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Germany's invasion of Poland
After agreeing to split Poland with the USSR for it resources and territorial expansion, Hitler carried out his invasion of Poland beginning on September 1st, 1939. This is the invasion that sparked the war, with Britain and France both declaring war on germany only days later. -
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World War II
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The German Blitzkrieg
Seeking to avoid a long war, Germany wanted to defeat its enemies in rapid, short campaigns. Their strategy was to overwhelm the enemy with sheer numbers and force, following preparatory bombings. This strategy would lead the rapid expansion of Germany. -
Fall of Paris
Parisians wake up to German loudspeakers and troops occupying the French capitol. A curfew of 8 p.m. was incurred and the gastapo went to quick work of interrogating and arresting many. Over 2 million parisians fled Paris on this day. -
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Battle of Britain
A struggle for air supremecy between the British RAF and the German Luftwaffe, this bombing campaign against mainland England lead to American intervention in the war. Without the United States Air Core the British would have buckled under the constant siege. British and American airforce push the german offensive back, destroying over 1700 German planes. -
Operation Barbarossa
Codename for the German invasion of the USSR, breaking the Nazi-Soviet Pact, Hitler begins his move eastward with over 3 million troops, occupying the largest front ever assembled. Involving over 3,500 tanks, it is the largest military operation in history. Hitler's failure to complete his invasion of the USSR signaled the turning point of the war, and a beginning to his 2-front nightmare. -
Attack on Pearl Harbor
Before the U.S. had garnered much support for the war, the japanese saw an opportunity to cripple the U.S. pacific navy forces. They launched a sneak attack bombing on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941 and successfully destroyed most of the U.S. Pacific fleet. Within a month of the news over 6 million men volunteered to join the Military. -
The Bataan Death March
The same day as the day of the surrender of the main Philipine island of Luzon to the Japanese occurs the forced transfer of over 80,000 Filipino and American PoW's to newer Japanese Labor camps in San Fernando. -
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The Battle of Midway
The turning point in the war of the pacific, The decisive allied victory at the battle of midway was very costly for japan, and altogether halted their eastern expansion. The allied securement of Midway island gave America a base of operations to launch firebombing campaigns on japan and japanese islands from. The island hopping strategy and developed. -
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The Battle of Stalingrad
Essentially the most important battle of Hitler's eastern from, his failure to take stalingrad from the soviets results in his loss of world war two. The fighting seen here was arguably the fiercest of the war and troops remained fighting long after both munitions and rations were gone. Hitler's underestimation of the harsh Russian winter cost him the battle, and the war. -
Allied invasion of Italy
After deciding in january to use the amassed allied forces in the mediterranean to attack the italian peninsula, Sicily was taken as a launch point. Led by montgomery, British and American troops storm the beaches of fascist italy to remove the regime. All of Italy had been freed by the 16th of the September. -
Operation Overlord: Invasion of Normandy
Originally scheduled for June 5th, D-day is the largest sea invasion ever assembled. Supported by the canadians and the british, the U.S. lead the charge and saw the bloodiest fighting. The whole war depended on this invasion, and if it failed the resources wasted. If the invasion succeeds, the allies will have a vital foothold in nazi occupied europe. -
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The Battle of the Bulge
On this day, the Germans launch the last major offensive of the war, Operation Mist, also known as the Ardennes Offensive and the Battle of the Bulge. was an attempt to push the Allied front line west from northern France to northwestern Belgium and was the largest fought on the Western front. The battle raged for three weeks, resulting in a massive loss of American and civilian life. -
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The Battle of Iwo Jima
The American amphibious invasion of Iwo Jima during World War II stemmed from the need for a base near the Japanese coast. Following elaborate preparatory air and naval bombardment, three U.S. marine divisions landed on the island in February 1945. Iwo Jima was defended by roughly 23,000 Japanese army and navy troops. The defenders we're vicious in their combat, fighting with a suicidal fervor and only to inflict casualties. One of the hardest won battles in american history. -
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The Battle of Okinawa
Last and biggest of the Pacific island battles of World War II, the Okinawa campaign, involved the 287,000 troops of the U.S. Tenth Army against 130,000 soldiers of the Japanese Thirty-second Army. This invasion was for the need of protected airbases for Japanese fire bombings. By the end of the 82-day campaign, Japan had lost more than 77,000 soldiers and the Allies had suffered more than 65,000 casualties—including 14,000 dead. -
Victory Day in Europe
This is the holiday created for the celebration of the end of the war in europe, brought about by the Allied acceptance of the Nazi's unconditional surrender of its army. Soviets would lose 600 soliders on this day and consequently, it would not be celebrated until the ninth. -
Potsdam Declaration
The Potsdam Declaration or the Proclamation Defining Terms for Japanese Surrender is a statement that called for the surrender of all Japanese armed forces during World War II. It went unanswered. -
U.S. Bombs Hiroshima
The U.S. witht he consent of Britain, Dropped the first Atomic bomb used in warfare history on Hiroshima, killing over 40,000 instantly. Truman issues a warning to the Japanese, calling for a surrender within three days or the U.S. will strike again. -
U.S. Bombs Nagasaki
Three days after the warning was issued, the Japanese gave no response, and America held to its word. A second, implosion-type plutonium bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, killing over 30,000 people instantly. The japanese surrendered days later, and this remains the only use of Nucleur weaponry in modern warfare. -
VJ Day
As news of the japanese surrender circulated the world and the end of world war two came to be realized, spontaneous celebrations were had all over the world. Especially in america, as the japanese americans were allowed to go home and american men came back from the army.
