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World War II
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Start of WWII
Germany invades Poland, war begins: Germany seizes Czechoslovakia. Both Hitler and Stalin sign a nonaggression pact. On September 1st, Germany invades Poland, causing France and Britain to declare war on Germany. -
Battle of Atlantic Begins
This was the longest continuous military campaign in all of WWII. There was a naval blockade of Germany that was announced a day after the declaration of war and included naval boats, air warfare, on both Germany’s and the Allies. The battle lasted the entire war and its end was the wars end as well. -
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Battle of Britain
This was the first major campaign fought entirely by air forces. It was waged by the German air force (Luftwaffe) against the United Kingdom. Germany’s goal was to gain superiority over the Royal Air Force. The Germans used the terror bombing strategy. Germany failed, however, unsuccessfully being able to dominate Britain’s air force, being the first major turning point in WWII by preventing the Germans from air superiority. -
Auschwitz Established
The camp was originally designed to hold Polish prisoners, who started arriving in May. As the camp gradually grew, Jews were killed in gas chambers. It became the Nazi’s “final solution to the Jewish question.” -
Germany invades France and Netherlands
On this date the Battle of France, otherwise known as the Fall of France, took place, defeating primary France forces. On this date as well, the Battle of the Netherlands also began, and lasted until the main Dutch forces surrendered on the 14th. -
Evacuation begins of Allied troops to Dunkirk, France
This was a battle apart of the western front. The British, French, and Belgian soldiers were cornered on the beaches but were rescued by the Royal Navy. -
The Bismarck ship is sunk.
This was one of the largest battleships that the German army had. They were very instrumental in the success of the German army, but was attacked and sunk by a fleet of British ships on this day. -
Germany invades the USSR (Operation Barbarossa).
Over four million soldiers invaded the USSR, making it the largest invasion in history, using thousands of horses and weapons. This was incredibly bloody; causing almost 95% of all of Germany’s casualties during the war and 65% of the Allied casualties during the war. -
Atlantic Conference
This conference defined the allie’s goals for the war. It was drafted to the US president (Roosevelt) and the British prime minister (Churchill) and was then later accepted by the allied forces. -
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The Japanese attack the United States’ military base on Pearl Harbor. Days later, the United States Congress and President Roosevelt declare war on Japan and enters World War II. By 1942, Japan had conquered Guam, the Philippines, Malaya, Burma, Indonesia, Singapore, and much more of the Southwest Pacific. -
Wannsee Conference
Held at Wannsee, a suburb of Berlin, the senior officials of Nazi Germany met and discusses the cooperation of administrative leaders of different government departments in regards to the “The Final Jewish question.” It is the conference in which they decided that mass murder was their solution. -
The Doolittle raid on Japan
This was an air raid by the United States against Tokyo and other places on the Honshu islands. It showed that Japan was vulnerable to American air raid, with the reaction of Japan being Pearl Harbor. It was the first raid to effect the Japanese Home Islands. -
Batte of Midway begins
This was one of the most important naval battles of the war. The United States’ navy inflicted major damage on the Japanese fleet. This was mostly a retaliation after the attacks on Pearl Harbor, which was six months prior. -
Allied Forces invade North Africa
This was the British-American invasion of French North Africa during the North Africa campaign. This attack cleared the Axis powers from North Africa, improved their naval control of the Mediterranean Sea, and prepared for their invasion of Southern Europe. -
Siege of Stalingrad
This was the battle in which Nazi Germany fought against the Soviet Union over control of the Stalingrad, in the southwestern Soviet Union. It remains to be one of WWII’s bloodiest battles, due to its abundance of civilian casualties and close quarters combat in which this battle was fought. By February 1943, the Axis forces had exhausted their resources. The remaining members of the 6th Army surrendered. -
Casablanca conference begins.
This was a conference where the allies met and decided what their strategies would be for the next phase of the war. In attendance was the US president, Franklin Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and generals Charles de Gualle, and Henri Giraud. -
Allied Forces Land at Normandy
This was the invasion and establishment of Western Forces in Normandy, the largest invasion to ever take place. Canada, the French forces, the UK and the US all experienced combat during this siege. The invasion began with overnight parachute and glider landings onto five beaches. -
D-Day
The United States’ army landed on the shores of Normandy, which initiated the Western Allies’ effort to liberate mainland Europe from Nazi Germany. This marks the beginning of the US involvement on European land in World War II. -
Battle of the Bulge
This was a major German offensive campaign launched through Belgium, France, and Luxembourg on the Western front towards the end of the war. This surprise attack caught the Allies off guard, and seriously depleted the U.S.’s forces. It also depleted Germany’s war-making resources. -
Yalta Conference
The purpose was to decide the European post-war reorganization and decide the re-establishment for the war-torn nations. In attendance was president Roosevelt, prime minister Churchill, and premier Stalin. -
Battle of Berlin
This was the final major battle of the war. Hitler committed suicide, which caused the unconditional surrender of Berlin and all the German forces. The United States also drops atomic bombs on Japan. This marks the end of World War II. -
Bombings of Hiroshima
Hiroshima was hit with atomic bombs by the United States during the final stages of the war. Nagasaki and Hiroshima were the first and only uses of nuclear weapons during wartime. This was a retaliation from their attack on Pearl Harbor. -
Nagasaki Bombings
The Americans dropped atomic bombs on Nagasaki killing 140,000 people instantly. Tens of thousands later died of burns, wounds, and other injuries. Nagasaki suffered the same fate as Hiroshima.