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The begining of the Holocaust
The Holocaust is generally thought of as the genocide of roughly 6 million Jewish people during World War II. Some definitions include the mass murder of other groups as well including Romani gypsies, homosexuals, Soviet POWs, blacks, and more. Some numbers suggest that between 10 and 11 million civilians and POWs were murdered during this time period. It began with laws that required Jewish people to be removed from the rest of the general population. -
Adolf Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany
When Adolf Hitler walked into the presidential office of Paul von Hindenburg to become chancellor, the Old Gentleman was so annoyed he would hardly look at him. He had been kept waiting while Hitler and conservative leader Alfred Hugenberg argued over Hitler's demand for new elections. It was the final argument and backstabbing that finally resulted in Adolf Hitler becoming Chancellor of Germany. This was basically how Hitler took over and made things worse. -
Germany Invades Poland
When Hitler invaded Poland in September 1939, France and Britain declared war on Germany. The British and French had decided that Hitler has taken too much territory in Europe and were determined to stop him. They guaranteed the borders of Poland but Hitler did not believe they would go to war on Poland's behalf. He was wrong. This invasion is also what started World War II. http://www.enotes.com/homework-help/german-invasion-poland-what-significance-this-162477 -
France surrenders to Germany
France surrenders to Germany on May 10th, 1940. Hitler's forces attacked France, conquering the Luxembourg, Netherlands and Belgium in the process. Within three weeks, a large part of the British force, accompanied by some of the French defenders, is pushed to the English Channel and compelled to abandon the continent at Dunkirk. The German advance continues to sweep southward drving before it not only the retreating French army, but an estimated 10 million refugees fleeing for their lives. -
Stalingrad
Four million troops poured over the Russian border. Within on month, over two and a half million Russians had been killed, wounded or captured. The Germans made outstounding advances into Russia-- into portions of Moscow, Leningrad, and Stalingrad. During this, the winter hit. The Germans were caught in summer uniforms, and it was a bitter, cold winter that year. The Germans were basically 1,800 miles away from home and were stuck there. http://www.solpass.org/7ss/standards/MajorEvents.htm -
Pearl Harbor
Just before 8 a.m., hundreds of Japanese fighter planes attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor near Honolulu, Hawaii. It lasted just two hours, but it was devastating. The Japanese managed to destroy nearly 20 American naval vessels, including eight enormous battleships, and almost 200 airplanes. More than 2,000 American soldiers and sailors died in the attack, and another 1,000 were wounded. The U.S. then declared war on Japan. http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/pearl-harbor -
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway effectively destroyed Japan's naval strength when the Americans destroyed four of its aircraft carriers. Japan's navy never recovered from its mauling at Midway and it was on the defensive after this battle. This battle is considered one of the most decisive battles of World War Two. Since it is so decisive I thought it was important to know. http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/battle_of_midway.htm -
D-Day
This is when around 156,000 American, British, and Canadian forces landed on five beaches along a 50-mile stretch of the heavily fortified coast of France's Normandy region. The invasion was one of the largest amphibious military assaults in history and required extensive planning. Prior to D-Day, the Allies conducted a large-scale deception campaign designed to mislead the Germans about the intended invasion target.
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Allies Liberate Paris
In the early afternoon, German Gen. Dietrich von Choltitz, the military governor of Paris, was arrested and forced to surrender the city back to the French. Choltitz had been instructed by Hitler to destroy the city, but had refused the order. Gen. Charles de Gaulle, leader of the Free French Forces, arrived that afternoon and took control of the government. He then delivered a speech at City Hall that attributed the liberation of Paris entirely to the French. -
The Battle of Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major battle in Europe during World War II. It was Germany's final attempt to drive the allies off of mainland Europe. Most of the troops involved on the allied side were American troops. It is considered one of the greatest battles ever fought by the United States military. When Germany attacked they used over 200,000 troops and nearly 1,000 tanks to break through the US lines. It was winter and the weather was snowy and cold. The Americans were not ready for this. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
The capture of Iwo Jima was part of a three-point plan the Americans had for winning the war in the Far East. This battle was between the United States and Japan. It was the first major battle of World War II to take place on Japanese homeland. The island of Iwo Jima was a strategic location because the U.S. needed a place for fighter planes and bombers to land and take off when attacking Japan. -
Hiroshima and Nagasaki
An American B-29 bomber dropped the world's first deployed atomic bombe over the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The explosion wiped out 90 percent of the city and immediately killed 80,000 people. Tens of thousands more would later die of radiation exposure. Three days later, a second B-29 dropped another atomic bomb on Nagasaki, killing an estimated 40,000 people. The main fact that you need to know is that the United States bombed the Japanese twice.
