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In December 1937 The Japanese imperial army seized the town of Nanjing, China. This happened in the Sino-Japanese war proceeding the first world war, in the massacre people estimated that there were somewhere between 100,000 and 300,000 deaths. Nanjing was the capital of Nationalist China and became a puppet state for Japan and the order to kill and rape thousands of innocent people was sent out and executed. -
Blitzkrieg translated to 'Lightning War', was Hitler's plan to invade the rest of Europe. This new battle strategy had left trench warfare behind and was intended to be a quick win for Germany. After Swiftly capturing Belgium, Netherlands, and France Hitler moved focus to Great Britain. His plan was to bomb the English Channel and other important places to weaken British morale.
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After capturing weaker countries like Luxembourg, Belgium, and The Netherlands, Hitler invaded France. He forced France to sue for peace and set up Vichy France, while doing this he left the other half of the country intact. This is about when the phony war took place, a battle on the Franko-German border. -
Japanese pilots had attacked a harbor in Hawaii and sunk several ships. This resulted in thousands of deaths and injuries. Not only was this bad for America it was terrible for Japan. The US formally declared war against Japan along with Britain and France and of course, Germany, and Italy declared war on America. This would help bring about the defeat of the Axis powers. -
The order for the final solution was finally sent out to the Gestapo. It was attended by 15 senior Nazi bureaucrats and was led by Adolf Eichman. This is where the plan for deportation was abandoned and the idea of labor camps and extermination camps was set up. -
The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising was a resistance against the Nazis. The uprising lasted four weeks but was crushed and the jew did make it to the camps. -
Operation Thunderclap was a plan to bomb Berlin Germany. The British weren't on board with the plan but the US was all over it. This would take down the German Capital and help end the war quicker. -
Also, known as the Battle of Ardennes, This was the last major offensive stand made by Allies the before the end of the war. This was an unfortunate loss but the Allies still pulled through. -
This was a big turning point in the war with the US, Canada, and, Britain storming the beaches of Normandy. Paratroopers were dropped in behind enemy lines and were also attacking from the front lines as well. -
The Battle of Okinawa took place in Japan in April of 1945 and was a very deadly battle with 12,000 casualties on the American side and over 100,000 on the Japanese including ordered suicides and civilian infantries. Both Commanding Generals died in battle. -
Shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, America joined the war and fought the battle of Iwo Jima where Marines sited that the Japanese would fight till the last man was gone. -
Two Atomic bombs were dropped on Japan, Fat Man, and Little Boy. They were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki respectively which lead to the surrender of Japan. -
In Late 1945 the Concentration camps in Poland and other countries were liberated. Camps were liberated by both European Countries and America. As people were being liberated and fed they could only eat sugar cubes because they had not eaten anything and were starving.
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Victory Europe Day or VE Day is the day that Germany and Italy surrendered and signed the peace treaty. This is celebrated every day on May 9th. -
VJ Day was the day that Japan surrendered and is the lesser known date between VE and VJ day.