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Japanese Invasion of China (1937)
What happened: Japan invaded and occupied Manchuria and from there encroached on the chinese territory. Japan gradually took over the whole northern country of China.
Why it happened: Japan wanted the vast natural resources that were found in china.
The effects and impact:Japan captured all key Chinese ports and industrial centers. The Japanese killed 300,000 civilians and thousands of chinese soldiers in their attempts. http://www.history.co.uk/study-topics/history-of-ww2/sino-japanese-war -
Ribbentrop/Molotov Pact
What happened: Germany and the Soviets made an agreement. Germany proposed that both countries commit to a nonaggression pact that would last 10 years. It also stipulated that neither country would aid any third party that attacked either signatory. And it contained a secret proposal specifying that the soviet union would acquire the eastern half of Poland, along with Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia. -
Ribbentrop/Molotov Pact
Why it happened: Hitler was fearful that they would be fighting Russian troops and French at the same time so they wanted to do something about.
The effects and impact: Britain and France formed a pledge to Poland in a treaty declaring that both countries would fight in Poland’s defense if it was attacked. http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/german-soviet-nonaggression-pact -
German invasion of Poland
What happened: Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. They bombarde the Polish town Wielun and killed nearly 1,200 people. The German battleship Schleswig-Holstein opened fire on a transit depot at Westerplatte in the Free City of Danzig.
Why it happened: A group of concentration camp prisoners were dressed in polish uniforms, shot and then placed just inside the German border. Hitler claimed that Poland was attempting to invade Germany so he ordered the German Army into Poland. -
German invasion of Poland
The effects and impact: The United Kingdom and France declared war on Germany on September 3, 1939 and began mobilizing their armies and preparing their citizens. Poland was defeated by a combination of German and Soviet forces and was partitioned between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005137
http://www.secondworldwarhistory.com/invasion-of-poland.asp -
German Blitzkrieg
What happened: Germany attacked Poland, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and France using the Blitzkrieg tactic. The Blitzkrieg tactic is where tanks, planes, and artillery drive a breach in enemy defenses permitting armored tank divisions and penetrating rapidly to cause enemy shock and disorganization with the enemy forces. The air forces prevented the enemy from being able to resupply or redeploying forces causing them to surrender. -
German Blitzkrieg
Why it happened: Germany didn't want a long war to occur so they used the Blitzkrieg tactic which is a lightning war.
The effects and impact: Soviet forces were driven back more than 600 miles to the gates of Moscow. https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005437 -
Operation Barbarossa
What happened: All Axis powers were involved (Germany, Romania, Italy, Hungary, Slovakia and Finland) and pushed into assault. They attacked up until Smolensk just outside of Moscow. Their fighting Blitzkrieg tactics slowed because of the poor winter weather. That allowed the Soviets to recoup and rearm which allowed for the Soviet to win.
Why it happened: Germany wanted to invade the Soviet Union and capture the Soviet capital of Moscow. -
Operation Barbarossa
The effects and impact: Germany realized they had underestimated the Soviet defense. http://www.secondworldwarhistory.com/operation-barbarossa-the-drive-on-smolensk.asp -
Pearl Harbor
What happened: 105 high level bombers, 135 dive bombers and 81 fighter aircrafts attacked the US Fleet at Pearl Harbor. In their first attack the Japanese sank the Arizona, Oklahoma, West Virginia and California.
Why it happened: The japanese didn't have enough resources to win a long war against the US, so they wanted to perform a surprise attack to destroy the US fleet in one blow. -
Pearl Harbor
The effects and impact: 18 warships, 188 aircrafts and 2,403 servicemen were lost in the attack. US congress declared war on Japan. http://spartacus-educational.com/2WWpearl.htm -
Wannsee Conference
What happened: The first plan to address the jews was to deport all jews to Madagascar, then they suggested that all jews should be evacuated east. The final decision was that Europe was going to be combed from west to east.
Why it happened: They wanted a plan for a final solution of the Jewish question.
The effects and impact: after the conference the extermination of the jews became a systematically organized operation. http://spartacus-educational.com/GERwannsee.htm -
Battle of Midway
What happened: The US intelligence service broke the Japanese communication code and informed Admiral Chester Nimitz about Japan’s plans of heading to MIdway. 100 aircraft from Nagumo’s carrier force bombed Midway outnumbering the US and causing extensive damage. While the Japanese aircraft were being rearmed they were attacked by carrier planes from Spruance’s task force.
Why it happened: Trying to capture the US base on Midway Island was part of Yamamoto’s plans with the attack of Pearl harbor -
Battle of Midway
The effects and impact: Yorktown and Enterprise arrived on the US side, and sunk a Japanese ship. The Japanese lost all 4 of their aircraft carriers and had to withdraw. http://spartacus-educational.com/2WWmidway.htm -
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
What happened: Between 1940 and 1942 and estimated 100,000 jews died of starvation and disease because the conditions in the Warsaw, Poland ghettos were so bad. After the Wannsee Conference Jews were transported from the ghetto into extermination camps that had the capacity to kill large numbers of jews. On April 1943 the Waffen SS entered Warsaw ghetto and opened fire on the soldiers and attacked with grenades and petrol bombs. -
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
What happened continued: Brigadier general jurgen stroop instructed for all the buildings in the ghetto to be set on fire and rounded up the jews and deported them to the extermination camps. On May 8th, 1943 the Germans began to use poison gas. -
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
Why it happened: September 21, 1939 it was declared that all jews were to be confined into ghettos separated by barbed wire, brick walls and armed guards.
