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Japanese Invasion of China
The Japanese, who were desperate for natural recorces like oil, decided that if they invaded Manchuria, they could easily get these rescurces. After they had invaded and taken Manchuria, the Leauge of Nations condemned Japan for their actions. Japan simply withdrew from the League of Nations after that and continued to invade more and more of China. Because of this, militarism grew more prevalent in Japan. [http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/manchuria_1931.htm] -
Germany Invades Poland
After Hitler annexed Austria and took all of Czechoslovakia, he and Stalin decided to split Poland up. So in September,1939, Poland was invaded by Germany. It was a two front battle for Poland, with Germany in thw west and the U.S.S.R. in the east. In the end, Poland lost and was split up between Hitler and Stalin. This was the first event that started WWII [ http://www.secondworldwarhistory.com/invasion-of-poland.asp] -
Blitzkrieg on Norway
Germany invaded Norway in 1940 to secure naval bases to use against the British fleet. Germany also wanted the guaranteed iron imports for theirselves. Although Britain tried to help Norway fight off the Germans, they surrendered on June 10th. In Norway, thee were many Jews, which led to all male jews being arrested in 1942. The men that were arrested were eventually shipped off to concentration camps. [http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005460] -
Fall of Paris
When France saw the Germans building up their army, they decided to put all of their troops on the border between them and Germany. What they didn't realize was that Germany had advanced through Belgium and into France. Germany then took over most of France. The government that was set up was run by the French, but controlled by the Nazis. [http://www.secondworldwarhistory.com/invasion-of-france.asp] -
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was Hitler's plan to invade the Soviet Union. Hitler planned to use another blitzkrieg on the Soviets to reach the capital, Moscow. The nazi army made it far into Russia, taking down enemies while advancing on. They did, however get stopped right outside of Moscow because of an offensive right outside of the city. Because of that and the weather, the Germans had to turn back. [http://www.secondworldwarhistory.com/operation-barbarossa-the-drive-on-smolensk.asp] -
Pearl Harbor
The U.S.A. had remained neutral in the war, but had been supporting the Allies. After they cut off trade with Japan, they decided to plan a suprise attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. Pearl Harbor was a military naval base that hosted many of America's war ships. Although the aircraft carriers were the priority for the Japanese, they ended up timing the attack bad, for they were all gone when they attacked. However, many valuable ships were sunk in the attack [http://www.secondworldwarhistory. -
The Wannsee Conference
The Wannsee Conference is also know as "the Final Soulution". This was the start of the erratication of the Jewish race by the Nazis. Before the conference, the mass-murder of the Jews had not left Germany's borders. After the conference, though, the genocide was to spread through out Europe, causing an uncontrolled panic in those of Jewish descent. [http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005477] -
Bataan Death March
On April 9th, 1942, the U.S. surrendered the Bataan Penninsula. The P.O.W.s were then forced to march 65 miles to the prison camps. The march was very perilous because not only were thye abused by the Japanese guards, but the heat was unbearable. After the war, the commander of the Japanese forces in the Philippines was charced with death march. Thousands died in the march. [http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/bataan-death-march] -
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
The Warsaw Ghettos were where the German SS Officers sent the Jews who would eventually be killed. They would be deported to either a work camp or a death camp. However, several secret orginizations created an oposition force known as the Jewish Combat Orginization. It was about 200 members strong and it's goal was to free the Jews held in Warsaw. This was the first Jewish uprising against German forces and inspired many others. [http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005188] -
the Battle of Stalingrad
Hitler had invaded declared war on the U.S.S.R. and had invaded them. While he was pushing farther into the country, he was stopped right outside of Moscow in the city of Satlingrad. He decided tha tsince the city was rich in oil, he would also take that city. During the battle, the Soviets managed to hold on for one year. The cold conditions were the reason the Germans retreated. [http://www.secondworldwarhistory.com/battle-of-stalingrad.asp] -
