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On September 1, 1939, German forces invaded Poland. Hitler wanted to regain lost territory and rule Poland. Great Britain responded three days later by bombing Germany.
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Hitler's Blitzkrieg stradegy was characterized by dropping bombs to destroy the enamy's air force, railroads, and communication lines. This would be followed by a land invasion where the soldiers would kill off any remaining resistors. Germans used this military tactic to invade Poland, Belgium, the Netherlands, and France.
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On June 14, 1940, German forces began their occupation of Paris. German soldiers arrested, interrogated, and spied on Parisians throughout the occupation. In response, President Roosevelt froze the American assets of Germany and Italy.
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On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The United States, Britain, and the Netherlands froze Japanese assets; preventing Japan from buying enough oil. The United States joined the war the day after the attack.
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On September 3, 1943, the British army began their invasion of Italy. The Italian government surrendered to the Allies and were treated with leniency as long as they aided the Allies in pushing the Germans out of Italy.
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On June 6, 1944, around 156,000 American, British and Canadianforces landed on the coast of France. By the spring of 1945, the Allies had defeated the Germans; they had successfully pushed them out of France.This event has been called the biginning of the war.
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On December 16, 1944, the Germansbegan to try to push the Allied front line from Northern France to Northwestern Belgium. The battle lasted for three weeks until the United States surrendered. There was a major loss of American and Civilian life.
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On February 19, 1945, three United States marine divisions landed on the island of Iwo Jima. This was caused by the American need for a base near the Japanese coast. After a month of fighting, the American marines defated the Japanese forces.
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On April 1, 1945, the Okinawa campaign began. The United States Army was fighting the Japanese army over an air base that was important to the invasion of Japan. After eighty-two days, on June 22, 1945, the campaign ended with major casualties on both sides.
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On May 8, 1945, German troops in Europe finally stopped fighting. The German soldiers were in danger of being captured even after they surrendered. On this day, Victory in Europe Day is celebrated.
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On August 6, 1945, an American bomber dropped the world's first deployed atomic bomb over the city of Hiroshima. The explosion killed about ninety percent of the city's population. Three days later a second American atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. On August 15, Japan's Emperor announced his country's surrender.
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On August 14, 1945, Japan officially surrendered to the Allies. This marked the end of World War II. August 14 and 15 are known as Victory Over Japan Day.
