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Japanese Invasion of China
The Japanese invaded China as a result of their imperialistic policy--they wanted to become a bigger player in the world. The second Sino-Japanese war began in 1937 after the Marco Polo Bridge Incident. The Japanese scored major victories at first, but eventually they lost footing and the war went on in a stalemate. -
Germany's Invasion of Poland
Nazi Germany invaded Poland with the help of the Free City of Danzig and the Soviet Union starting September 1, 1939. On October 6, 1939, Germany gained full control of Poland following the Battle of Kock. On October 8, 1939, Germany directly annexed Poland and the Free City of Danzig. -
Fall of Paris
German tanks rolled into Paris, and although some two million Parisians had already fled their homes, the majority of the city's people were still there, now under German control. The Germans were quick to make arrests and impose military control over the city. America sent material aid and froze German and Italian assets, but did not formally declare war. -
Blitzkrieg
German bombers, coming just after dark, bombed the city of London many consecutive nights. Rather than invade the UK, Hitler decided to destroy the city instead to demoralize people and force them to come to terms. -
Pearl Harbor
The Japanese launched a quick aerial attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. Three destroyers, three cruisers, an antiaircraft trainingh ship, and a minelayer, as well as 188 US aircarft, were destroyed. 2,403 Americans lost their lives and 1,178 others were injured. This attack caught the US off guard and led to an immmediate US entry into WWII. -
Battle of Stalingrad
The battle of Stalingrad is considered to be one of the bloodiest battles in warfare history. It raged from 23 August 1942 to 2 February 1943. The Axis powers suffered about 850,000 losses, while the Soviets suffered about 1,129,619 losses. The Russian army broke through the two weaker armies defending the German army on either side in a two-pronged attack; they were chased into the city and surrounded. German forces continued to attack civilians and hoped for reinforcements, but none came. -
Allied Invasion of Italy
Most of the Allied governments supported an invasion of Italy. Since popular support for the war was declining there, they reasoned that an invasion would push Italy over the edge and take Italy out of the war, opening the Mediterranian up to Allied control. After a long battle, which the Allies very nearly lost because Germany was able to send in reinforcements faster than they were, the Allies emerged on top and began a slow push towards control of the heart of Italy. -
D-Day
D-Day was an amphibious attack on German forces in Normandy on June 6, 1944. An aerial attack preceded the landing of 156,000 allied troops by shallow-water craft as well as other means. This axis defeat marked the beginning of the liberation of northwestern Europe from German control. -
Liberation of Concentration Camps
Soviet forces, followed by American and British forces, liberated concentration camps across the German sphere of control. Germany attempted to retract of their prisoners inward to keep them from being liberated, and tried to destroy evidence of genocide by setting fire to their camps, but Allied forces arrived faster than the Nazis anticipated. The Soviets found gas chambers and warehouses full of belongings and remains; some armies were able to liberate camps before they were destroyed. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima was a violent and bloody battle. Many Americans died to bring victory, and with the high toll in lives, people began to critcize the strategic value of the island. It was converted into an emergency landing strip for USAAF B-29s. Despite the heavy American casualties, American victory was clear from the very start. -
Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa (code name: Operation Iceberg) was the largest pacific amphibious assault during WWII. It was nicknamed the "Typhoon of Steel" by the Americans and "tetsu no ame" (rain of steel) or "tetsu no bōfū" (violent wind of steel) due to the violent nature of the attack and kamikaze defenders. Over 12,005 Americans were killed or missing by the end of the war. Japan lost 77,166 soldiers, and it is estimated that 1/6 to 1/2 of the civilian population of the island died. -
VE Day
"VE Day," or Victory in Europe Day, was celebrated by the allies after Reichspräsident Karl Dönitz, Hitler's successor (Hitler having committed suicide during the Battle of Berlin on April 30th), authorized the official surrender of the German Army and Nazi Germany to the allies. -
Atomic Bombings
The Atomic Bombing by the United States (with the permission of the UK) of Hiroshima and Nagasaki remains the only use of nuclear weapons for warfare in history. Estimates suggest that these bombings killed at least 129,000 people, mostly civilians. The Japanese surrendered six days after the bombing of Nagasaki. The ethics of these bombs are still in question today. -
VJ Day
"VJ Day," or "Victory in Japan Day" is officially September 2, 1945 (although it was celebrated for the first time on August 15th). September 2 is the day of the official Japanese surrender, and the end of WWII.
