of the Atomic Bombs
U.S. President Harry S. Truman made the decision of trying to end the Japanese War by dropping a bomb on Japan. The Enola Gay dropped the bomb on city of Hiroshima. 80,000 people were killed approximately and another 60,000 died by the end of the year from the effects of the fallout. Hiroshima schoolgirls were forced by the government to clear fire lanes.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/atomic-bomb-is-dropped-on-hiroshima -
VJ Day (Victoryover Japan Day)
Japan suffered massive causalities and damage after the result of the bombings from the US. Finally, Japan surrendered unconditionally to the Allies, ending World War II. President Harry S. Truman announced at the White House: “This is the day we have been waiting for since Pearl Harbor. This is the day when Fascism finally dies, as we always knew it would.”
http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/v-j-day -
Battle of Okinawa
The Americans knew if Okinawa fell, so would Japan. America entered Okinawa, where Japan tried to stop them using surprise tactics such as battleships, unexpected resistance, spying of the enemy, and extreme aerial attacks. None of these plans stopped the US. 12,520 American troops were killed and 111,000 for Japan.
http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-okinawa
