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World War II timeline

  • The German invasion of Poland

    The German invasion of Poland
    Germany invaded Poland in order to try to takr back land that was previously owned by Germany. The battle would last for over a month and Germany would gain full control of Poland. This event is seen as the start of World War 2.
  • The fall of France

    The fall of France
    The German army began its invasion on France on May 10th,1940. Over 7 weeks the German forces would push their way through the country before ultimately capturing the capital on June 25th.
  • Attack on Soviet Union

    Attack on Soviet Union
    Germanys attempted invasion of the Soviet Union is one of the largest military battles in history. This was after Germany and the Soviet union had signed a nonagression pact. Germany sent roughly 3,000,000 troops. By the end of it the Soviet Union had won but had lost 800,000 troops while the Germans lost 775,000 troops.
  • Doolittle raid

    Doolittle raid
    The Doolittle raid consisted of 16 airplanes led by James Doolittle. Their target was Tokyo. Their attack was succesful but many planes ran out of gas and were forced to crash land.
  • Battle of Coral sea

    Battle of Coral sea
    The Battle of Coral sea was a very important moment in the war. Though it technically ended in a draw it was viewed as a win for the allies as they were finally able to stop the Japanese from advancing. The 4 day battle was also the first ever carrier vs carrier battle in history.
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    The Battle of Midway

    The battle of midway was fought between the Japanese led by admiral Yamamoto and the United States led by Admiral Chester Nimitz. The Midway islands were controlled by the United States and were very important because they had multiple military bases,airplanes runways,power plants,and radio facilities. The three day battle had many momentum shifts but ultimately ended in an American victory.
  • The Casablanca conference

    The Casablanca conference
    The Casablanca conference took place in Casablanca,Morroco and was a meeting that spanned 10 days between FDR and Winston Churchhill.Joseph Stalin was also invited but could not come due to being preoccupied with a German attack. The two leaders discussed plans for the next phase of the war. The Casablanca conference
  • Invasion of normandy

    Invasion of normandy
    U.S.,British,and Canadian troops all landed on the shore of Normandy,France. The attack had been in the making for multiple years and was put into action when 156,000 troops attacked. By June 11th the allies had captured the beaches and lost 4,400 men and around 9,000 wounded.
    Normandy invasion
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    Battle of Iwo Jima

    Iwo Jima was an island that was 750 miles from Japan and had three airfields built upon it. The Americans invaded and assumed it would be a relatively easy battle considering how much they outnumbered the Japanese. However the Japanese put up a strategic fight for 5 weeks but ultimately lost.The Battle of Iwo Jima
  • Battle of Okinawa

    Battle of Okinawa
    The battle of Okinawa was the last major battle the war. American troops landed on the beaches of Okinawa on April 1st and went against 130,000 Japanese soldiers. After a month and a half of fighting the American troops secured victory on June 25th.
  • Germany Surrenders

    Germany Surrenders
    After the capital city of Berlin is taken over by Soviet and American forces the Germans unconditionally surrender.
  • Potsdam conference

    Potsdam conference
    The final meeting between "the big three" of FDR,Winston Churchill,and Joseph Stalin. It was held in Potsdam,Germany to discuss punishments,land boundaries,and economic situations after Germany had surrendered.
  • Bombing of Hiroshima

    Bombing of Hiroshima
    America drops an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. This resulted in 135,000 casualties not including those affected by the radiation due to the bomb. Three days later another bomb was dropped in Nagasaki. This resulted in 64,000 casualties
  • Japan surrenders

    Japan surrenders
    Following a string of devestating defeats and the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki,the Japanese finaly surrender.This would take place upon the USS Misouri.