The effects and impact: Only 100 jews survived the 1943 ghetto uprising. http://spartacus-educational.com/2WWwarsawU.htm -
Operation Gomorrah
What happened: Britain raided Hamburg, Germany with 2,300 tons of bombs at night in just a couple of hours. It killed 1,500 German civilians in the first British Raid. Americans helped Britain in their attack and used the US Eighth Air force to bomb northern Germany which included 2 raids on Hamburg during the day.
Why it happened: Britain suffered the deaths of 167 civilians after the German bombing raids in July and Britain wanted to get back at them. -
Operation Gomorrah
The effects and impact: 30,000 people were killed and 280,000 buildings were destroyed including industrial and munitions plants in Germany. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/operation-gomorrah-is-launched -
D-Day
What happened: Allied powers crossed the english channel and landed on the beaches of Normandy and France in a surprise attack at dawn. They bombarded German defenses, sent in 3 airborne divisions and dropped nearly 5,000 tons of bombs
Why it happened: Stalin feared that without a second front Germany would defeat the Allies so he wanted to take action and be proactive. -
D-Day
The effects and impact: The Allies captured the French port Cherbourg and the Germans retreated and france was liberated. http://spartacus-educational.com/2WWdday.htm -
Battle of the Bulge
What happened: Germany had their biggest displays of artillery bombardments on the US VII forces in a line between Aachen and Bastogne. The allied lines were fractured and independent defenses were sprung about.
Why it happened: Hitler wanted to reach the post city of Antwerp and disrupt the Allied front and their needed supply lines along the way.
The effects and impact: All gains made by the German Army were undone because of the Battle of the Bulge. -
Battle of the Bulge information source
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Operation Thunderclap
What happened: The Allies bombed large population centers and prevented relief supplies from getting into eastern Germany. They used terror bombing as their tactic and used 800 tons of bombs in the first attack and used 1,800 tons of bombs in the second attack a couple hours later.
Why it happened: The Allies wanted to attack Germany while their forces were down and low after D-Day.
The effects and impact: The Allies were successful, but killed roughly 45,000 people. -
Operation Thunderclap information source
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Battle of Iwo Jima
What happened: with 250,000 men and 900 ships, US marines captured Mount Suribachi and Motoyama on the Island Iwo Jima.
Why it happened: General Douglas MacArthur decided to try and capture the small volcanic Island of Iwo Jima’s 3 airstrips.
The effects and impact: The US army air force was able to use the island and launch bombing attacks on Japan. 5,391 US marines were killed in the battle and 17,400 men were wounded. -
Battle of Iwo Jima information source
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Battle of Okinawa information source
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Battle of Okinawa
What happened: 1,500 ships headed for the island for the invasion. 2 airfields were captured by the Americans and were forced to withdraw and the island was taken by the US.
Why it happened: Okinawa offered excellent harbour, airfield and troop staging facilities. It was a perfect base for the US to launch major assaults on Japan.
The effects and impact: The capture of Okinawa cost the Americans 49,000 is casualties where 12,520 men died and 110,000 Japanese were killed in the battle. -
VE Day
What happened: Winston Churchill announced may 8, 1945 would be a national holiday
Why it happened: The German radio broadcasted that General Alfred Jodi would sign the official surrender of Nazi Germany the following day.
The effects and impact: May 8 became known as Victory in Europe day. http://spartacus-educational.com/2WWveday.htm -
Dropping of the Atomic Bombs
What happened: an American B-29 bomber called the Enola Gay dropped the world’s first atom bomb over the city of Hiroshima. It exploded over a hospital and unleashed the equivalence of 12,500 tons of TNT. Fiers were sparked all over the city, only 68,000 buildings were destroyed in the bombings. -
Dropping of the Atomic Bombs
Why it happened: President Harry S. Truman made the decision to use the atom bomb to end the war in order to prevent what he predicted would be a much greater loss of life where the United States to invade the Japanese mainland.
The effects and impact: 80,000 people were killed as a direct result of the blast and 35,000 were injured.Then later on in the year 60,000 people died as a result of the effects of the fallout.http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/atomic-bomb-is-dropped-on-hiroshima -
VJ Day
What happened: Japan surrendered to the Allies and effectively ended WWII. August 14th and 15th have been declared as “Victoryover Japan Day” (VJ Day). The term VJ Day is also used for September 2, 1945 when Japan’s formal surrender took place on the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.
Why it happened: The Allies had been attacking the Japanese and the Japanese had to surrender. -
VJ Day
The effects and impact: The surrender ended WWII and restored joy and hope worldwide. There were many celebrations worldwide after the announcement of the Japanese surrendering and the war coming to an end. http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/v-j-day
