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Japan Declares War on China
Japan had a long term attitude of being very mean to China. So, when Japan wanted to expand territory to relieve its economic and demographic problems, they went in full force against China. The US tried to help by putting embargoes and sanctions on Japan but it didnt work. This war led to Pearl Harbor. -
Japan Declares War on China Continued
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Germany's Invasion on Poland
At 4:45 AM on September 1st, the Germans fought on land and in water to seize Poland. It was thought that Poland would bring more "living space" to Germany. On September 3rd, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, India, and France declared war on Germany. Germany was able to take Poland, but split it with the USSR. -
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Germany's Invasion on Poland Continued
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German Blitzkrieg
Also known as "lightning war", German blitzkrieg was a new military strategy that helped to make Germany victorious for over two years. Needing tanks, planes, and artillery, the offense would create a split in the defense. This made it easy for tanks to get behind the enemy lines and fire. The air forces helped to make it even harder for the enemy. Germany successfully seized Poland, Denmark, and many more this way. -
Operation Barbarossa 1941
Happening on June 22, 1941, this event marked "the crucial turning point of World War II." Hitler had armies invade the Soviet Union. The only problem was, Germany could not win because they did not come with enough resources. The two-front war caused encirclement battles. http://www.history.com/topics/operation-barbarossa
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Pearl Harbor
In Honolulu, Hawaii before 8 AM, Japan uses eight large battleships and almost 200 planes to destroy Pearl Harbor. This battle only lasted two hours but as a result, 20 American naval vessels were destroyed, more than 2,000 people died, and 1,000 were wounded. It all surrounded around the US being upset with Japan for their bad attitude towards China. After month of planning and practicing, Japan made the attack. The US declared war on Japan. America was now in WWII. -
Wannsee Conference
On January 20th, Nazi officials met to discuss the details of the "final solution" of the "Jewish question". Mass sterilization and deportation were two of the topics that were talked about. Working Jews to death in concentration camps was also discussed. "Gas vans" was what the officials finally decided on. The vans would be killing 1000 people a day. -
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The Bataan Death March continued
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Bataan Death March
The day after the surrender of the main Philippine island of Luzon to the Japanese, the 75,000 Filipino and American troops captured on the Battaan Peninsula began a forced march to a prison camp near Cabanatuan. The prisoners were forced to march 85 miles in six days, with only one meal of rice during the entire journey. Hundreds of Americans and many more Filipinos had died by the end of this march. -
Battle of Midway
This is one of the most decisive U.S. victories in its war against Japan. This was a four-day sea and air battle. The outnumbered U.S. Pacific Fleet succeeded in destroying four Japanese aircrat carriers. During this battle, Japan lost four carriers, a cruiser, and 292 aircrafts, and suffered 2,500 casualties. -
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Battle of Stalingrad
This battle was the successful Soviet defense of the city of Stalingrad in the U.S.S.R. during World War Two. It stopped the Germans advance into the Soviet Union and marked the turning of the tide of war in favor of the Allies. This was the bloodiest battle with combined military and civilian casualties of nearly 2 million. http://www.history.com/topics/battle-of-stalingrad http://orientalreview.org/2013/02/02/the-sword-of-stalingrad/ -
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
During the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, residents of the Jewish ghetto in Nazi occupied Warsaw, Poland. They did this to revolt deportations to extermination camps. The Warsaw ghetto uprising inspired other revolts in extermination camps and ghettos throughout German-occupied Eastern Europe. http://www.history.com/topics/warsaw-ghetto-uprising
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Operation Gomorrah
The British were fed up. On July 24th, 1943, British bombers had invaded Hamburg, Germany. They dropped 2300 tons of bombs on this site. During the day, the US had completed two raids on hamburg. As a result, 30000 people died and 280000 buildings were completely destroyed. Hitler would not visit the destruction sites; he refused. -
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D-Day
June 6th, 1944 marks the day when 156,000 Americans, British, and Canadian forces landed on France's Normandy region. This event was supposed to happen on the 5th but weather caused a delay. Germany had already invaded this part of France, but the other countries did not like that. Being one of the largest amphibious military assaults, it was know as "the beginning of the end of the war in Europe." This started to make the Nazis look really bad. -
Battle of the Bulge
