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Rape of Nanking
Japanese General Matsui Iwane attacked the city of Nanking in China to break the spirit of Chinese resistance. The city was burned down and civilians were tortured. The Japanese killed over 200,000 men and raped at least 20,000 women and girls of all ages. After the war ended, Matsui was found guilty of war crimes by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East and executed. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-rape-of-nanking -
German Blitzkrieg
The German Blitzkrieg is an unstoppable military war tactic that Germany used in WW2. It means "Lightning War." The German Blitzkrieg used armored and motorized formations with close air support. The Germans started using this tactic in the 1940's in order to capture France and the Netherlands. It is succesful and results in short military campaigns so fewer lifes are lost. https://www.history.com -
Pearl Harbor
A devastating surprise attack by Japanese forces on December 7, 1941 around 8 a.m. on that Sunday morning, hundreds of Japanese fighter planes destroyed and damaged 20 vessels, eight battleships, and over 300 airplanes. More than 2,400 Americans died. After the attack, President FDR declared war on Japan. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/pearl-harbor -
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for the Axis invasion of the Soviet Union that started on Sunday the 22nd, June 1941. Hitler launched his armies eastward in a massive invasion of the Soviet Union with over three million German soldiers, 150 divisions, and three thousand tanks broke through the frontier into Soviet territory. The failure of German troops to defeat Soviet forces in the campaign signaled a crucial turning point in the war.
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Wannsee Conference
Nazi officials meet and discuss an agenda to devise a plan that would create a “final solution to the Jewish question” in Europe. Many gruesome proposals were discussed, including mass sterilization and deportation to the island of Madagascar. Heydrich proposed simply transporting Jews from every corner Europe to concentration camps in Poland and working them to death. Around 6 million Jews died in the Holocaust and concentration camps. https://www.history.com -
Bataan Death March
After the U.S. surrender of the Bataan Peninsula, 75,000 Filipino and American troops were forced to march 65 miles to prison camps. The conditions were very harsh and thousands did not make it through the whole march. This day will forveer be known as the Bataan Death March. https://www.history.com/ -
Battle of Midway
Around 6 months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S. defeated Japan in one of the most strategic naval battles in history in the Pacific Theatre of WW2. Code breaking was a huge part of this battle. Due to the United State's technological advantages, the U.S. was able to counter Japan's ambush attacks on their aircraft carriers. Japan wanted to take out the aircraft carriers that escaped Pearl Harbor, but the U.S. won the battle
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Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was a battle in WW2 of Russia, Germany, and the Axis powers. This battle was the largest one of World War II. More than 2 million troops were deployed and over 2 million soldiers were killed during this battle. The objective of this battle was for the Nazis to capture the stronghold city of Stalingrad. Germany is pushed back from the city all the way back to their own land and will result in war between the Soviet Union and Germany https://www.history.com -
D-Day (Normandy Invasion)
On June 6, 1944, also known as D-Day, over 150,000 American, British and Canadian troops were deployed along a 50 mile stretch of beach/coast line. Their goal was to defeat the Frances Normandy region and liberate it from the Nazis. D-Day is recorded as the biggest amphibious attacks till this day. Over 425,000 Allied and German troops were killed, wounded or went missing during the Battle. By late August in 1944, all of Northern France had been liberated. https://www.history.com/ -
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge started when Germany launched a surprise blitzkrieg attack in order to split the Allies in northwest Europe. On December 16, the Germans launched 3 armies in the west which was more than a quarter million troops. The U.S. was outnumbered and fought until they couldn't anymore. Many of the Allie troops were killed in this battle. In order to defend the bridgehead, the Allies formed a bulge formation to protect, which is where the battle got its name from. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima was a big battle between the U.S. Navy and the Imperial Japanese army. There were two airfields on the island that could be used by Japanese fighter planes to attack American bombers on their flights to Japan. The battle lasted 5 weeks and is known as one of the bloodiest battles of WW2. The Japanese forces were executed but resulted in the death of nearly 7,000 U.S. Naval forces. One-third of all Marine losses during WW2 happened at Iwo Jima. https://www.history.com/ -
VE Day
May 8th, 1945 is known as Victory in Europe Day. On this day Britain, the U.S., Western Europe, and Australia celebrated the victory over the Nazis as Nazi Germany surrendered to the Allies. This led to a huge celebration after defeating the strongest military and to celebrate the end of a horrific deadly war in Europe. The civillians didn't find out about the victory until a day after the Germans surrender so they celebrated on the 9th of May, 1945. https://www.history.com/ -
Dropping of the atomic bombs
The U.S becomes the first power ever to create and use nuclear weapons of mass destruction. The U.S. used the two atomic bombs on Japan since their war in the Pacific was still going on after Germany surrendered. On August 6, 1945, the U.S. dropped the "little boy" atomic bomb on Hiroshima. The bomb completely destroyed the entire city and days later the Japanese surrendered when we dropped a second bomb on Nagasaki. This date marks the very end of WW2. https://www.history.com/ -
VJ Day
On August 14, 1945, Japan surrendered to the Allied powers. Since then, the day has been dedicated to the victory over Japan. Japan surrendered to the Allies after the two nuclear bombs we dropped that obliterated two of their major cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Around 130,000 Japanese died just from the Hiroshima bombing. They knew they were nothing against the United States and had to surrender or else their whole country would be destroyed.
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Liberation of concentration camps
As the Allies advanced through Europe towards the end of WW2, they discovered many concentration camps. They saw horrific treatment and conditions of the prisoners held there that were starving, weak, sick, etc. They liberated the survivors and destroyed much of the camps but left things such as gas chambers behind as evidence. Auschwitz was overrun by Russian soldiers and the remaining prisoners were transferred to safer places. Around one million were liberated.
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