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Japan Invades Manchuria
In early September of 1931, the Japanese staged and accident on their railway to justify their attack on the Chinese army that had recently killed a spy from Japan. The Chinese army did not fight back because they knew of this excuse to invade. -
Munich Pact
The Munich Pact was an agreement that was signed on September 30th, 1938 by Neville Chamberlain and Edouard Daladier, the French and British prime ministers, in addition to Adolf Hitler. This pact allowed for the annexation of some parts of Czechoslovakia by Germany. -
German Invasion of Poland
Hitler attacked Poland with both his army, and his air force, he wished to regain lost territory and eventually rule over Poland. He used a tight formation of soldiers that would eventually become his signature "blitzkrieg" strategy. -
The Battle of the Atlantic
The Battle of the Atlantic was an important event both because of its length, and the use of technology. Germany created a naval blockade, and if the Allied forces couldn't protect their merchant ships, they could lose the war. This then led to the advancement of the Navy throughout the majority of the war. -
The Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain was a major event in the war because it was a much larger part of Hitler's plan. The Nazis attacked Britain, hoping to overtake their Royal Air Force, before they would then begin a sea and air invasion. -
The North African Campaign
The battles in North Africa were extremely important because of the fact that this determined the Suez Canal which would allow for vast access to the raw resources of Asia. THe most important of which was oil because of the way that the majority of the equipment required oil to function. -
Germany Invades Russia
In 1939 Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin both signed a nonaggression pact, but Hitler still began the planning of Operation Otto, the invasion of the Soviet Union. When put into action, Russia joined the Allied forces due to this betrayal by Germany. -
The Bombing of Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise bombing run by Japan on the United States naval base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. This was crucial because of the way that it was a major cause of the United States' entrance into the war. A Japanese marshal by the name of Isoroku Yamamoto later said, "I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve." -
The Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was a possibly the most important battle on this list because of how crucial it was to both sides. Hitler knew that by winning the battle of Stalingrad, Joseph Stalin's pride would be greatly damaged, and it would also allow him to have a stronghold from which he could continue to take over Russia. Fortunately for the Allied forces, they won this battle, which then helped rally the soldiers and create a turning point in the war. -
Normandy Campaign/D-Day
D-Day was the day of initialization of a combat operation by the Allied powers. This operation had the goal of helping with the liberation of Europe from the Nazi party. -
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was the final effort by the Nazi party to force the Allied powers back into northwest Belgium. It was a very monumental battle due to the fact that it put an end to the Nazi part and because of the impact that it had on the soldiers who fought. -
The Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa, also known as Operation Iceberg, fought between the Japanese and American armies and marines.This was the the last major operation of the Pacific War that proved just how deadly the invasion of Japan could become, about 50,000 Allied causalities were reported. -
The Death of Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler had decided to remain in an underground, self-sustaining, bunker for the remainder of the war. At one point, he was warned by his officer that the Russian army was only about a day from over taking his chancellery. Rather than flee, Hitler chose to swallow a cyanide pill with his wife and take his own life. -
Germany Surrenders
Because the Russian army was approaching Berlin, Germany's capital, Adolf Hitler committed suicide.This then left Karl Dönitz to lead the Nazi party. To prevent any further losses, Germany surrendered to the Allies on the 7th of May, 1945. -
Atomic Bombs Dropped on Japan
After learning from the losses of the Battle of Okinawa, President Truman ordered a five-ton atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima.These atomic bombings caused anywhere from 90,000–146,000 casualties in Japan. -
Japan Surrenders
On the 2nd of September, 1945, Japan formally signed the document of surrender which then brought the hostile activity of World War 2 to an end
