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Nonaggression Pact
The nonaggression pact was a promise between Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin and Hitler, in which they agreed not to attack each other. This pact was made because Stalin didn’t want to join the west, and because Hitler was going to give him territory. This, however, was just a ploy to bribe and distract Stalin with promises of land until Hitler decided to attack Russia. -
Germany Invades Poland, WWII Begins
Blitzkrieg means lightning war in German, and is a war tactic based on speed and surprise. Hitler planned to conquer Poland, and so, on September 1,1939, he sent German tanks and troop trucks across Poland’s border. This caused an attack by Russia on Finland, which made the French and British declare war on Germany. This was essentially the kick-off for WWII. -
Battle of Britain
Winston Churchill was the British prime minister at the time of the Battle or France, and put up a bold front against Germany. During the battle, many new technological devices were used against Germany, such as radar and a code-making machine called Enigma. As the battle continued, Britain became too strong for Germany, and so the latter retreated. -
Britain Evacuates Forces from Dunkirk
Great Britain sent a fleet of 850 ships to rescue their army from Dunkirk. Here, they had been trapped by German forces and could not escape, and it did not end until every single one of the 338,000 men were carried to safety. -
France Surrenders
Charles De Gaulle was a French general who set up a government after France fell, and set up the Free French military who battled against Germany. After the event in Dunkirk, Germany had taken over Paris. France was forced to surrender because of their lack of resistance, and Germany quickly took over the northern part of the country. -
Germany Invades Soviet Union
Operation Barbarossa was Hitlers plan to invade the Soviet Union. When Germany invaded the Soviet Union, they gained 500 miles into Russia, and while they did so, Russia burned everything in their path. On Sepember 8, Leningrad was under siege and soon became cut off from the rest of the Soviet Union. Hitler wanted this territory and also wanted control over Russia. Finally, after the city refused to give up, the fighting ended, and Hitler had gained nothing. -
Japanese Attack Pearl Harbor
Isoroku Yamamoto was an admiral of Japan, and one of their greatest naval strategists. The Japanese attacked American soldiers who were stationed at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. It took them only two hours to sink/damage 19 ships moored there, and kill more than 2,300 Americans. They bombed Pearl Harbor because it was “a dagger pointed at [Japan’s] throat” and they were threatened by it. It ended with America declaring war on Japan. -
US Declares War on Japan
The United States declared war on Japan. President Roosevelt addressed the congress on December 7, and they accepted his declaration of war on Japan and its allies almost immediately. War was declared because of the bombing on Pearl Harbor. -
The Battle of Guadalcanal
General Douglas MacArthur found out that the Japanese had a huge air base that they were building on the island of Guadalcanal. He decided to attack, and the battle quickly turned brutal. Fresh troops were being constantly brought in, and the battle went on for six months. The battle occurred because MacArthur wanted to defeat the Japanese and saw his chance to sneak in and do it. The battle ended after the Japanese pulled out because of there loss of 24,000 soldiers. -
Bataan Death March
The Bataan Death March was enforced by the Japanese, who made their prisoners walk more than 50 miles up the Bataan peninsula. These prisoners were all soldiers for the Allied powers, and were treated horribly. The Japanese did this because they wanted to prove, once and for all, that they were victorious and powerful. About 70,000 prisoners were forced to participate in the death march, and only around 54,000 survived. -
Battle of Midway
Aircraft carriers are boats that carry airplanes, a sort of seagoing airbase. In the Battle of Midway, The American forces were fighting against the Japanese forces, and both were using aircraft carriers. The American planes flew in to attack the Japanese fleets and planes. 332 Japanese planes were destroyed. The attack took place because Japan was targeting Midway Island, near Hawaii. The American fleets won, and the Japanese withdrew what was left of his fleet. -
Battle of Coral Sea
