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-Japanese invasion of China (1937)
China had been divided at this time into two states. One was a communist controlled state while the other was a democratic state. As tensions rose between the two, Japan looked at it as an opportunity to strike and take Chinas resources. It later turned into a full blown war when the two Chinese states united to fight against Japan with the support of Russia, US, Great Britian, and France. http://www.history.co.uk/study-topics/history-of-ww2/sino-japanese-war -
-German Blitzkrieg (1939-1940)
Otherwise known as "Lightning war," Blitzkrieg was a tactic used to blast through enemy lines as quickly as possible destroying all military buildings and infrastructure. This way the infantry can quickly take over cities without or little military opposition. http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/blitzkrieg -
-Pearl Harbor (1941)
The bombing of Pearl Harbor was an attempt by Japanese forces to prevent the US navy from becoming a threat in the war. The bombing killed more than 2,300 americans and sank 12 sihps damaging nine others. 160 aircraft were destroyed and 150 others were damaged. <a href='' >http://www.americaslibrary.gov/jb/wwii/jb_wwii_pearlhar_1.html</a> -
-Wannsee Conference (1942)
High ranking German government officials and members of the nazi party gathered in Berlin to a villa of Wannsee. They discussed the implementation of what is called "The Final Solution" which is the planning and annihilation of all Jews. http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005477 -
-Battle of Midway (1942)
The US navy had achieved what is known as one of the most decisive U.S. victories against Japan. During the four-day sea-and-air battle, the outnumbered U.S. Pacific Fleet succeeded in destroying four Japanese aircraft carriers while losing only one of its own, the Yorktown, to the previously invincible Japanese navy. history/battle-of-midway-begins -
-Battle of Stalingrad (1942)
In the Battle of Stalingrad, Soviet forces surrounded and crushed an entire German army. This monumental battle is justly considered a turning point in the war on the Eastern Front and one of the most crucial engagements of World War II. http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-stalingrad -
-Allied invasion of Italy (1943)
On July 10, 1943, the Allies began their invasion of Axis-controlled Europe with landings on the island of Sicily, off mainland Italy. Encountering little resistance from demoralized Sicilian troops, Montgomery’s 8th Army came ashore on the southeast part of the island, while the U.S. 7th Army, under General George S. Patton, landed on Sicily’s south coast. Within three days, 150,000 Allied troops were ashore. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/allies-invade-italian-mainland -
-D-Day (Normandy Invasion - 1944)
The battle began on June 6, 1944. 156,000 American, British and Canadian forces landed on five beaches along a fifty mile stretch of heavily fortified coasts 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 deception campaign designed to mislead the Germans about the intended invasion target. http://www.history.com/topics/worl -
-Battle of Iwo Jima (1945)
The American amphibious invasion of Iwo Jima during World War II stemmed from the need for a base near the Japanese coast. Following elaborate preparatory air and naval bombardment, three U.S. marine divisions landed on the island in February 1945. Iwo Jima was defended by roughly 23,000 Japanese army and navy troops, who fought from an elaborate network of caves, dugouts, tunnels and underground installations. Despite the difficulty http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-iwo-jima -
-Battle of Okinawa (1945)
Last and biggest of the Pacific island battles of World War II, the Okinawa campaign (April 1—June 22, 1945) involved the 287,000 troops of the U.S. Tenth Army against 130,000 soldiers of the Japanese Thirty-second Army. A series of defense lines across the island, both north and south of the American landing beaches, enabled the Japanese to conduct a fierce defense of Okinawa over many weeks. http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-okinawa -
-VE Day (1945)
May 8th was when the German troops throughout Europe finally laid down their arms. Germans surrendered to their Soviet antagonists, after the latter had lost more than 8,000 soldiers, and the Germans considerably more; in Copenhagen and Oslo; at Karlshorst, near Berlin; in northern Latvia; on the Channel Island of Sark the German surrender was realized in a final cease-fire. More surrender documents were signed in Berlin and in easter http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/victory-in-europe -
-Liberation of concentration camps (1945)
On April 29, 1945, the U.S. Seventh Army’s 45th Infantry Division liberates Dachau, the first concentration camp established by Germany’s Nazi regime. A major Dachau subcamp was liberated the same day by the 42nd Rainbow Division. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/dachau-liberated -
-Dropping of the atomic bombs (1945
At approximately 8.15am on 6 August 1945 a US B-29 bomber dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, instantly killing around 80,000 people.
The effects of the attack were devastating. The predicted Japanese surrender, which came on 15 August - just six days after the detonation over Nagasaki - ended World War II. Yet the shocking human effects soon led many to cast doubts upon the use of this weapon. http://www.history.co.uk/study-topics/history-of-ww2/atomic-bomb -
-VJ Day (1945)
On August 14, 1945, it was announced that Japan had surrendered unconditionally to the Allies, effectively ending World War II. Since then, both August 14 and August 15 have been known as “Victoryover Japan Day,” or simply “V-J Day.” The term has also been used for September 2, 1945, when Japan’s formal surrender took place aboard the U.S.S. Missouri, anchored in Tokyo Bay. Coming several months after the surrender of Nazi Germany, Japan’s capi http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/v-j-day -
-Battle of the Bulge (1945)
On this day, the Germans launch the last major offensive of the war, Operation Mist, also known as the Ardennes Offensive and the Battle of the Bulge, an attempt to push the Allied front line west from northern France to northwestern Belgium. The Battle of the Bulge, so-called because the Germans created a “bulge” around the area of the Ardennes forest in pushing through the American defensive line, was the largest fought on the Wes http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battle-of-the-bulge
