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Japanese Invasion of Manchuria
Japan invaded Manchuria seeking raw materials to fuel its growing industries. Within three months Japanese troops had successfully spread throughout Manchuria. By 1937, Japan controlled large sections of China. The League of Nations was announced to investigate Japan as an aggressor, so Japan withdrew from the League of Nations and continued to occupy Manchuria until 1945. -
Strategic bombing
Strategic bombing began in 1939 when Germany invaded Poland and the German Air Force began bombing cities and the civilian population in Poland. As the war continued, bombing by both the Axis and the Allies increased significantly. In 1940, The Royal Air Force began bombing Germany. The effect of strategic bombing was a highly debated topic during and after the war. -
Battle of the Atlantic
The Battle of the Atlantic was the longest continuous military campaign in World War II. The Battle of the Atlantic pitted U-boats and other warships of the Kriegsmarine and aircraft of the Luftwaffe against the Royal Canadian Navy, Royal Navy, United States Navy, and Allied merchant shipping. The situation changed constantly, with one side or the other gaining advantage, as countries surrendered, joined, or changed sides in the war. -
Second Sino-Japanese War
China began a full-scale resistance to the expansion of Japanese influence in its territory. It began with a period of rapid Japanese advance until the end of 1938, then a period of virtual stalemate until 1944, and the final period when Allied created counterattacks. -
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor is the location of a naval base, which was the scene of a devastating surprise attack by the Japanese. Japanese fighter planes descended on the base where they ensued destruction and damage on nearly 20 American naval vessels. Nearly 2,400 Americans died in the attack and another 1,000 were wounded. The following day President Roosevelt asked Congress to declared war on Japan. -
Battle of Moscow
The Battle of Moscow was a military campaign that consisted of two periods of strategically significant fighting. German forces launched Operation Barbarossa and invaded the Soviet Union. The Soviet defensive effort frustrated Hitler's attack on Moscow, which was one of the primary military and political objectives for the Axis forces. They quickly overwhelmed Soviet forces and made large gains. -
Kamikaze
An aircraft that was essentially pilot-guided explosive missiles which were built or converted from conventional aircraft. A kamikaze could sustain damage that would disable a conventional attacker and still achieve its objective. Pilots would attempt to crash their aircraft into enemy ships in what was called a "body attack" in planes laden with some combination of explosives, bombs, and torpedoes. -
Battle of Guadalcanal
The World War II Battle of Guadalcanal was the first major offensive and a decisive victory for the Allies in the Pacific. With Japanese troops stationed, the U.S. staged a surprise attack and took control of an air base under construction. Reinforcements were funneled to the island as a series of land and sea clashes unfolded. Japanese suffered far greater losses, forcing their withdrawal from the Guadalcanal. -
Battle of Midway
Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japan planned an ambush on the United States using its few remaining aircraft carriers. They planned to chose a target relatively close to Pearl Harbor to draw out the American fleet and crush them as they plan a counterattack. With the help of major advances in code breaking, the United States was able to plan and counter the Japanese attacks. -
Tunisia Campaign
The Tunisia Campaign began with an allied amphibious landing in eastern Tunisia and an attack on German positions in west central Tunisia. The British Eighth Army crossed the border into Tunisia. The British 7th Armored Division captured Tunis and the US II Army Corps captured the last remaining port for the Axis.The Axis forces sustained 40,000 casualties in Tunisia and 267,000 German and Italian soldiers became prisoners of war.
