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Germany Invades Poland
German soldiers march into Warsaw, Poland. After losing part of the land that is now Poland, Germany decides to take it back and oppose the conditions made in the Treaty of Versailles. This action is the spark of World War II, and the outcome is World War II. -
Battle of Britain
This is an air battle between Germany’s air force, also called Luftwaffe, and Britain’s air force. A win for Germany against the British would result in a victory of the Western War for Germany, showing the significance of this event. The loss which actually occurred, showed the Germans that they weren’t invincible. Britain’s defense was too strong for the German’s attack, and Britain did not fall to Germany. Germany later set its sights against Russia. -
Operation Barbarossa
This is the German’s code name for the invasion of the Soviet Union. The Germans began taking cities, but by the time they got within 20 miles of Moscow, the Soviets were able to get reinforcements from Eastern Asia. This was the first of many attacks of the Soviet Union by the Germans, and in history, it is the largest military operation. The outcome was the Battle of Moscow, Battle of Stalingrad, and Battle of Kursk. -
Battle of Moscow, Russia
Germany attacked Russia with the intent of capturing Moscow. In Hitler’s mind, Russia could be beaten easily for good by simply taking control of Moscow, Russia’s capital. The Germans had success in capturing some cities on the way to Moscow, but Hitler, expecting a quick victory, mistook the severity of the winter. Another problem that Germany had was leaving Russian troops near Vyazma and Bryansk, which was behind them. They had to turn back, which delayed their attack on Moscow. Germany’s ins -
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Battle of Moscow
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Battle of Stalingrad, Russia
A battle rages between Hitler’s troops and the Soviet Union for Stalingrad. Stalin didn’t let the civilians leave Stalingrad, so the soldiers worked harder to protect them and the city. Hitler, obsessed with capturing Stalingrad, caused many of his men to die. In the end, the Soviet Union kept the Germans from taking Stalingrad. The victory to the Soviet Union of Stalingrad revealed that Germany could be defeated. -
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Battle of Stalingrad
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Battle of Kursk
Kursk was attacked by the Germans on the north and south, but the Soviets were prepared. This battle is known as the largest tank engagement ever. There were many encounters where tanks were used, the largest being Prokhorovka, which was later covered with tanks from both sides after starting with more than 1200 tanks total from both sides. This was a turning point in the war, where Germany was unable to come back. German troops were forced back to the West and were eventually pushed out of Russ -
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Battle of Kursk
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D-Day, France
Allies attack Normandy, France on June 6, 1944. France was controlled by Germany and this was the first day of the Battle of Normandy. On this day thousands of lives on the Allies side were lost. All five beaches that the Allies planned to capture were all secured at the end of the day. This is significant because it was the start of the Allies counter attack towards Berlin. -
Battle of the Bulge
Germany launches a surprise attack on American troops in Belgium and Luxembourg. It is named for the bulge that formed when the Germans pushed back the American troops. Germany didn’t have enough men to achieve their goal of reaching Antwerp, Belgium, and the original line was restored by late in January of 1945. The United States had around 80,000 casualties and the Germans had around 100,000. This attack showed that Germany was still able to fight back, regardless of their previous defeats. -
Battle of Berlin
The Red Army of the Soviets started by storming across Poland and easily outnumbering the German army. Then, with the Germans retreating, they soon march into Berlin and control it street by street. The outcome is Berlin’s surrender on May 2, 1945, and Germany’s surrender on May 7, 1945. This is significant because this battle caused the end of the war in the European theater. -
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Battle of Berlin
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Bombing on Hiroshima
A B-29 bomber nicknamed Enola Gay released an atomic bomb “Little Boy” over Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, a day with good weather. “Fat Man” was released on Nagasaki three days later. The outcome of this was the end of the war in the Pacific theater, and the significance is that it lead to the end of the war in the Pacific theater. -
Bombing on Nagasaki
(See Hiroshima)
