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German Invades Poland "Blitzkrieg"
At 4:45 AM, 1.5 million troops invaded Poland along its border with German controlled territory; simultaneously German air weapons (Luftwaffe) bombed Polish airfields, and German warships with U-boats attacked Polish naval forces in the Baltic Sea. This occurred because Hitler wanted to make more "living space" for the Germans, and the Polish people would become slaves to them, because they were "racially superior". This event caused France and Britain to declare war on Germany two days later. -
German invasion of France and the capture of Paris
Parisians awake to the sound of a German-accented voice announcing in a loudspeaker that curfew that night would be 8 p.m., because German troops would be coming and taking Paris. Paul Reynaud (French premier) asked President Roosevelt for help, but Cordell Hull (Secretary of State) opposed it because of Hitler. When Germans arrived, 2 million citizens had already fled. Paris was trapped, yet French citizens in the west cheered as Canadian troops went by, giving them hope to keep France free. -
London Blitz
The blitz refers to the strategic placing of the bombs on London, conducted by the Germans. The first German attack was on accident; the night of August 24, 1940. Luftwaffe military targets on the outside of London went off course and dropped their bombs in the center of London killing civilians and destroying homes. After this Winston Churchill ordered Berlin to be bombed the next evening. Then on September 7, 1940 Germans bombed London for a total of 57 consecutive nights to prove themselves. -
Battle of Britain
During the summer and fall of 1940, German and British air forces fought in the skies over the U.K., and were trapped in the largest bombing campaign of that time. The Battle of Britain was a big turning point in the war, and it ended when German Luftwaffes failed to be superior over the Royal Air Force... even after months of preparation and targeting. This victory saved Britain from a ground invasion and possible occupation by the Germans, and proved that air power alone can win a battle. -
Germany invades the Soviet Union "Barbarossa"
Barbarossa was the largest German military operation of the war, with the plan of annihilating the communists and Jews of the Soviet Union. Hitler and the Soviets had a nonaggression pact, and his feelings towards communists and Jews caused him to break it and attack them. Less than 2 years after the pact was signed, the Germans sent 134 divisions with full strength, and 73 more for the deployment behind; which adds up to more than 3 million German soldiers. -
Japan Bombing of Pearl Harbor
At 7:55 AM on this day, hundreds of Japanese fighter planes attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor. The attack lasted nearly 2 hours, and managed to destroy nearly 20 American naval vessels; including 8 large battleships. More than 300 airplanes were destroyed, while 2,000 American soldiers and sailors died... and another 1,000 were wounded. This attack caused our president Franklin D. Roosevelt to ask Congress to declare war on Japan... and make America officially join WWII. -
Battle of Bataan
This battle took place because the Philippines were in the way of Japan taking over the Pacific Rim. There were many soldiers that were dying from disease, infection, and starvation, which forced U.S. General Edward King to surrender on April 9, 1941. The Japanese then made all of the American and Filipinos go on a 65-mile march, to Camp O'Donnell; which is known as the Bataan Death March. Japan also used a thing called "Sun Treatment" to torture them. -
Internment of Japanese Americans
2 months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt signed an executive order, telling all Japanese-Americans to evacuate the West Coast. About 120,000 people has to relocate, to 1 of the 10 internment camps in the U.S.. This relocation was one of the most flagrant violations of civil battles in American history. The camps were located in C.A., U.T., I.D., A.Z., W.Y., C.O., and A.R.. Citizens were allowed to return to the West Coast in 1945, with the last camp closed in March 1946. -
The Bataan Death March
After the U.S. surrender of the Bataan Peninsula to the Japanese during WWII, approximately 75,000 Filipino and American troops on Bataan were forced to make a 65-mile march to prison camps. The marchers marched in intense heat, and were treated very harshly by the Japanese guards. This ended with thousands of marchers dying during the march. -
United States Victory in Battle of Midway
Six months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S. defeated Japan in one of the most resulting naval battles of WWII. With the help of major advances in code breaking, the U.S. were know and prepare for Japan's planned attacks with their few aircraft carriers; which inflicted permanent damage on Japan's navy. This United States victory was an important turning point, because it allowed us to move into an offensive position. -
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was the successful Soviet defense of the Germans trying to advance and take over the city; and is considered by most historians to be one of the greatest battles of all WWII. This battle stopped the German advance into the Soviet Union, and was a big turning point for the allies. Stalingrad was one of the bloodiest battles in history, and caused a total of nearly 2 million casualties (military and civilian combined). -
D-Day invasion
On D-Day, about 156,000 American, British, and Canadian forces landed on 5 beaches along a 50-mile stretch of France's Normandy Region. This invasion was one of the largest hostile military assaults in history, and took a lot of planning. Prior to the day, the Allies performed a large-scale deception campaign to mislead the Germans of where they were going to attack. This battle resulted in Allied liberation of Western Europe, and took Germany's control. -
United States Decision To Use Atomic Bombs On Japan To End World War 2
The United States chose to use bombs on Japan to end the war because an inland invasion would be too costly in terms of lives, and the goal of the bomb was to save lives. Truman found out that the Japanese wouldn't surrender without an awesome show of force, and this is what showed that. On August 6, 1945... the first bomb (Little Boy) dropped on Hiroshima; killing 100,000 + people. Then 4 days later, the second bomb (Fat Man) dropped on Nagasaki. Finally on the 15th Japan surrendered.
