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The Blitzkrieg event was known as Germany's plan to avoid a long war in the beginning stages of WW2. Germany planned to defeat its opponents in a short series of campaigns. Germany quickly overran much of Europe was victorious for more than two years by relying on the Blitzkrieg tactic.
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On the morning of December 7, 1941, Japan attacked the US naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The surprise attack by about 350 Japanese aircrafts either sunk or badly damaged eighteen US naval vessels, including eight battleships, destroyed and/or damaged 300 US aircrafts, and killed 2,403 men. -
On January 20, 1942, 15 high-ranking Nazi Party and German government officials gathered at a villa in the Berlin suburb of Wannsee to discuss and coordinate the implementation of what they called the "Final Solution of the Jewish Question." -
The battle of Midway took place from June 3 to 7 1942. It was between the Japanese and the Americans. It was the biggest carrier battle of world war two. The Japanese surprised attack the American carriers by attacking the Coral islands. It was a mostly air battle between fighter planes. They used a lot of dive bombers and torpedo bombers which granted the American's victory. They won also because of the code breakers which showed where the Japanese were attacking. -
Operation Gomorrah, a massive bombing campaign carried out by the Royal Air Force and the United States Army Air Force against Hamburg from July 24 to August 3, 1943. The operation created one of the largest firestorms raised by the Allies during WW2, killing an estimated 37,000 civilians and wounded more than 180,000. Ultimately, it destroyed pretty much the entire city. It was a religious motivated attack. -
The Allies invaded Italy looking for a way into mainland Europe. They hoped this was easier than crossing the English Channel into Nazi Germany's beaches. The Allies pushed German and Italian divisions out of Africa, believing Italy would crumble.The Italian forces were quickly defeated, and most of Italy was occupied by German troops, who established a puppet state, the Italian Social Republic. The king, the Italian government, and most of the Navy escaped to territories occupied by the Allies.
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The American and British invasion of France was a secret mission called "Operation Overlord." When they landed on the beaches of Normandy on June 6, the goal of the soldiers was to drive the German military back. The operation had brought together the land, air, and sea forces of the allied armies in what became known as the largest invasion force in human history. -
The Battle of the Bulge was the US Army's greatest struggle to deny Adolf Hitler's last chance for victory.The Allies won the Battle of the Bulge, resulting in significantly higher casualties on the German side despite their surprise attack on Allied forces. Losing 120,000 people and military supplies, German forces were dealt an irreparable blow, while Allied forces suffered only 75,000 casualties. -
Troops from several countries were responsible for liberating Nazi concentration camp prisoners, despite the Nazi Party's attempts to conceal their wrongdoings. The Soviet Union was the first to liberate a concentration camp, and the U.S liberated 5. The German tried to cover up the evidence by burning down the warehouses and the gas chambers. With the liberation of the camps, many of the trapped Jews were sick and suffering from a variety of diseases. -
Iwo Jima was targeted by the Americans as part of the Allies' "Island Hopping" strategy, hoping to invade an island, establish a military base there and then launch an attack on another island. As such, Iwo Jima was considered a stepping-stone for the invasion of mainland Japan.
It's known as one of the bloodiest battles in Marine Corps history. After battle, Iwo Jima served as an emergency landing site for more than 2,200 B-29 bombers, saving the lives of 24,000 U.S. airmen. -
The Battle of Okinawa was a victory for the US but resulted in massive casualties on both sides. Japanese forces fought with the same fanaticism the Americans had witnessed in battles such as Iwo Jima. Rather than be taken prisoner, defenders often chose suicide.Taking Okinawa would provide Allied forces an airbase from which bombers could strike Japan and an advanced anchorage for Allied fleets. -
Germany unconditionally surrendered its military forces to the Allies, including the United States. On May 8, 1945 - known as Victory in Europe Day or V-E Day - celebrations erupted around the world to mark the end of World War II in Europe. In Britain, Churchill marked the occasion by declaring 8 May a public holiday. -
Potsdam Declaration, issued by the United States, Great Britain, and China calling for the surrender of Japan. The main issues discussed at Potsdam was how to handle a defeated Germany, the fate of Poland, and the final destruction of Japanese military power.Despite many disagreements, the British delegation, Stalin and Truman did come to some agreements. It was decided that Germany would be occupied by the Americans, British, French and Soviets. It would also be demilitarised and disarmed. -
On August 6, 1945, an American B-29 bomber dropped the world’s first deployed atomic bomb over the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The explosion immediately killed an estimated 80,000 people. Three days later, a second B-29 dropped another A-bomb on Nagasaki, killing an estimated 40,000 people.It's estimated roughly 70,000 to 135,000 people died in Hiroshima and 60,000 to 80,000 people died in Nagasaki, both from acute exposure to the blasts and from long-term side effects of radiation.
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V-J Day, or Victory over Japan Day, marks the end of World War II, one of the deadliest and most destructive wars in history. When President Harry S. Truman announced on Aug. 14, 1945, that Japan had surrendered unconditionally, war-weary citizens around the world erupted in celebration.
In the U.S., VJ day is officially acknowledged on September 2, 1945. This day marked the formal signing of the Instrument of Surrender aboard the battleship USS Missouri in Japan's Tokyo Bay.