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Germany invades Poland
Germany and Russia agreed on a pact to split Poland between them, so that neither had to worry about competition from the other. This allowed Germany to invade uncontested, which was a successful plan. Poland's army was no match for the power of Germany and Russia combined, thus causing the conquest of the country and the beginning of WWII. -
Germany invades France, capturing Paris
Germany created a plan to defeat the Allies, which consisted of two major operations. Case Yellow, the first one, consisted of Germany pushing through Somme Valleyed surrounding the Allied units near Belgium, then advancing to Dunkirk. Case Red, the second operation, followed this. This involved engaging the remaining French forces, then marching into Paris uncontested. -
Germany bombed London, and the Battle of Britain began
Germany devised a plan to bomb London and other major British cities in hopes of bringing about a surrender. When the plan was executed by the Luftwaffe, thousands of people were killed by the bombs. After the initial attack, the bombing was going to proceed, but the Royal Air Force fought back, eventually driving the Germans from Britain. This British victory was a massive turning point since it was Hitler's first military defeat in WWII. -
The Lend Lease Act was created by the United States.
Early in WWII, Franklin D. Roosevelt thought of a policy to help other nations that were fighting the Axis Powers. This was later elaborated in one of his Fireside Chats, eventually becoming a complete system. This allowed the United States to lend and lease war supplies to allied nations such as Britain, hence the name "Lend-Lease". The system was a massive help in the war since it helped prevent Britain from being taken over.
Source : http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1600.html -
Germany invaded the Soviet Union
During Germany's original invasion of Poland, Hitler signed a pact with his rival, Joseph Stalin. He had considered this as a decoy for his plan to capture part of Russia, eventually taking over the Soviet Union. This happened in 1941, when Hitler's army invaded the Soviet Union. The initial attack was overwhelming to the Soviets, however, they were able to fight back at Stalingrad, defeating Germany, and greatly weakening them.
Source:https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005164 -
Pearl Harbor was bombed the Japanese military
Prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States constantly provided Japan with oil supplies, however, once the Japanese joined the Axis Powers, the US cut these supplies. This left the Japanese angered, ready to initiate conflict, which they did. On December 7, 1941, the Japanese military bombed the United States naval base, Pearl Harbor, killing thousands. This caused the United States to abandon neutrality and enter WWII.
Source: https://www.britannica.com/event/Pearl-Harbor-attack -
Germany declared war on the United States, with them declaring war on Japan and Germany
After Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, Italy and Germany were quick to support their ally in declaring war on the United States. President Franklin D. Roosevelt debated with Congress on whether to respond with war or to remain the neutral. After a couple days, it was clear that the United States was going to declare war on the Axis Powers. This declaration officially made the US join WWII.
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/11/newsid_3532000/3532401.stm -
The United States emerged victorious in the Battle of Midway
Once Pearl Harbor was bombed, and the United States entered WWII, the Pacific Theater of War emerged, with Japan and the US competing for dominance. The most significant event of this setting was the Battle of Midway. During this battle, the US and Japan clashed on Midway Island, attempting to gain dominance of the territory. Due to advanced code breaking systems, the US was able to win the battle. This was a major turning point.
Source:http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-midway -
Allied Troops land in Normandy on D-Day to liberate Western Europe
After the Germans conquered France in 1940, a second front in Western Europe was exposed, creating a massive target for the Allied Powers. On June 6, 1944, Allied troops landed in Normandy, France, attempting to liberate Western Europe. They began their invasion, which turned out to be successful due to a deceptive initial attack. The free French forces later liberated Paris, allowing the US to reach Germany's border.
Source:https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005158 -
The United States dropped two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, ending WWII.
After the defeat of Germany and Italy in 1945, Japan refused to surrender, continuing to fight in the Pacific. Since the US had suffered enough casualties, President Harry S. Truman threatened Japan with nuclear warfare, deciding that the US had to do this. Since the Japanese didn't surrender, the bombs were dropped. On August 6, 1945, the first bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, killing thousands. Three days later, the second was dropped on Nagasaki. This caused a definite Japanese surrender.
