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Period: to
WWII
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Period: to
WWII
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Britain and France declare war on Germany
In response to Hitler's invasion of Poland two days earlier, which started the World War II, Britain and France declared war on Germany. Because Britain and France had sworn to defend Poland and to honor those obligations, they had declared a war on Germany. Thus, World War II has "officially" begun. Unfortunately, Britain and France were not much help to the Poles; the German troops advanced on. British colonies, like India, also started fighting in the war. -
Blitzkreig
Blitzkreig means "lightning war". It was a tactic based on speed and surprise that was first used by Germans in WWII. It needed a military force to be based around light tank units supported by planes and infantry. It was used to devastating effect in the first years of World War Two and resulted in the British and French armies being pushed back in just a few weeks to the beaches of Dunkirk and the Russian army being devastated in the attack on Russia in June 1941. -
Operation Barbarossa begins
Operation Barbarossa was the name given to Nazi Germany’s invasion of Russia on June 22, 1941. Barbarossa was the largest military attack of World War II and was to have appalling consequences for the Russian people. Operation Barbarossa was based on a massive attack based on blitzkrieg. Hitler had said of such an attack that "when the attack on Russia starts the world will hold its breath". 3 army groups attacked Russia. -
Attack on Pearl Harbor
On the morning of December 7, 1941, the Japanese launched a surprise air attack on the U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. After just two hours of bombing, more than 2,400 Americans were dead, 21 ships had either been sunk or damaged, and more than 188 U.S. aircraft destroyed.
The attack at Pearl Harbor outraged many Americans that the U.S. abandoned its policy of isolationism and declared war on Japan the following day -- officially bringing the United States into World War II. -
The Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was a turning point in World War II in Europe. The battle at Stalingrad bled the German army dry in Russia and after this defeat, the Germany Army was in full retreat. This battle was fought during the winter of 1942 to 1943. Stalingrad was an important target because it was Russia’s center of communications in the south as well as being a center for manufacturing. By the end of January 1943, the Germans surrendered. -
D-Day Invasion
In 1942, Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt issued a statement that the western allies would work as quickly as possible to open a second front to relieve pressure on the Soviets. Codenamed Operation Overlord, planning for the invasion began in 1943. The invasion was one of the largest amphibious military assaults in history and required extensive planning. By late August 1944, all of northern France had been liberated, and by the following spring the Allies had defeated the Germans. -
The Death of Adolf Hitler
In the last days of the Nazi rule, with the Russian troops in the suburbs of Berlin, Hitler entered into a last stage of desperation in his underground bunker in Berlin. He ordered Germany destroyed, believing it was not worthy of him. He expelled his trusted lieutenants Himmler and Göring from the party and made a last, theatrical appeal to the German nation.Adolf Hitler committed suicide on April 30, 1945, leaving behind a legacy of evil and terror unequaled by any leader in the modern world. -
V-E Day
May 8, 1945 was Victory in Europe Day, and it marked the formal end of Hitler's war. With it came the end of six years of misery, suffering, courage and endurance across the world. People reacted to this victory in various ways--some celebrated, some mourned their loved ones, some went to church, some found that they had lost a sense of purpose in their lives. The tension that was there for six long years was suddenly relaxed. The war had been won, but the peace did not promise to be easy. -
The First successful test of an Atomic Bomb
The bomb was the culmination of five years of effort. The Mahattan Project started in 1940 with a grant of $6,000. On the morning of July 16, 1945, the first atomic bomb was detonated in New Mexico. Watching from 10,000 yards away, the scientists and a few government officials observed as the mushroom cloud exploded with the force of 15,000 to 20,000 tons of TNT, completely vaporizing the tower on which the bomb sat. -
Formal surrender of Japan
In the morning of 2 September 1945, more that two weeks after accepting the Allies terms, Japan formally surrendered. The ceremonies that was less than half an hour long, took place on board of the battleship USS Missouri, anchored with other United States' and British ships in Tokyo Bay. It was an extensively photographed occasion, and, despite overcast weather, generated many memorable images.