From December 16, 1944 to January 28, 1945, the Allied forces and Germany were at war in the Ardennes. This was Hitler's strategy or counteroffensive to make the Allied forces want to beg for peace. During the attack, a surprise blitzkrieg was used. It helped to make this battle the deadliest in the west. The name of the battle came from the Allied forces' line up looking like a large bulge. -
Battle of the Bulge Continued
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Operation Thunderclap Continued
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Operation Thunderclap
This event is also known as the Firebombing of Dresden. On February 13, 1945, the Allied forces firebombed the German city. It is believed the Allied forces did this just to get back at the Germans. It was the most destructive firebombing with a 35000-135000 death toll. The whole event made Germany want to surrender even more. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
The island of Iwo Jima was defended by roughly 23,000 Japanese army and navy troops, and it was attacked by three marine divisions. This battle was marked by changes in Japanese defense tactics -- troops no longer defended at the beach line but rather concentrated inland. American losses included 5, 900 dead and 17,400 wounded. http://www.history.com/topics/battle-of-iwo-jima
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The Battle of Okinawa Continued
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Battle of Okinawa
This was the last and the biggest of the Pacific island battles of World War II. The Okinawa campaign involved the 287,000 troops of the U.S. Tenth Army against 130,000 soldiers of the Japanese Thirty-Second Army. The United States was getting closer and closer to Japsn in regaining control of the Japanese advances in the Pacific. The result of this battle made Okinawa a mass bloodletting both on land and at sea, and among both the island's civilian population and the military. -
Liberation of Concentration Camps
People in the concentration camps were set free, but more than 10,000 of them died from the effects of malnutrition or disease within a few weeks of liberation. The small percentage of inmates who survived resembled skeletons. Many forces liberated a numerous amount of concentration camps. Disease remained a danger after this event, and many of the camps had to be burned down to prevent the spread of epidemics. Survivors of the camps faced a long and difficult road to recovery. -
Liberation of Concentration Camps continued
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VE Day
On VE Day, cities in Great Britain and the United States put out banners and flags, rejoicing in the defeat of the Nazi war machine. This day celebrates victory in Europe Day. The impact of this event is rejoicing with happiness. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/v-e-day-is-celebrated-in-american-and-britain http://www.infoplease.com/spot/veday1.html -
Dropping of the Atomic Bombs
On this day, bombs were dropped on Japan. This happened because the US was at war with Japan. The dropping of the bombs marked the end of World War Two. The clean-up of the war has now begun. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/atomic-bomb-dropped-on-hiroshima http://www.upa.pdx.edu/IMS/currentprojects/TAHv3/Atomic_Bomb.html -
VJ Day
On this day, victory over Japan is celebrated. It is celebrated because Japanese forces agreed to Allied demands for an unconditional surrender. This day celebrates the ending combat in World War Two. http://www.history.com/interactives/veterans-remember-victory-in-japan http://www.legacy.com/ns/news-story.aspx?t=war-ends-and-love-begins&id=1031 -
Paragraphs/ Emily continued
punished. It's amazing to look at how a difference in power can lead to a difference in freedom. Part of the American Dream is freedom. That's what the whole comparison of Germany and the US is about. It's one little word that can determine many things; like if you die by a gas chamber or if you get to live. Freedom is what helped the Americans but did the Germans in. Many people have different views as to what the American Dream is, but the way I see it, freedom is something Americans should -
Paragraphs/ Emily Continued #2
all be proud of because some people missed out on having the opportunity to do so. -
Paragraphs/ Emily
German ruled countries under Hitler were completely different from the free western countries like the US. In Germany, Hitler held and displayed so much power that people were scared to even carry out their everyday lives. Imagine living somewhere where you can't even practice your own religion. The US was not like that. Freedom was what the United States surrounded around. People could be who they wanted to be. And do what they wanted to do without being frightened as to how they might get... -
Paragraphs /Kaeley
There is a great difference between German ruled countries under Hitler and free western countries such as the United States. German ruled countries under Hitler had basically no freedom at all. Hitler was in power and made everyone follow him. This led to major destruction for many people. He tried to destroy the Jews because of their religion. German countries had no freedom. Unlike German ruled countries, western countries had freedom. They were allowed to practice their own religion. -
Paragraphs/ Kaeley cont.
They also were not ruled by someone who wanted to take over the country. We had our constitution to live by. This ties to The American Dream in my opinion by being a major factor of having freedom and happiness. People ruled by Hitler were not happy. Whereas we lived with freedom and we gained happiness. We were basically a free country. That is how I believe this is tied to The American Dream.
