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German Blitzkrieg (https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/blitzkrieg)
In World War II, the Germans used the Blitzkrieg military tactic. Blitzkrieg means lightning war and was used to create disorganization among enemy forces through the use of penetrating deep into enemy lines and taking out enemy firepower. In “Blitzkrieg” warfare, Germans would bomb their targeted area, then send in tanks, and then send in their troops. By using Blitzkrieg, it would result in short military campaigns, which preserves lives and reduces the amount of artillery being used. -
Operation Barbarossa (https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/operation-barbarossa)
Germany invaded Russia with over 3 million soldiers, but they underestimated the Russians resolve. The Germans were ill prepared for the the Russian weather and supplies were inadequate. Hitler thought he was invincible and was determined to conquer the world and exterminate the Jews. Barbarossa failed and Germany was faced with a two-front war they could not win. Russia won the war, but they had 20 million casualties. This was a turning point in WW2, ultimately leading to Germany’s defeat. -
Pearl Harbor (https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/pearl-harbor)
There was a surprise attack by Japanese forces on December 7, 1941 on Pearl Harbor. Hundreds of Japanese fighter planes destroyed nearly 20 American naval vessels and airplanes. For a while, the US was unhappy with Japan’s aggression toward China. The Japanese govt. wanted to expand their territory and take over its import market. More than 2,400 Americans died in the attack. Around 1,000 people were wounded. The day after the attack, President Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war on Japan. -
Battle of Midway (https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-midway)
After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the US defeated the Japanese in one of the most decisive naval battles. Chester Nimitz solved the Japanese fleet codes. Nimitz then placed available US carriers in position to surprise the Japanese that were moving toward Midway for their air strikes. The Japanese were left vulnerable while their carriers were refueling their planes. The US was able to sink 4 of the Japanese fleet carriers and 322 planes. The Battle of Midway was the turning point of WW2. -
Wannsee Conference (https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-wannsee-conference)
At the Wannsee Conference, Nazi officials gathered together to discuss a plan to get rid of the Jews to cleanse the cities. The Nazi officials wanted a “Final Solution” of the “Jewish Question.” The Jewish population was increasing and the Nazi’s believed that their blood was impure. They had to do something before the Jews would begin to revolt against them. This event later would lead to the Holocaust. The Nazi would eventually kill large groups of Jews at extermination camps. -
Bataan Death March (https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/bataan-death-march)
The Japanese invaded the Philippines. In 1942, the US surrendered at the Bataan Peninsula to the Japanese during WW2. Around 75,000 Filipino and American troops on Bataan were forced to march 65 miles to prison camps. They were subjected to harsh treatment, many suffered and died in the intense heat. In 1945, the US and Filipino forces recaptured the Bataan Peninsula, and Manila was liberated shortly after. Japanese General Masaharu in the Philippines was tried for war crimes and executed. -
Battle of Stalingrad (https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-stalingrad)
The Battle of Stalingrad was a military campaign between the the Axis Powers and Russian forces. This battle was one of the longest, largest, and bloodiest battles. Hitler wanted to invade Stalingrad because it was where important goods and artillery were produced, and for propaganda purposes. This gave Russians a special need to protect it. During the battle, around 2 million people were killed or wounded, including thousands of civilians. The battle was a turning point for the Allied forces. -
D-Day (Normandy Invasion) (https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/d-day)
The Allied Forces attacked German forces on the coast of Normandy, France. The battle was code named Operation Overlord. Western Allied efforts wanted to liberate mainland Europe from Nazi Germany. The Allies carried out a deception operation intended to make the Germans think the main invasion target was Pas-de-Calais rather than Normandy. The Allies won and gained victory, which became the turning point for the Allies in eastern Europe during WWII. -
Battle of Iwo Jima (https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-iwo-jima)
The US Marines attacked Iwo Jima, an island 750 miles off the coast of Japan. The US wanted to use Iwo Jima as a staging facility for a potential invasion of mainland Japan. The Japanese used gorilla warfare to withstand the brutal US invasion. Vastly outnumbered, the Japanese managed to battle for 5 weeks. In some of the bloodiest fighting of World War II, 21,000 Japanese forces were killed, as were almost 7,000 Marines. In the end, the US was unable to use Iwo Jima as a WWII staging area. -
Battle of Okinawa (https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-okinawa) and (https://www.britannica.com/topic/Battle-of-Okinawa)
The Battle of Okinawa was one of the bloodiest battles and it was the last major battle of World War II. The capture of Okinawa was part of Americas three-point-plan, Operation Iceberg, to winning the war in the East by using a complex plan to invade and occupy the Ryukyu Islands, including Okinawa. It was the largest landing in the Pacific theater during WWII and resulted in the largest causality death rate of 100,000 Japanese forces and 50,000 Allies. The battle resulted in an Allied victory. -
Dropping of the atomic bombs (https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/bombing-of-hiroshima-and-nagasaki) and (http://www.ushistory.org/us/51g.asp)
Truman demanded Japan to agree to “unconditional surrender” or else suffer “prompt and utter destruction.” The United States dropped two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki after Japan ignored Truman. After the Battle of Okinawa, the United States finally successfully tested the first atomic bomb in New Mexico and Truman decided to use it on Japan to avoid a land invasion and save American lives. Around 250,000 Japanese died as a result of the devastating bombs and Japan finally surrendered. -
Battle of the Bulge (https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-the-bulge)
Hitler ordered a counterattack using Blitzkrieg on Allied troops in Belgium. It ended up crippling Germany by demoralizing their troops and using up reserves. Germans launched the last major offensive of the war in order to attempt to push the Allied front line west from northern France to northwestern Belgium. This battle brought an end to the German army which ended the war in Europe sooner than expected. This battle was the costliest action ever fought by the United States Army. -
Liberation of Concentration Camps (https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/liberation)
Allied and Soviet troops encountered concentration camps of Nazi crimes as they moved across Europe against Nazi Germany. Liberators began to free everyone from the camps and showed later showed the world the horrors that took place within the camps. People from these camps were liberated to free them from the Nazi’s after the war came to an end. This later led to the Nuremberg Trials where Nazis were hunted down one by one to bring them to justice for what they had done. -
VE Day (https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/victory-in-europe)
May 8, 1945 marks the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Nazi Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces. Since Germany lost many of its armed forces at the Battle of the Bulge, Germany had nothing left but to surrender. The Soviet Union went into Berlin first and found Hitler’s body. The German surrender was realized in a final cease-fire. The surrender documents were signed in Berlin and in eastern Germany. This ended the war in Europe. -
VJ Day (https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/v-j-day)
On September 2, 1945, Japan surrendered and WWII ended. After the bombs dropped on Japan, major cities were destroyed and many lives were lost. President Truman attacked and forced Japan to surrender to end the war. He called again for Japan's surrender, warning them to expect more bombs otherwise. Emperor Hirohito urged his people to accept the surrender, blaming the use of the atomic bombs for the country’s defeat. Japan’s formal surrender took place in Tokyo Bay aboard the U.S.S. Missouri.
