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Rape of Nanking
Nanjing was the capital of the nationalist Chinese and in order to break the Chinese resistance spirit, General Matsui Irwnae, ordered the Japenese to invade, destroy, and murder. 200,000 men were massacres, 20,000 women and girls of all ages were raped, mutilated, and killed. The surrounding towns were burned, looted, and destroyed by the Japanese soldiers. This event was considered a brutal massacre. (britannica) -
Germany invasion of Poland
German forces began advancing on the Polish capital, which was Warsaw, after breaking through the Polish defenses. Poland soon surrendered after experiencing heavy bombing and shelling from Germany. After Poland surrendered Germany began enforcing its racial policies, expelled Poles from their homes, and replaced them with ethnic Germans. (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum). -
Battle of Britain
The British were successful in fending off Germany's air force which was called Luftwaffe. The Royal Air Force was victorious which helped secure Great Britains' defenses for the rest of the war. Germany was confident they had a strong air force while Britain believed they had a weak air force. Britain had 600 frontline fighters while Germany had 1,500 planes. Britain divided its air force into 4 groups and had advanced radar early warning systems. (briticanna) -
German Blitzkrieg
Blitzkrieg is a method of offensive warfare that requires moving swiftly. It focuses blow towards the enemy and requires easily maneuverable forces. This method is used to ensure a quick victory without losing soldiers and artillery. This method was used in the invasion of Poland, Germany used air and ground attacks to defeat the weak polish army. Since the Blitzkrieg attack is meant to be fast it can surprise the enemy causing them to be disorganized. (HISTORY, Brianna) -
Pearl Harbor
Japenese fighter planes surprise bombed pearl harbor which caused destruction to many aircraft, ships and led to many deaths. The Japanese plan was to destroy the pacific fleet so America would be defenseless again Japan's armed forces, the attack only angered the Americans which led them to join the war the next day. The bombs did not hit important structures such as oil storage, repair shops, shipyards, and submarine docks so the attack was easy to repair. (briticanna) -
Battle of Stalingrad
The battle is considered to be important in Russia's Great Patriotic War, it stopped German advance into the Soviet Union. This battle helped the Allies turn the tide of the war. The city was important since it was an industrial city that made armaments and tractors, without this city Soviets would be cut from southern Russia. Stalin decreed defenders would not take a step back, no one was allowed to evacuate, he believed they would fight harder knowing there are people's lives at risk. -
Battle of Midway
This was a battle between the U.S and Imperial Japanese Navy in which the U.S came out victorious. The Japanese attempted to surprise attack the U.S as they did at Pearl Harbor, however, the U.S cracked the secret code so they knew about the attack and were ready to defend themselves. The U.S also shocked the Japanese by having their ships quickly prepared and ready to use again. the Japanese were surprised and unprepared. (Britcannica) -
Bataan Death March
The Bataan March was 66 miles that were walked by prisoners of War within the Philipines. This event was caused by the Japanese military forcing 76,000 prisoners to March, they were also taken by cramped and unsanitary box cars. During the march, captives were beaten, shot, bayoneted, beheaded and if they did make it to the camp they then died due to starvation and diseases. There was an estimated 54,000 prisoners that reached the cap. (britinnica) -
Battle of Coral Sea
The Japanese attempted to control the coral sea and capture port Moresby. However, the allies figured out their plan, and the U.S used planes to fend off the Japanese. The Japanese and U.Splanes sunk each other's ships continuously but U.S planes crippled the Japanese which caused them to retreat or retire from action. This event lasted 4 days and was a strategic win for the Allies. (Britannica) -
Wannsee conference
The conference occurred in order to discuss the jews and the meeting was held by the Nazis. 15 Nazi senior bureaucrats attended the meeting and it was considered a turning point in Nazi policy towards jews. The final solution discussed at the meeting was the idea to round up all Jews and organize them into labor gangs. The work and living conditions the jews experienced would be difficult.(Britannica) -
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
The uprising occurred in Nazi-occupied Warsaw which was a violent revolt of the Jews in order to avoid going to extermination camps. This uprising also inspired others. The ghetto had many people living in a small area with not enough food and diseases were spreading. The Jews knew that they were going to be sent to their death so they formed underground self-defense units in order to get weapons in order to fight back before being sent to concentration camps. (Britcanncia) -
D- Day (Normandy Invasion)
The Invasion resulted in Western Europe being free from Nazi Germany and it was also one of the largest amphibious military assaults. The British and Canadians attacked Golf, Juno, and sword beach while the U.S attacked Utah beach. at the end of the Day allied troops successfully captured Normandy beaches, 4,000 troops died and many more are wounded and missing. (HISTORY) -
Battle of the Bulge
It was "the greatest American battle of the war" since it was Aldof Hitler's last major offensive against the western front during world war ll. Hitler's goal was to split t Allied forces while heading toward Germany. He failed so Britain., France, and the Americas took the offensive. This battle was costly and bloody, with over 100,000 deaths in the U.S army. The weather during this battle was dangerously cold and when the weather finally cleared, the U.S airforce attacked. (HISTORY). -
Battle of Iwo Jima
U.S Marines vs Japan's Imperial Army. Extremely bloody conflict with around 27,000 deaths. When the U.S landed on the beach of Iwo Jima they faced some difficulties and the Japanese were set up on the mountain ready to attack which caused many deaths. However, the U.S was able to move past the beach and size the airfields which were their mission. The U.S had smaller forces but the Japanese were running low on supplies. The U.S captured Suribachi and eventually won the battle. (HISTORY) -
Dropping of the atomic bombs
The world's first deployed atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, a Japanese city which caused 80,000 deaths and more due to radiation exposure. Another atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki killing 40,000 people which caused Japan to have an unconditional surrender. The development of atomic weapons was called the Manhattan project in order to put the U.S in the dominant position. THe U.S needed to test the bombs and they were fighting the Japanese so it was the perfect idea to drop the atomic bombs.