The Battle of Coral Sea was between the Allies and Japan. Both sides used naval Battle of Coral Sea warfare that they had never used before. They sent planes from their naval ships to attack the opposers planes and naval ships. This battle happened because the Japanese had a fleet of ships headed towards Port Moresby in New Guinea. No one really won this battle, but the Allies did stop the Japanese’s advance. -
Hitler Orders Attack on Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was between Germany and Russia, and russia won. Hitler ordered the attack on Stalingrad because it was the industrial center of the Volga River. The attempted capture of Stalingrad led to the Battle of Stalingrad, which ended only after the German troops surrendered because of their frostbitten and starving armies. -
Allies Land in North Africa
Operation Torch was the British innovation of North Africa, Morocco and Algeria. They attacked because they wanted to take control over the the British forces stationed in North Africa. The Allied Powers attacked North Africa with 100,000 troops, mostly Americans, who were defeated by Africa’s armies in May. -
Germans Surrender at Stalingrad
The Germans, after a weary fight in the bitter cold against the Soviet Union, were forced to surrender because of their frostbitten and starving troops. Now, however, the Germans were on the defensive side of the fight because of the Russians pushing them back west. -
Allies Invade Italy
The Allies began to invade Italy, and by doing so they conquered Sicily, which took Mussolini from power. They wanted to take over Italy because they needed more forces and wanted more land. Italy surrendered on September 3, but the fighting continued when the Germans put Mussolini back in power. The fighting didn’t stop until May 1945 when Germany fell. -
Germany Surrenders
V-E Day was the day of Victory in Europe. After Germany surrendered to the Allied powers in the Battle of the Bulge, the surrender was signed on May 9, making it V-E Day. This also marked the end of the war in Europe. -
Normandy Invation
D-Day is the day that the Canadian, French, British, and American troops fought until they got onto a beach in Normandy which was 60 miles long. The innovation of Normandy was by the troops named above, to Normandy, Germany. The Allies fought against the Germans, and from the American troops alone, more than 2,700 men died. The Allies were attempting to launch a surprise attack against Hitler, hoping to defeat him. The fighting from D-day ended on July 25, though the Allied forces then went on t -
The Battle of Leyte Gulf
Kamikazes were pilots that were Japanese soldiers. They would sink Allied ships or planes by sacrificing their own. The Japanese used this tactic against the Allied powers in the Battle of Leyte Gulf. This battle took place because the Japanese wanted to halt the Allies advance. The Japanese were destroyed within just four days because of their lack of navy. -
The Battle of the Bulge Begins
The Battle of the Bulge began with the Allies advancing towards Germany from the west, while the Soviet Union came from the east. Hitler attempted an attack in the west, hoping that would break up the American and British forces and their supply lines. Hitler wanted to win this battle because of its importance. If he didn’t win this battle, it seemed as though he would be defeated. The battle ended with Germany surrendering. -
Allies Capture Iwo Jima
The American Marines took over an island called Iwo Jima, which was only 760 miles away from Tokyo. This only occurred after a month of fighting the kamikaze pilots. The American troops wanted to get closer to the capital of Japan and overthrow it. -
Allies Capture Okinawa
The U.S. troops moved onto the Island of Okinawa, which was only 350 miles from southern Japan. One of the bloodiest land battles ensued. The American troops were looking to invade Japan. The battle ended with Japanese loosing over 100,000 troops, and Americans loosing 12,000 troops. -
America Drops Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima & Nagisaki
The Manhattan Project was a research and development project that produced the first atomic bombs in WWII. The Americans developed this project, and so used these bombs against Japan. They dropped the first bomb on Hiroshima, killing between 70,000 to 80,000 people. The second bomb was dropped on Nagisaki and killed over 70,000 people. -
Japan Surrenders
Mostly because of the atomic bombs, but also because their navy and army were diminished, the Japanese surrendered to Gerneral Douglas MacArthur on September 2. There was a ceremony on the U.S. battleship “Missouri” in Tokyo bay. With this surrender, the war had ended.
