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World War 2 Begins
September 3, 1939 marked the official start of WWII. Hitler invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, two days before World War 2 officially started. This lead to France and Britain giving Hitler an ultimatum: either he withdraws from Poland, or they will declare war on Germany. Hitler did not withdraw his troops from Poland, and so on September 3, France and Britain officially declared war on Germany, and World War 2 began. Germany was confident they'd win at first, but would soon be proven wrong. -
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the largest German military operation of WWII. The point of this operation was to invade the Soviet Union, and went underway on June 22. This completely violated the German-Soviet Pact, and cause the USSR to react violently. Soon winter struck and the USSR grew to be extremely cold, wearing out the German troops completely. This caused Operation Barbarossa to fail, and Germany was forced to pull out of the Soviet Union after losing thousands of lives. -
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor was one of the major events in WWII. After the Japanese launch an attack on the US's naval base Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, all neutrality bets are off and the US enters the war with revenge on its mind. Roosevelt immediately declares war on Japan and enters World War 2 without a second thought. The US lost a great amount of warcrafts and over 2,000 lives from this attack. This event is still remembered and mourned in the US to this day. -
Battle of Midway begins
The Battle of Midway was a turning point in the war in the Pacific. Before this battle, the Japanese were on the offensive in the war, capturing territory throughout the Pacific. However, when the US intercepted Japan's plans to capture the island of Midway, the Japanese were put on the defensive. They continued to stay on the defensive until the end of the war. The US and its allies were able to gain momentum in the Pacific after this battle. -
Battle of Stalingrad
The battle of Stalingrad is recognized as the biggest battle of World War 2. Intense Luftwaffe bombing by Germany caused the city of Stalingrad to quickly fall to ashes. However, the Soviet army was not ready to give up and was able to fight back with a vengeance. The Soviet's strong defense soon took its toll on Germany and weakened their army greatly. This battle resulted in the loss of over 1 million German and Soviet lives. -
D-Day
D-Day is one of the greatest military invasions in history, and changed the course of the war dramatically. The Allies were able to regain control of Europe by sending over 24,000 troops to the shores of Normandy. Troops attacked from inside enemy lines and across enemy lines. Airborne attacks consisted of soldiers landing inside enemy lines from parachutes and amphibious attacks were when soldiers landed outside enemy lines. Some historians consider D-Day to be a turning point in Europe in WW2. -
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was Germany's last major offensive attack against the Allies during WWII. Hitler's plan for this attack was to split the Allies in two and weaken their alliance. However, the German army did not have enough fuel or manpower for this plan to go through. The German's success lasted shortly, and then the Allies were able to regain their footing. Over 600,000 American troops were involved in this battle. -
Hitler Commits Suicide
On April 30, 1945, Hitler takes his own life after realizing that all is lost and that his plans for domination are over. Hitler's death causes Germany to be sent into a state of confusion. It is also a sign that the Allies have taken full control of the war. Hitler commits suicide by taking a cyanide capsule and shooting himself. He does so with his wife, dog, and right-hand man (along with his family). This is a surefire sign that the war will soon be over. -
V-E Day
A little over a week after Hitler commits suicide, Germany surrenders to the Allies and the war in Europe is officially over. This becomes an international holiday and celebration occurs across the globe. After six years of being at war with Germany, France and Britain were weary and the US was still at war with Japan. However, this day marked historical in that Germany and its Nazi reign had finally fallen. -
V-J Day/End of WWII
At 4 A.M. Pacific time, President Harry Truman states on national radio that Japan has surrendered and the war is over. America is sent into a state of chaos and celebration and businesses close for the day. After millions of lives are lost in the war, it finally ends after Japan surrenders and the Nuremburg Trials begin some 3 months later. Upon receiving this news, citizens run out of office buildings and homes into the streets to celebrate. Japan officially surrenders on September 2, 1945.
