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Japanese Invasion of China
The Japanese invaded China starting the Second Sino-Japanese War. Chinese forces were unable to resist Japan's forces. Japan moved South taking control of most of Eastern China and all of their major ports by the time war broke out in Europe. -
Ribentrop/ Molotov Pact
Hitler and Stalin signed a non-aggression pact. The treaty decided what pieces of land that Russia would get and what pieces of land that Germany would get. The treaty split up tand annexed he Baltic states of Latvia, Eastonia, Lithuania and Poland. -
Germany's invasion of Poland
1.5 million German troups invaded Poland. Hitler claimed that the attack was defensive. Britian and France were not convinced. On september 3rd they declared war on Germany initiating WWII. -
Fall of Paris
German forces invaded France on April 14. Arrests, intergigation and spying took place. The French were told not to surender By Churchill because of the hope that America might formaly get involved. In the end Paris fell under Germany's power. -
Operation Barbarossa
Hitler invaded from the North Cape to the Black Sea into Soviet territory. This was a turning point in the war because it's failure forced Germany to fight a two-front war against coalition possesing superior recourses. -
Pearl Harbor
Hundreds of Japanese fighter planes attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor. The attack lasted only two hours but the results were devistating. 20 American ships were destroyed along with 300 airplanes. 2,000 Ameican soilders died and 1,000 were wounded. The day after the assault America declared war on Japan. -
Bataan Death March
When the US surrendered the Bataan paninsula to Japan about 75,000 Fillipino and American troups on Bataan were forced to make a 65 mile march to prison camps. They had to make the treck in harsh heat and were subjected to harsh treatment by Japanese guards. Thousands died. -
Battle of Midway
6 months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S defeated Japan in one of the most important battles of the war. The Japanese tried to destroy the remaining American aircraft carriers from Pearl Harbor. Because of the advancment in code breaking the U.S was able to counter Japan's attack. -
Battle of Stalingrad
The successfull soviet defense of the city Stalingrad. It stopped the German advance into the Soviet Unionnand turned the war in favor of the allies. It was the bloodiest battle with 2 million casualties. -
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
Residents of the Jewish Ghetto in Warsaw, Poland staged an armed revolt against deportations to extermination camps. This uprising inspired in extermination camps and ghettos. -
Operation Gomorrah
Brittish bombers raid Hamburg, Germany by night while American bombers bomb it by day. Brittian had suffered deaths from German bombers and Operation Gomorrah was an act of defense. more than 15,000 German civiians were killed in the first Brittish raid. -
D-Day (Normandy Invasion)
The allied liberation of Western Europe from Germany's control. 156,000 American, Brittish and Canadian forces landed on 5 beaches along a 50 mile stretch on the coast of France's Normandy region. The invasion was one of the largest in history and required extensive planning. By late August all of Northern France had been liberated, D- Day was known as the beginning of the end of the war. -
Battle of the Bulge
Adolph Hitler tried to split the Allied arms in Northwest Europe by a surprise attack. Lieutenant General George S. Patton was vital to the allie's deffense and Germany ended up being nuetralized. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
The American's invaded Iwo Jima during WWII because of their need for a base near the Japanes coast. The base was defended by around 23,000 Japanese troups. Despite the difficult conditions the American Marines were able to wipe out the defending forces after about a month. -
Battle of Okinawa
The last and biggest pacific island battles. It invlolved US and Japanese forces. They were fighting over naval bases that were escential for the invasion of Japan. -
VE Day
Both Great Britian and the United States celebrated victory on this day as well as formaly occupied cities in Western Europe. They put out Flags and Banners celebrating the defeat of the Nazi "war machine". This Day marked the day that the German soilders Layed down there arms and surendered. -
Liberation of Consentration Camps
As allied troups came into Germany they came across many consentration camps where Jewish people were held. Many camps were destroyed before troups could see the mass murders that occured there. The Soviets were the first to dismantle the camps and other troups followed. -
Postdam Decleration
Just after the bombing of Nagasaki, Japan accepted the terms of the postdam conference which was unconditional surrender. Harry S. Truman ordered a hault to Atomic Bombing. -
Dropping of the atomic bombs
During world war II, an American B9 bomber dropped the first ever atomic bomb on Hiroshima.The bomb wiped out 90% of the city and killed 80,000 people imediatly. 3 days later an other bomb was dropped on Nagasaki killing another 40,000 people. Japan's Emporor then officially surendered from the war on August 15th. -
VJ Day
It was announced that Japan had surrendered effectively ending the war. Since then relationships have been tense between the countries.
