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The Rape of Nanking
Japanese General Matsui Iwane ordered the destruction of Nanking in order to crush the spirit of Chinese resistance. Nanking was burned to the ground and Japanese forces began to commit cruel crimes against the civilians. The Japanese brutally murdered around 200,000 people and over 20,000 women of all ages were raped, then killed. This is why the tragic event is known as, "The Rape of Nanking". In result of this cruel event, Matsui was found guilty and executed after the end of the end of WW2. -
Germany's Invasion of Poland
Germany invaded Poland to gain back their lost territory and have full control over their land. Germany used their "blitzkrieg" strategy, a series of immense bombing, to destroy Poland's railroads, communication lines, and air capacity. Following the bombing, Germany's troops invaded their land using tanks and specialized artillery. After the invasion, Hitler began killing enemies and setting up concentration camps. Great Britain responded to this with bombing raids over Germany. -
German Blitzkrieg
Blitzkrieg, meaning "lightning war," was a powerful war tactic used by Germany in the beginning of WW2. This war strategy allowed Germany to swiftly attack countries at a fast pace and strong force. The Blitzkrieg strategy focused on blow at an enemy using mobile forces which included tanks and planes.This method allowed for Germany to "strike a swift" victory with a limited loss of soldiers and artillery. Using this tactic, Germany invaded France, Poland, and Belgium, at rapid speed. -
Fall of Paris
One by one, Germany invaded France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands with their troop of 3.5 million men. One month after Germany invaded France, Paris fell to Nazi Germany. From May 10, 1940 to June 25, 1940, Germany had fully captured the 4 countries and forced the French government to surrender. -
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain was the first battle to be fought in the air between Great Britain and Germany. It was fought to stop the Luftwaffe from gaining air superiority. Great Britain surprisingly took victory, which people say was because of the battle being fought over their homeland, giving them more drive to win. This battle was significant because it was the first major German defeat in World War 2, which was a major turning point in the war. -
Pearl Harbor
Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, the U.S. Naval Base, in attempt to prevent the U.S. Pacific Fleet from getting in the way of Asian military actions against the United Kingdom and the U.S. At about 8AM, Japan flew over Pearl Harbor and used a 1,800-pound bomb to destroy the USS Arizona, killing more than 2,400 Americans. The bombs destroyed about 20 american vessels, 8 battleships, and over 300 airplanes. In response to this tragic event, President Roosevelt asked congress to declare war on Japan. -
Wannsee Conference
The Wannsee Conference was a meeting held in the Berlin suburb of Wannsee to discuss the "Final Solution to the Jewish Question". AT this villa, 15 high-ranked German Nazi representatives gathered to discuss the mass-killing of the Jews. This conference marked a major turning point in Nazi policy towards the Jews. The "final solution," was gathering all the Jews in Europe and organizing them into labor groups. -
Battle of the Coral Sea
The Battle of the Coral Sea marked the first day of modern naval engagement in history. Japan invaded Tulgai of the Solomon Islands to expand Japan's defensive perimeter. This was in response to the United States breaking into Japan's war code and their attempt to intercept the Japanese armada. Although Japan's victory in this battle came at great-cost, Japan went on to occupy all of the Solomon Islands.
(https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-battle-of-the-coral-sea-begins) -
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway was an, "epic clash," that took place after the attack on Pearl Harbor between the U.S. Navy and the Japanese Navy. Isaroku Yamamoto, Commander of the Japanese Navy, was in pursuit of replicating the Pearl Harbor attack and sought to demolish the rest of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, by bombing the island of Midway. The U.S. were able to break into Japanese codes and were able to combat the invasion. The outcome was U.S. victory and the "tide of the war," in favor of the Allies. -
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was known as one of the most brutal, largest, and bloodiest battles during WW2. The battle was between Russian forces, Nazi Germans, and the Axis Powers with more than 2 million troops in total. Nearly 2 million people were killed in the course of the battle. This was the most significant battle because it was the very first time that Hitler admitted a military defeat, which made for a major physiological turning point in the war for the Soviet Union and Germany. -
D-Day
The Normandy Invasion was the allied invasion of western Europe, in direct response to America entering the war. The extensive, brilliant planning of the invasion was designed to mislead the Germans of the intended target. Invasions began at 6:30AM and by the end of the day 156,000 Allied troops successfully invaded the beaches of Normandy. By August of 1944, Northern France gained freedom and by spring of 1945, the Allies defeated the Germans. This is known as the,"beginning of the end" to WW2. -
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Counteroffensive, was fought when Germany launched a surprise attack against the Allies, in attempt to split the allies in their drive toward Germany. Lasting from December 16, 1944 to January 25, 1945, it was 6 brutal weeks of fighting under intense weather conditions. Although the U.S. suffered over 100,000 casualties, this battle goes down in history known as, "the greatest American battle of the war," as the allies took a major victory. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima was fought between the U.S. Marines and the Imperial Army of Japan. Japan had an inner line of defense set up by the empire's military leaders which America suspected was the island of Iwo Jima. American forces bombed the island using planes and shot at the island from ships placed off the coast. The battle is famous for being one of the bloodiest battles fought in WW2. Americans took victory, however both sides had a devastating number of casualties. -
Potsdam Declaration
The Potsdam Declaration was issued by the United States, Great Britain, and China calling for the surrender of Japan, near the end of World War II. The Declaration included warnings such as, "prompt and under destruction," to Japan if they were to not put down their weapons and surrender. At the conference, Suzuki Kantaro, Japanese Prime minister, responded to the declaration with, "no comment". The U.S. dropped an atomic bomb on Japan and by August 15, Japan officially surrendered. -
Dropping of the Atomic Bombs
The world's first deployed atomic bomb was dropped over Hiroshima by an American B-29 bomber, to bring the war to a final end. The first atomic bomb killed over 80,000 people and the second, dropped 3 days later, killed around 40,000 more people. The mass-deadly bombing made Japan surrender in the world war on August 15, as Japan's Emperor Hirohito announced their surrender over a radio address. This news rapidly spread to allied nations and the U.S. and became known as "V-J Day".