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Japanese Invation of China
In 1940 Japan signed a tripartite with Germany and Italy. In doing this they joined WWII. The Japanese wanted toinvade China. They want to take over the world just like Germany. -
Germany's Invasion of Poland
Sparked WWII. The first act in Germany's Blitzkrieg plan. Germany wanted to take over the world and erraticate everyone who was not the "superior" German race. -
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German Blitzkrieg
German style of attack meaning "lightning war". The quick attackshelped tooverrun Poland, Denmark, Norway, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and France in a matter of months. This plan of attack did not work because Great Britian got involved, defending countries Germany was trying to invade, and because Russia moblized their troops faster than Germany thought they would. -
Operation Barbarossa
German invasion of the Soviet Union. Germany needed to either form an alliance with the Soviet Union or conquer it. They became allies for a time, until the Soviet Union changed sides. -
Pearl Harbor
Japanese surprise attack on America. The Axis forces wanted America out of the war. This attack damaged American fleets, preventing an imediate coounter attack and joining of WWII. The US did join the war despite the Japanese efforts. -
Bataan Death March
US surrendered to Japanese on Philippian island. 75,000 Filipino and American troops were forced to march, in extream conditions, 65 miles to a prison. theese troops were also subjected to harsh treatment by the Japanese. -
Wannsee Conference
Nazi meeting that settled the "Jewish question" by making genocide official German policy. The Nazi decided that the Jews were to be killed. They wold not kill them all at once, but slowly they would exterminate them all. No one would really know that they were doing this because there would be no one to tell the outside world. -
Operation Gomorrah
Allied bombing run that included the German city of hamburg killing tens of thousands of German citizens. This was an Allie attempt at ending the war. It did not, however, end the war as they had planned. -
D-Day
Allied invasion of France led by American forces. This invasion of France allowed the Allies an advantage over the Axis forces. The Allies now had control over a contry that was on the border of present day Germany. -
Battle of the Bulge
The last German offensive of WWII, resulting in the retreat of German forces towards Germany. At this point the war is begining to come to an end. The Allies forced German troops farther into their own country. -
Operation Thunderclap
Allied bombingrun over the German city of Dresden that killed over 60,000 civilians, Since Germany was the heart of the Axis forces the Allies targeted them more than any other. Many civillians died, but that's war, there are casualties. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
Another island of Strategic importance of the Japanese coast. US forces suffered heavy casualties here as well. The US gained a victory over this island as well. -
VE Day
Allied victory in Europe. Russia and the US attacked Germany on either side. No army can fight a war on two fronts and win. As a result Germany is split in half by the US and Russia. -
Battle of Okinawa
Okinawa was an island that held strategic importants. US forces took control of the island after suffuring heavy casualties. This allowed the Allies more power over the war. Slowly but surely it was coming to an end. -
Dropping of the Atomic Bombs
US dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Tens of thousands of people died from the exploding of the bomb, and many more died later of radiation poisoning. These were some of the first atomic bombs ever. This was a major turning point in the war. It was almost over. -
VJ Day
American victory over Japan. Japanese surrender. The war was finally over. The last great power of the Axis surrenders to the Allies.
