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Japanese Invasion of China
The Japanese invasion of China is exactly what is sounds like, the Japanese army invading China. Beginning in the 1930’s, Japan wanted to expand their territory and China happened to be one of the unfortunate countries, this launched the second Sino-Japanese war, and eventually merged in with WW2. This war had a huge impact on the Chinese revolution, and caused more to lean towards the Chinese Communist Party. Source -
Rape of Nanking
Massacres were common during the invasion of China, but nothing can compare to the horrific tragedy of December, 1937. 20 000 Chinese women were raped by Japanese men, and likely more considering the “comfort women” the men would keep. Many of these women were mutilated or killed. This affected China deeply, and to this day Japan has not apologized or even acknowledged their actions. Source -
German Blitzkrieg
Blitzkrieg, which translates to “lightning war” in German, was a military tactic in which it’s main purpose was to shock and confuse German opponents with speed, strength, and firepower. This tactic was used repeatedly throughout WW2, most notably the invasion of Poland, Norway, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, and the Soviet Union. The blitzkrieg was responsible for Germany’s lengthy, repeated success throughout WW2. Source -
Pearl Harbor
The attack of Pearl Harbor was an unprovoked and sudden aircraft attack from the Japanese army on a military base in Hawaii. 260 aircrafts were sent out for the attack as the Japanese Government at the time decided war was easier than coming to a conclusion with negotiations. The attack began at 7:55 am and carried on until 9:00 am. This forced America into WW2 and to this day Japanese-American relations are not in a good place. Source -
Bataan Death March
Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, invasion of the Philippines, and America’s loss of the siege of Bataan, 76 000 starving and sickly prisoners of war were forced to march 106 km. Many of these prisoners were beaten, succumbed to sickness and starvation, or in many cases beheaded. 22 000 prisoners died before making it to the camp, and many more died afterwards. This atrocity still sticks with Americans and Filipinos alike. Source -
Wannsee Conference
The Wannsee Conference was a meeting in which German officials met to discuss and coordinate the mass killing of Jewish people, or what they called the “Final Solution”. They estimated around 11 million Jewish people would be killed, including those in the countries that opposed Germany as well as neutral countries. They also planned to kill those married to Jewish people as well. Source -
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
The Warsaw Ghetto was a blocked off area in the Capitol city of Poland in which over 400 000 Jewish people were kept. The nazi’s were on a mission to clear this ghetto, however the people revolted and the fights went on for a month. 7 000 Jewish people died and the rest were sent to camps. This is significant to Jewish history as it brought courage to those, no matter age or gender, to revolt against the Nazi’s. Source -
Operation Gomorrah
Operation Gomorrah, the code name for the attack on Hamburg and sometimes referred to as “Germany’s Nagasaki”, was a series of air raids by the British army persisting for eight days. This attack was brought on by the German bomb raids that resulted in the death of 167 British civilians. 30 000 people were killed in Operation Gomorrah, and most say it was the beginning of Germany’s defeat. Source -
D-Day
D-Day, codenamed Operation Overlord and commonly referred to as the Invasion of Normandy, was one of the largest costal attacks in History. 156 000 American, Canadian and British troops stormed Germany in what is commonly called the “beginning of the end of war in Europe”. This lead to the liberation of Northern France in August, and eventually the defeat of Germany by springtime. Over 4 000 allied troops lost their lives. Source -
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was one of the last offences of the German army. As the allies tried to break through the boarders, Germany tried one last battle to change their future, and failed. They began by attacking Belgium, although it was clear after ten days almost no progress was made. This loss along with the loss from the Normandy Invasion caused Germany to surrender four months after the battle. Source -
Liberation of Concentration Camps
Majdanek was one of the first major concentration camps to be liberated by the Soviet Union in July of 1944. In January of 1945, Auschwitz was liberated by Russian soldiers and although 1.3 million across Europe had been transported to the camp, only about 9 000 remained. With the liberation of Stutthof in May of 1945, no more concentration camps remained. Source -
Battle of Iwo Jima
The battle of Iwo Jima was a huge military campaign between the American Marines and Army of Japan. With the Japanese weakened by their various losses in WW2 and with America’s large Marine population, America decided it was the perfect time to take Iwo Jima from them. In the end, the Army and Navy could not use it as a staging area, rendering the island pretty much useless. Source -
VE Day
VE Day, or Victory in Europe Day, marks the day of Germany’s unsurprising surrender. Although the news was not official until the eighth, many celebrated on the seventh upon hearing the news. Currently, many celebrate on varying days, but it is most commonly the eighth. Winston Churchill was the one to announce the news at 3 pm, and the royal family participated in the celebrations, Source -
Dropping of the Atomic Bomb
The bombing of Hiroshima was the first atomic bomb to be used by a nation during warfare. 80 000 Japanese died and still they were fighting on, resulting in the second atomic bomb dropped in Nagasaki. While some may argue it was cruel and unnecessary, Japan would have never surrendered without it. 140 000 died as a direct and indirect result from these bombings. Source -
VJ Day
VJ Day, or Victory over Japan Day, marks the surrender of Japan. After the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Japanese government officially surrendered, and Emperor Hirohito urged his people to stop fighting, claiming it would lead to the end of Japan and civilization as a whole. Although it has been celebrated on different days, the news was announced at the white house on August 14, which is the official date of VJ Day. Source