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Germany invaded Poland and the Soviet Union also invaded Poland and the Baltic nations
German forces invaded Poland on land and from the air, because Adolf Hitler wanted to regain lost territory and gain control of Poland. The Polish armed forces hoped to hold out long enough so that an offensive could be mounted against Germany, but soon enough Soviet forces invaded from the east and there was no chance left. The next day, Poland’s government and military leaders fled the country and it started World War 2. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/germans-invade-poland -
Germany invaded France and captured Paris
The attack began on 10 May 1940, with German air raids on Belgium and Holland, followed by parachute drops and attacks by ground forces. German forces defeated the Allies in mobile operations, leading to the invasion of France. The French collapse was as sudden as it was unexpected. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/fall_france_01.shtml -
Germany bombed London and the Battle of Britain began
German and British air forces fought in the skies over the United Kingdom, in what is known as the largest sustained bombing campaign to that date. Germany had attacked and bombed London for 8 months in which more than 40,000 people died. The Battle of Britain ended when Germany’s Luftwaffe failed to gain power over the Royal Air Force despite months of targeting Britain’s air bases and military posts. http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-britain -
The U.S. sent war supplies to Britain in exchange for military bases
During World War II, the United States began to provide significant military supplies and other assistance to the Allies. The Land-Lease policy was an alliance between the US and Britain that said they would send aid to each other during the war. The U.S. was given leases on army and naval bases in Allied territory during the war in return for military supplies to the Allies. https://history.state.gov/milestones/1937-1945/lend-lease -
Germany invades the Soviet Union
Under the name Operation "Barbarossa," Germany invaded the Soviet Union in the largest German military operation of World War II. Much of the existing Soviet air force was destroyed on the ground and the Soviet armies were overwhelmed. Despite major losses in the first six weeks of the war, the Soviet Union did not fall as Germany had expected. A while after the Soviet Union launched a major counterattack driving the Germans back. https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005164 -
Japan bombed Pearl Harbor
Japanese fighter planes attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor near Honolulu, Hawaii. The barrage lasted just two hours, but the results were devastating. More than 2,000 Americans soldiers and sailors died in the attack, and another 1,000 were wounded. The bombing of Pearl Harbor is what had caused the U.S to join World War 2. http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/pearl-harbor -
The Declaration of War from both Germany and the U.S.
On December 8, 1941, the United States Congress declared war on Japan in response to that country's surprise attack on Pearl Harbor the prior day. It was created an hour after the Infamy Speech of US President Franklin D. Roosevelt. On 11 December, four days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the United States declaration of war against the Japanese Empire, Nazi Germany declared war against the United States. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_declaration_of_war_on_Japan -
U.S victory in the Battle of Midway
Six months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States defeated Japan in a naval battle of World War II. The United States was able to counter Japan’s planned ambush causing permanent damage on the Japanese Navy. The Americans sank four fleet carriers, with 322 aircraft and over five thousand sailors. The Japanese also lost their heavy cruiser. American losses included 147 aircraft and more than three hundred seamen. http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-midway -
D-Day and Liberation of Western Europe
It was the day the Allied powers crossed the English Channel and landed in Normandy, France, beginning the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi control during World War II. In three months, the northern part of France was freed and the invasion force was preparing to enter Germany. By the end of June, the Allies had 850,000 men and 150,000 vehicles in Normandy and were poised to continue their march across Europe. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/d-day -
U.S bombing of 2 Japanese cities
American bomber dropped the world’s first deployed atomic bomb over the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The explosion wiped out 90 percent of the city and immediately killed 80,000 people. Three days later, a second bomber dropped another A-bomb on Nagasaki, killing an estimated 40,000 people. Japan’s Emperor Hirohito announced his country’s unconditional surrender in World War II after the bombings. http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/bombing-of-hiroshima-and-nagasaki
