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The German air force (Luftwaffe) repeatedly and destructively attacked Great Britain during the Battle of Britain, which was successfully defended against from July through September 1940. The Royal Air Force (RAF) Fighter Command won the conflict, which prevented an invasion and established the conditions for Great Britain's survival, the continuation of the war, and the eventual defeat of Nazi Germany. A Luftwaffe victory would have exposed Great Britain to invasion by the German army.
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The forced opening of Japan in the 19th century marked the beginning of the complex relationship between America and Japan. Japan's quick rise to Great Power status put the island empire in the sights of other Great Powers and sparked a fierce strategic rivalry with the US for control of the Pacific. It was a disastrous choice for all parties involved as President Roosevelt ordered the US Pacific Fleet to move from its homeport in San Diego, California, to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in 1940. -
On June 4, the Japanese assaulted the US facility on Midway without realizing that US naval troops were nearby. The Japanese fleet was assaulted by the USS Enterprise, USS Hornet, and USS Yorktown, which led to the destruction of the Akagi, Kaga, and Soryu. Two waves of strikes from the Hiryu in response caused it to burn and lose its capacity to launch planes. -
During World War II, the deadly Battle of Stalingrad pitted Russian forces against Nazi Germany and the Axis powers. With two million troops involved and approximately two million civilians dead or injured, it was one of the greatest, bloodiest, and longest operations in modern history. In the end, it shifted the balance of power in World War II in favor of the Allies. -
Early in 1945, American Marines and the Imperial Army of Japan engaged in the historic Battle of Iwo Jima. The island, which was 750 miles off the coast of Japan, has three airfields that might be used as a staging area for an attack on the main land. The island was attacked by American soldiers on February 19, 1945, and a five-week battle ensued. The 21,000 Japanese soldiers stationed on the island were all slain, leaving about 200 or so, and Iwo Jima's strategic importance was questioned.
