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Kristallnacht
Hitler's most serious attack on the Jews was at Kristallnacht. It was also called the "Night of the Broken Glass". Nazi officials ordered attacks on all Jews in Germany, Austria, and Sudetenland. The secret police and military units destroyed more than 1500 synagogues and 7500 Jewish-owned businesses and killed 200 Jews leaving others injured. This was all a part of Hitler's "Final Solution" to exterminate all Jews under Nazi control. -
Germany invades Russia
Germany attacked Russia in June of 1941. Initially Hitler sent three armies to the major cities of Leningrad, Moscow, and Stalingrad. The Germans penetrated deep into Soviet territory and captured or killed millions of Russians, but could not conquer the Soviet Union. Hitler refused to let his army surrender, and that winter was brutal and many German soldiers were starving and sick. Eventually, 91,000 troops surrendered, but only 5,000 ever returned to Germany. -
Battle of Midway
Midway was an American naval base in the Central Pacific vital to the defense of Hawaii. The Battle of Midway was the most important naval battle of WWII. Admiral Chester Nimitz knew the Japanese plans for Midway and concentrated our forces there. The US dealt Japan a decisive defeat and sank four aircraft carriers and 250 planes flown by some of Japan's best pilots. It was the turning point of war in the Pacific. -
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle at Stalingrad was the turning point of the war in Europe. It ended any realistic plans of Hitler dominating Europe, and the Nazi armies were forced to retreat toward Germany. Soviet Union went on the offensive after the big victory at Stalingrad. It was one of the bloodiest battles and had combined casualities of about two million. Stalingrad was very important to the final outcome of the war in favor of the Allies. -
Teheran Conference
The Teheran Conference in Iran was the first face-to-face meeting of the Big Three. FDR, Churchill, and Stalin met to discuss when to start a second front in France. FDR agreed with Stalin, but Churchill had reservations due to memories of WWI. Churchill felt that the German U-boats were too great in the English Channel, but finally, the American and British soldiers invaded France and marched toward Germany in Operation Overlord. -
D-Day
D-Day is when the Allies hit the Germans in force storming the beaches of Normandy. 11,000 planes prepared the way, attempting to destroy German communication and transportation networks. The first troops landed at 6:30 A.M. The five beaches were Utah, Juno, Omaha, Gold, and Sword. The Nazi soldiers were dug into cliffs and had heavy artillery and many American soldiers died, but eventually the US was able to gain a toehold in France. This day was called the "longest day" by many. -
Valkyrie
An Nazi officer, Claus von Stauffenburg, attempted to assassinate Hitler by planting a bomb at his headquarters, Wolf's Lair. The explosion killed or wounded twenty people, but Hitler survived. His generals had plotted to overthrow Hitler, because the mood in Germany was hopeless as the Soviets pushed from the east and the Allies from the west. Hitler refused to surrender, and Rommel took poison to escape being put on trial. -
Battle of Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was Hitler's final counterattack and it almost succeeded. German forces amassed near the Ardennes and Hitler's plan called for English-speaking German soldiers in US uniforms to cut telephone lines, change road signs, and spread confusion. Germans caught the Allies by surprise and created a bulge in the American line. The Battle of the Bulge was a desperate attempt to drive a wedge between British and American forces. -
V-E Day
On April 30th, Hitler and a few close associates committed suicides. Hitler's "Thousand Year Reich" lasted twelve years. Germany surrendered in a French schoolhouse that acted as Eisenhower's headquarters. This signaled the end of the war with Germany, and American celebrated V-E Day, Victory in Europe. FDR had died a few weeks earlier and Truman would see the US through the war. -
Atomic Bomb
The most crucial scientific development of the war was the atomic bomb. Truman decided to drop the atomic bomb on Japan in order to save one million US lives. US pilots dropped "Little Boy" on Hiroshima which exploded at 9:14 A.M. Within two minutes, 60,000 of the city's residents were killed. US dropped "Fat Man" on Nagasaki killing 35,000 residents.