Operation Gomorrah
This was the operation that Britain used to contionuouslly bombard German war factories and cities with bombs. But it wasn't only Britain. America decided to join in, bombing Germany by day while Britain flew at night. Amazingly, only twelve Allied fliers were lost in the air raids. These raids went on until November. [http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/operation-gomorrah-is-launched] -
D-Day
D-Day is also known as the Invasion of Normandy, France. At the time, France was under German control and was one of the quickest routes to the German capitol. Germany had put all of it's forces on the shores of the beaches and attacked the Allies with mostly everything they had. The three nations, America, Britain, and Canada stormed the beaches that day. It is one of the most important dates in the entirety of World War II. [http://www.secondworldwarhistory.com/d-day-the-allied-invasion-of -
Battle of the Bulge
After the Invasion of Normandy, the Germans fiured a desperate counter attack known as the Battle of the Bulge. Hitler's goal was to reach the city of Antwerp to try to stop the Allies from getting supplies. His hope was to also split the American and Canadian forces up to weaken each side. This battle displayed some of the most violent and heavy artillery in the war. The German's counter attack failed and the Allies advanced on. [http://www.secondworldwarhistory.com/battle-of-the-bulge.asp] -
Operation Thunderclap
Operation Thunderclap was in discussion among the Allies for a while and was a plan to eliminate an eastern front. The plan consisted of bombing eastern Germany to try to eliminate them from getting supplies. The city Dresden in eastern Germany had recieved little top no bombing. Some said it was because the Allies wanted to keep one city for a new administrative center after the war. The allies bombed Dresden with the first wave consisting of 244 pilots. [http://ww2today.com/13-february-19 -
Battle of Iwo Jima
This battle was known as an amphibious attack. That ment that the American troops would advance from out of the water and onto the land. The Japanese troop fought in a confusing combination of dugouts and trenches. Because of this, and on top of the new terrain, this battle was very difficult for the allied troops. In the end, the Allies prevailed and the famous picture of the troops raising the American flag was shot there. [http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-iwo-jima] -
Battle of Okinawa
This was the last Pacific battle the Allies fought. In this battle, the Japanese were defenting vital air bases to their victory. The Japanese had turned to suicide attacks to try to win. This included things like suicide bombing or crashing a plane. In the end, the Allies suffered around 65,000 casualties [http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-okinawa] -
The Liberation of Concentration Camps.
The Allied troops had moved all across Germany and began to see many concentration camps. The people in the camps were underfed and dying when the Allies went into the camps. In Auschwitz, they found alarming amounts of human hair, as well as personal belongings. The Soviets had helped liberate the camps that were in the Baltic regions and in Poland. This was the first time that the Nazi camps were revealed to the public. http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005131] -
VE Day
This was the day that Nazi Germany formaly surrendered. But, the German forces were concerned with steering clear of the Soviet forces and leaving the U.S.S.R. However, the Russians took around 2 million prisoners. This was also the start of the Nuremburg trials. These were trials that charged Nazi officers with crimes against humanity. [http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/victory-in-europe] -
Dropping of the Atomic Bombs
The dropping of the atomic bomb led to Japan surrendering to the Allies and officially ending World War II. The atomic bomb was a bomb that, when dropped, would split an atom in half and cause an explosion for miles. This bomb was developed through a project known as the Manhattan Project, which granted scientists the right to test the bomb in secluded deserts. The Allies bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki [http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/bombing-of-hiroshima-and-nagasaki] -
VJ Day
This was the day that Japan formally surrendered to the Allies, ending World War Two. A formal ceremony took place on September second in Tokyo Bay. Large celebrations were held for all the homecoming veterans when they came back from war, like parades. President Truman announced Japan's surrender in a press conference. Vj celebrations have gone out of favor because the victory is in the past now. Rhode Island is the only state with a celebration on Vj Day. [http://www.history.com/topics/wo
