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Bataan Death March
The fighting was over, but the suffering of the soldiers was just beginning. For five days and nights the Japanese forced the already starving and sick soldiers through the steaming forest of Bataan. Those who dropped out of line were beaten or shot. Those who fell were left for death. This happened because Japanese were just brutal during the war to prisoners of war. This impacted because it made other countries want to bring them down even more. (Book) -
Rape of Nanking
Japanese Imperial Army marched into China's capital city of Nanking and proceeded to murder civilians and soldiers in the city. The Japanese would rape women over 70 as well as little girls under the age of 8. They were often gang raped then killed. Pregnant women were not spared they were raped then they would cut open their stomachs and tear out the fetus. The Chinese were forced to dig each other's graves. This was all because the Japanese thought they were better.(historyplace.org) -
German Blitzkrieg
There was an overwhelming combination of air attacks. The fast-moving armored strikes against the polish army. Hitler was attacking different territories to gain more territory for expansion. This allowed Hitler to gain control and carry out his war. (Book) -
Pearl Harbor
The Japanese loaded their war planes with bombs to bomb Pearl Harbor. They wanted to destroy as many American ships and planes as possible. There was conflicted over French Indochina between Japan and America. The United States entered the war because of this. Americans were angry and frightful. (Book) -
Wannsee Conference
This was a conference with the 15 top Nazi bureaucrats to coordinate "the final solution". The final solution was to exterminate the entire Jewish population of Europe. That is about 11 million persons. This happened because the German people wanted change and hope. This impacted because it started the war and what the war was about. (Historyplace.com) -
The Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was the successful Soviet defense of the city of Stalingrad in the U.S.S.R. during World War II. Russians consider it to be the greatest battle of their Great Patriotic War, and most historians consider it to be the greatest battle of the entire conflict. It stopped the German advance into the Soviet Union and marked the turning of the tide of war in favor of the Allies. (Historychannel.com) -
Warsaw Ghetto uprising
German authorities deported or murdered around 300,000 Jews in the Warsaw ghetto. SS and police units deported 265,000 Jews to the Treblinka killing center and 11,580 to forced-labor camps. The Germans and their auxiliaries murdered more than 10,000 Jews in the Warsaw ghetto during the deportation operations. This was because the Germans were starting their final solution tactic and it impacted because it was one of the key starts of the war. (Ushmm.org) -
D-Day (Normandy invasion)
Soldiers parachuting behind the German lines to try to secure key sites. Ships offshore raining shells on the coastline to destroy German defenses. Allied aircraft filled the sky to provide cover for the wave of troops to come. This happened because Germany was gaining too much control. It was a success and one of the key turning points in the war. It impacted it by making this the start of Hitler's downfall. (Book) -
Battle of the Bulge
German launched a surprise offensive of their own. This happened in response to the surprise D-Day attack. Bulge refers to the bulge in the allied battle lines created by the Germans. For several days Hitler's forces threatened to win back vital ground from the allies. This was a failed attempt. This impacted by putting the D-Day plans off schedule. (book) -
Liberation of Concentration camps
Soviet soldiers were the first to liberate concentration camp prisoners in the final stages of the war. On July 23, 1944, they entered the Majdanek camp in Poland, and later overran several other killing centers. On January 27, 1945, they entered Auschwitz and there found hundreds of sick and exhausted prisoners. (Ushmm.org) -
Battle of Iwo Jima
This battle was fought because the Americans were going after the Japanese after their attack on Pearl Harbor. 100,000 soldiers fought for a month to capture the two tiny islands. Every time they would get so far the Japanese would come and take it again. It was some of the worst fighting in the war. The United States marines stormed the beaches. They were easy targets for the Japanese. February 23 they finally managed to make it to the top of Mount Suribachi and raised the American flag. (Book) -
The Battle of Okinawa
Battle of Okinawa involved the 287,000 troops of the U.S. Tenth Army against 130,000 soldiers of the Japanese Thirty-second Army. At stake were air bases vital to the projected invasion of Japan. By the end of the 82-day campaign, Japan had lost more than 77,000 soldiers and the Allies had suffered more than 65,000 casualtie including 14,000 dead. This happened because the allies had to stop the Japanese. The impact was it stop the reign of terror from the Japanese. (Historychannel.com) -
VE Day
VE Day is also known as Victory in Europe Day. The German armies elsewhere gave up the fight. Karl Dönitz who took over after Hitler's death; surrender. This happened because of D-Day and the fighting since that day to bring Hitler down. The impact of this event was the surrender of German armies. (Book) -
Dropping of the atomic bombs
The Manhattan project continued throughout the war. Truman took over after Roosevelts death; at first knew nothing of the bomb. Truman decided to drop it on a Japan city. Truman and the allies warned the Japanese one last chance to avoid the bomb. They issued a demand for Japan's surrender. The Japanese didn't respond. They flew Enola Gay over the city of Hiroshina and dropped the bomb. This happened because of Pearl Harbor and it impacted by showing the Americans were going to fight back.(Book) -
VJ Day
Japanese Emperor, Hirohito, favored the surrender, but the military leaders resisted. Some even tried to take overthrow the Japanese government and continue the war. They failed. Hirohito announced the end of the war in the radio broadcast. This was the first time the Japanese people had heard the emperor's voice. This happened because the American's dropped a bomb and the impact was the end of the war. (Book)
