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After invading Austria and Czechoslovakia in 1938 with no resistance, Germany moved onto bigger and riskier asperations. On September 1, 1939, Germany launched a full scale, surprise invasion on Poland. The Polish resistance gave Germany a run for their money, however it was a futile effort as the German air force (Luftwaffe) obliterated the Polish counterparts in a matter of days. Soon after the Polish surrendered on October 5, 1939.
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Perhaps one of the best Japanese victories of the Second World War, the bombing of U.S. airfield Pearl Harbor was the last straw for the Americans. In the early morning hours of December 7, 1941, 360 Japanese planes flew of 200 miles to engage in a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. In less than 5 hours, the Japanese fleet sunk 19 United States Navy ships, including 8 battleships. Over 2,000 Americans were killed and 68 civilians among them. -
Operation Torch was the first major Allied amphibious offensive of the Second World War. It is a lesser version of Operation Overlord on all accounts. Operatoin Torch focused on the French settled North African coast. This included Casablanca, Algiers, and Oran. This conflict in particular marked the first time the the United States went to battle with the Nazi blitzkrieg forces.
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The Invasion of Normandy was the largest military operation to date. A full year of preparation and accumulation of forces and equipment lead to the the amphibious invasion also known as D-Day. Over 130,000 forces from 3 different nations (Canada, United States, Britain) landed on 5 different beaches along the beaches of France and Normandy. Within a few months all of France was liberated and the allied forces met up the what was left of the Soviet forces and pushed the Nazi back from the East.
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The Nurnberg Trials is a collection of trials held over the span of a year (1945-1946) in which the Nazi leaders were tried as war criminals by the Allied Powers. The International Military Tribunal indicted 22 different Nazi leaders, 12 of which were convicted. The collection of offenses included crimes against the peace, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and conspiracy.